Last week I started sharing my journey of quitting sugar, and as promised here is part two. Without the information I’m sharing today, I don’t think I would have been able to survive the detox period or sustained the change. As I mentioned last week, quitting sugar gets effortless over time, but at first it’s pretty tough and requires some serious “muscles.” ☺
You can use this information to quit any kind of food. I’m talking about sugar because for me it was by far the hardest food to quit. I do believe what the experts say – that sugar is addictive. Per my Doctor’s recommendation I also quit grains and dairy while healing my Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism, and neither of them were as physically or emotionally challenging as sugar was.
Here’s how I did it:
1. Know your why and see the gift
It’s not about what your giving up. It’s about what you’re getting in return. What will you get from quitting sugar? How will it benefit your health and happiness? How will it eliminate something negative? Why are you quitting sugar? Recommendation: stay emotionally connected AF to your why, your gift!
2. Seek social support
Quitting sugar doesn’t have to be the focus of every conversation, but you will need support, especially in the detox phase. These could be friends, family, or others going through the same journey, who are willing to listen or to try a new recipe with you.
However, not everyone will understand or support your decision to quit sugar, and that’s fine. Find 1-3 people who will support you and be grateful for them (it may surprise you who they are – be open!).
Speaking of others…
3. Embrace with grace
As a rule of thumb, don’t preach your way of eating and drinking on others. No sugar shaming. 😉 Just as you don’t want to be judged for your choices, don’t judge others for theirs.
And, if you are being judged, remember it’s merely a sign of the other person’s insecurity, doubt or fear around food and drink. While it’s directed at you, it has little to do with you!
4. Have some badass tools
It is sooo important to have a daily practice of checking in with yourself so that you don’t reach for sugar in a moment of feeling stressed or emotional. Having a daily practice of centering and checking-in helps release stress and keep you focused on your why, your intention.
You also need a go-to tool for in the moment – when you’re out with friends and they’re nibbling on some tasty sugar laden treat. And you feel like you’re going to lose it. You have to have something to bring you back to your center. For me I had a 60-second breathing technique I’d do in the ladies room.
I am sharing the very tools I used – the daily, preventative ones and on-the-spot ones – at a workshop this Saturday, 8/12 from 1-3 PM PT, which you can join (1) in person for $35 or (2) livestream (either live or recorded) for $15. To register for either, click here, scroll to “Upcoming Events” and click on “Kicking Sugar with Kundalini.” I literally credit my sugar free success to what I’m teaching in this workshop.
5. Know your triggers
What are going to be your biggest triggers and temptations? Going to Aunt Ally’s and making eye contact with her famous cheesecake? Walking into Starbucks?
Know what your triggers are so you can temporarily avoid them (it gets much easier in time), or so you call in some extra support. Speaking of which…
6. Have a preparation ritual
This was critical for me. Before any social event, I’d spend a few minutes re-connecting with my:
- Triggers
- “Why” (why I’m doing this, why it’s important, what it’s giving me)
- Need for support
I’d also have a reward waiting for me when I got home, like a tasty sugar-free treat. On evenings out with friends, knowing that was there helped take the edge off. ☺
Spending a few minutes using this ritual before I went out always set me up for success. (I don’t need to do this anymore as it’s pretty effortless these days.)
7. Create new traditions (try new recipes)
There are actually still a lot of yummy options out there. Being sugar free doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy some sweet tasting treats when you want! I have several recipes I rely on, some of which my hubby says taste “like they have sugar in them.” But they don’t. 😉 Get on Google and have fun experimenting with some new recipes!
8. Know your body
At the start of my journey, one of my biggest lessons was eating for what my body needed, not for my spiritual or other beliefs. When you learn to listen to what foods your body needs, you’ll have fewer cravings. For example, I would love to be a vegetarian, but it does not work for my body. Eating organic, grass-fed meat does. When I eat that way, I feel satisfied.
If you’re hungry an hour after you’ve eaten a meal, or you’re always snacking, your body likely isn’t getting what it needs nutritionally. Start listening to what your body has to say by how it’s responding when you do eat (bloating, gas, hunger levels, cravings, satiation, and more).
If you have any questions about quitting sugar, feel free to reach out or to attend the workshop this Saturday, Kicking Sugar with Kundalini. The tools I’m teaching in the workshop literally spared me in my darkest moments in this journey, and kept me sane and committed during the detox process. I’d love to share them with you!
