Baby Steps to Sugar-free Running and Mothering!



My friend Teresa -middle- introduced me to The Body Ecology Diet and will be running with me in Columbus on Sunday for the 1/2.

 As a long-distance runner and full-time mother, I am always on the watch for foods that provide health and endurance. There are plenty available, but there is one set of "foods" that will drain and damage our bodies quickly when eaten in excess - sugars. I am the first to admit that moderation is difficult, o.k. close to impossible for me when it comes to sugar. I'm a recovering addict. Excess is the the norm I suspect in our culture as well.

Baby steps to sugar-free running (and living!)

1. Read labels on everything. Even toothpaste!
There are so many names for sugar, that manufacturers sneak it in everywhere. My kids are the ingredient police. Once I told them about reading labels, they will never let me put something in the cart without reading first. So convicting! Here's a list:
Barely malt
brown sugar
corn syrup (high fructose and otherwise)
granulated or powdered sugar
date sugar
dextrose
fructose
glucose
maple syrup
mannitol
molasses
monosaccharides
sorbital
sucralose
turbinodo sugar
xylitol
honey
organic agave syrup
organic cane sugar
organic molasses
rice syrup

2. Consider them poison in excess because they will disrupt the multiple systems of your body.
The Body Ecology Diet explains the excess of sugar feeds yeast called candida which can cause many parts of the body to become diseased. www.bodyecology.com has a great health quiz and info on this topic.

3.Be aware of combined amounts throughout the day.
As we have become aware we just naturally ate less. Then, I became so ill I had to go cold turkey.  I will never go back.  The one exception that I do make is for training. I use GU energy gel which I have been able to use without ill impact. It has vitamin C with the maltodextrin and the combination seems to do well. It is only for long runs and I am extra sure not to have any other form of sugar.

As runners, we often think we can eat whatever we want. Or, as mothers, we think we should have a sweet treat to get us through the day. Both of these are a lie that I have told myself. They are both wrong. Healthy food and prayer and slowing down will provide more balance than a candy bar or cookie. Those sugar-filled things will leave us sick and broken down; ask me how I know!

What baby steps have you taken toward more healthy eating, running, and mothering?