I have fallen madly in love.
Seven times last week.
My new group.
Every woman.
Love them to death.
So honoured that they are open to hope.
So awed that they are trusting me to guide them to a different way.
We had a fascinating conversation in my front hallway on Sunday.
We’d just finished a sparkling zumba class with the unbeatable Marda Sperber, followed by an hour of laughing about the lies we tell ourselves
about why we weigh the number we weigh and why we ate what we just ate.
Someone asked about sweeteners.
Seven women, seven different opinions on the best sweetener for your health and weight.
Actually, eight.
One woman had two conflicting opinions!
Her nutritionist told her that Splenda originates from sugar and is therefore the best.
But her doctor told her that stevia is superior.
Then someone said too much stevia can tax your spleen.
And that agave, which someone thought was the new wonder sweetener, must be avoided because it turns to fructose.
Me, I was prancing around holding my bag of Sucanat, and restraining myself from sticking my tongue right inside, I am so in love with it.
And bragging about how it’s simply dehydrated cane juice, complete with all the minerals and vitamins found in sugar cane.
We laughed about how we go to parties and everyone is pigging out on dessert, at the same time as passing around the aspartame to sweeten their coffees.
Confused?
Good.
I think all of those opinions have their basis in science.
All have been proven.
So could this: a teaspoon of sugar contains less than 20 calories.
Believe me, the sugar in your tea is not making you fat.
So how do you decide?
Here’s how: same way you decide about everything you put in your mouth.
How does your body feel when you eat it?
I used to be an obsessive follower of natural products,
and I remember rushing to buy agave syrup when it was touted as the answer to all our sweetener prayers.
I also remember that it never felt good inside my body, and I eventually threw it out.
Later, when I read that it’s not so good for us, I was so proud of my body for letting me know this, and relieved that I no longer had to read every natural health publication to find out how to keep myself healthy.
Sucanat, on the other hand, tastes like a perfect, caramelly sweetener, and it feels very cozy in my body.
Sounds crazy I know, but it really does.
My daughter refuses to use it.
And that’s fine, she’s a teen after all, and it’s developmentally appropriate for her to reject her mommy’s stuff.
What if you could just take yourself off the whole argument?
What if it really didn’t matter which sweetener you use? or whether you use any at all?
I know many severely overweight people who don’t sweeten their drinks.
And many skinny people who do.
What if you bypass the stress that all this worrying about food is causing you?
What if you trust the messages your body gives you after you’ve used a sweetener, or any other food, to decide?
What if you knew best?
You truly do.
You just have to listen. Who are you listening to? Your nutritionist? Dr. Oz? Or you?
The best way to hear your body’s messages about what serves you is to detoxify regularly. Every time I cleanse I emerge changed – sometimes subtly and other times more dramatically. Always closer to clarity. I’m starting my spring cleanse this Sunday and I’m teaching a brave group how to do it with me. I’d really love you to be one of them! Time’s running out – we start this Sunday @ 9p.m. EST and there won’t be another one until fall.