I can’t tell you how many times I’ve stopped eating sugar in my adult life. Many times. I always feel so good when it’s out of my system, more energy, clearer thinking, easy to keep weight off, better sleep. But then I’d have a cookie or a bite of chocolate, and it would be downhill from there. It usually took a handful of months before I’d get back on track (“on track” means no sugar again).
I’ve been saying to myself for several years that I want to learn how to eat sugar in moderation. It took years to finally find that balance. It’s like saying to an alcoholic that they can have “just one” drink. The thing you may or may not know about sugar is that it’s as addictive as cocaine and heroin. No kidding. Science now knows that sugar lights up the same place in the brain, when ingested, as cocaine and heroin. If mice are given the choice between cocaine, heroin, or sugar, they go for the sugar well over 75% of the time.
Getting it out of your system will stave off cravings. It takes 3-7 days of abstinence for cravings to subside. The downside is even a little bite will bring cravings back, because it’s in your system again setting up the cravings in your bloodstream. That part is a bummer. But when it’s out of your bloodstream, you’re free.
Initially, I was happy with fruit and as a treat, I’d make whipped cream with stevia and plop that on top of some strawberries and feel happy as a clam. But now, I like more fun treats. So I make these cocoa powder/stevia/mashed banana/vanilla/almond butter/oat bars that rock my world. Feels like I’m having a brownie or cookie and as long as I have one or two of those to look forward to after my dinner, I don’t care about other junk.
Here’s the recipe:
They are just like brownies or a cookie:
~1 cup oats (soak overnight in 1cup water, 1/2 tsp salt, 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar) no need to drain or rinse just mix it all in
~1/3 cup cocoa powder (I use this:http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/01/30/eft-mapping-emotions.aspx?x_cid=20140611_healthtip_facebookdoc)
~ 1 large ripe banana mashed
~ 1 tsp. vanilla
~ 1 heaping tablespoon powdered stevia
~ 1/4 cup almond butter
Mix it all together really well and bake 30min. @ 275. I spread into a toaster oven tray with a silicone baking mat so it doesn’t stick. I get 16 square bars out of the recipe and I freeze them and then toast 1 or 2 at a time.
Another option I do in the summer is:
4 cups greek yogurt
1/3 cup cocoa powder (see above)
1/4 cup almond butter
1 large ripe banana
1 tsp. vanilla
1 heaping tbsp. powdered stevia
Blend in a blender and it’s just like chocolate pudding, great with berries
Enjoy!