How to Eat Less Sugar when it’s Lying Around the House

You have 3 options for this scenario:

1. Get rid of it (easy if you live solo)
2. Train yourself to not care about it (hard to do, but possible)
3. A little bit of each

We all have sugar around the house, it’s pretty normal. Husband, roommate, kids, etc. Here’s our best advice for setting yourself for Eat Less Sugar Success:

Option 1 – Get Rid Of It

Sarah and I have actually done this before. We watched Hungry for Change when it first came out, were appalled by the negative impact sugar has on the body (not to mention it’s addictiveness) and got rid of everything sugar-related we had at the time…

• honey
• agave
• turbinado sugar
• ketchup
• sriracha
• red chili sauce

I begged Sarah to keep the coconut sugar and maple syrup, but other than that – the rest ended up in the trash that night!

We recommend eliminating items like these as much as possible…

• Fruit Juice (apple juice, orange juice, acai juice, etc.)
  

• Coconut Water (unless after a hot sweaty summer workout)

• Loads of Bananas & Oranges (fruit is okay, but try to avoid compulsive snacking of them)
  

• Larabars, Kind Bars (okay to eat, but we don’t recommend having a stockpile of them in the cupboards)

Bottom line here is when you need a snack, don’t reach for sugar all the time.

Try and incorporate more complex carbohydrates and fats. At first it can be hard to switch over because you don’t get the immediate energy burst that comes with sugar. However, in the long run your body will become more fat-adapted, which means you want sugars less and maintain a more steady energy throughout the day.

*Please note – we don’t expect you to just throw it all out – it’s only Week #1 for God’s sake! We’ll come back to this in Week #3.

Option 2 – Reduce Your Desire For It

This takes a while, probably at least through the rest of this program. Very few of us can flip an internal switch and just not desire sugar anymore – us included. Getting to this level of ‘not caring’ about sugar, comes with a great desire to Not eat it. Almost as if the thought of sugar make your stomach queezy. Cutting out sugar completely brings amazing results to your health – and if your desire is great enough, than just the thought of sugar would make you sick.

Over time, the more you associate sugar with what you don’t want (like weight-gain, disease, energy slumps and digestion problems) the less you’ll desire it – almost like sugar is trying to trick you, and masks itself as something to get excited about – even though it’s not.

*Sorry for the long-winded thought there, but this is definitely real. We consider ourselves pretty far down the spectrum, but certainly not all the way. Although there are many people who ultra sugar extreme – but highly successful at not craving sugar & refined foods.

How do you get there?

Just know it’s possible, and don’t be surprised to find yourself making progress and reducing sugar cravings without really noticing it.

Option 3 – A Bit Of Both

By working on Option 1, and completing the Eat Less Sugar Program, you’ll make headway on reducing your desire for sugar.

* * * *

That concludes this week’s Articles – keep up the GREAT work!!!

Week 1 Action Items

1. Figure out Alternatives for Foods You Should Avoid [article 1]. Such as cereals, breads, desserts, etc.

2. Experiment with Including Greens for Breakfast [article 2].

3. Rid your Kitchen of as many Not-So-Healthy Products as Possible – also covered in article 1. Be mindful of your housemates:)