Last month sooo many of you asked me to share tips on how to crave less sugar, so I figured what better time than right after all the Easter candy craziness! (I indulged a little, too) 💕Before we do that, I thought I would be vulnerable and share a little of my own history with sugar. I used to be…addicted! 🤭

It started years ago in my late teens, early 20’s…I was a perfectionist….a high achiever. And looking back I realized that is the time I became a stress eater. I wanted to get straight A’s so I would stay up late studying for chemistry tests, usually after I had been traveling to cheer at our team’s basketball game or some other sporting event. I was also applying for colleges and studying for my ACT test (I hated standardized tests).

I remember one night on my drive to get help studying for my ACT feeling so stressed about the test and I stopped at a gas station to buy cookies to deal with my emotions. That was just the beginning of my turning to sweets to deal with life. And that may not seem like a huge deal to some of you but I’ve felt a lot of shame around the way I would overeat on sweets in the past to deal with my stress. It’s kind of freeing to get that out there especially now that I’m in such a healthy place with food now. (so grateful) So, I gained a little weight those years but never became “overweight” because I would work out enough to make up for all the sweets I would overeat. You see back then before I knew better, my definition of “healthy” was this: as long as I’m not overweight or obese, I’m good…I’m healthy.

Fast forward to college where I took 18 hours my first semester of early entry pharmacy school as well as being in a sorority, and talk about stress eating then. I’m not sure if I gained the full freshman 15, but I’m sure it was close. Some days I would take my biology or physics notes to the gym and study while on the treadmill….again to try to mask the extra sugar and carbs I had consumed from being so overwhelmed. After two years of pharmacy school, I decided I was not passionate about it and I wanted to study nutrition. I had always been passionate about healthcare but went into pharmacy because I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do so it seemed like a good option. As soon as I changed my major to nutrition and my courses were underway, the weight began dropping quickly. A lot of people asked me what I was doing to lose weight. I would reply, “I guess I’m just putting into practice what I’m learning in my nutrition courses.” Looking back that was part of it, but by being in a major that I loved so much and actually looked forward to my classes for once, I realize I didn’t have to emotionally eat anymore.

A few years later is when I ended up with autoimmune issues, (more on that in some upcoming posts!) which forced me to heal my gut which I believe is what got rid of any lasting tendencies to over eat on sugar during stressful times. I’ll be sharing more tips about that this week because I want to help you all crave less sugar too! I still enjoy a sweet treat here and there but there is no longer the “need” to have it! Enjoyment and celebration of foods is great, but my motives are completely different now and my addiction to “having to have sugar” was gone after I detoxed and got to the root of the circumstances! 💕Check back tomorrow and I’ll go into the WHY sugar is such an important thing to consider in our food!