It seems the height of craziness that we spend so much time and effort before the holidays thinking about, talking about, and actually making sugar-loaded desserts and treats, only to need to detox from this stuff, after the holidays.

But most of us do it. Just about everyone I know is involved in some kind of diet cleanse and attempting to drop the weight they gained from their holiday indulgences. So if you’re on this wagon as well, then here’s some help to reach your health goals that you might appreciate.

First, validation for your decision to give up sugar. Health and diet researcher, Virginia Goldschmidt, author of the website, “Save Our Bones” (www.savourbones.com), explains in her book, Stop the Bone Thieves, that refined white sugar damages health from head to toe, negatively affecting the brain, the digestive, endocrine, cardiovascular, and immune systems, and even your skin (sugar facilitates eczema). Sugar also causes water retention, kidney stones, and liver disease. And it damages your pancreas, which gets exhausted as it has to put out so much insulin in response to the sweet onslaught. And we haven’t even talked about its role in tooth decay!

There just doesn’t seem to be a body system that is not affected by sugar. Dr. Nancy Appleton, author of the Bible on the subject, Lick the Sugar Habit, agrees. Take a look at her outline of the dangers of consuming sugar (those found in refined foods such as cookies, cakes, pies, ice cream, puddings, muffins, donuts and other pastries, and so on—NOT those found naturally in fruit, etc.), and see if there’s anything here you might be dealing with. High sugar consumption:

1. Feeds candida and nail fungus

2. Promotes wrinkling and aging skin

3. Creates a friendly environment for diseases because it makes your blood acidic

4. Leads to osteoporosis

5. Rots your teeth

6. Raises your blood sugar level

7. Contributes to obesity

8. Is addictive (almost as much as drugs)

9. Can create the urge to binge

10. Provides 'empty calories' with no nutritional value

11. Contributes to diabetes

12. Robs your body of minerals

13. Robs you of energy

14. Contributes to heart problems

15. Facilitates growth of, and even causes cancer

16. Contributes to ulcers

17. Can cause gallstones

18. Contributes to adrenal fatigue

19. Suppresses your immune system

20. Weakens eyesight

21. Sugar can cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar levels)

22. Causes accelerated aging

23. Contributes to eczema

24. Facilitates development of arthritis

So if you do relate to any of this, here’s the help I mentioned above. I found it on a great website, Sugar Free Mom (www.sugarfreemom.com). The mom, Brenda, is on a mission to reduce and eliminate added, processed sugars from her family’s diet. She focuses on using natural sugars and sugar free substitutes to create healthier versions of popular and beloved recipes.

But sugar-free is not all. She can help you with carb addictions; grain, nut, and dairy issues. Pictured is her low-carb avocado toast (delicious). Brenda also provides super recipes for 30-minutes meals, slow cooker meals, pressure cooker meals, and no-bakes.

I’m not related to her, never met her, and have no reason to promote her information, other than her recipes are good and they’ve helped me get on the sugar-free wagon and stay there. So if you’d like to launch into 2018 sugar-free and thus experience better health, here’s one of her recipes to get you started (it’s more of a pudding than a true cake).

And you have my prayers and hope for success—this is not an easy quest, but a sugar-FREE 2018 is so worth the effort!

SUGAR-FREE LEMON MUG CAKE (serves 1)

1 egg

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon lemon flavored liquid stevia

2 tablespoons coconut flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

pinch salt

1. Whisk the egg, lemon juice, cream and stevia together in a small bowl.

2. Stir in the coconut flour, baking powder and salt.

3. Pour batter into a 7 ounce ramekin.

4. Microwave 1 minute to 30 seconds or until toothpick in center comes out clean

5. Top with whipped cream if desired!

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