WHOA partner! Let me stop you right there!😂 EVERY SINGLE MONTH I have an ACCELERATOR client announce to their group they have, in fact, found THE holy grail of FOOD PRODUCTS and ingeniously figured out HOW to make this whole process EASIER for everyone😂. They MAGICALLY found the one product (or line of products😲) that forces no compromises, feels like you are giving up nothing, and STILL gets the results (really🤔, really 🤨, really😕). This most often produces the "SQUIRREL!" effect of stealing everyone's attention in the WRONG direction temporarily! It also leads to the copycat effect of EVERYONE now searching ALL stores for ALL the CRAP! 🤦♀️
My eyes are literally rolling down the street (🙄) EVERY MONTH with the "here we go again" feeling. This VERY PREDICTABLE pattern occurs the very moment people begin to emerge from sugar withdrawal with MORE ENERGY. Thanks to the quick HUNGER CONTROL found in a matter of days on ACCELERATOR, they can FINALLY JUMP OFF the CARB ADDICTION ROLLER COASTER they were LOCKED INTO and immediately experience more FREE TIME for searching! But instead of MOVING STRAIGHT FORWARD into enjoying healthier food options, many people DIVERGE in search of SUBSTITUTES (really this is just your brain trying to maintain it's steady state control)! One by one, my excited ACCELERATORS proceed down one of many dead end trails created by food manufacturers filling that NEEEEEEEED for sweet. Commence the investigating of ALL possible avenues from keto chips to keto ice-cream. More time and money wasted (well.... kinda😬😕)!
This is what I refer to as BUILDING BRIDGES with the use of BRIDGE PRODUCTS which are NOT REALLY BETTER (possibly worse) in terms of health. The one positive is this: they DO at least help you break away from old ingrained habits in a step down kind of fashion. In the medical world, it's kind of like switching you from heroin to methadone... YES, better! But in the end, I want you off BOTH! And for good reason! These PRODUCTS are NOT a safe haven to just collapse into and some of the NEWEST SCIENCE is providing proof (please keep reading below!!!)
In week one of ACCELERATOR we FOCUS on getting rid of the EXCESS CARBS! This leaves us with an EMPTY VOID of not being able to satisfy that sweet tooth we have been working on building for years!! Of course, the BEST SWEETS are the natural ones (fruits, vegetables, dairy, seeds, nuts, legumes, etc), but often we have become accustomed to SUPER SWEET and these natural sweets just don't seem to cut it in week 2! Although, it really doesn't take long at all for those taste buds to adapt VERY quickly. Most people just CAN'T WAIT to fill that SUPER SWEET VOID!
Not to worry! Food Manufacturers have been MORE THAN HAPPY TO FILL THAT VOID FOR YOU for over 75 years since the invention of ALTERNATIVE SWEETNERS!! I'm sure MANY of you have been hiding behind the diet soda and little pink, yellow, and blue packets for years!! How's that going for ya?? Are you all SUPER SKINNY and HEALTHY because you drink the DIET coke??? Believe me! I get you!! But recognize! These things KILL YOUR TASTE BUDS and desire for ANYTHING ELSE. Admit it! Once you start that diet coke habit,,, you would probably give up EVERYTHING in your diet if you could just hang on to that diet coke!
It took us over 50 years to recognize the original sugar alternatives were NOT REALLY HELPING US!! But LOOK OUT FRIENDS!! Now there's a whole new and improved GENERATION of alternatives out there on the market... enter SUGAR ALCOHOLS!
MANUFACTURERS and grocery store owners are now tripping over themselves to line their shelves with LOW CARB and KETO everything! WHY? because YOU are demanding and buying things labeled as NO CARB! Hmmmm..... haven't we already labeled these as trickery meant to just make them money??? This stuff is not in the OUTER AISLES with our REAL FOOD.
The newest "keto" products are NO BETTER than any other "diet" labeled food of the past and similarly, will NOT help you move forward in creating a better diet or better health. At BEST, these may help you in providing THAT BRIDGE to better options by taking you away from your old sweet favorites and habits. You WILL, however, just create a NEW ADDICTION to get rid of!
This stuff is truly tempting, especially during that first go round of sugar withdrawal! I know the feeling because I'VE BEEN THERE! I've been just as beat up and pushed around by my own addiction to sugar and I have tried ALL THE CRAP. I'm certainly NOT going to CHASTISE you for trying new directions. Of course, this stuff will chew up your efforts and spit you out back at the start! I will likely try to say SOMETHING to warn you during the program..... but sometimes, unfortunately, we NEED to learn these lessons for ourselves. I know from experience that each and every time, it's the same result with these products: I have a BRAND NEW addiction to work on getting rid of AND I have done NOTHING to push myself forward, but rather ENSURED a frustrating plateau or worse-- LOSS OF PROGRESS!
Here's a secret we discuss in ACCELERATOR and talk about in every EHFix program: MAGIC WEIGHT LOSS FOODS DO NOT EXIST!! MOST particularly, no magic will be found among the manufactured KETO crap. Here's a simple and effective way to RID YOURSELF OF THESE OPTIONS: instead of focusing on NET CARBS as the OK carbs to eat, focus instead on TOTAL CARBS! This will STOP you from IGNORING those sugar alcohols and limit carbs MORE OVERALL!
Another factor to consider: we haven't even talked about the SAFETY of any sugar alternative, Those pretty little packets from the 1980's have long been associated with risk of cancer, heart attack, and stroke. There has been no definite proof of their long term safety or effects :
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/artificial-sweeteners/art-20046936#:~:text=In%20general%2C%20artificial%20sweeteners%20are,lead%20to%20serious%20health%20problems.
Thankfully, as a society, some of us have grown more skeptical about what EXACTLY gets thrown into our food and drink! When a new kid on the block (sugar alcohols) starts showing up and creating ADDICTION everywhere, the spidey senses should go up!!! 🤨
In a recent study of high risk individuals with poor health and poor health outcomes, it was noted that those with the HIGHEST LEVELs of SUGAR ALCOHOL (a substance naturally created in the body) in their blood were most likely to form STICKY CLOTS leading to embolism, heart attack, and stroke. Here's the link to that study:
https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/27/health/zero-calorie-sweetener-heart-attack-stroke-wellness/index.html
More studies are needed... we don't know if THESE people NATURALLY or artificially had higher amounts of sugar alcohol in their blood, but it seems wise for now to not consume a ton of this crap, until we know more. Small amounts are still considered safe, but if you are using erythritol or stevia everyday to continue sweetening up your life, you need to recognize... the long term goal of a low carb diet is to LIMIT YOUR NEED FOR EXTREME SWEETNESS!!
If you don't feel like you can commit to just ERASING sweet from your diet, you are NOT ALONE! I have had only 1-2 clients among hundreds that had that much will power! To search for sweets is built into HUMAN survival. Understand this: you don't have to do it all at once!! JUMPSTART was born out of CUSTOMER DEMAND to see and feel QUICK results. But you can take as much time as you like slowly making swaps to reduce the amount of sugar you consume. The long term end result is exactly the same!
We ALL feel the need for something SWEET every now and then. This happens so much more toward the start of your journey, especially during the first 6 months. Recognize, you ALWAYS have options:
(1) Take a cheat day and include all the off limit sweets you desire! This typically makes a new healthy eater feel like CRAP the day after. Much like a hangover, it provides a great reminder of what you are working to change! Big cheat days actually help reinforce the notion that THESE FOODS DO DAMAGE! They also serve as a pressure release valve for you mentally. You don't have to face living the rest of your life without nachos and pizza, but over time you may feel you WANT to more and more. Simply decide: is it worth it? Then go all in.
(2) Allow yourself just a small bite of whatever it is you crave occasionally or even daily. Can you eat a tiny piece of prewrapped dark chocolate at the end of a nourishing day and be satisfied? Maybe make this a new wrung on your ladder toward success. Not all people can do this, but some can. You can change how this wrung looks over time and continue to make small improvements.
(3) Ready-made keto treats make cheating TOO EASY and ACCESSIBLE. Learn to make a few keto treats from scratch and have CONTROL over how much sweetness you add. You will find examples in Dr. Erin's EHFix Low Carb Cookbooks sold on Amazon. Typically, these are simple and easy to make with very few ingredients, but the SMALL HURDLE of having to make them yourself will keep you from doing it too often. Make this more of a challenge by NOT keeping a stockpile of the necessary ingredients. Having to go to the store creates ANOTHER hurdle!
(4)Natural sweets are the BEST option for your healthy life. Enjoying a slice of orange at the end of your meal or adding some berries to your Greek yogurt are two great ways to add healthy sweetness. Over time, FRUITS become your SUPER SWEET occasional splurge and it's your tomatoes or roasted peppers providing all the everyday sweetness you need!🤓 Of course, THIS WELCOME CHANGE takes a long time to develop and may never occur if you continue adding SUPER SWEET SUGARY OPTIONS into your day🙃!
Keep working to improve your choices week after week. Our taste buds are NOT the only things that change quickly along the way. Your own self identity and your confidence with creating a newer, healthier lifestyle is EVOLVING everyday when you INVITE THAT CHANGE! Choosing super sweet substitutes is just a way of RESISTING CHANGE!
If you want to change yourself for the better, STOP CHOOSING MORE OF THE SAME!
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