Bright Line Eating

I agree. I don’t know if you’re still having the same problems, but seeing a doctor might be your best bet. They may be able to get you paired with a dietitian who can help with the texture sensitivities. You’re probably not sleeping well due to the amount of caffeine you’re drinking. And you’re probably feeling sick from the sugar withdrawal after cutting back the sugar amount in all the soda.

I’ve drank soda for years. Not at the same rate, but until now I’ve never found a good substitute. It’s a Chai tea. Not the full fat authentic stuff, but just the Celestial Seasonings kind. After it’s done steeping I add 1 serving of the coffee mate French Vanilla creamer in and then ice the whole thing. It gives me the sweetness I’m craving and the cardamom and other spices make me feel full. It’s been a Godsend. It doesn’t even really taste like tea either.

The thing that has helped me the most, besides the tea, is thinking about the damage I’m doing to my internal organs with all the unhealthy food and drinks I consume. You can still treat yourself and indulge once in awhile. I think it would be unhealthy not to. But it’s about moderation. Please go visit a doctor to help you feel better for you.

Interesting comment. Out of curiosity what are you eating instead. It’s so confusing as to what to eat and is actually considered healthy. There’s so much conflicting advice and pseudo science being bounded around. I don’t know where to start!

Thank you for your comment, Cassandra Roy, I think you’re spot-on. I agree with everything you said, and way to go for telling it like it is!

When I first started eating nutrient dense, and giving up processed sugar (which I didn’t think I ate a ton of–until I started giving it up!) among other things, I was a little stumped at what to eat, and you’re right….carrot sticks do not cut the cravings! I find, since eating better, I don’t crave any food anymore at all….I used to get intense cravings for certain things at different times, but now I don’t crave anything. Also, you are so right when you said when you do cheat from eating nutrient dense, it makes me feel so bad that it resolves your mind to never do it again! I’ve yo-yoed back and forth a lot this year, but have only just begun this year, and am still learning new things to contribute to my resolve to NEVER go back to how I ate before…….

I love hearing about others who know about REAL food, nutrient dense, and truly nourishing food (it validates what I’ve learned, and makes me feel like I know what I’m talking about). These blogs are awesome, because it helps connect people that way, and we need all the help and support we can get!

Don’t replace sugar with artificial sweeteners.

Research and understand how artificial sweeteners cause weight gain.

A craving is a chemical reaction.

Try a low carb induction style diet to break your sugar craving. Step down easy if you need to (100 carbs, 40, 20), then switch to a whatever diet if low carb isn’t for you.

Be wary of high fructose corn syrup. While aspartame makes me “quietly” crave more aspartame, I’ve found HFCS triggers severe sugar cravings and for 18 hours plus.

After you have cleared sweeteners/sugar from your diet, note how you respond to high carb/high starch foods. This is a key step to avoiding a runaway re-addiction.

Remember, EVERYONE is on a diet. Some are better than others. Eliminating artificial sweeteners and understanding and controlling sugar intake will change your diet for the better.

Sarah – I love Coke and Pepsi, but do not consume at the rate you are. I’m wondering if you should check this out with a doc. Maybe he/she can suggest alternatives to substitute that are palatable. It sounds like you have been way out of balance in a potentially dangerous way. The symptoms you have when cutting way down might be withdrawal. You need to learn to love the healthier foods and it may take some professionals to get you on track. I hope you kick this! For me, I can enjoy salads, steamed vegetables, fruit smoothies, poultry. I still eat junk food every day – hamburgers and hot dogs, and maybe 2 servings of soda per day. No fries or onion rings, but I do go on binges. I’m worried about you because it sounds like you don’t like very many foods at all. That will make it harder.

What did I replace my soda with? Graham Cracker Muscle Milk Protein shakes (2 a day) and water.

It can be very hard to intuit the difference between resisting change despite its potential gains, and resisting change because of its harmful effects…both situations tend to announce themselves with the overall feeling of “This Sucks!” But fighting that feeling when it’s telling you something important can be WAY more harmful than whatever you were trying to correct.

TL/DR: Some diets (and resolutions, and situations, and relationships) don’t actually deserve to be stuck to. It’s really important to be able to tell the difference.

I have a Vitamix and because it blends and freezes so well I can make a good substitute for ice cream and still have it healthy. It takes a little experimenting but basically I pack a couple handfuls of baby kale (yes it makes green ice cream-so?) your choice of frozen fruits; I like pineapple, green grapes, granny smith apple, some lemon juice and a bit of mint leaves. I also add a couple teaspoons of coconut oil , the solid oil never liquify’s and it blends all together nicely, plus it’s good for you. The kale needs to go on the bottom or the frozen fruit will freeze up and the kale won’t be blended. Add enough water or fruit juice 1/2 cup give or take and set it on high. I found out quite by accident that it freezes. Maybe not rock hard, more like a home made sorbet but if you have patience you can stick it in the freezer. It got me passed ice cream and the horrible stomach cramps it gave me.

Fat that you eat does not provide leptin. Leptin is an “adiposity hormone” that is produced by fat cells within living tissue. It is destroyed when living cells die (as in meat, unless you eat it straight from the slaughter), and also destroyed by your own digestive enzymes when you eat the meat/fat.

Be creative – find ways to combine raw fruit with fat. Cheese and fruit. Peanut butter and apples. Also, I found that my sugar cravings were related to my energy level. Anemia, blood sugar lows, and just plain being tired made me crave sweets. When I started attacking my energy level problems, the cravings disappeared. Pay attention to when the cravings happen, and see if there is a pattern to them.

Our family had a Reverse Osmosis system for 20 plus years before the damage set in. For many years alternative health advice was given to me that Reverse Osmosis water will strip your body of minerals. Well it finally did, in the form or leg cramps. My MD did Ultrasound and Cat Scans and finally tried to tell me that everyone gets them. But I felt there was a more logical reason than “everyone gets them” I could not sprint across the street without gettting a cramp in my calf. After peeling back several layers, my AK Chiropractor found my mineral levels were too low and suggested a regiment of minerals and drinking Fiji water. It worked? After 2-3 years of pain in my legs and calves, the problem was solved! I now not only do not drink RO water, I recently began drinking Kangen water. It alkalinzes your body, because our environment and the foods we eat are too acidic, which cause inflammation in our body, leading to weakened immune systems.

HELP!