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Momma Told Me: Stay sweet.
I have an insatiable sweet tooth. A year and half ago I was told I was pre-diabetic and I saw my dessert life flash before my eyes. There were cinnamon buns that would never be eaten, pink frosted donuts without a coffee to dunk them in, and scary men in sunglasses hauling away my secret candy bar stash. If it sounds dramatic that's because, for me, it was. A life without sugar would mean a life not just void of chocolate, but frozen yogurt, root beer floats, rainbow colored lollipops, and those little triangles of imitation corn candy that sprout each Fall. But my addiction to sugar was literally life threatening, I was making myself sick.
It turns out that I was also drinking an alarming amount of sugar. Desert every weeknight and snacking throughout the day didn't help my sugar levels, but I quickly learned that just one beverage of sports drink (which I preferred far over soda) could have as many as 50g of sugar in an entire bottle! That's 2-3 times the amount of sugar in my average candy portion. So out went 'beverages' and in came water. Lots of water. The lifestyle change was severe for me, I began drinking water exclusively, in addition to cutting my sugar intake to dessert twice a week. The transformation was also dramatic, I lost over 70lbs and began enjoying more energy and a better night's sleep. In less than a year I was triumphantly no longer at risk for diabetes.
Now that I'm 'out of the woods,' and living a healthier lifestyle I've begun to get a little restless with plain water. I find myself letting my sweet tooth sneak back in and I supplement the lack of flavor with fresh and frozen fruit infusions and flavored seltzer options. Now, I'm not advocating reliance on sugar substitutes, but I have recently begun incorporating Sweet N' Low into some of my afternoon concoctions to add a little extra sweetness that satisfies my craving without the calories. If we're going to be real, in an ideal world there would be no sugar in our diets but those consumed naturally through fruits and juices, correct? But I have an addictive personality and sweet is my sweetheart, so I reach for the little pink packet that can give me all of that without all the extras.
In fact, I find that Sweet' N Low has a very condensed flavor per packet, and often only nee about half to properly flavor any beverage to my taste; and I am still consuming primarily water (not salt, not sugar, not artificial colorings.) I know artificial sweeteners are not for everyone- and I was once one of those people who couldn't imagine reaching for anything but a white packet at the diner table. As it turns out, when used in moderation, with fresh and wholesome ingredients- it really is one of my secret tools to weight loss and better hydration!
How do you indulge your sweet tooth in more health conscious ways?
What Daughter Says: I don't think Momma meant for my blood to literally turn to sugar. The new me is sweeter without the extra calories!
