Sugar. Crack. Whatever you want to call it.

"Our body has this defect that, the more it is provided care and comforts, the more needs and desires it finds. " St. Theresa of Avila.

This is going to be a little tiny bit of a rant.

Last week I tested one little 'cheat'.  A diet coke. It's was ok, nothing phenomenal.  I didn't finish it, but after a month of avoiding sicknesses I caught a cold within 24hrs.  Coincidence or not, I blame the chemical infused coke.  Poison.... Of course I would have to test it a few more times to be scientifc, but I am not offering my body as a guinea pig for that. Just resting assured that I'm fine without diet drinks in my life again.

Enter cold & flu symptoms:
Not feeling well ignited my cravings for junk food for some reason - oh yes, comfort... Anything to make me feel better (even if it really would make me worse).  I resisted wine, milk shakes, chocolate, etc ... but I did indulge in a lot of fruit concoctions smoothies, blueberry banana walnut 'cereal' (see icecream entry) apples with almond butter, more smoothies, a homemade 'frapaccino' sweetened with dates, etc etc etc.  I could tell right away that "something" I was eating wasn't helping... but why examine it?  "I'm sick afterall... shouldn't be too hard on myself, and I've already given up so much." right...

Meanwhile a friend suggested a homeopathic remedy for cold/flu symptoms, I took her advice along with others (and a few of my own) without pause.... I brought the remedy home, took a dose..."wow this is like candy"... read the label... "inactive ingredients: lactose, sucrose"  SUGAR! They even add sugar to cold medicine!? "homeopathic" ones too!?
Now, I should know better than not to read labels before purchasing... let this be ANOTHER lesson. 
But.... I bought it so why not just take it?? So I did. about 6 doses in 2 days.  I do feel better I'll admit, but that 'medicine' is calling to me.  I want to keep taking it... like a lot want to.  "and why shouldn't I?" a voice calls from within, "Why shouldn't I finish off the remaining bit... I'm not 100% and it will only make me feel even better"  hmmm....Why?  It's still counterproductive to what I'm trying to do with my body. aka give it real food, and real nutrients, hence cutting out ALL of the non nutritive kinds of sugar.
    
Yesterday, my chiropractor went one better than to affirm the nutrition path I'm on... He said some really smart stuff including that glucose (sugar) actually blocks the cells receptors from absorbing vitamin c .... loosely translated that means sugar = extra bad when you have a cold.

Again we all know this, right?  Our mom's told us that. Or maybe it's like natural law or something.  We just know.  But it's buried deep somewhere and I have always been a stubborn and rebellious child. I chose to ignore this little echo because I wanted to feed my cold whatever would feed my emotions and make me 'feel better', sigh...

I think I got the lesson. I made a note to self  "Eat more veggies,  and lay off the fruits and homeopathic remedies for a few days."   Today I have tried consciously not to eat any fruit except to squeeze some citrus into my water. I was surprised at how hard it's was.  I had to be really deliberate not to just reach for the fruit fixes I make so easily.  Such a little thing. 

I am proud to be able to share, though, that I did it... one entire day with sugar  Only veggies, meats, eggs, and fats. baby steps.

The journey to a balanced life while fueling my body for performance and its best continues. Onward march...