I'm sweet enough already

Last June I started a new job downtown, and it was a turning point for me in many ways. One of the things that changed for me was that I became a lot less stressed. I stopped trying to do so much and started trusting in my own competence to help me get ahead. I started walking and reading a lot more. And resident caveman and I started getting along better.

On a whim, I went in to see a Naturopath. My old benefits were ending, and I'd always been curious about what they do. I joked going in that he would probably take everything white out of my diet, since I'd heard similar stories from my friends who have seen them. He didn't - the first visit. But, he did believe that he could help me improve my health, my weight and my fertility. Of course, by the second visit he did suggest an eating plan for me. At the time, I was surprised that not only did he recommend I lay off the sugar and flour, but he also strongly suggested I get rid of the artificial sweeteners as well. When I think about it now it totally makes sense, but it was different from how I'd been trying to "eat well" for years. Life without Diet Dr Pepper - I couldn't imagine it! There were a couple of other surprises as well - like no milk, no soy, and no cauliflower (they really do have something against white foods, don't they?)

The biggest shock was that I adopted this eating plan that day. Even though I already had a lunch packed and groceries in my fridge and even though part of me could not believe I was doing it, I jumped right on board. That summer I lost about 18 pounds - and I can count the number of diet pops I've had in the past 15 months on one hand. It got to the point where I would get headaches when I did eat sugar.

Although I didn't fully understand the methods he used to measure it, the doctor was happy with the changes he saw in my ability to process sugar. Which was great for me, as I already knew that PCOS (Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome) involves issues with Insulin resistance, and any improvements I could make in that area would only help. Especially when all of my doctors so far had been quick to recommend losing weight as a way to manage the PCOS issue, completely ignoring the fact that the PCOS itself makes it harder to lose weight in the first place - a fun Catch 22.

Since last summer, my relationship with sweets has been up and down. I distinctly remember falling off the wagon last Halloween, and I don't think I ate anything in December unless it was from the cookie food gr0up. Our beautiful summer brought trips out for gelato and Dairy Queen. And the more sweet things I ate, the more I seemed to crave them. Funny that I can now drink green tea or a latte without any sweetener at all, but the lovely foods that have sugar as their main ingredient seem so appealing! And, at the same time I have noticed recently that all of these foods have started to taste too sweet to me. It's like I still think I want these foods cause I remember liking them so much, but in reality I'm beginning to feel an aversion to them.

I found I craved a lot of carbs during the first trimester of my pregnancy, and was just getting back to eating better when we got the bad news about the baby. For a few weeks there I was feeling down and pretty much eating whatever the heck I wanted. But, now that I'm focusing towards taking better care of myself and getting pregnant again, I'm trying again to do a "sugar detox". I'm eating flourless bread (much easier to find that I would have thought) and healthy grains like brown sugar and quinoa. The only sweetener I'm using (sparingly) is agave nectar (which seems just like honey but without the blood sugar spike) and I'm eating tons of veggies, whole foods and plant-based proteins. I try to make sure I have some protein every time I have a carb, too. I'm taking information from a few great sources right now and trying to make the best choices I can. Of course, getting my caveman on board isn't as easy, but taking small steps and trying not to scare him too much. (And of course, I did enjoy some pumpkin pie over Thanksgiving.)

Next week my mom and I are doing a cleanse which is supposed to help reset our bodies' sugar mechanisms. I'll update about that next week, but I think that it will help. It's even supposed to get rid of the cravings - although I think they only mean the physical ones. I am also going to experiment in the kitchen and find new ways to make things that I love that are better for us. Seeing the difference in my body when I'm eating sugar compared to when I'm not is enough to get my attention. For example, being a Cookie Monster in December last year lengthened my cycle to 3 months long. I'd been seeing improvement after months of TCM and Acupuncture, and it felt like all that work was undone in a couple of weeks and I had to start over. And, once I did get pregnant, our midwife was concerned that I could be at risk for gestational diabetes.

So, for now I will try to remember that I am sweet enough. And that there are things in life more important than cookies and ice cream.

Have a happy, healthy day!
M.