A 2 breakfast day!

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Woke at 4.30 am today. Usually that means a quick bathroom break then back to sleep, but this morning after half an hour I knew sleep was eluding me and the increasing internal growling and rumbling was telling me I was hungry. I know that means my blood sugar has well and truly dropped and if I don't get up and eat Im going to pay for it later in the day by being grumpy, teary and generally out of sorts. So at 5am I was sitting up in bed drinking breakfast one, a protein shake made with whey isolate protein powder, half a banana and a tsp of cocoa whizzed in a hand blender with soya milk. Like magic my BS started to climb gently, I can just feel my molecules drinking it in and I was back to sleep till 8am.
So part of my sugar free iving is to eat regularly to regulate my blood sugar. For me 41/2 to 5 hours is optimum timing. I have found over the years that on extra long days, such as when travelling, skipping time zones or just being up extra early or late that eating by the clock is essential to keep my balance. Some days that means 5 meals instead of 4 and that's ok.
So breakfast 2 at 9.30 was a second shake with a large bowl of porridge oats. And Im steady and ready!
Whilst eating Ive been surfing blogs and trying to find other sites that mention sugar free or sugar sensitivity. I have found it really interestingthat most of them are focused on the best ways to get sweet stuff without actually calling it sugar! So there are sites with every recipe for sugar free chocolate cookies, cakes and desserts and deals to be done swapping sugar for 'natural sugars' like honey and agave syrup.
One of the pleasures for me in this way of living has been the feeling of release and freedom from the constant craving for sugar which dominated my life from childhood. There have been times of restriction and dieting, times of abstinece and withdrawal but underneath gnawing away like the monster in the eating disordered closet was the sugar monster.
One of my key elements for healing has been in the recognition of the power of such a simple mechanism as blood sugar. We all know how it feels to feed that with sugar, that quick ahhhhh hit that shoots up the bs and makes us feel goooooood. The problem with being sugar sensitive is that blood sugar/ insulin response can be a lot more volatile so the more sugar I ate the more my bs rocketed up and down. No wonder I ate so much of it looking for the way to feel better!
So what is the answer? Well its both wonderfully, stupendously simple and deliciously complicated. Im a practical sort of girl so the simple works for me, regular meals with the right amount of protein and a complex carbohydrate every time. No white foods, and no sugar to spike the respnse. And the key has been to do it slowly, one little step at a time. Not the all or nothing diet in a week of previous incarnations, but a slow and steady progression from binge and despair to wholeness and enjoyment.