February 11, 2022
Day 212
Through this journey I am learning so much about sugar and addiction to sugar. You know it is addictive, right? So, it’s not our fault. Getting off sugar is not a one and done experience. There are brain chemicals that keep drawing you back for that dopamine hit.
Have you heard about the HALT acronym? It’s something you can use to remind yourself not to get too hungry, angry/ anxious, lonely, or tired during a sugar detox. That’s why a food and mood journal is so important. Let’s go through each one.
Don’t let yourself get too hungry. How do you do that? Eat real whole food with lean protein, healthy fat, and fiber at regular intervals. If you are trying to quit sugar, the recommendation is to have three square meals a day without snacks, so your body can get used to stopping, and your hunger hormones can start to work correctly again. This takes time, so stick with it.
Don’t let yourself get to angry or anxious. How do you do that? There are lots of ways you can do this so do what works best for your situation. Keep a food and mood journal, or start a daily morning pages practice, or a night time gratitude journal to tap into your emotions. Alternatively, you could practice deep breathing, meditation, call a friend, go for a walk. You can’t exercise your way out of sugar addiction, but you can use exercise to heal, restore, and recalibrate your feel-good brain chemicals.
Don’t let yourself get too lonely. Whew, this is a growing issue in our country, especially with the Covid pandemic over the last two years which has exacerbated loneliness. Did you know that 1 in 4 people live alone? Reach out to a friend by phone to talk. Make a walking date with a friend. When you do reach out, aren’t people always glad to hear from you? They might be feeling lonely too, even though they might look busy. Plan Covid safe outings so you have something to look forward to. Join a club, sports team, organization, or volunteer, etc.
Don’t let yourself get too tired. This is a tough one especially for busy working moms who are taking care of others sometimes at their own detriment. Set a regular bed time and stick too it so you can get 7-8 hours of sleep. Other things might be able to wait. Ask for help from a spouse, family member or friend so you can take care of your health and wellbeing too.
Good luck with the HALT tip in your sugar free journey!
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