sugar rut smoothie

Maybe what sparked my confession earlier this week was just the overall yeuch feeling I've been carrying around. I feel sugared-out, processed-food-out, and dare I say it, carbed-out. I just haven't been eating enough fresh food and my body has been actually craving fruits and veggies. weird.

So yesterday, I shunned the lone pop tart in my cupboard and took the extra time to actually make myself a breakfast. It was simple, fresh, and delicious. Orange Juice, a handful of frozen fruit (strawberries, mangos, pineapples), a handful of spinach (trust me, you don't even taste the spinach), a quick spin in my vitamix, a fun straw, and BOOM, healthy breakfast. My morning commute felt so much better. It perked me up, kept me full longer, and get this- I didn't crave sweets later in the day as per usual. I remember reading once upon a time that foregoing sugar in the morning helps with sugar cravings later in the day, but I don't remember the science behind it. I think it must be something beyond simple carbohydrate crashing... maybe it's psychological or maybe by starting healthy you are reminding yourself how good that feels and tastes.

What kind of things do you do to get out of a sugar rut? I'm considering cutting out artificial sugar because it tricks your mind into thinking you are getting sugar, but since your body doesn't- it actually makes you continue to crave real sugar. "The taste of sweet does cause the release of insulin, which lowers blood sugar , and if carbohydrates are not consumed,  it causes a drop in blood sugar which triggers hunger and cravings for sugar." full interview with internist and physician nutrition specialist, Dr. Melina Jampolis available at http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2012/04/27/are-sugar-substitutes-worse-than-the-real-thing/

... but more on that, and my comparison between sin and processed foods, another day.