Sugar Shock

Remember when you were a kid and you’d eat too many Pixy Stix – or whatever your poison was then – and get really hyper and energetic, running, jumping, climbing, your mom yelling not to knock over the lamp, and then…total shutdown.  Seemingly out of nowhere you were exhausted or cranky (probably both) and were either crashed out in front of the TV, picking a fight with your brother, or trying to score more sweets off your mom like the conniving little junkie you were.

The devil, now in powdered form!

We all know about the sugar crash.  We know the stuff is a drug, we know what it does to our bodies, and we know we feel better not eating it.  Aside from using a little honey to sweeten things when I bake, snacking on fruit, or indulging in a square or two of good dark chocolate, Brad and I have both been avoiding sugar for nearly a year now.  A couple of mornings I have a little orange juice with breakfast, because I just love it too much to give it up completely, but other than that I really only drink water – no sodas.  I don’t have caffeine very often anymore either – especially now that I’m pregnant.  On the weekends I might pour myself half a cup of coffee with heavy cream and stevia when Brad makes a pot for himself.  The result of these changes is that we rarely get irritated with each other anymore, and neither of us suffer from the mood swings, afternoon fatigue, headaches, and other ailments that used to plague us pre-Primal.  But I’m not revealing any groundbreaking new concept here.

So why am I telling you this?  Don’t worry, it’s about to become relevant.  I thought I’d share a little cautionary tale of my own.  Fast forward from sugar-fueled childhood to a sugar-free adult me last weekend…

Primal…and Pregnant! Oh, and Pizza.

Now that we’ve told all of our family and friends and have made it over that crucial first trimester hump, I decided it was time to reveal what’s been stealing so much of my energy and attention since November.  You might have noticed around then that I stopped posting so regularly.  Not that being pregnant in some way precluded me from writing.  And it’s not that I fell off the Primal bandwagon either – though I’m sorry to say, the combination of chilly weather, holiday treats galore, and an increased appetite have made the occasional slip-up inevitable.  My meals have stayed clean, but I’ll admit to indulging in the occasional cookie…or pastry…or whatever.  I think I’ll live.

Classic example of the "What the...?!!" face.

It’s more that this has been a huge distraction in my life for the past few months – constantly occupying my mind with such profound thoughts as “What the…?!!”, “Hey, I get to buy new clothes! And furniture! And redecorate!” and “Wait, I’m not old enough to be somebody’s mom! OK well, yeah, I’m old enough, but… What the…?!!?”  Just kidding.  A little bit.