Stepping Down Gradually

I wanted to take a few minutes and share my stepping down strategy. I really think that if you choose to change too much at once, then you're just setting yourself up to fail. I think this is why most major diet plans backfire after the first few weeks. Too many changes at once.

Almost two years ago Steven was diagnosed with hypertension. It was a rough time, and really threw us for a loop. He was only 37 years old, we weren't expecting something like that. It obviously altered how he ate, and consequently how I cook. He had to go low salt. At first it seemed extreme. We went from using salt on everything, and then often shaking more on at the table, to cooking with none at all. Our tastebuds  revolted, and so did our bodies. Eventually, after talking more with his doctor, and doing some research online, we figured out a happy medium. Still low sodium, but not no sodium. I still cook with relatively low salt. I buy low or no salt added canned tomatoes and beans, low salt crackers and chips. When we go out to restaurants, it's almost impossible to find low salt food. Restaurants usually have obscene sodium levels. Steven usually ends up with a steak, and asks for no or low salt added to it.   After two years, it's become habit for us, and our taste buds have adjusted. Now when I order out, most of the food tastes extremely salty, sometimes to the point that I can't finish it.

I want to treat sugar the same way. I know we're going all gung ho right now, but I'm hoping that soon, it will become habit. We won't automatically reach for the sweets, for the processed or restaurant prepared foods loaded with sugars. So we're stepping it down. Focusing solely on sugar, in all its forms.  When I've told people about this over the past week or so, I consistently get asked about things like white bread, potatoes, white rice, all those starchy foods. My answer for them is, not right now. Maybe in a year or so, when no or very low sugar is completely second nature to us, then maybe we'll tackle those foods. Or maybe we'll wean completely off of prepared foods, because let's face it, I'm scrounging everywhere for no sugar prepared foods. Life is busy, sometimes they save us.

So for right now, we're stepping it down. No sugar. Still low salt. Other than that, we'll just eat as we please. Baby steps.