Surviving Without Sugar: Part 4

Eight weeks. That's how long I've survived while eating foods with five grams of processed sugar or less. This type of fare has become part of my life, and I want to make a lifestyle out of cutting out sugar. If you missed my last post, I talked about how to avoid turning to sweets when you're stressed — a tough feat for any student cramming for exams and pulling all-nighters.

It's inevitable that I won't go the rest of my life without chowing down on any sweets. But I hope that when I do, my body will fight back like sugar is a foreign substance. Any negative response might discourage me from yielding to temptation in the future.

Here's my tip of the week. Got a headache? Sure, you could be stressed or tired, but eating foods high in sugar can make you more prone to getting that infamous pain. Next time you get a headache, consider the amount of processed sugar you ate that day. If you consumed a lot, that might be your explanation. It doesn't take much effort to check nutrition labels to see how much sugar lurks within processed staples in your diet. Just think about the possibility of less head pain. If you ask me, that's a great motivator to go easy on the desserts.

Speaking from personal experience, last weekend a headache forced me to the couch. Naturally, I ruled out sugar as the initiator. I realized that I hadn't given myself a good mental break in a while and decided that my brain was probably overworked. In this case, staying away from sugar showed me the root of my problem: inadequate rest. Since I've cut out the junk food, I can pay better attention to my body's natural signals and respond properly.

If you're craving sweets but still want to avoid sugar, here are three fantastic snacks to try:

1. Frozen bananas

At home, my mom peels bananas that are no longer ripe and sticks them in the freezer in quart-sized bags. Something about the freezing process really accentuates the natural sugar, and they practically taste like candy. When I trained for a marathon last year, they served as my go-to workout snack, but they also make for perfect goodies in any situation. It's actually best when they're a little browned.

Photo by Hannah Lin

2. Frozen grapes

I got this idea from my grandmother, who used to feed them to me when I was little. Just like frozen bananas, frozen grapes somehow taste sweeter, and they're super refreshing. To me, purple ones rank highest on the sweetness scale.

Photo by Hannah Lin

3. Coconut milk with cinnamon

To stay warm on a chilly night, heat up some unsweetened coconut milk and top it with cinnamon. If you're a nutmeg fan, that works too.

Photo by Hannah Lin

 Staying away from sugar doesn't mean that you have to ignore your sweet tooth. Join me as I continue to pursue low-sugar living!

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