The Reluctant Naturalist: No more sugar? REALLY??

No more sugar? Really?!?

 Did you catch the 1st installment of Erin’s journey?  Click here to read about her difficult food allergy and the start of her recovery, and you will also get the recipe for her first allergen-free meal.

 It has been eleven days since I started on this crazy journey, and yesterday I about lost my mind.

 I gave up sugar… ALL sugar.

 Not just the icky unnatural kind, but honey and agave and coconut sugar. No home-dehydrated fruit leathers – heck, no fruit in general.

 I may go crazy. I think I am already there now.

Last night I scared my husband. I was on sugar let down. Sure, I stopped the obvious sugars 10 days ago (a feat in itself) but today was different. Today was coffee free (I do frou-frou drinks normally). Today was filled with veggies! Today I was jittery and talked too fast about nonsensical things.

 Who wants a carrot for dessert? Me please!!!

 AHHH!!!

 I thought I had hit the ‘I’ll do anything to get rid of my evil yeast,” button in my life already, but apparently the moment was now. The sugar free gauntlet was thrown.

This isn’t even a doctor’s recommendation (A clue that I have reached clear desperation).

I am now following any and all advice available in my natural remedies encyclopedia book, random people found at the fair grounds and my lifelong friends’ ideas that worked for them (but are weird).

So, yeast feeds on yeast (duh) and uses it to grow more yeast (eww). It also grows like an evil gross wildfire when able to eat sugar. Yesterday was the day that I refused to give in to its fertility frenzy. And I nearly lost my mind.

Today, I woke up and one of my yeast issues was gone! It had been slowly getting better, but was wiped away by its lack of food source! So today I went sugar free again. This time I tried to drink my espresso shots with just milk (gag, gag, yuck) and by the time I drank most of it, the gross-o-meter in my mind was only at a seven out of ten (ten being an all time horrific taste). Of course, the first sip of the concoction registered at a 13 so I really don’t know what to think of it yet.

Is this how life is? When forced to try new things you start to tolerate them out of desperation and then start to like them over time because you don’t know any better? I am not sure if this concept inspires me or depresses me.  Me, who has NEVER tried ketchup on my French fries – not ever (of course, the french fry ketchup thing isn’t relevant anymore – darn tater).

But still, I refuse to give up all sugar permanently. I need sweet sometimes!

Even so, this infection will DIE come hell or high water!

Or maybe it isn’t the lack of sugar that is causing this vent, but the 2 1/2 hour prep for natural – can free – spaghetti sauce (Peeling 5 lbs. of roma tomatoes is no laughing matter).

Read: Don’t Throw Those Away:Delicious Tomato Soup from Peels

The funny thing is that the website I got the recipe from says they are here to help me “provide nutritious food and a healthy lifestyle for (my) family and (I) can do it without any more time or stress.” Clearly she has never timed herself opening a jar of Ragu and dumping it into a pot.

 This is just too much information for one sugar deprived momma!

 I suppose I should take this one-day at a time. But, who wants to go that slow?

 At least I know that there is someone that is dealing with a little bit of crazy just like me and I can whine about my lack of yummy chocolate and hear the inspired words, “Been there; it’s awful. But, it’s totally worth it.”

–Erin

The Reluctant Naturalist

Erin met Chaya and Wilson over ten years ago when Chaya won tickets to the Passion of the Christ and invited Erin and her husband. This was not the best ‘couple’s date night movie,’ and everyone opted out of ice cream to go home and be depressed instead.  However they’ve been friends ever since. She is secretly trying to devise a love potion so that at least one of her children will marry a kiddo of Chaya’s. They say friends are the family one chooses for themselves, but Erin would feel better if there was a way to mix in a few grandchildren somewhere down the line – just in case.

(Picture: Chaya & Erin, very large and very hungry)

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Nothing in this blog constitutes medical or legal advice.  You should consult your own physician before making any dietary changes.  Statements in this blog may or may not be congruent with current USDA or FDA guidance.