Sugar Beasts are masters of trickery. They make us believe that the only way to tackle magnesium deficiency is to eat chocolate. That the only way to relax is by having a glass of wine. And that the best way to find comfort is in a bowl of pasta.
The Sugar Beast is the most emotionally manipulative brute EVER.
So if we are to beat the Sugar Beast, we must be smarter than him. We must employ tactics that go well beyond diet and healthy eating.
I tried to beat the Sugar Beast many times by doing things like:
- not having sweets or chocolate in the house;
- not ordering dessert after a meal out;
- cutting carbs, especially at dinner time.
But all that did was make me focus on all the great tasting food I WASN'T EATING. Everything was DON'T EAT THIS and DON'T EAT THAT. It was so demoralizing. And the Sugar Beast - he knew that. So at my first sign of weakness - he pounced, and I was right back where I started.
The other and much more serious problem is that when we focus on what we are NOT eating, we can't focus on what we ARE eating. So, we are happy when we get through the day and haven't had that muffin. But did we have at least two cups of vegetables with lunch? Did we have a beautiful salmon steak to fulfil our Essential Fatty Acid requirement for the day? Probably not.
The secret to beating the Sugar Beast is this:
REWARD YOURSELF FOR THE GOOD STUFF YOU EAT. NOT FOR THE CRAP YOU MANAGE TO AVOID.
Once you start focusing on maximizing the nutrients you are eating and making the most out of every bite, your resolve and power over the Sugar Beast grow exponentially.
It's a small change in mindset that will have a big impact on the way you eat.
Without it, you will find yourself at a disadvantage in this challenge and it's why I wanted to start off with this message before I got into specific nutritional recommendations.
Next time on Thrive, the top foods you should be rewarding yourself for and why they are key to kicking sugar out of your life - FOR GOOD.