I'm still eating some processed food....

[Shirelle]

I'm really struggling with getting away from certain things.

I drink 2-3 cups of pressed coffee every morning. White sugar, pasteurized cream, not at all NT.

I still crave sugar a few times a day. It's not as bad as it used to be, but I always seem to get hungry at work and reach for a sugary, processed snack. It actually seemed to get worse when I added CO to my diet.

My meals are usually NT, it's my in-betweens that are a problem. Some days it just seems impossible to get off the processed food---it's EVERYWHERE! Making NT foods takes time and planning, so if I get hungry and am away from home, I usually have no willpower to say no to processed food.

Anyone else having this struggle? How do you break the addiction?

[Nikki98]

I understand what you are going thru. I do still drink a little coffee, and especially since being new to NT, my family is not hopping aboard the NT train to quickly. We still have canola oil in the pantry. I use Heinz ketcup . And my dh always goes to this little Asian store and purchases things I know have MSG in them. So yeah we are struggling to. But even doing NT up to this point, I feel better. One thing that has really helped my sugar cravings is the kefir smoothies with co. If I want something sweet I drink one of those. Also I use to love soda, but now instead I get a someting called True Lemon (real lemon powder) add it to a bottle of water with some agave nectar (it quinches my thirst). Dried fruit and nuts are also a good snack. Hang in there, change occurs little by little.

[tboroson]

I can empathize. Like you, my meals are *great*. It's in between the meals that I start to break down.

I say, as I sit here eating Ben & Jerry's... Hey, I just got home from my g'ma's viewing, I'm not ashamed of my binge tonight :

[Shirelle]

I say, as I sit here eating Ben & Jerry's... Hey, I just got home from my g'ma's viewing, I'm not ashamed of my binge tonight

Oh, I'm so sorry! You definitely had a right to that B&J's :

[newcastlemama]

Originally Posted by Shirelle

Anyone else having this struggle? How do you break the addiction?

Having easy snacks with me helps a lot. Nuts, fruits, hardboiled eggs ect. I try and eat before leaving the house but I just got a small cooler so I can bring food for me and ds on errands and such (Errands take a long time because I live so far away from everything. I also can't have gluten so it makes it easier that I generally cannot eat packed foods)

I think also that you just do the best you can. It seems this world is out to make us unhealthy so just keep moving in the right direction. I need to eat a lot of fat and protein to kep the sugar cravings down. If you do crave it try and eat something made with raw honey or maple syrup. It is great that your meals are NT. That is huge in terms of health so don't be too hard on yourself!

[Tcarwyn]

Three things that have really helped me with this: being prepared, being truely well nourished and replacing foods, not ( or before) removing them.

Make sure you have plenty of snacks around
Make sure you dont have any nutritional deficiencies ( take a supplement for a few months if you have to) They can make you crave anything...while all you really need is some magnesium, or zinc...
Replace typical snacks foods: organic tea for coffee, or dandelion coffee, homemade lacto fermented sodas for coke (I am drinking my first batch of home made ginger ale and it is FANTASTIC!0

And then, when you do fall off the wagon ( can you say Halloween?...I definately snuck a few candies...sigh) dont beat yous rself up too much "It is not what you eat on sunday, it is what you eat the rest of the week"

Hope that maybe helps a little?

Tanya

[Leilalu]

I personally don't beat myself up too much over it, though I do at times

I still have a cup of coffee in the morning.

My vice is to just not buy things I don't want to eat. I do make my own cookies(usully-save for the rare trader joes oreo buy)
I still eat some sweets. but I rarely eat anything I would classify as sheer junk. . I have never even had a twinkie in my life


drink lots of water. Limit coffee to one cup(gradually). I have noticed that coffee can make me deficient in large quantities. I usually go off coffee every few months as well, to rest a bit.
Not having enough b vitamins and zinc can lead to a poor appetite. I have noticed soemthing about the way hardcore coffee drinkers eat versus the way tea drinkers eat. Vastly different! So if I have more than a cup a day, I know I am in trouble.

[Brookesmom]

It's hard- I know I break down when I'm starving and nothing "easy" is ready in the fridge to quench my hunger. That's when I grab the chips. I really need to keep those out of the house period. It's so hard when you're out and starving to find NT foods. Bringing snacks is a really sensible idea.

Tanya, I would love to hear your tips and tricks for the ginger ale. Yum. Did you use the NT recipe? I've been drinking water kefir mixed with sparkling water in place of soda but out at restaurants I find it hard to resist a Coke.

-Kelly

Originally Posted by Tcarwyn

(I am drinking my first batch of home made ginger ale and it is FANTASTIC!

[cobluegirl]

Originally Posted by Leilalu

I have noticed soemthing about the way hardcore coffee drinkers eat versus the way tea drinkers eat. Vastly different! So if I have more than a cup a day, I know I am in trouble.

What would you say the difference is? my vice is coffee..I had cut way back but then the weather got cold...I need to cut back again. I love it. If I am upset, I want coffee, If I feel good, I want coffee, If I want to celebrate, I want coffee..etc..lol (just cream no sugar)
I personally find that eating in general is difficult. I just don't want too..till I get sicky feeling because I need to eat something..

[Tcarwyn]

My ginger ale is really just made with water kefir. 1/2 rapadura, 1/2 organic sugar in the raw, some lemon juice nad tons of fresh ginger slices. Sooo, yum ( going to get another bottle)

Tanya

[Brookesmom]

I have have water grains-- I'm going to try that- thanks!

Originally Posted by Tcarwyn

My ginger ale is really just made with water kefir. 1/2 rapadura, 1/2 organic sugar in the raw, some lemon juice nad tons of fresh ginger slices. Sooo, yum ( going to get another bottle)

Tanya

[Leilalu]

Originally Posted by cobluegirl

What would you say the difference is? my vice is coffee..I had cut way back but then the weather got cold...I need to cut back again. I love it. If I am upset, I want coffee, If I feel good, I want coffee, If I want to celebrate, I want coffee..etc..lol (just cream no sugar)
I personally find that eating in general is difficult. I just don't want too..till I get sicky feeling because I need to eat something..

Well, for starters, too much coffee can lead to deficiences of vitamin b and zinc, zinc being one of the vitamins that controls appetite.

I have heard they give zinc to anorexics to make them feel hungry and get them eating again. I too have noticed a decrease in appetite at times when I drank a lot of coffee.
If you have enough zinc you should usually have a helahty appetite.
i just have mode observations in the way most people eat at certain coffee and tea shops , over the years. I have noticed a tendancy towards sugary foods and cigarrettes amongst heavy coffee drinkers(not all, just an observation as i people watch)- whereas the tea drinkers usually opt for something more nutritionally dense.

I know it is just a generalization, but I think there is actually a connection with deficiencies and appetite.

[cobluegirl]

hehe...well at least I am not making it up. I really..could go half the day on my coffee w/cream before I remember that I need to eat breakfast..one reason why my metabolism isn't working correctly....lol

[zoebird]

my too. it's no big deal, really. it's not about being a purist.

[Leilalu]

Originally Posted by cobluegirl

hehe...well at least I am not making it up. I really..could go half the day on my coffee w/cream before I remember that I need to eat breakfast..one reason why my metabolism isn't working correctly....lol

No, I get the same way, seriously. Which is why I can only have a cup.
It just seems that if I am eating a variety of foods, and getting enough fruits and veggies, that I continually crave healthy things. I get in trouble when I start replacing snacks with chocolate, or other vices, instead of something nourishing.: