A Long Story About my Sugar "Fast"

I have embarked on what I have decided to call a sugar fast.  In the last 2 months I have had three infections, two of which required antibiotics.  None of them were enjoyable experiences and the current infection ongoing - for pneumonia.  My body is working hard to kick the fluid out of my lungs and I am beginning to feel stronger.  I can't help but think getting better is in part due to my sugar fast.  If I go back to 6 months ago, there have been at least 6 health issues, not including colds or rashes (which I sometimes get and which persist for ages).  Getting really sick is unusual for me.  Being sick has made me realize that for most of my life I have been almost obnoxiously healthy.  So the turn of events has got me thinking fearful thoughts like, "Am I officially old then?"  "Is this bump on my nose cancer?" and "I miss my old belly button."  (Okay, that last one is more related to this.  But I digress.)


Searching for a solution, I did a little bit of research on how to boost my immunity and was surprised to find that sugar consumption can weaken the immune system.  Here is a really eye-opening article I found.  My eyebrows went up in particular over this:

We know that glucose and vitamin C have similar chemical structures, so what happens when the sugar levels go up? They compete for one another upon entering the cells. And the thing that mediates the entry of glucose into the cells is the same thing that mediates the entry of vitamin C into the cells. If there is more glucose around, there is going to be less vitamin C allowed into the cell. It doesn't take much: a blood sugar value of 120 reduces the phagocytic index by 75%. So when you eat sugar, think of your immune system slowing down to a crawl.

I am among the world's worst when it comes to eating sugar.  I regularly put a big spoonful of sugar in each of my too many cups of coffee.  I cannot pass the candy bowl at work without at least one piece.  At night, when we dole out meager portions of sweets to our kids I cannot help but think about my own consumption, and how amazing it is that they really only eat the sweets we give them.  I probably ate some Hostess cupcakes out of the vending machine, had some free danish for second breakfast, and then still wanted ice cream.  All this added up to a very painful awareness that I needed to cut back on sugar.  And hey!  I have now made it through 4 whole days without eating any white sugar or high fructose corn syrup.  And I am determined to make it through the whole rest of May.  


Let the sugar fast begin!  Want to join me?  It has not been bad so far, and you can still use real maple syrup, and maybe a little honey....


P.S. Blogger is for some reason causing irritating spacing in my posts.  Bear with me... one of these days I will figure it out.