Kicking the sugar habit

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Each month, through Facebook or word-of-mouth, I facilitate a "10-Day Health & Wellness Challenge." 


It always starts on the 10th day of the month, and participants commit to 5 things:
     1) Exercise each day (participants' choice)     
     2) Journal all food and drink     
     3) Eliminate added sugar     
     4) Eat a green vegetable each day     
     5) Let me know what the green veggie and exercise is each day



Here's what I commit to:
I send a daily email with affirmations and health & fitness tips. (I am not a nutritionist, and this does not replace advice from such a professional nor advice from a medical doctor. I am a former personal trainer, a fitness advocate for more than 20 years, and my information has been collected over the years from research and from personal experience.)

I also create a Facebook accountability group each month. Participants can "report in" in this group, share tips, recipes, etc. and support each other.

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When most people consider or accept the challenge, the most frequent statement I hear is, "Eliminating sugar is going to be the hardest." BUT, once we start the challenge, this is what I hear from those same participants, "The hardest thing is eating a green vegetable each day." Does that surprise you? It surprised me when we started. Growing up, my mom always had a green vegetable at dinner time... it seemed it was a meat, starch, green vegetable, and usually another vegetable. 

For the "added sugar" part, I tell participants to take baby steps. "Added sugar" means stay away from pastries, desserts, pies, cakes, candy, etc. I also suggest a "Pantry Rehab."

Pantry Rehab

1. Go through all canned, boxed, bottled foods/spices/dressings... check expiration date. Throw away is expired!

2. Check all foods, including soups and broths for MSG (monosodium glutamate). Throw or give away if you find it!

3. Check for products with SUGAR listed as one of the first 3 ingredients. Don't eat it! Throw or give away, or when it is gone, replace it with a healthier choice.

4. Check product labels for high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Throw or give away, or when it is gone, replace it with a healthier choice.

5. Survey your whole/raw foods. (Foods that walk, crawl, swim, or otherwise are found in their natural state as they have grown from the ground.) Stock up on fresh, raw, organic, unprocessed, gluten-free, HFCS-free, and sugar-free.

Source: strongmothers.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

I'd love to hear from you if you try my Pantry Rehab! And... if you want to try the 10-day challenge, shoot me an email at jenniferhogan@charter.net! August 10th is right around the corner!

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