My Shift in thinking

Back when I was 36, I was in so much pain doing every day tasks such as getting out of bed or walking up the stairs, I almost resorted to using a cane. For two years doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong, where the pain was coming from, and were willing to just start taking out some organs to see if that would alleviate some of it.

A couple years later in 2014, a chiropractor crossed my path and changed my life. By the end of a 15 minute free consultation, he told me what was wrong and what I needed to do to fix it. I had an addiction to food, specifically sugar. What I and most people don’t realize is sugar is ANY carbohydrate. As soon as it enters your digestive system, it becomes sugar and is utilized as such. But not all carbs are the ones that spike blood sugar and cause stress on various organs.

My “prescription” was a 30 day sugar fast. Being right around Thanksgiving with a pumpkin pie already on my mind and halfway to my plate, I decided to start this feat on Jan. 1. Thirty days later, I was pain free, down 25 lbs, and sleeping much better. In short, this sugar fast allowed me to eat whatever vegetables I wanted, except potatoes and sweet potatoes were off the list since they are very starchy. I could eat grass-fed and pasture-raised meats, as many eggs as I wanted, and good fats such as coconut, avocado oil and ghee; nuts and seeds among many other foods that had carbs but didn’t have a negative effect on my health.

After the fast, I knew I didn’t want to go back to the sugar addiction, but I also didn’t want to give up treats completely. This was the start of finding a much healthier version of what is out there. I shifted my thinking to start to looking at food as fuel and energy instead of just for pleasure. Food should taste good and there are many ways we can enjoy it.