Update; NoSugarVember

So it's been 12 days.. sort of, but I'll get to that in a bit. I have to admit I have not followed it as Nat Carter prescribed (I have had milk and sweet potatoes, and the occasional high-sugar fruit), but I now wish I had done exactly what she outlined. I feel, amazing, just with what I've done, so I imagine what Nat has advised is a whole other level of amazing-ness.

NoSugarVember is not Nuts

Some days it's hard, especially at the start or after a big meal and a glass of wine (which I am still having as I don't want or need to lose weight), when you want that something sweet, but it has gotten so much easier. The most amazing difference is the de-bloat of the belly, and the complete disappearance of the afternoon slump and cravings I usually get around 3pm at work - that alone has been enough to make me decide to never introduce the sugars I've eliminated back as daily part of my diet again. Yes you heard me, no more daily chocolate - I feel too good without it! Birthdays and special occasions, or out for dinner somewhere with amazing cakes, OK, but I no longer want. or need, that daily dose of Lindt or spoon full of honey. It's a good feeling! & for all those concerned mothers out there, no it doesn't mean I am trying to lose weight - it just means a bit more brown rice or an extra egg with dinner instead of the lump of chocolate after. BREAKING NEWS; Healthy food still contains calories!

Be Back Soon...

Another thing that confirms it comes back to my '12 days, sort of'' comment. Yesterday I went to a beautiful BBQ with amazingly tasty food for a good friends' birthday. There was white bread and there was delicious cake and because, although I know friends would be supportive etc, but I don't want to be the painful guest anymore than being a vegetarian by not eating bread or dessert, I had a slice of bread and a couple of spoonfuls of dessert (completely my decision and not forced upon me, and an interesting experiment). The dessert was incredibly tasty but for a girl who's come to find lemons and cinnamon extremely sweet over the past week, these cakes were sweet. Recognisably extremely tasty, but so so sweet. Not how I remember cakes tasting. Anyway, guess what? Today! Bloated belly, straight away! And slumpy-ness. I usually work out on Sunday mornings and I just can't get into it this morning. So never going back. Ever. Done... kaput!

So what am I eating? A lot of oats with berries, natural yoghurt and cinnamon. A lot of nuts and dried chick peas as afternoon snacks, (so yummy, but make sure they're dried and not fried or covered in salt), a lot of eggs, a lot of green vegies, a lot of legumes and a lot of roast vegies (addicted to roast beetroot, stop eating the canned stuff & try it!) and, now that I am not a real vegetarian, a lot of fish. Obviously not eating red meat or chicken it's a bit tougher to come up with dinners, but where there's a will, there's a way!

Egg-cellent...

ahahaha

So I guess what I'm saying is although at the start I thought the whole movement was a bit nuts and extreme, I am completely convinced that this is a better way to be.

What gets me thinking is memories of watching stories about lost tribes of people who are untouched by civilisation or the modern world on current affair programs. None of them are overweight, they are all toned and healthy and do not contract many, if any, of the modern diseases we all fear. Of course I recognise that evolution has enabled us to live longer, healthier lives, and that we no longer have to go out and catch our dinner and when we do get diseases, there is medicine to help us, which is great, but evolution is also used as an excuse for many of our bad choices. Just because we are able to make sugar taste like strawberries and wrap it in plastic, it doesn't mean we should eat it. Just because we can trap the work of 1000 bees in a jar and it's from nature, doesn't mean it's good for us to dig in every day. It's just not food.

Is anyone else doing NoSugarVember?

How do you feel?

I have to say I am genuinely surprised and impressed, I did not see myself writing a post like this 2 weeks ago. I am completely ready to be challenged on my new stance on this as I challenged many people before. But I have learnt to not dis it till you try it1

Stay well, and I'll let you know how I go for the next 17 days...
Nat x

all images from flickr