In 2009, Brad and I spent Christmas in Tokyo, Japan. It was scary being that far away from everything I knew and connected with Christmas. When our break began (at the time, Brad and I were both teachers at an International school in Tokyo), I wasn't convinced that I would be at all happy with the experience in the end. How could I be without the comforts of home and the familiar faces of my family surrounding me? Fortunately, after discovering some beautiful illuminations around the city and spending some time getting to know the city we had called home for over a year, I started to find the beauty of the season in the place I least expected.
Change is hard. It's painful at times, but if you are willing to wait it out and make the choice to find the good, change can surprise you. That Christmas across the pond was a wonderful one, despite my initial resistance, and it gave me some of the best memories I have of living in Japan.
I've been thinking a lot about change lately. After finishing the first few days of Jacqueline Smith's Go Sugar Free course, I have realized that making a healthy change in the way we eat and live takes just as much adjustment as anything else; perhaps more. With some time and a willingness to change the way you think, whatever it is you are changing can go from difficult to manageable to normal.
I wanted to share this post in case any of you are on the fence about joining Go Sugar Free with Jacqueline Smith. There's still time to register through today and if you are looking to let go of the afternoon sugar cravings that transition to exhaustion, irritation, and stress, I urge you to sign up. If you aren't ready to make the commitment just yet, there will be other courses and you can always decide later.
Some of you have told me that you are scared of letting go of sugar. This might mean that the GSF course is exactly what you need. To clarify, this doesn't mean all sweet-tasting foods are off limits. It simply means learning to control your sugar cravings by cutting out added sugar (sugars that don't naturally occur in the foods we make or eat). It's a way to train your body to crave what it naturally needs and to help you control the amount of sugar you ingest once the course is finished. And the best part is that you can tailor the course to fit your needs. Jacqueline isn't a drill sergeant. She gives you the level of support that works best for you.
If there's one thing I've learned from my own personal experiences and watching others, it's that the only way to change is to take action. It's hard and scary at first but more than worth it in the end.
Feel free to contact me with any questions! There are still a few hours left to make a change.