Hi my name is Amanda and I am a sugar addict...
One thing that “lockdown” has taught me, “denial” and “procrastination” are my two biggest verbs!
Especially when it comes to using food to help me to cope with anything and everything that is going on in my life. I eat when I’m excited, I eat when I’m happy, I eat when I’m stressed and I eat when I’m anxious, and sometimes I have a little liquid diet going on as well in the form of alcohol and so it goes on! So yes, I don’t need any encouragement to eat and drink! What I struggle with is the realisation that I don’t actually “enjoy” my food, I have this relationship with food that isn’t about fuel and energy it becomes about filling a hole, filling my time, making me “feel” better, or taking the edge off and so on… and SUGAR for me, and for most people is the poison.
Whether it’s sugar in the form of alcohol, chocolate, bread, pasta or crackers, (you are what you eat) or my favourite double shot latte, it’s still sugar. And when I take sugar out of the equation completely, I’m like a crack addict for a couple of days before I turn back into a nice, rational person and start feeling and behaving more like myself! So what is sugar and how does it affect our bodies, our brain, our hormones and therefore our moods, and yes this happens to men too!
We have three energy sources in our body, glucose, fat and protein. So not dissimilar to your car having two energy sources, petrol and diesel. Our bodies run more efficiently on a fat energy source! I know right! FAT! And no I’m not mad it is absolutely true! We have been brainwashed into believing that we need CARBS for energy! And the PYRAMID chart for nutritional guidelines is completely wrong! Turn it over and you’ll have a much better idea of what you should be eating in order to be happy, healthy, slim and a lot less hormonal!
In truth, our original fuel source in the olden days was fat! Our bodies did very well on fat fuel, and we have the cellular machinery for this as well. Fat is a cleaner, more efficient and more stable fuel, enabling you to avoid the highs and lows of blood sugar fluctuations. Running your body on fat instead of sugar could be compared to running your car on electricity versus diesel fuel. But your body will ALWAYS use sugar first as a priority. Only when the body is depleted of dietary sugar will it switch back to fat fuel – key words being depletion of sugar. So why are we fat? Or should we change that F word to I’m NOT fat I just have loads of potential energy!
Changing your body’s energy system from burning fat for fuel as opposed to sugar / glucose for fuel has so many health benefits. When the body runs efficiently there is no inflammation, there is no pain, there is no need for medication, or hormonal supplementation, and a plethora of other benefits that you’re welcome to ask Dr Google or my personal favourite and go to is DR BERG! Youtube Dr Berg, he is an EXPERT on this subject!
When the body is being fed the right fuel (food) and is then able to convert that food into the right energy source, then the body is performing and functioning as it should. We all know that right? We all know that if we were able to go into Sainsbury’s and buy what our bodies are designed to eat and drink then we wouldn’t be fat, sick or dead… so why do we still stock up on the sugar treats such as wine, chocolate, bread and so forth? Well for me it’s a way of taking the edge off of my day I suppose. It’s a treat! It’s a reward to myself from myself for working hard or whatever I think I need a reward for or to manage my stress and / or anxiety I might be feeling, and the past YEAR has been a rollercoaster of emotions, hence why I refer to it as the CORONACOASTER!
And … I’m pleased to say that I’m able to reflect on this whole experience and be kind to myself about having a toxic love affair with Dairy Fruit and Nut bars for 3 months… but I’ve ended it now and I’ve now become smitten with my FITBIT! So I’m changed… I’m no longer counting my units of alcohol, or my carbs I’m now counting my STEPS! It even goes as far as marching on the spot whilst the kettle is boiling and me keeping a firm eye on the step counter because my magic number is 10000 steps per day!
Yes I realise that the rest of the planet have already been doing this for a long time, however for me this is progress… and this is my point…. We’re progressing into the next stage of our roadmap! The children have gone to school, and now it’s time to take charge of our health and ourselves again, and that’s where I come in. I’m always here to help you get back on track with some helps and tips on low carb and the benefits to your health, which I will cover next month too, but in the meantime if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to be in touch, and if you’re struggling with any aches and pains then come in and see me and let’s get your body back into alignment and happy again. We’ve got A LOT to look forward to, so we need to be fit and healthy!
Sending you lots of love
Amanda xx
