I woke up Sunday morning with a headache. Again. Every morning for a month, I wake up with a headache. It goes away as soon as I eat.On what I believed was an unrelated note, I was browsing around Self.Com learning about... was it Cross-fit? I don't quite remember, but I saw "Five on Five with Eva Longoria - find out what she gave up eating!"
Since I was at a loss as to what to eat for breakfast (running low on yogurt... cottage cheese... butter... we may have failed at planning our grocery list last week), I decided to see what she gave up, and in turn, what she ate. It ended up she gave up sugar and all foods that turn into sugar. She said it got rid of the little pooch in her belly.
Somewhere between "ya right, like she had any belly fat" and "I want to get rid of any belly fat," my headache worsened. And then it clicked - maybe it wasn't just food in general that cures my headache. Scott has a headache until he drinks coffee and I call it an addiction. My morning headache often has me reaching for fast and easy foods - like instant oatmeal, or worse yet - pre-packaged oatmeal breakfast bars. Maybe I have an addiction to sugar!
I'm not going off sugar cold turkey. And I'm not going off sugar 100%. Between road trips, weddings and family events, I almost feel like I'd be setting myself for failure. In a nutshell, I'm working to consciously reduce my intake of refined sugar products. Here is my plan:
1. Find home-made versions of processed products (instant oatmeal / breakfast bars)
2. Modify favourite recipes to eliminate or replace refined sugar with more natural alternatives (pizza dough)
3. Eliminate chemical sweeteners (while not entirely linked to my sugar addiction, it's still a good step)
4. Slowly replace sugar-laden products with no-sugar-added varieties (peanut butter, tomato sauce)
5. Consciously opt for less sugar-loaded foods when eating away from home
6. Avoid juices and soft drinks
My hope is that I can slowly make adjustments through the month of May, and be at full speed at the beginning of June. I'll try to check in at the beginning of the month, and then again at the end of that month to let you know how it's going.
and I say to you. YOU DO NOT HAVE BELLY FAT. omg i'd give up sugar and salt if I could look like you! Screw eva whatever.
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to cut back on unhealthy food too... It's hard to remember that sugar is added to almost everything! I will take this post as inspiration on my quest for healthfulness. :)
ReplyDeleteUffda - good luck giving up sugar! I am surprised at how many places sugar shows up! I do try to do less high fructose corn syrup myself, but I have a hard time giving up straight plain sugar!
ReplyDeleteIt's probably a good thing, but remember moderation is the key. Your body still needs sugars and fats to run properly, but keeping them in moderation is important.
ReplyDeleteAnd omg yes, please get rid of the chemical sweeteners. You don't get something for nothin' and artificial sweeteners (splenda/sweet'n'low/aspartame/etc) are so bad for you. If you consume a lot of these, that could be a culprit to your headaches. They cause migraines for me.
That's a great goal! I personally think sugar is the culprit for so many things. Although I'm seriously addicted to it... If I had any willpower whatsoever, I'd give it up, too!
ReplyDeleteThe sugar in processed foods is a lot more present than we think. I would note that naturally occurring sugars (eg. fruit, milk, etc.) are NOT bad for you. Try substituting natural sugar-containing foods where you would have had sugary processed ones. For example, have PLAIN instant oatmeal with frozen raspberries on it for sweetness.
ReplyDeleteOh, and hell yes, stop drinking juice and pop! That stuff will make you sick. It's pure sugar. Eat an apple and have a glass of water instead! Or have soda water with a squirt of lemon or lime juice.