Celebrate this Valentine’s Day with Love, Not with Sugar

Valentine’s Day is associated with love, flowers and candy but when you are trying to lose weight or detox off sugar and other inflammatory foods it can make it a challenging and frustrating holiday.

Removing sugar from your diet is a smart way to lose weight, increase your energy levels and improve your mood. If you do it correctly, getting sugar out of your diet is a good way to put yourself on the right track to vital and vibrant health.

So often, people get rid of sugar without really knowing how to do it. Here are my top suggestions for making sure you get the results you’re after when you eliminate the sweet stuff.

What NOT to Do

• Don’t eliminate the healthy fat

Maybe you think you’ll kill two birds with one stone by cutting out fat and sugar at the same time. First of all, fat doesn’t make you fat, sugar does.

Even if you eat 4 tablespoons of coconut oil in one sitting, you’ll STILL lose weight if you cut out sugar. Fat is what gives your food it’s flavor and is essential for stabilizing blood sugar levels as well as curbing your sugar cravings, so make sure you get healthy fat at every meal.

• Don’t drink or eat foods labeled “diet” or “sugar-free”

Aspartame (you may know it as that sweetener in the blue packet) is NOT healthy and will make it so much harder for you to lose weight. It’s totally toxic and was originally invented as a type of rat poison. Practically everything labeled diet or sugar-free has aspartame so stay away from anything with these labels. Also, eating or drinking foods with artificial sweeteners actually trick your brain into thinking you’re consuming sugar so you can have the same type of insulin spikes as if you were eating sugar, just without the calories.

• Don’t load up on natural sugar found in bananas and pineapple

Some natural sugar is okay is there’s enough fiber to counter the insulin spike. Bananas, pineapple and grapes, though healthy in moderation, are notoriously high in sugar and will make it all the more difficult for you to eliminate cravings.

• Don’t keep eating bread and refined carbohydrates

Bread and refined carbohydrates like pasta, potatoes and white rice, don’t look like they contain sugar, but these foods break down into sugar once digested. If you keep eating them, you’ll keep craving sugar, and you’ll wonder what you’re doing wrong.

• Don’t be too hard on yourself if you have a slip-up

Everyone slips up now and then. Be gentle with yourself if you make a mistake or have a weak moment, just vow to keep trying. Don’t let one mistake start you on a downward spiral. Think about progress not perfection, this is for the long-term and may take time to become a habit.

This year, if someone you love buys you candy for Valentine’s Day perhaps you can take just one piece and share the rest. Give your partner a hug and thank them for loving you enough to think of you, reminding them that you are trying to be healthier and you really need their support while you get the sweet stuff out of your diet. Offer to spend some quality time together instead of eating the box of chocolates.

Do you want even more great tips to help you lose weight, reduce the inflammation in your body and end your sugar addiction once and for all?

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Yours In Good Health,