Dear Sugar Fiend, Here’s Five Ways To Crush The Craving.
Well. No WONDER we’re all addicted to sugar. It’s in EVERYTHING. For real. According to the USDA’S US Consumption of Caloric Sweeteners, in 2011 the average American consumed 76.7 pounds of sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and other sweeteners annually. I feel sick just thinking about it. Mainly, because I would bet good money that in 2011, I consumed MORE sugar than the average American. Well, maybe not 2011. But definitely in 2010. I know I hadn’t yet taken ownership of my health in 2010.
And then I found this infographic. Their sources are listed at the bottom, and they’re saying American’s consume 130 pounds of sugar annually. Good Lord.
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And, isn’t it wonderful to know that sugar is just as addictive as cocaine? Ah, warm fuzzies.
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Ok, so to crush sugar cravings…
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- Get some sleep.
As in eight hours of high-quality sleep. Nightly. Your body needs REM sleep to grow and repair from the day’s stress. When we don’t get enough sleep, our metabolism and health suffer. And then we reach for sugar to keep us awake.
~ - Eat real food.
A novel concept, I know. Eat real food at every meal. But I’ll get a little specific here. Have some protein – turkey, chicken, or fish. Have some fat – like coconut oil, grapeseed oil, olive oil, or avocado. Have some fiber – kale, spinach, apple, plum, banana, or snap peas.
~ - Use condiments.
Have a plethora of condiments readily available to flavor your food and drinks. Put them on a lazy-Susan in your dining room and play! Put as much cinnamon as you can stand on any and all of your foods. It does wonders to decrease inflammation and stabilize blood sugar. I like using gomasio instead of salt and coconut aminos instead of soy sauce for savory flavors. To avoid the real and fake sugars in salad dressings, I’ve found olive oil (or grapeseed oil) with pepper is surprisingly tasty! Who knew? Go into it with an open mind, keep it fun, and play around!
~ - Spoil yourself.
Eat really nourishing foods and drinks 90 percent of the time. And the other 10%? Give yourself permission to thoroughly enjoy the moment and “be bad”. Ooooh. You rebel. Just be sure to invest in your badness. So when you are off eating chocolate, be sure it’s uber-high quality luxury chocolate and NOT the wax-filled wannabe chocolate at the checkout line.
~ - Decide that you’re bigger than your craving.
Realize your craving popped up. Drink some water or tea. Know you’re going to give yourself 10 minutes before you act on your craving. Start in on a project – anything from filing papers to starting a bath, from knocking out a few emails to a home-improvement project, from stepping outside for a few breathes of fresh air to reconnecting with that higher version of yourself for clarity of purpose. Do something other than dwell on your craving.
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Want more on kicking cravings?
Let’s schedule a 1-on-1 (in person or over-the-phone) strategy session to help you get clear on your next steps.
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All the Best To Your Health And Happiness!
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The 70 Emotions of Cancer-Heritage: My Story
As a coach, I feel it is important for you to know my story. And this is a way of sharing my past like no other.
(Thank you Ashley Ambirge for the format!)
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IGNORANT
When my Grandma Hill was diagnosed with cancer a year before my birth.
PETRIFIED
When I was born in 1981, without crying, due to baby pneumonia.
LOVED
When the overnight nurse stayed way past her shift to make sure I was alright. More than once. I still have the framed blessing she gave to my parents for me.
RELIEVED
When seven days later I was able to leave with my Mom and Dad to the 160-acre hobby farm we called home.
ECSTATIC
When I told my parents I was getting a sister named Nikki with brown hair and brown eyes just like me.
PROUD
When my four-year-old-self told the judge, “Yes I want her as my sister,” at the adoption hearing.
NOURISHED
When I ate farm-fresh, home-grown, home-cooked food for the first five years of my life.
PUMPED
When I “finally” started having homework to do.
CURIOUS
When I learned my Dad’s first wife and infant daughter were killed by a drunk driver.
ELATED
When my Grandma Hill made her famous carmel rolls.
CONFUSED
When she started using crutches because her left leg bones were deteriorating.
COMFORTED
When I would sneak brownies and cookies while the parentals weren’t looking.
DEVASTATED
When she died, malnourished and starved.
MOURNFUL
When in fifth-grade I wrote, “Sisu: Strong-Willed One” and dedicated it to her memory. A+ work per Mrs. Berglund.
RESPONSIBLE
When I gave my Dad permission to borrow my college fund for the farm.
MORTIFIED
When two friends pulled me aside on the playground to inform me I was bleeding through my jeans. And when, the next month, I bled through again and added nearly passing out on the choir bleachers to the ordeal.
IRATE
When I couldn’t get my ears pierced because if God wanted more holes in my body He would have put them there. He also didn’t want me to have painted nails.
PROUD
When I kept winning Grand Champion trophies and trips to the Minnesota State Fair for my swine-showing skills.
REBELLIOUS
When I had my first underage beer, thanks to a friend sneaking two cans into the house.
NUMB
When I held animals for neutering and clipping.
ASHAMED
When I didn’t understand why I didn’t fit in.
GRATEFUL
When I got my first job off the farm, serving at Berchin’s A&W Family Restaurant.
IMPORTANT
When I won the title of “Dairy Princess”. Twice. And later, “Pork Ambassador”.
PEACEFUL
When my Grandma Carlson died at home.
THROWN
When I learned my Grandpa Carlson had cancer when he was younger, but died from a stroke years later. And six-months after his bride.
POPULAR
When I lived on Diet Coke, chocolate chip cookies, and Twizzlers while throwing parties at the farm where it seemed like a hundred people showed up.
GUILTY
When I didn’t see my Grandpa Hill the weekend before I traveled to England.
BROKEN
When the call came in that he died and that I’d miss the funeral.
DESPERATE
When my parents filed for bankruptcy.
PANICKED
When I thought I had to decide on a career, a college, and a program that would provide for the family.
LOGICAL
When, after hundreds of hours, I chose to study actuarial science at Drake University because actuary was the top-ranked job according to U.S. News and Drake had one of the best programs.
GUTSY
When I started dating my very best friend. A boy named Brian.
LUCKY
When we went to my senior prom together. Especially after my junior year fiasco.
DESERVING
When I won more scholarships than anyone in my class.
LESS-THAN
When the first two girls I attempted to make conversation with at Drake snubbed me. HARD.
PISSED
When my courses did not live up to my expectations of the stimulating learning experiences I desired and my roommate did not live up to the “you’ll meet your best girl friends in college” expectation.
ATHLETIC
When I joined the women’s rowing team.
WHIPPED
When I would drive ten hours every other weekend to visit Brian at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. SO whipped!
LOST
When I transfered to a community college back home to do generals. And then took a semester off. Then transferred to UW-Eau Claire. And then did the whole loop over with a few more community schools added to the mix, starting with Drake. That’s five transfers in five years between just as many schools.
DETERMINED
When I pulled my stellar resume together: great GPA, great community service, great recommendations. All set to join the real world.
INCENSED
When the only job offer I had available to me was as an overnight assistant manager at Wal-Mart.
FOOLISH
When I graduated from UW-Eau Claire’s Entrepreneur Program in 2005, weighing in at 212 pounds on a 5’7″ frame.
REMINISCENT
When my Great-Aunt Julia, my Grandma Hill’s sister, died from breast cancer in February 2007.
DESERTED
When my Uncle John, who was originally going to be the minister for our wedding, died from cancer in May 2007. He was a favorite. As was Julia.
BELOVED
When we said, “I do” on July 28, 2007. I weighed 227 pounds. ON. MY. WEDDING. DAY.
GROWN-UP
When we bought our home in October 2007.
DUMBFOUNDED
When, in 2010, I found out Lexis-Nexus had added two felonies to my background report in 2003 that weren’t mine.
SCARED
When I found out my Dad had bladder cancer.
VENGEFUL
When his doctor said it was due to the pesticides used on the farm.
POWERFUL
When I quit working for an employer who would hardly work for himself.
GRATEFUL
When Brian challenged me to go wherever I needed to go and do whatever I needed to do to build the career of my dreams.
ADVENTUROUS
When I journeyed solo from Wisconsin to Arizona with site-seeing stops at the Rocky Mountain National Park and the Royal Gorge before setting up shop to gain residency and rock ASU’s Global Health program.
HOT
When I flew back home for Brian’s 30th birthday weighing 35-pounds less than when he’d seen my last.
HELPLESS
When I called the ambulance to rush myself to the hospital.
THANKFUL
When I realized that at least this happened while I was home.
DENIAL
When the ER doctor said my blood work was serious to the point I could die if they were unsuccessful in getting my numbers down.
MAD
When I was told I could now eat whatever I wanted, two days after having my gall bladder removed.
AMAZED
When I discovered the Institute of Integrative Nutrition (IIN) and stayed up until 4 a.m. reading every last page of their website. (Thank you Derek and Amanda!)
PURPOSEFUL
When I enrolled in IIN as soon as they opened for the day. And then trashed my ASU application.
DISTRAUGHT
When I moved back home to Wisconsin from Arizona in the dead of winter because Loki, our four-year old puppy I chose from the humane society was on her last days. Weighed in at 152.5 pounds on my last day in the AZ.
UPSET
When I brought my Mom to the hospital to have her skin cancer removed.
INSPIRED
When I moved into my office.
WOUNDED
When my Dad changed, and then I gained 15 pounds.
RELIEVED
When my Mom moved forward.
HONORED
When I got my first tattoo in my Grandma Hill’s handwriting. I’m inked with “sisu” a Finnish word my Grandpa Hill used to describe my Grandma Hill. It means strength of will, determination, perserverance against all odds.
CHERISHED
When we celebrated my IIN graduation with my family and closest friends.
SERENE
When I discovered the focus of my practice – upgrading cancer legacies.
SERENDIPITOUS
When two days later I opened an email for a Center for Advancement in Cancer Education (CACE) lecture in Eau Claire.
STRONG
When I completed a cancer support educator training hosted by CACE in Philadelphia two weeks later.
MAGICAL
When I look around now at all the people I’ve connected with, at all the support I have, at all the resources available, at all the people I’m serving, I’m absolutely loving, LOVING the magic of life! Knowing that my work makes a real difference and carefully weaves and pulls every experience from my life together is empowering. (And those 15 pounds…they’re already on the way out!)
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That said, I have a smackerel of advice.
Be brave.
Get to know and trust yourself.
Face your fears.
Get comfortable in uncertainty.
Forgive your past.
And for the love, chose happiness, chose health, and chose you.
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The Secret to Fighting Cancer with Your Lifestyle Choices
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Keeping it simple tonight, with shout outs to three places that know a secret or two about fighting cancer with nutrition:
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- Chris Beat Cancer
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At 26 Chris was diagnosed with cancer. He had surgery, refused chemo, and changed his lifestyle. This is his story.
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~ - Dr. Colin T. Campbell
The China Study: Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-term Health.
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“For more than forty years, Dr. T. Colin Campbell has been at the forefront of nutrition research. His legacy, the China Project, is the most comprehensive study of health and nutrition ever conducted.”
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Seriously, go check it out.
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~ - BeatCancer.Org (The Center for Advancement in Cancer Education – CACE)
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Admittedly, the website leaves much to be desired. That said, the way CACE adheres to its mission – “To provide research-based education on how to prevent, cope with, and beat cancer through diet, lifestyle and other immune-boosting approaches” is solid.
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See what their clients have to say.
Six Must-Have Accountability Partners for Do-It-Yourself Weight Loss
- Heading with: your start date, starting weight, ideal weight, your chosen date
~ - Subhead with: your total number of pounds to lose, the number of pound you need to lose every week to reach your ideal weight by your chosen date, and the number of pounds you need to lose every day to reach your idea weight by your chosen date
~ - Then make a row for every day between your start date and your chosen date. In every row include:
- The day’s date
- The day’s goal weight (i.e. the weight you need to be TODAY in order to reach your ideal weight on schedule)
- Your actual weight
You better recognize! (Your story, that is.)
The past is this strange thing that we like to look back on and live through again.
And again.
And again.
And so what happened in our past continues to make an appearance in our present, again.
And again.
And again.
Especially if the story of our past is one of hurt, loss, heartache, insecurity, judgement, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, etc., etc., etc. That pain is what we know. That pain is familiar.
That pain is the bullshit story we keep telling ourselves. And that is the story that rears its known, familiar head any time we begin to take ownership, any time we begin to do something differently than we have in the past, anytime we are at peace in our lives and, dare I say it, HAPPY.
That story returns.
And it returns because of all stupid things, we’re comfortable feeling bad.
(I’ll let that sink in.)
We are COMFORTABLE feeling bad.
Why???
