Is there such a thing? I believe that we can become, as human beings, addicted to anything. Whether it's psychological or physical or a combination, I'm unsure of the physiological aspects of it. I do know that I hear a lot of people say they have a sugar addiction so if they are identifying with that and it's true for them I will not argue that. The problem occurs when we use the "addiction" as a reason that we must continue on the same destructive path. People often beat addictions, I've known many recovering and sober alcholics and people also overcome drug addictions,even the worse ones like crack cocaine. Easy, no, possible, absolutely.

And on a personal level I do understand is that addiction can be overcome. I know I can overcome addiction because I have in the past. I've given up smoking. I've also in recent months found the motivation to quit artificial sweeteners which was difficult in lieu of my relationship with diet pop. But it's gone and I very much doubt that I will ever taste aspartame or splenda again.

For all of the things I have given up I've been able to find compelling overwhelming reasons, health reasons, to do so. In the past I have a lot of trouble reconciling that sugar has to be banished from life and I also have trouble reconciling that I will never get to have a cookie or cake or anything like that without experiencing extreme deprivation emotions. Is this addiction?

More recently, I am starting to encounter some compelling reasons to drastically reduce the amount of refined white sugar I'm consuming. A new book called "Skinny Bitch" has fascinating and compelling arguments for a very clean, very low-sugar diet and I have trouble not agreeing with everything written in the book about keeping sugar intake below 15g per day. Where my trouble begins is in actually doing it.

But I've decided that I do need to drastically reduce the amount of refined sugar I consume. One day at a time, starting today, I'm removing it from my diet completely. I no longer crave cigarettes because I gave them up, one day at a time, I no longer crave diet pop, because I gave it up in a similar fashion. Is it possible that I can give up refined sugar and eventually get to this same place without the feelings of deprivation I think I'll experience? I think the answer is yes.

I will never know until I try though. I will retain honey in my diet for now. Natural unrefined, raw honey in small amounts. I will also eat fruit, again, natural source sugar.

So one day at a time I'm going to remove the sugar. I'll keep you apprised of the journey. I'll be honest and straightforward. I'll rant and rave to you as I go through the withdrawal, but I hope you bear with me until I get to the point where it's no longer a battle but a way of life. And if you choose, I welcome you to join me in this journey.

Affirmation: I no longer need processed sugar in my life. My body deserves the best and most natural forms of food I can give it and the gift I give it today is optimum health through natural unrefined forms of sugar.


Namaste`