Today is Day 6, and as we come toward the finale of “The Give-Back Diet’s” first week, we’re going to take another step together.  Today is about getting off sugar.  There is an epidemic of Type II diabetes in the world, a disease that affects the metabolism of sugar in the body and insulin production; being overweight and obese is thought to be a major contributor.  Do your best today to not eat anything with added sugar in it, or cut-back. This will greatly help if you are overweight.  I’ll tell you how in the action plan below.

You’ve kept a journal of your foods, activities, feelings, and savings – caloric and financial.   You’ve replaced snack and junk food with healthier choices, such as fruit.  You’ve replaced a heavy meal with lighter salad – keep doing these action items every day.  You have shared your problems with God, and with others.  You’ve written and commented about what you’re doing to lose weight and start new habits.  In other words, you have begun to give up your problems to the care of God, and you’ve given back and shared the grace that God gives by helping others.  Now let’s give sugar back, and slowly take it out of your diet.

Today’s Action Plan to Step Down Your Sugar Intake:  

• Pledge not to eat anything with added sugar in it.  Of course, with vegetables and fresh fruit, there’s no added sugar, so there’s no need to be concerned.  Fill up with vegetables, and have some fruit for snacks or dessert.  If you are diabetic, though, that’s another concern:  it’s essential to follow the diabetic food plans that your doctor or registered dietitian has prescribed for you.  

• Adopt the attitude that you’ll “give back” processed foods that contain sugar, and choose healthy substitutes instead.  Instead of that sugary breakfast cereal, have some unsweetened oatmeal with cut up apples, banana, and raisins – whatever real fruit you like.  Instead of a candy bar snack, have a few pieces of pineapple, strawberries, apple or “fruit leather.”  Rather than that late night ice cream, cookies or pie, have some unsweetened applesauce with cinnamon sprinkled on top, or a juicy pear.

• If you must eat processed foods, check nutrition labels before eating them.  Anything that lists in the ingredients words such as “sugar, high fructose corn syrup, dextrose  (anything with the suffix ‘ose’ or ‘ol’ is generally sugar in disguise) cane, cane juice, dextrin, sorbitol, mannitol,” etc. are sugars to avoid.  Anything with over 4 or 5 grams of sugar per serving is too much sugar.  This unfortunately includes almost all breakfast cereals, other than Cherrios (whole grain, please), Shredded Wheat, Bran, unsweetened granola, and a few others.  This definitely includes any and all baked goods (unless “sugar-free,” and preferably without added artificial sweeteners, although I personally use Stevia sweetener, as it isn’t artificial).  

• It’s fine to have a dessert that is made without added sugar, but unless you make it yourself or buy it from a specialty store, they’re very hard to find.  It’s not impossible to go sugar-free, it just takes a bit of effort and a reorientation of thinking and action from old habits.

Truth is, eliminating added sugar may not be so easy because it is in almost everything.  It is surprising how many things have added sugar.  It is found in crackers, ketchup, pickles, mustard, most sodas and “beverages,” fruit yogurt, processed meats, canned and box soups, deli salads and slaws, salad dressings, the list goes on and on.  The reality is, many food manufacturers have trained us to like the taste of sugar, so they put it in everything to increase sales.  It’s absolutely shocking what has been done to compromise the world’s health in the name of making money.  There’s a great book on this subject, “The End of Overeating” by David Kessler.

In addition to doing what you’ve been doing this week, do your best to eliminate sugar today, and ongoing from now on.  If there’s one central, essential, effective suggestion I can give you, going “sugar-free” is the one.  It is the main reason I lost the last 80 pounds of my 160-pound weight loss.  It’s how I maintain my weight today, after 17 years.  Yes, it’s still a struggle, and occasionally I have some sugary foods, but then I’m back “sugar-free” again, with God’s help, and help from my friends.

Lastly, most importantly, please POST your journal, thoughts, questions, and offer yourself to others.  Please take time to read other’s posts as well, and reply to them – just as long as you don’t try to “fix them” (as no one is broken!).

If this is the first time reading about the give-back diet, don’t worry. You can start today.  Please post a “hello!” to our wonderful group.