My Sugar-Holic Recovery!
My Quit Sugar Story Via
Mindful Eating Workshop, Or Detox Retreat.
See the best sugar detox retreat Australia has, HERE.
How to do a vegan sugar detox, DETAILS.
Here’s how I quit sugar! Plus, see more on a mindful eating workshop, a mindful eating online course, & the best sugar detox retreat Australia has. And, see how to do a vegan sugar detox. Try a very low sugar retreat that’s as good as, or better than a sugar free retreat.
My sugar habits probably started with my mother’s cooking, or at least she gave my sugar addiction a good push along.
For instance, we lived in a tiny country town in Australia. Even when I visited my family during university holidays, my mother would send me back to university with my little, old car packed with cakes, tarts, and preserved fruit.
Then, when I started work, my love of fine food, and sugar, was helped by all the delights of food in Melbourne, and beyond.
But, in the last several years, after years of tummy upsets from sweet food, I decided I wanted to eat more mindfully. But, in those days, things like an mindful eating online course were unheard of.
Try a very low sugar retreat that’s as good as, or better than a sugar free retreat.
Or, read my story of how I got to live a largely sugar free life.
Emotional eating, for comfort, was the culprit!
Thinking about it all now, I’m still appalled that I only accidentally discovered that crappy food was the problem, and that yoga, with more of a focus on mindful eating, was a solution.
Of course, I had not acknowledged any of this to myself. I just knew that I loved ice-creams, and numerous other foods laced with sugar.
It’s taken me a long time to be in any way comfortable talking about all this.
For me, ice-creams were a reward, and a comfort food.
They helped me enjoy my outings, and provided pleasant little events in my day, or by trips out of town.
Only late in my life, did I learn to eat only for my body and mind, and not for my emotions.
Even now, long after I have conquered my sugar addiction, I can still tell my partner about the location and quality of every ice-cream shop in Darwin, as well as across the so-called Top End of Australia’s Northern Territory (where I live).
If you’re eating a more non meat diet, to reduce or eliminate feeling hungry, then also use plenty of vegan or vegetarian sources of protein. Come along to our BALI retreat. Among other things, see how to do a vegan sugar detox, without it being a totally sugar free retreat.
How to do a vegan sugar detox
In short, only buy low or no sugar food, & watch fruit sugar levels.
Plus, to cut any hunger, use sufficient non meat protein.
In addition, use yoga & meditation to build mindful eating & intentionality.
Also consider a detox retreat to start or improve your new habits. Go slow, & make it sustainable.
That’s my quick summary of a path to follow to quit sugar, including in a vegan approach, if that’s what you prefer.
Below, see more of my story of how it worked for me.
If you don’t have time right now for my story about the horrors I endured, then here are the key points I’m making.
- Mindful meditation, via both yoga and meditation, is the key ingredient of mindful eating.
- Once you’re mindfully in the present, you can take other key steps too.
- Ideally, get started via a detox yoga and meditation retreat, as I did.
- A Breath Meditation Mini Video Course is another way to start you on mindfulness, including mindful eating.
- Another mindfulness meditation option, are breath meditation classes
- Or just use Flametree’s normal 10 packs of classes, for pranayama meditation, or yoga, or both
- Remember, a very low sugar retreat is as good as, or better than a sugar free retreat.
By the way, if you prefer meat, then you can still do a sugar detox, assisted by yoga and mindfulness meditation.
O, consider helping it all along with our Carnivore Retreat. You’ll still get the same deal, including yoga and meditation, that you get in our vegan and vegetarian retreats.
In my story below, see how I (Chris) used sugar for comfort.
But, with mindful eating, via yoga & meditation, I finally got my body working inside and out.
Breath meditation is a key part of mindful eating, including helping to cut sugar.
See the best sugar detox retreat Australia has, HERE.
How to do a vegan sugar detox, DETAILS.
I only did classy ice-cream!
It turns out that partner’s mother also loved ice-creams. But it seems she wasn’t as discriminating about high quality ice-cream as I was.
In my case, I knew the quality of the ice-cream in every shop that was a candidate for the Christine Lalor best ice-cream award!
I had sampled them all, and indulged a lot in my favourites. (I neither knew nor cared that they were 21-29% sugar!)
So, my partner is always mildly amused when we drive past an ice-cream shop that his mother loved. With a wicked smile, he asks how their ice-cream quality is. I always know!
Of course, my passion for ice-cream was actually the tip of the iceberg.
I loved sugar in anything, including even large, juicy Pink Lady apples.
As you know, in the modern world, excess or added sugar is in most processed food. But, even fruit, is bred for more sugar.
So, together with fruit, I had plenty of places to satisfy my sugar cravings.
Leaving aside fruit, a government agency in Australia says:
“…Australians, on average, consume about half a kilo of [added] sugar each week…. Much of it is invisible. Large amounts of sugar are smuggled into our diets through sweetened products such as cakes, pies, lollies and sugary drinks.”
Speaking of cakes, that was another of my passions!
Almost accidentally, I discovered the cause of my tummy problems
See the best sugar detox retreat Australia has, HERE.
How to do a vegan sugar detox, DETAILS.
After the wholesome food on Flametree’s Bali retreats, I noticed that I got none of the tummy upsets that I otherwise got from too much sugar, including in rice, & much more.
With mindfulness, I called time on sugar
Every year, I eventually noticed that during the Flametree’s Bali Retreat, my tummy was much happier.
It was the major reason I chose to control my sugar passion.
In other words, during the retreat, I had none of my usual digestion issues, or stomach upsets.
Thinking about this, I realised the food at the retreat was more wholesome than my regular diet.
Among other things, there was more vegetables, less processed food, less added sugar, less rice, and no ice-cream.
So, after the last retreat before the pandemic, I decided to go cold turkey on nearly all types of sugar.
Before that, I’d never stopped to think about both the visible and hidden sugars you can see in the diagram below.
For instance, I went through my food cupboards and threw out about three garbage bags of processed food with sugar, crackers, noodles, sweetened sauces, and more.
Immediately, my body mass started to drop rapidly. (Some friends were even worried if I was sick. But I was in fact healthier than I’d ever been.)
My weight then dropped less rapidly, but still kept steadily dropping over months and years.
So, all this is a key reason why I’ve found that a very low sugar retreat, like the Flametree Retreat, is as good as, or better than a sugar free retreat.
Obvious and less obvious sugars that I purged!
See the best sugar detox retreat Australia has, HERE.
How to do a vegan sugar detox, DETAILS.
It dawned on me that I was getting too much sugar from a lot of visible and hidden sources. It’s another good reason to follow the link above, or here, to the Flametree Yoga mindfulness meditation video mini course. You’ll also find it doubles as a mindful eating online course, because it gives you the key mindful meditation ingredient you’ll need.
My body rejects crap food!
Later, some further weight drop was partly due to my implementing some intermittent fasting. But that’s another story.
My body mass has steadily reduced.
Among other things, I am truly amazed at how much fat there obviously was under the skin, and throughout my body.
As I’ve lot the weight, and continued with yoga, all of my body has also become more toned. But, the muscles are still soft, long, and lean. (Only yoga does this for me. It’s very different from the hard and relatively stiff muscles from may other forms of exercise.)
Best of all, my body has become bodily intolerant of very sweet foods. My digestion won’t put up with them at all.
Clearly, my body was never happy with crappy food.
But now, with my mindfulness, and the increased crap food intolerance, it’s now easy to just exclude them from my food intake altogether.
The result is that I am now healthier than I’ve ever been. I’m also stronger because some of my old weight has been replaced by new, toned muscle.
Plus, my weight is low, sustainable, and barely changes.
However, in contrast, I recently spent several days working with a group where we had more sugary food than normal. As a result, my weight again quicky climbed.
Me before mindful eating. Less tone, & full of tummy upsets.
Here I am before I cut sugar, and toned up. My body was very different, inside & out. Among other things, I didn’t have the toned legs and and shoulders I have now. But my major problem, that led me mindful eating, was the digestive issues & upsets caused by sugary food of all types. This T shirt also cleverly hides the fat around my middle, and all over my torso (let alone around my organs!).
Mindful meditation set me up well
By the time I was ready to change my diet, I was also very active from yoga, and very mindful from pranayama breath meditation.
In turn, my regular yoga and breath meditation had caused me to live largely in the present moment, as well as to be highly aware of the world around me.
Being present included being present to the world that was up close and personal to me, including my food.
So, it’s good to see that a noted expert on mindful eating, says:
“Training your mind to be in the present moment is the #1 key to making healthier choices.” (Susan Albers)
Given my mindful skills, from years of pranayama breath meditation, I was able to relatively quickly cut the consumption of the sugary and other foods that I’d discovered were the source of the tummy upsets.
As a result, as I said, I reduced my body mass.
Then, since I implemented my new mindful eating program, my weight has also stayed constant. In fact, I have steadily lost further body fat, and replaced it with toned muscle.
As a result, I’ve also noticed that various yoga poses had become more accessible to me.
Senior Teacher, and Yoga Therapist, Chris Lalor. For many, lifting their own weight is a big deal. In yoga, it’s done quite often, including in handstands and forearm balances. By the way, you can see from my size, that a very low sugar retreat, and lifestyle has delivered for me. That’s why I think a Flametree’s retreat is as good as, or better than a sugar free retreat.
A key ingredient of the sugar detox retreat Australia has
So now, let me tell you how I’ve concluded that yoga and mindful meditation is the key ingredient of a sugar detox retreat, or mindful eating workshop, or a mindful eating online course, and implementing mindful eating in your life.
Start by remembering that a key outcome of good quality yoga, is to quieten you mind.
No matter what active yoga you may do in the first half of a yoga class, you’ll find that the latter part of a good yoga class also has less active postures that especially quieten your mind.
In addition, some yoga pose, such as forward bends, especially quieten your mind.
Then, if you add pranayama meditation, which is a form of mindfulness meditation, your mind will get even quieter, and more mindful.
Some of the outcomes of mindfulness are outlined in the diagram below.
In addition, you have the presence of mind to implement more mindful eating.
In turn, that often leads to less meat consumption, because you’re more aware of what you may want to avoid, and what you want to get.
Some of what I got from mindfulness meditation via the breath. So, please consider our mindful eating online course, or even better, come along to a yoga and meditation detox retreat in Bali.
See the best sugar detox retreat Australia has, HERE.
How to do a vegan sugar detox, DETAILS.
Mindful eating starts with mindfulness skills
So, since all this happened some years ago, I have become aware of the massive amount of information on mindful eating.
I actually implemented mindful eating by using my mindful meditation practice, but assisted by my yoga skills.
So, my view is that very little of the current mindful eating material places enough emphasis on the actual process and practice of actually getting mindful.
Mindful eating steps are only possible if you are mindful, or learn to be mindful.
In turn, the way to get mindful, and eat mindfully, is to regularly practice mindful meditation, and ideally some yoga.
When it comes to yoga, I hasten to say that the yoga can, if you wish, be very gentle, and certainly should include some restorative yoga (because it reduces stress).
But, if you only want to do mindful meditation, then even without yoga, you’ll still get to a great state of mindfulness.
Once you are mindful, the various steps and activities involved in mindful eating will then be relatively obvious to you. (You can also see some of them in one of the diagrams below.)
In other words, by being more present in the moment, you are more aware of the things to do so as to eat mindfully at any particular time.
You’ll also find, as I did, that you have a greater amount of self-discipline, or intentionality, to follow what you already know to be good eating practices.
In other words, you are less impulsive, and less of a prisoner of your passions.
So, that is my story of how I, as a yoga teacher and breath meditator, became more aware of my food passions, and changed my health direction, kicked off by a low sugar detox retreat.
Yoga & mindfulness meditation are systematic, doable, ways to reduce deadly stress
Stress releases more cortisol, via the green arrow above, into your blood stream. In another Flametree post, Dr McCall has explained this stress cortisol connection. So, a retreat is a powerful way to accelerate your stress reduction, and improve your capacity for mindful eating.
Medical doctor on yoga as mindful eating exercise
You could of course say that what I am telling you is self-serving.
So, for some proof of my own findings, I will quote from Dr McCall. He’s a medical doctor and yoga therapist who has studied the food addiction and body mass issue.
First, Dr McCall talks about yoga. He says.
“…In contrast to conventional ideas [about burning fat], what yoga does, is that it relieves STRESS.
It does it by lowering the levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
In turn, this lowers your appetite.
Furthermore, when you eat extra calories in a state with a lot of cortisol [from your stress] in your bloodstream, then your body is very efficiently going to turn those extra calories [you may be consuming], into fat.
In other words, Dr McCall is saying that when you are stressed, you’re more likely to eat. (I’m sure you’ve experienced this, and, in the past, it was leading to my own emotional eating.)
It’s also another reason why cutting stress with a retreat also helps.
In addition, Dr McCall also says that when you’re in a stressed state, fat will more easily build up.
In particular, it will build up internally, around organs where it’s especially dangerous to accumulate fat.
Dr McCall adds that part of the success of yoga, in dealing with body mass issues, is due to how it gives you a quieter, yogic or mindful state.
So, he also says that this yogic mindfulness also helps deliver mindful eating.
See the best sugar detox retreat Australia has, HERE.
How to do a vegan sugar detox, DETAILS.
Yoga has many benefits. Above, Dr McCall explains how some key ones work. As you can see, sugar consumption is just one of the thing decreased by yoga, and the more mindful eating it produces. In addition, in the picture of me below, doing mindfulness meditation, notice my newly toned shoulders, from using yoga as my mindful eating exercise.
Dr McCall on mindful meditation matters
Dr McCall then comments more specifically on mindful eating. He says.
“…. When you start to be aware of your eating, for example, when you’re really paying attention as you eat, you may notice the subtle cues that suggest that you’re getting full.
In comparison, if you’re distracted… as you’re eating your food, you may not notice those cues.
But, if you make your food time … [more mindful], then you really do notice those cues.
Really, losing weight is part of a holistic plan where you look at everything.
For example, you look at your psychological well-being, and your dietary habits.
…Then, things like body weight tend to just sort themselves out.
Consequently, your body will naturally, slowly move you in the healthy direction.
….To sum it all up, it’s really just about taking the little steps in the right direction every day”
As I’ve told you, I found Dr McCall’s descriptions to be exactly what happened to me.
So, together with my experience, and other research I’ve done, I’ve concluded that mindful meditation is the key ingredient of a sugar detox retreat, or a mindful eating workshop, or a mindful eating online course. With some mix of these, you can implement mindful eating in your life.
See the best sugar detox retreat Australia has, HERE.
How to do a vegan sugar detox, DETAILS.
Here, I’m demonstrating a type of breath meditation that allows you to focus internally, & thereby get more mindful. In the mini course, you’ll be introduced to it. By the way, notice my newly toned shoulders, from using yoga as my mindful eating exercise.
Mindful eating course
Are you interested to reduce your stress, or body mass, or just cut digestive upsets? If so, come along to some of Flametree’s daily yoga and breath meditation classes.
Ideally, if you’ve done a little yoga, get started via a detox yoga and meditation retreat.
(By the way, those who are new to Flametree, or lapsed 2 months, also get a retreat bonus equivalent to $700).
To get underway, explore the deals via the orange links on this page.
Also, Flametree’s Breath Meditation Video Course may be the sort of in-studio or mindful eating online course, or mindful eating workshop, that you may be looking for. (It’s also included in the retreat bonus).
As I’ve said, my focus is on teaching you to be mindful. Once you have that skill, much more becomes possible for you.
But, so long as you do sufficient yoga and pranayama meditation, mindfulness will largely happen naturally.
For instance, just as I did, you’ll then find you can implement the other relatively simple steps in mindful eating, such as you see on the diagram below.
HALF Price Breath Meditation 10 Pack, Including 4 FREE classes
2 Free Beginner Yoga Classes & 10 Half Off
To implement the mindful eating steps above, I suggest your first priority is learning to be mindful. If you want to eat mindfully, Flametree’s mindfulness course will also essentially be a mindful eating course, or mindful eating workshop. That’s because you’ll gain the power to then implement steps like those in the diagram. Alternatively, at least get underway with building or re-building your yoga skills (and also have it quieten your mind in the process).
I stress that unless you know how to be mindful, via good quality yoga, or via the mindful meditation process I will teach you, it’s likely you will be much less able to consistently implement the steps in the mindful eating diagram above.
The mindfulness skills I teach will help you do things like cut sugar, and otherwise change your diet, if that’s what you want.
In addition, if you choose, you’ll also have more ability to implement some of the fasting skills I later chose as well.
But just my cutting sugar, you’ll notice some remarkable, and healthier, improvements.
Plus, remember that low sugar retreat (and lifestyle), can be as good as, or better than a sugar free retreat.
Summary: top benefits you’ll get from the mindfulness workshop
From my story, you can see how much I got from my journey.
To summarise, here are some top benefits you can get from the approach I’ve outlined.
- A quieter mind via yoga classes. (I mean the mind does not bounce around as much. Plus, you feel calmer, and can focus better).
- Mindfulness to make mindful eating work easily and effectively for you.
- A pleasant, powerful meditative process to underpin many other improvements in your life.
- With mindful eating working, less tummy upsets, less body mass, and better health (or whatever your particular goals are).
See the best sugar detox retreat Australia has, HERE.
How to do a vegan sugar detox, DETAILS.
At our Bali retreat, on the half day off, the local Bali chocolate factory is still something I recommend! It can be part of the free half day tour included in the retreat. Some occasional chocolate is also why I think Flametree’s retreat is as good as, or better than a sugar free retreat.
What our students say about Flametree Yoga classes
On Flametree’s Facebook and Google pages, there are many fantastic student endorsements of Flametree’s classes, methods, teachers and more.
For instance, one short, powerful review is by long term Flametree student Angie Sublime (pictured below).
Angie says that Flametree classes and courses are “the best investment in yourself you will ever make”.
Or, especially if you’re considering a mindful eating online course, here is a review left by Dee Diamond. She says:
“Flametree Yoga’s range of online yoga classes is exceptional, and they are conducted so well that you feel like you are in the studio with the teacher. I’ve enjoyed participating in online classes at home or whilst travelling.”
If you need to hear more about how others have found Flametree classes, please see these many other student reviews.
In particular, if you’re interested in attending one of our retreats, check out the very positive testimonials from those who’ve attended our Bali yoga retreats.
Angie Sublime, a long term Flametree student gave the review above. She’s also written her own story of the wonderful outcomes she got from Flametree classes. She says that Flametree classes and courses are “the best investment in yourself you will ever make”.
Flametree’s Mindful Meditation Video Workshop & other deals
The deals at the orange links give you easy ways to get started with either yoga or breath meditation.
Breath meditation is a particular skill and practise that underpins mindful eating. It will give you mindfulness beyond even the mindfulness that yoga delivers.
But that’s also why yoga is also a key part of the process. Yoga also delivers mindfulness, and complements your mindfulness meditation.
In this regard, in addition to what’s on this page, Dr McCall has also explained even more about how yoga works via reducing stress. (Or see my discussion of his views, above).
Even if you’re already doing yoga, than use our breath meditation ten pass and video course package to try it out.
See the best sugar detox retreat Australia has, HERE.
How to do a vegan sugar detox, DETAILS.
Our breath meditation video course, via the orange links on this page, doubles as a mindful eating online course. Use Flametree’s mindfulness mini-course, and mindful eating online course, as a mindful eating challenge. You’ll get the best mindful eating Australia has.
Don’t do what I did
When it come to food, I (Chris), was a prisoner of my emotions.
Emotions controlled what I ate, and when I ate.
My mother brought me up to be a strong, independent woman. But neither she nor I, knew that with food, our emotions (and our lack of knowledge about sugar) were feeding us rubbish!
So give yourself the power to decide how you eat mindfully, as well as make more mindful choices about many other important aspects of your life.
Among many other benefits of yoga, mindful eating also helps you to implement your own mindful eating for a better climate.
Get all the many benefits you can see in the diagram above.
If you’ve never yet done yoga, then start with the beginner yoga half price 10 class pack, including 2 FREE extra classes.
Or, even better, come along to Flametree’s yoga and detox retreat in Bali. Both of the orange links below explain much more about it.
A low sugar retreat as good as, or better than a sugar free retreat.
There’ll also be time for Bali tours, before, after, or during the retreat.
Detox program to kick sugar habit, and its benefits
If you’re not yet sure about a weight loss retreat, but have more weight gain than you want, then read on for very useful details.
First, with a sugar detox, or even the very low sugar used at Flametree Bali retreats, you start to see some good mix of these benefits:
- an improved immune system
- better mental health (less spikes, and more calming via the yoga, and mindfulness)
- better blood sugar levels
- less brain fog
- improved gut health
- less fungal infections
- reduced risk of fatty liver disease
- less mood swings
- improved emotional health
- less junk food cravings
- a more balanced nervous system
- reduction of excess weight
- less risk of heart disease and blood pressure.
Some desserts are OK! Remember its a very effective low sugar retreat, and not a sugar free retreat.
Why its the right retreat, and your best friend
The type of mindful eating via Flametree’s retreat, the practices you’ll learn, and then steady yogic activities, are new tools, and a new way, to get very positive outcomes from a sugar detox retreat.
As a result, it will give you more ability to:
- eat only healthy meals that minimise inflammation and weight gain
- avoid the worst excesses of food addicts
- access deep healing modalities
- avoid the vicious cycle of diets
- get additional support from Flametree’s sugar freedom expert
- start a new healing journey, based on a more holistic approach
- ongoingly implement a detox process, ideally supported by wellness retreats periodically
- maintain a healthy lifestyle
- implement your own quit sugar program ongoingly
- avoid periodically suffering sugar withdrawal, and having a sugar binge rollercoaster year.
A sugar detox retreat is likely the best option for you, but otherwise, consider the mindful eating online course we’ve also outlined.
Dancers at a ceremony just down the lane from the retreat.
A meditative wellness retreat, a yoga health retreat, and a good time
Push your reset button, and do a retreat for maybe the first time.
Plus, try the new ways of accessing natural health principles you’ll learn.
Flametree’s wellness practitioners will show you a new type of fitness classes, using yoga sessions, that you can easily build into your ongoing daily activities, and everyday life.
In addition, you’ll enjoy the delicious plant-based meals. These vegetarian dishes will give you a fresh start, and a new conception of nutritious meals.
As a result, you’ll notice things like:
- a lighter inner self
- an increase in energy levels
- an improved gut microbiome
- you busy mind getting quieter
- a decrease in fat levels.
Along with all that, you simply love to perfect environment in which Flametree’s Bali wellness programs are situated.
How to do a vegan sugar detox with maximum joy.
One of several retreat bungalows right on the sea front
Detox retreats, via yogic practices, also deliver inner peace
Detox holidays can be an intensive detox retreat, if you so choose.
But, especially if a key goal is yogic spiritual development, then diet retreats can be just an easy sugar detox.
Either way, with Flametree, you’ll have plenty of free time for the swimming pools at the Sea Breeze retreat, swimming in the ocean, and whatever local tours or shopping you want to build into this residential retreat.
So, come along and see how to do a vegan sugar detox, without it being a totally sugar free retreat.
Ocean view from the yoga room. Try a mindful eating online course if you want. But even better, come to a wonderful sugar addiction detox retreat.
Perfect time for healthy lifestyles of a sugar retreat
Flametree’s yoga room is a hidden gem on the east coast of Bali.
It’s a perfect place for to learn how to do a vegan sugar detox, via a retreat. (But, if it’s not and option for you, then consider our mindful eating online course).
The retreat room you see in the picture above, is surrounded by many popular attractions you can visit in the free tour on your half day off.
The custom built yoga room is a great room to learn the mindful eating skills you’ll implement for your calming, healthy outcomes.
Meanwhile the retreat centre has the rustic feel of the outdoors.
If it is a couple’s choice to attend, your delightful bedroom, with a sea view, is a stone’s throw away.
The same ocean view is a breathtaking backdrop to your yogic practices in the yoga room.
Then, at the end of the day, and for each meal, you just go downstairs to the wonderful dining room.
The Sea Breeze resort, where you may also choose a package, has the same beautiful setting.
Many rooms also have a full bath, porch, garden, and much more.
All of the packages offer a range of perfect accommodations for your powerful sugar retreat.
In addition, because it’s only low sugar meals, you’ll still fit in delights that you’d miss if if was a sugar free retreat.
See the best sugar detox retreat Australia has, HERE.
How to do a vegan sugar detox, DETAILS.
