Sugar is not necessary.  But it is loved and addictive.  How can you get away from much loved and craved sugar?  My first suggestion is to read every label on every item you eat.  Take a look at what you are really eating.  Once you realize what is in your food, hopefully, you will want to change it, and take steps to reduce your sugar intake.  The thing that worked for me was to bake, and cook whole food, and replace the sweetness from sugar with raw honey or grade B maple syrup.  I love chocolate, so I made my own from 100% cacao (baking chocolate), coconut oil, and raw honey.  By replacing the bad stuff with better things, I was able to break away from the Standard American Diet, and cut out almost all refined sugar.

I feel like changing my diet has gone well beyond what I originally hoped it would do.  When my wonderful doctor told me to cut grains, sugar, legumes, starches, fruit and all conventionally raised meats I believed that I would starve to death.  But after about a week of a really sour mood, and a grumbling stomach, I got off my butt and figured out what I could make, that would be satisfying yet “diet approved”.  With the discovery of coconut milk, the local farmers market, and organic healthful unprocessed meats I have been able to change my way of eating completely but not suffer or feel deprived.  I will admit it is more difficult to eat out, and not drinking alcohol has been somewhat less fun, but Austin has some great restaurants that serve local sourced meats and vegetables.

As of today, I am much healthier and I have lost about 30 pounds.  Weight loss has been a happy side effect.  My skin is no longer grayish, and the inflammation that I was suffering from has almost disappeared.  My liver enzymes are almost within normal ranges, and I am no longer afraid that my liver will fail.  Added to all of those good results, I feel great.  I am a naturally positive happy person, but I wake up happier and more full of energy than ever before in my life.  So, the question I get the most is, when can I go off the diet?  My question is, why would I want to?  I feel great, I am happy, and honestly I love being healthier.

I really do have a ton of things to do.  I have a dog that sheds enough fur to make at least one new dog every day, and entire 3600 square foot house that needs a deep clean, and a closet so out of control I could spend hours reorganizing it alone.  But the sun is out, and it is warm, and I have a book(or ten).

This is nothing new.  I await this time of year, slowly anticipating the “warm enough” weather to lay on the deck and soak up the rays of my beloved sun.  There is a window of time, February thru April, that the temperature is low enough and the rays are warm enough.  And it is here.  For a sun worshiper as faithful as I am, there is no way anything else is getting done.  So the house can stay messy, closet unorganized, and the dog can make a few fur pile  friends.  Until the sun traverses far enough across the sky to be blocked by the roof line of my house I am predisposed.  You know where to find me.