Sugar

I've been thinking about trying to live without sugar for a year.

It would be something that on paper I literally CAN do.

So why not? Why not try to do something that would be difficult for me that is not going to cost a weekly membership (money) or any large amount of extra time (both of which I am constantly running low on), but would most likely be so rewarding to my health?

Thoughts have come into my head that are discouraging me from it- like, can I REALLY live without chocolate? Or, can I really stop eating so many granola bars? (< but they're healthy!)

I tried to get outside of my head and look large scale....

Yes.

I don't NEED sugar. I don't NEED chocolate.

I am addicted. When I am in a stressful situation I look to food for a relief. The other day I locked the kids in the van. Once I got them out, in bed for naps, and had a moment to take a breath, I realized I had eaten half a bar of chocolate during that whole ordeal. Like half of one of those huge bars that you buy for your family to share for a week.

I started looking into a plan today. I think I'm convincing myself that I should do it, but I want to have some boundaries lined up. I know sugar wears multiple masks, but I feel uneducated on what is actually ok. Do I cut out fruit juice? Even from my juicer? Do I cut out honey? What do I do when I'm invited to someone's house for dinner that is making spaghetti?

So here are some things I would like to start researching:

• What are the affects of sucrose, fructose, and glucose on my body? 
• Would using a glucometer be helpful in determining what foods are ok for my body? (I'm thinking specifically with fruit). 
• What about alcohol? Kombucha? 
• How could I include our boys in this, and would it at all be harmful to them to eliminate any of these sweeteners?