And you feel good about it.

Last week I had my annual physical. I have been changing my workouts, food intake, and activities to make sure that I live a fairly healthy lifestyle. Since 2014 I have lost 27 lbs and almost 10% of my body fat, transforming my body from a college football player with huge leg and arm muscles to a lean, fit and more flexible athlete. I am in Pilates and I love the challenge that it begins and the results that I have seen in my body. Shoutout to my trainer, Jami Fritter, for helping me get right ?! Desirée thanks you as well.

With all the changes, I expected a good report on blood work. When I received my call from my physician, the tone was generally positive except for one test, my blood sugar. The results came back that my sugar levels had increased since my last screening. What was interesting is that I had just asked my trainer what could I change in my diet to keep and expound upon the progress that I made. After consulting her, she stated that sugars would be what keeps my progress from growing. When I received confirmation from my training AND my physician, I knew God was trying to get my attention.

My physician began naming all the foods that I need to watch out for and of course, those foods are my favorites. Breads, pastas, too much sugar in your coffee of course were on the list, but foods like bananas, pineapples, cherries, mangos,and grapes threw me off balance. Apparently all the foods that I love had large amounts of sugar that I had no idea would cause my sugar to spike. After accepting that I would have to make some changes, I took the challenge.

The next day I started to reduce my sugar intake in my coffee and has fine…..until 2 PM. I had the biggest sugar craving that have ever had in sometime. I was searching like a crazy man, possessed to find an sugary snack. Finally, I landed 2 full cups of sugar coated popcorn and devoured it within minutes. After the rush dissipated, I realized that something really was wrong. I have only been cutting sugar for a day and this is the reaction that I get? Does sugar have that much power over us?

Google was getting a workout once I can to grips with my sugar obsession. Here is a start for those who are interested. In all seriousness, sugar has some addictive properties due to the release of dopamine. Take the time to read labels, and do research. Review the foods you eat to determine if you have levels of sugar that are dangerously high. The effects can cause issues down the line. Learn about your families health history and adjust your lifestyle accordingly. Here is another article that expounds upon those topics.

I am only a few days in journey, but I would rather suffer sugar withdrawal for a few weeks than take insulin for the rest of my life. Start now.