sugar freedom: the set-up

I'm not sure that my previous posts entirely captured the emotional angst that I've been dealing with.  There have been tired teary days, full of self-pity and hopelessness, echoingly empty of healthy human connection.

I pounded on heaven's door.  No response.

I read the Bible.  Dry as toast.

I took Zyrtec and oil of oregano, and sneezed anyway.

I talked with friends in endless angst-y circles.

I read blogs and only saw glib perfection, victory, or at worst, decorating problems.

And then, my daughter left the freezer door open.  It's a little hard to see a connection, at first; I'll grant you that.  But when God sets about freeing one of His children, He uses whatever material is available to him, and what was available was a forgetful child and a mama just looking for a reason to be furious.

I went online to find out if we had to pitch the entire freezer's worth of food, or if something could be salvaged.  I didn't trust the general population - too cavalier.  I didn't trust the government - too litigation-minded.  Who could I turn to?  [or, "to whom could I turn" for my fellow English majors crippled by years of grammar study, still unable to end a sentence with a preposition.]

I turned to MOMYS, an online forum by and for mothers of little ones, who have answered many a question for me in the last few years, regarding sleep, nutrition, housework, discipline, or pretty much anything.  The MOMYS would know which foods to discard and which could safely be used.

Thus begins my journey out of a pit, to freedom .....

[He makes me lie down in green pastures . . . he leads me beside quiet waters . . . he guides me in paths of righteousness for his Name's sake . . .]

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April 28, Saturday

[from my post on MOMYS]

Wow.  I haven't been on MOMYS for months, and just popped in today to ask about the safety of refreezing partially-thawed frozen foods ... and saw this thread on the benefits* of giving up sugar.  I'm kind of thinking it was God-ordained.

I have had terrible seasonal allergies since I was little, and recently read that eliminating sugar can help.  Frankly, I didn't want to do it.  I've tried everything else and yup, really like my sugar.  But this thread ... I reserved the Potatoes,Not Prozacbook from my library, and am considering trying this.  Also attractive is the mental clarity issue - I've really been struggling with depression, anxiety, fear, muddy thinking, etc.  Would LOVE for that to be cleared up, and who couldn't use more energy.  Any effect on libido? (maybe that could get my husband on the bandwagon with me!)

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* benefits some of the MOMYS noticed when they cut sugar from their diets (excerpts from about a dozen different mothers on the sugar thread):

physical:

- no more headaches

- no headache after running errands and dropping off/picking up kids

- greatly reduced joint pain and arthritis

- no more joint pain

- can sleep through the night without tossing and turning, no longer have numbing in my hips

- blood sugar levels stay below 100 (with sugar I am a Type II diabetic)

- chronic yeast problems went away (yeast growth in my inner ear area causes swelling and dizziness when I have sugar)

- no more fatigue 

- more steady energy

- increased energy levels

- generally feeling better and less sluggish

- tons of energy

- no more weight gain
- acne clears up

- no sickness all winter

- my skin is so much nicer (less dark circles under my eyes)

- no more achiness

- less bloating, less gas, less need for nap

- fewer CRAVINGS

- lost 22 lbs since February (cut out most refined carbs)

- When I was a kid I had brain cancer. It was caught early and we used a naturopath who had us taking apricot kernel tincture, alfalfa tablets, and cutting out sugar and white flour. We used honey and occasionally fructose. My sister had leukemia and my mom had colon cancer too. My mom also had ulcerative colitis and had had that since she was 19 years old. We were all 100% healed. 

PMS

- fewer PMS symptoms (irritability, anxiety, sleeplessness, acne, spotting)

- stopped PMS chocolate cravings after about six months (I don't think about chocolate much at all now)

emotional:

- no mood swings

- no more depression or anxiety

- steady moods

mental:

- no more brain fog

- more calm 

- clearer thinking

- able to think clearly while shopping at Wal-Mart (usually feel weak, almost dizzy, after a while, and have to really focus on just getting the things on my list and getting out of there. All the blip noises, the commotion, the stuff everywhere, just seems to overwhelm me)

- less addicted to the internet (There appears to be a relationship between breaking other addictions and quitting sugar. Many testify that they never really kicked their alcohol and nicotine addiction until they also cut sugar and healed that part of their brain that feeds the addictions.)

pregnancy:

- no heartburn while pregnant

- no morning sickness while pregnant

- pregnant, I nap 2-3 hours every afternoon with sugar. Without sugar I can be up at 6:00 AM and to bed at 9:00 PM without a nap.

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If that doesn't whet your appetite (so to speak), well ... it sure did mine.  "No more brain fog"?!  "No more depression or anxiety"?!  No more headaches or fatigue, and "tons of energy"?!!  

Sign me UP!!

Meanwhile, the Farmer and I watched this video from 2011 on YouTube, only to see the local paper quote him a week later.  "Quantum consciousness", as my friend says.  Stay tuned for more on the Sugarfree Frontier!

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