Life Is Sweet Challenge

If you are a regular reader, you know that for some time now (okay, let's be honest, for years now) I've been waging a war against sugar.  I love it and I hate it and I love it again.  I quit it then I have a weak moment and I start the torrid affair all over again.

I'm so tired of this.

Here's the bottom line: sugar doesn't make me feel good.  And this blog is all about figuring out what does make me feel good; what makes me happy and healthy and everything in between.  So I don't think I should eat sugar.

It's not that simple, though.  Ask anyone who has ever quit anything, and they will most likely tell you it is incredibly difficult, unless they're in total denial or are otherwise deluded thanks to prescription drugs, a frontal lobotomy, memory loss, or any combination of the above.  I can't just turn off the mid-day cravings, the daily temptations, or the countless memories that are forever intertwined with that fine white powder.

What I can do is set goals, and start every day with a fresh, clean slate.  This time around, I'm going for a dash of altruism as well.  Because in the end, it feels better when you take care of yourself and help others at the same time.

On that note, I announce the beginning of my Life is Sweet Challenge.  For every day that I successfully avoid refined sugar, I will put one dollar into a special savings account.  On my birthday next year, I will take whatever amount I have saved up and donate it to charity.  This year's fundraiser will be for a great organization called No Kid Hungry.

No Kid Hungry is dedicated to ending childhood hunger.  According to their website, 16 million children in America struggle with hunger.  Here I am, sitting ten feet away from a well-stocked pantry, a woman with the luxury of being able to eliminate something from her diet, and there are people in this same country who don't even know where their next meal is coming from.  That's messed up.

No Kid Hungry combats this problem on three levels:

1.  Access: NKH work with volunteers, government officials, and private organizations to provide children with the food they need.



2.  Education: This is perhaps my favorite part of the program; they teach low-income individuals how to stretch their budgets and prepare healthy meals for their families.  "Give a man a fish…"



3.  Awareness: Because you can't solve a problem that no one knows about, NKH works to bring this domestic issue to the forefront of our minds.

There are lots of ways to contribute to No Kid Hungry.  Go here to learn more about how.

As for me, I'm taking it one day at a time.  Stay tuned.