Today is Day 1 of Sugar Free April. As I started preparing to do this a week or so ago, I tried to figure out what I was actually going to do.

At first I was going to just "cut out sugars". Well, that's easier said than done. After reading labels, I've discovered just about EVERYTHING has added sugar to it. Then you go and eat a carrot and it's really high in sugar. So I've had to change my plan a bit and define why I want to do this.

Why am I doing this:
1. A personal challenge - To see if I can
2. See how my body reacts. Do I have more energy? Lose weight? Have a different mood?
3. Maintain a healthier blood sugar level. My mother was diabetic and it runs in my family, so I need to be careful with what I eat and take care of my body.

That's pretty much it.

So rather than trying to eliminate all sugars, I'm trying to go very low on sugar intake. My goal is 30 grams a day or less. This is pretty hard when some of my staple foods like carrots, bell peppers, fruit etc have very high sugar amounts. We'll have to see if 30 grams is even realistic. What is possible is to not take in processed foods that are high in sugar like cereal, cookies, icecream, crackers, etc.

If you do take in a high amount of sugar, make sure you follow it up very quickly with some vigorous exercise. There's no reason to not fuel up if you're going to go running 5 miles. Your body will regulate the sugar as long as you burn it!

Post your progress in the group if you want to share.

Thanks,

Mike