Do you have cravings? Cravings for sugar, sweet things, dessert? Cravings for chocolate, brownies, ice cream? Does the wine call you from the kitchen? The beer fridge beg you to visit? Do the chips mandate dipping?
When I eat Whole30 healthy which means no processed foods, no added sugar (of any kind), no alcohol, no gluten, no grains and no dairy; I have pretty much NO cravings of any kind. I eat a healthy breakfast, lunch, dinner and munch on a piece of fruit or a handful of nuts during the day. It is like the junk food forgets all about me.
I have not been eating Whole30 healthy for the last several months and my sugar dragon (as it is called in the Whole30 community) is out of control. I do pretty good from when I wake up at 6am through lunch but then I start craving something sweet. I have zero willpower and don’t really think willpower by itself is enough to get me through the minute, much less the day. Sometimes when I eat two squares of dark chocolate, I am good until dinner. Other days feeding the beast only makes it roar louder.
One recent afternoon after eating a good lunch I grabbed 2 squares of dark chocolate. Then I found the frozen chocolate peanut butter cookies my honey keeps in the freezer. After wolfing down two of those I found a chocolate peanut butter cup left over from Halloween. But is still wasn’t enough! I was scrounging through the cabinets to see what other sweet treats I could devour. When I get like this, I don’t savor the sweet treats; I basically inhale them. My brain doesn’t register that I am full, only that it wants more.
From completing several Whole30’s I have discovered I do best with no sugar or any type of sweetener in my diet. I also do pretty good if I limit myself to 2 squares of dark chocolate while watching television after dinner. I shouldn’t feed the beast during the day!
I like to drink herbal tea but find it really boring. I started adding just a bit of honey to it to improve the flavor. I found that I liked it a lot but it triggered my sugar cravings all day. Once I start a craving, it isn’t satisfied – well pretty much ever. If I have that honey during the morning, I have pretty much set myself up to fail the rest of the day. If I keep myself super busy and out of the house, I might get through the day without tearing apart the kitchen to see what else I can find but most days, I will keep munching and munching.
When my sugar dragon gets ignited during the day, my wine dragon joins in on the fun around 5PM. Luckily, I never want sugar and wine at the same time so at least I stop searching for sweets. Some people crave salty things like potato chips, popcorn or tortilla chips. I enjoy these on occasion but can usually stop eating whenever I want. I like the brownies and chocolate chip cookies.
Doing an elimination diet like the Whole30 helps you figure out what your triggers are and lets you see how good you can feel when you don’t eat those foods. Since I drafted this post, I got my act together and have my sugar dragon under control. It is a powerful feeling to know how to wrestle control away from the dragon and place it back in my own hands.
Lake Girl
