I've been in a fog of sorts for quite some time, a sugar fog.  Only recently has this dense, gray world begun to disappear.

I've finally come to a place where I feel confident I can stand up to and prevail against the Sugar Monster.  I honestly didn't think it possible, but now I feel like sugar is finally losing its hold on me.  And I'm grateful, relieved... and humbled.

Where I Was

This is a 180-degree turn from the moody, desperate, foggy, sugar saturated person I once was... and have been for, years! Scary that it took me this long to figure out the connection, but better late than never, right?

And once I DID put 2 and 2 together, I wasn't ready to try to battle the Sugar Monster for probably yet another year.  Too fearful - fearful that I would fail. I had to get to a point where I wanted to put health as my focus and wanted it badly enough.

I also needed more stability in my life before I could work on stabilizing my diet.  For the past 10 years my work environment was continually mounting stress on my body.  I worked long hours, crazy shifts, and often experienced a lot of adrenaline-producing events while on the job.  Those crazy shifts - working nights then switching to days and back again - were what got to me.

I've learned that my body doesn't like change.  Unfortunate maybe, but it's the truth. My body likes to be on a schedule, and if that schedule changes, it affects me as a person.  Throwing off my circadian rhythm by working various hours of the day and night, getting little sleep, and eating poorly was like adding fuel to the Sugar Monster.

Sugar was my go-to substance to keep me going when my head was screaming to lie down. It was my comforter when I felt stressed and rundown.  The more processed junk I ate the more I wanted, and the cycle continued until I felt stuck in it.  I then began to crave sugar ALL the time!

Where I Was Heading

Well, obviously things have changed for the better - oh, not that my previous job was horrible or anything!  It just wasn't ideal for my body.  Now I work more "normal" hours.  I get weekends and holidays off.  I get a lunch break for the first time!  This job is not at all stressful.  My body is on a schedule.  I exercise regularly, and I've cleaned up my diet considerably (and having a blog actually does help in meeting those nutrition and fitness goals)!

After mulling around the idea after starting this blog last fall, I decided in Feb that I was ready to face the Sugar Monster and defeat it once and for all. I was at last making a commitment to changing my focus on improving my health.  I was tired of... well, being tired!  I didn't enjoy living in the sugar fog.  I was fed up with being preoccupied with sweets all day long!  I was disgusted with eating junk when I really didn't even enjoy the taste.  Hey, if I'm ever going to eat dessert, it had better be darn high quality!  Yes, I'll be high maintenance when it comes to desserts thank you very much!

I was also scared of the toll sugar might be taking on my health. I wanted to get healthy, in body and mind!  It was time, and I was finally ready. Thus began the deliberate and slow battle between me and the Sugar Monster, and this time I had a plan and was committed to winning.

Where I Am Now

That brings us to the present and back to what I wrote at the beginning of this post. Now by virtue of my being very sensitive to sugar, I'll always need to pay attention to what I feed my body, how it feels, and what it needs.  But it's absolutely worth the extra effort. And working on improving and maintaining health is supposed to be a lifelong journey, is it not?

Life sure is a lot more beautiful and interesting outside of the fog.

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Click on the following links if you wish to read about steps 1-3: Breakfast, Journaling, and Regular meals with protein.

The third step in breaking a sugar addiction as outlined in Potatoes, Not Prozac, is often said to be the most challenging.  Eating meals at regular intervals with protein isn't usually a standard practice by those in the cluthes of sugar.  Instead, sugar addicts tend to graze on sweets throughout the day and lack sufficient protein in their diets. Changing this habit can lead to a vast improvement in physical and mental wellbeing.  Many times the allure of sugar begins to decline, and this gives renewed hope that recovery can and will happen.

The rest of the steps encourage further healing while decreasing the desire to eat sugar.

Step 4  - Vitamins and a Potato

Step 4 involves taking vitamins, specifically:

• Vitamin C - to aide in detoxification, the production of serotonin, and healing from adrenal fatigue
• Vitamin B complex - again to support the production of serotonin and in the metabolism of carbohydrates into fuel
• Zinc - helps further healing and supports proper insulin function

Step 4 also recommends eating a small amount of a complex carbohydrate right before bed to encourage the brain to produce sufficient serotonin to help you feel more calm, competent, and able to say "no" to sugar. Part of a potato with the skin on is the suggested carbohydrate.  (And, now we know why the book is called Potatoes, Not Prozac!) The author, Dr. Kathleen DesMaisions, states:

Think of the potato as "medicine"-sort of an antidepressant in a brown package (p. 143).

Step 5 - Changing White Foods to Brown Foods

In this step, you make a point to change the processed carbohydrates (white) that you eat to complex carbs (brown).  Complex carbohydrates 'burn' slower and thus prevents a sudden blood sugar elevation and subsequent crash. The shift to complex carbs were already set in to motion with Step 1 and even Step 3, and Step 5 reinforces this.

Examples of complex carbohydrates (browns) include:

• 100% whole wheat
• Oats
• Millet
• Barley
• Quinoa
• Spelt
• Brown rice
• Potatoes with the skin left on
• Vegetables
• Beans
• Other whole grains

Simple Carbohydrates (white foods) include things like:

• White bread
• White rice
• White flour
• White flour tortillas
• Most prepacked desserts and snacks

Also, dried fruit can be a trigger for some sensitive individuals due to the concentrated fruit sugars and is therefore limited or avoided.  Using a food journal can help determine what foods work for you and which ones trigger those unpleasant, moody sugar feelings and even sugar binges.

Step 6 - Limiting or Eliminating Sugars

This step is a personal decision. Some individuals will significantly reduce the amount of sugar in their overall diet and feel comfortable with that.  Many others go on to remove all sugar from their diets.  Having mastered each of the previous steps will ensure a smooth and successful Step 6. The book details the process of completely detoxing from all sugars and what may be expected.  It involves learning where sugars lurk in foods, having a plan in place for the day you say goodbye to all sugars, and what to expect afterwards.

A very large part of Step 6 consists of planning, waiting, reflecting, and then taking action steps in a thoughtful way. This is huge for addicts... There is a huge payoff if you choose to eliminate most sugars from your diet. You will feel better than you ever have (pp. 177, 183).

Step 7 - Coming Alive

This is the recovery period after beating the Sugar Monster.  It offers calmness and stability.  It is "radiance," as referred to by Dr. DesMaisons. It offers the opportunity to learn new skills to deal with life events without sugar, which can sometimes be challenging. It is a lifelong process to learn and enjoy. Dr. DesMaison sums up Step 7 excellently:

"Progress not perfection" is a core Twelve-Step slogan and one that is particularly useful for doing food recovery. You cannot ever have a perfect journey with food. Life is too complex and textured for perfection. The real perfection you will attain is the joy and confidence you will feel about mastering your "crazy" body chemistry. When I talk about radiance, I am talking about a way of being in the world that reflects your core self... What seemed like a story about food is really a story about possibility (pp. 219, 220).

It's about learning what works for your body, reclaiming your life, and living it to the fullest.

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• Can You Really Be Addicted to Sugar? I love sugar. You probably already know that! :) I'm also trying to overcome my sweet tooth. Why? Because I eat way too many sweets, it's not what I'd call a healthy diet, it messes with my emotions, and it sure makes keeping a fit and lean figure a big......
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• Breaking the Sugar Addiction - Step 2 If you've just arrived, or you'd like a review, check out my posts about sugar addiction and the solution to sugar addiction. I'm following the 7 steps outlined in Potatoes, Not Prozac. Step 2 is keeping a food journal. In this journal you write: The times you eat/drink What you eat/drink......

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For example, when it comes to eating healthy and/or foregoing the junk, instead of saying, “I have to avoid junk food and eat more veggies,” replace that “have” with a “get,” and the sentence has an entirely new meaning and mindset.

Or maybe you view exercise as your "have to." That has a negative ring to it, doesn't it?  And that may eventually sap your motivation over time.  Another way to approach this is to think, "I GET to exercise," and soon those workouts will be viewed as a more pleasant experience - at least that's the goal here!

There's a positive side to most everything, and sometimes it takes bringing out that inner Pollyanna to see it, or at least inviting her to visit every once in a while.

Let's take my crazy sugar cravings as an example.  I had to take a good look at myself (which can be difficult), figure out what was going on, how to take better care of myself, make changes, and put forth effort to tame my sweet tooth and stop the cycle of binging on sugar.  In fact, I will always have to be mindful of what I eat/how I feel and not overdo it in the dessert department in order to keep those horrible sugar cravings/binges from returning.  Instead of thinking, "I have to stop eating all this sugar. I'm going to go out of my mind," I can think of the positive side and replace that "have" with "get." Now...

• I get to embark on a new adventure
• I get to do something healthy for myself
• I get to think clearer, have more energy, and maintain stability in my moods
• I get to try new recipes for “cleaner” foods
• I get to become friends with protein
• I get to learn more about myself and how to better care for my body
• I get to save my teeth for goodness sake!

I would do well to apply this mindset more often in other areas of my life.  I'm not a natural at it.  Yet, I am fascinated at how replacing those "have to's" with "get to's" brightens up an otherwise tough or dull situation - all because of one little word.

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My poor elliptical machine has taken a beating.  I run that thing into the ground, and for the past few months it's been acting up, making a thumping/clicking sound that I can feel on the left pedal.  The diagnosis is a loose wheel and a tiny washer cover thingy that broke. So while my burned out elliptical is patiently waiting for its replacement, I’ve been using this time to try out different workout DVDs from the library.

I always keep coming back to one in particular, the 10 Minute Solution - Carb and Calorie Burner. It consists of five different workouts, each 10 minutes in length.  You have the option of choosing which ones you want to do, whether one or all of them - depending on how much time and ambition you have at the moment.

Each workout segment has a different "theme":

Slow and Steady Burn – The goal is to increase and maintain and elevated heart rate for the whole 10 minutes. This was my favorite workout.  The choreography was easy to follow, and it gave me a good (but not too hard) cardio workout.

Carb Killer – Kickboxing workout. Lots of punching, jabs, and kicking.  A good, "angry" workout.  This one is great when you have a lot of aggression just needing to be released.

Power Blast – high energy cardio with squats, lunges, and plyometric exercises.  This is the workout that caused much soreness to my legs and bum the next day!  This is also the workout that caused me to sweat profusely.

Interval Burn – Boot Camp inspired workout that I enjoyed.  You get to pretend you're jumping through tires and sashay-bend-touch-down-to-the-side, which I found particularly fun.

Metabolism Booster – strength training routine using light weights.  Honestly, I didn't spend much time with this segment, but it's still worth your while and provides a good workout.

I typically choose the “Play All” option and do at least 3 workout segments.

The instructor, Michelle Dozios, is clear and easy to follow.  She's is upbeat, but not at all annoying, pushing you on with words like, “The more you put into it, the more you get out of it!” and “You can do it; you’re on the homestretch now.”

I found it a bit odd to also hear words of encouragement such as,“You’re burning carbs now,” or “Blast those carbs!” I’m used to hearing the burn-the-fat fight song. But I guess the focus on fat burning is so 1990s!  I simply chose to ignore the carb burning exclamations and just concentrated on getting a good workout.

Two downsides I found to this DVD, but they're rather insignificant to me in hindsight.  The first one was the fact that there is a pause between workout segments, and this wasn't ideal for me since I wanted to do more than one.  The instructor also does a short warm up at the beginning of each workout and cool down right at 9th minute.  Thus, the pace slows down.  My solution:  I kept moving during the pause and warm ups and cool downs. Problem solved!

The second downside: very short warm up and cool down.  My remedy was to warm up before starting the video and to continue stretching long after the workout was good and done.

Overall a great and fun workout, and I’m tempted to buy this DVD for my personal collection.  I’m still debating because my library is very convenient. Hmm, however, I could always keep this on my Wish List, in case a family member is in need of gift ideas for future holidays - or in case I just feel like giving myself a tangible and fun gift!

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Yoga revisited – Last month I checked out a yoga DVD just for a change of pace. I was in the mood for something a little more low key. That half hour flew by, and I felt so refreshed! I felt good. Optimistic. Woodland creatures came to greet me and clean my kitchen. Seriously.

Now I make a point to fit in a yoga session once or twice a week. This may not fit the definition of a true yogi, but it works for a beginner like me.

What I like most about yoga is the stretching. I enjoy improving my flexibility, and it’s something I need to pay more attention to, especially for protecting my injured knee. Somehow I feel longer after a yoga session; I have better posture.

I also enjoy working on my strength and balance, both of which yoga provides, and in a way that is less stressful to the joints. Again, my knee approves. Plus, being someone who constantly stumbles, improving balance is always welcome! (I always trip, but I never fall - probably thanks in part to dance classes as a child - otherwise I’d be a lot more up close and personal with the pavement.)

I find yoga to be energizing. I wouldn’t have thought this since there’s no running, jumping, or groove thing shaking. But it gets the blood circulating, and I feel I have a lot more energy just to tackle everything in daily life.

Yoga is also a great stress reliever. That’s pretty much well known. I don’t use yoga as a form of meditation as some may do. I do find the held poses and the deep breathing calm the body. It's a great way to clear the mind and organize your thoughts, as many other exercises can do.

And I love the names for all the yoga poses. My favorites are the downward facing dog (oh, yeah, feel it in the calves) and the sun salutation (oh yeah, that’s a good one. I think my back just popped). I’ve actually done a few sun salutation-type stretches before an audition to shake away some of the nerves and tension. It counteracts that fight-or-flight syndrome.

I may never be a true yogi as my heart is still in to the more traditional cardio workouts, but I still feel yoga is a great addition to my overall workout program. Incorporating flexibility, balance, and strength along with cardio just makes for a balanced fitness program AND body anyway!

I leave you with an excellent instruction of the sun salutation poses:

.

Trying to find a good yoga video?

These are worth a look:

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I feel it's time for me to officially start the next step in breaking the sugar addiction, and according to the plan for sugar addiction outlined in Potatoes, Not Prozac, Step 3 involves:

1. eating three meals a day
2. at regular intervals
3. with sufficient protein.

Eat Three Meals a Day

Why just three meals and not little meals throughout the day?

For sugar addicts, stopping a meal can be difficult. Having three meals a day trains the body to start and, more importantly, end a meal.

It's easy to turn those little meals into an entire day of constant grazing and snacking. That's not necessarily because the sugar sensitive individual is undisciplined. No, brain chemistry may be more to blame in this instance. A true sugar addict is thought to have the short end of the stick when it comes to brain chemicals such as serotonin and beta endorphin levels. These neurotransmitters help you have better impulse control and the ability to turn down sweets, among other things. Sugar sensitive individuals may have low levels of these chemicals.

Having three meals a day also teaches impulse control, which can be difficult for a sugar addict, especially in regards to sweets.

You can still eat sweets on Step 3; just move them to an official mealtime. In fact, moving sweets to meals decreases sugar's effect. Having sugar after eating protein, rather than eating the sweet by itself, will diminish that crazy sugar high and subsequent nasty crash.

Exceptions to the three meals a day rule are those who are very active and those who are pregnant or nursing. These individuals will need what is called a "planned snack" of protein and a complex carbohydrate. The snack is planned for a certain time of day with foods chosen ahead of time. A planned snack involves being mindful of the foods you choose and eat instead of spontaneously grabbing junk food without thinking. Learning to start, stop, and pay attention can still play a role with planned snacks.

Eat at Regular Intervals

Why? To keep blood glucose levels steady, reduce cravings, and keep you from feeling irritable, shaky, and lethargic. Dr. Kathleen DesMaisons suggests aiming for about 5-6 hours between meals, but not longer than 6 hours (except between dinner and breakfast the next day). Going without eating for more than 6 hours can lead to a big drop in blood glucose levels, and that's something we want to avoid!

Eating at regular intervals also requires you to pay attention to your body and the foods you put in it, both of which are important in healing from a sugar addiction.

Eat Sufficient Protein at Every Meal

Protein is essential in helping the sugar addict's brain and body heal. Protein also keeps blood glucose levels steady. And it aides in the production of serotonin, one of those chemicals that is usually low in sugar sensitive persons. Serotonin is what contributes to feeling calm, in control, and able to say no to sweets.

Dr. Kathleen DesMaisons recommends a daily protein intake for the sugar addict to be between 0.4 and 0.6 grams per pound of body weight, depending on the individual, health conditions, and the extent of healing that is needed.

Generally speaking...

Food	Quantity	Protein
chicken breast	3 ounces	20 gms
egg	1 large	6 gms
beans	1/2 cup cooked	7-9 gms
beef sirloin	3 ounces	26 gms
pork tenderloin	3 ounces	22 gms
tofu	3 ounces	12 gms
mozzarella, part skim	1 ounce	7 gms
almonds	1 ounce, raw	6 gms
peanut butter	2 tbsp	8 gms

.

It Takes Time

Step 3 is stated to be one of the hardest steps in Dr. DesMaison's program. It's hard because each part of this step is sometimes the very opposite of what the sugar addict prefers! Therefore, it's also important to take your time while on this step and not expect perfection right from the start. Good advice for me!

Step 3 has a lot of behavioral healing woven into it... Don't be fooled into thinking that this part is so easy you don't have to work on it. If you are sugar sensitive, Step 3 is the key to getting your body chemistry in balance. Give yourself as much time as you need to master it (Potatoes, Not Prozac, pp. 137,138).

The good news is that mastering Step 3 will provide noticeable, positive changes. The sugar fog will begin to lift, and the need and desire for sugar will slowly grow weaker. There's a light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe, just maybe it really is possible to be free of the sugar monster forever!

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I'm on a personal quest of sorts. Three months ago I made the realization that I am a sugar addict and decided to commit to breaking my addiction.

Following Dr. Kathleen DesMaison's plan for sugar addiction, I started off including protein and a complex carb at breakfast. After creating my new breakfast habit, I moved on to step two, the food journal. I've been working on journaling what I eat and how I feel for about a month.

I used to think I didn’t need a food journal, that I had it all figured out in my head. I thought I knew what I ate and how I felt and what I needed to do. Not true! The food journal can be very eye-opening. I’ve learned things about myself that I otherwise would have ignored.

Some things I noticed from reviewing my food journal:

• I eat at the same times just about everyday.
• I snack or chew the same berry flavored gum in the afternoons if I'm at work.
• The most common feeling I record for the mornings: tired
• The most common feelings overall: happy, antsy, tired, not hungry
• Yeah, I see that I often eat when I'm not really hungry
• But I write "shaky" if I don't eat for more than 6 hours
• Eating sugar is associated with feelings of nervousness, elation, and then of feeling really really tired and irritable
• I eat way more chocolate than I thought!
• The more sweets I eat, the more I crave them.
• Recently, my diet has gradually shifted to include more protein at lunch and dinner, as well as veggies.
• With this change, I notice snacking in the afternoons has decreased.

This shift towards healthier foods makes me want to move on to the next step in beating my sugar addiction. Step 3 is eating regularly throughout the day, including adequate protein at each meal. I'm naturally drifting in this direction already, so I feel it's time to make it official! I'll explain more about step 3 in my next post...

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Step 2 is keeping a food journal. In this journal you write:

1. The times you eat/drink
2. What you eat/drink
3. How you feel physically
4. How you feel emotionally

Why even do this? It helps you connect with your body. You will learn what your body needs, how certain foods affect you, that if you do "A," then "B" will happen.

The food journal allows you to see progression over time. As you wean yourself off sugar, you may see healthier food choices, steadier eating times, and more positive emotions. Looking back on the food journal can be an encouragement in that sense. You may be amazed to see how far you've come.

This step is difficult for some. It's challenging to figure out and face what we're feeling. We might feel guilty writing down everything we've eaten. It's actually pretty amazing how much of ourselves we have tied up in food!

But the food journal in this particular program is not about good or bad. There's no judgment involved. You're simply recording information as objectively as possible in order to help you learn connections between what you eat and how you feel.  It's all about learning so you can make positive adjustments that result in improved health.  The journal gives your body a voice.

"Your body doesn't provide a computer printout to tell you what's going on with it, but it gives you clues in the form of symptoms that hint at the bigger picture. These symptoms will be consistent and predictable. You just have to learn to read them." (Potatoes, Not Prozac, p.111)

I think this is an interesting way of using a food journal.  I've never done anything like it before, and I'm curious to give it a try.  I can't say that I'm going to love journaling what I eat or even remember to do it on a regular basis. But that's why I'm going about all this very slowly.

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• Food Journal - Ally in Breaking Sugar Addiction I'm on a personal quest of sorts. Three months ago I made the realization that I am a sugar addict and decided to commit to breaking my addiction. Following Dr. Kathleen DesMaison's plan for sugar addiction, I started off including protein and a complex carb at breakfast. After creating......
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I'm reading Potatoes, Not Prozac, and in it, seven steps to breaking free from sugar addiction are outlined.  Today I'm going to talk about the first one: Eating breakfast.

The best breakfast for a sugar sensitive individual includes 4 parts:

1. Eat breakfast with an adequate amount of protein for you.
2. Eat breakfast with a complex carbohydrate.
3. Eat breakfast right after waking.
4. Eat breakfast every day.

Eat an adequate amount of protein

An easy way to figure out how much you would need for breakfast is to divide your weight in half; 1/3rd of that value is the amount you would eat for breakfast.  Or, you can simply divide your weight by 6. So, if you weigh 130 lbs, you would need approx. 22 gms of protein at breakfast.

Very active folks and pregnant women may need a little more protein. However, the book does not recommended to go beyond 42 gms of protein, even if you weigh more than 250 lbs.

 Other sources on recommended daily amountsuse 0.8 - 1.8 gms of protein per kg of body weight per day.  The calculations in Potatoes, Not Prozac fall within this range. 

Eat a complex carbohydrate

Along with protein, complex carbohydrates also help keep blood sugar levels steady and hunger at bay. Plus, complex carbs provides more nutrients and fiber than the refined stuff. Complex carbohydrates include:

• Oats
• Whole wheat
• Brown rice
• Rye
• Quinoa
• Spelt
• Amaranth
• Barley
• Other whole grains

You can turn these into oatmeal, granola, cereal, bread, toast, pancakes, French toast, tortillas, and a bunch of other dishes!

Eat breakfast right after you wake up

Why is this important? It will help prevent a blood sugar crash.  You need fuel for your body soon after waking from not eating for 6+ hours.  Eating breaks that mini fast (that's why it's called break-fast).  If you skip breakfast or wait a few hours to eat, your blood sugar will drop. And this sets you up for a binge. 

Eat breakfast every day

This one seems like common sense, but applying it can be tough.  Skipping breakfast or eating one without quality protein doesn't benefit sugar sensitive persons.  Their blood and brain chemistry will become unsteady. Plus, having breakfast every single day creates a habit that, in time, will become easier and easier to follow until it's second nature. And I like that.  I'm not a morning person, so my sleepy self prefers not having to think too much about breakfast.

More than just eating 

This first step to healing a sugar addiction is more than just eating breakfast.  You will need to figure out things like, much you weigh, how much protein is in different foods, how much protein works best for you, what complex carbs you like and the amount that works best for you, and planning your schedule to include breakfast soon after getting out of bed.  In effect, you need to get to know your body and what works best for you.  Sometimes this can be a challenge, but it is a part of healing an addiction and working towards better health.

My progress

I've been eating a healthier breakfast since I made that my goal back in January, but I have room to improve.  I need to add a bit more protein, and I still have the occasional weekend pancakes with syrup.  But I have to say that I do notice a difference!  When eating a healthy breakfast I feel more energetic, and I'm satisfied until lunchtime. I tend to feel stuffed and sleepy after pancake indulgences, which makes me appreciate having protein at breakfast even more!

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I think the following best sums up a sugar addict's solution to beating the sugar demons:

The solution is almost deceptively simple: if you eat the right foods at the right times, you can keep your serotonin and beta-endorphin at their optimal levels... Eating the right food is the ideal way to keep your brain chemicals in balance all the time (Potatoes, Not Prozac, p.88).

Those right kinds of foods recommended are proteins, complex carbohydrates, and vegetables. Each reduces blood sugar spikes, keeps you feeling full and satisfied longer, gives the body important nutrients and fiber, and aides in healing and bringing serotonin and beta-endorphin to steady levels.

Seven steps are presented in this book to wean you off sugar gently and adopt healthier habits:

1. Eat breakfast with protein and a complex carb every day.
2. Keep a food journal of what you eat and how you feel.
3. Eat lunch and dinner with protein.
4. Take recommended vitamins and have a potato before bed.
5. Change from "white foods" to "brown foods."
6. Reduce or eliminate sugars.
7. Come alive.

A typical characteristic of sugar sensitive persons is that they are sometimes impulsive or impatient. We want to be free of sugar NOW so we go off sugar "cold turkey" but end up feeling miserable, binging on sweets, and then being worse off than we were before! Dr. DesMaisons recommends working on each step one at a time before moving to the next in order to stabilize our blood and brain chemistry. Apparently there is more to healing a sugar addiction than simply cutting out all sugars on day one.

There is a whole process for healing addictive behavior embedded in the steps. Healing addition is key. The change of food heals your biochemistry and the process heals your behavior (Potatoes, Not Prozac, p. 94).

I am not going to attempt to explain each step in a single post; that would take too long! I'd like to summarize them as I work through them. Yep, I've decided to give this program a try. It looks sensible, the foods are healthy, and the recommendations don't appear off the wall. (Although I am curious about that potato before bed recommendation!)

I also like that there are no specific menus I have to follow. The beauty of this program is that I can choose what I want to eat and how much. If I want turkey instead of eggs as my protein, so be it. If I want whole wheat bread instead of oats, that's cool too. I think having the freedom to choose what to eat also helps with learning new and healthier behaviors and making them long lasting habits.

In the next "Adventures in Healing Sugar Addiction," I'll talk about step 1, breakfast.

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