How to Avoid the Bill (Sugar IV) (Yes, this is end of the series)

Sugar IV — How to Avoid the Bill 

In the last few blogs we’ve talked about how sugar quietly works on us over time.

We talked about Bob and Tina.

We talked about how life feels like Xbox when you’re young.

And we talked about the moment when you wake up one day negotiating with blueberries.

So the obvious question is: What do we do about it ? …. Because none of us wants to live on salads and sadness.

And the truth is — you don’t have to.

Early hits to your life bar

The biggest lie we tell ourselves when we are young  - “If I feel fine, I am fine.”

And for a long time, that’s true….. your twenties and thirties forgive almost everything. Bad sleep, fast food, stress, sugar, alcohol — you bounce back.

But the damage doesn’t reset overnight. It stacks quietly….. until one day your bloodwork tells a different story.

Machine guns don’t let up – a constant wave of hits

Sugar isn’t poison (well .. that is debatable). Birthday cake isn’t the enemy either… nor is Ice cream with your kids.

The problem is constant exposure.

Sugar in the coffee.

Sugar in the bread.

Sugar hiding in sauces.

Sugar in snacks.

Sugar in drinks.

Sugar (eventually) in all those carbs

All day. Every day. For years……. It’s not the treat that gets you…… It’s the routine.

And this is why diets like keto or carnivore sometimes work so well for people.

Not because carbs are evil. Not because meat is magic.

But because those diets accidentally fix the real problem first……. Sodas disappear.

Snacks disappear……… Processed junk disappears.

Blood sugar settles down. Hunger chills out. People start feeling better pretty fast.

And when you feel better, sticking with change gets easier.

Some folks do great staying keto or carnivore long term. Others use it as a reset.

But most people don’t improve because they cut out apples or potatoes.

They improve because they finally stop pouring sugar into their system all day long.

So the lesson isn’t that everyone needs to go carnivore.

The lesson is simpler:

Eat real food. Cut back on sugar exposure. Give your system a break.

How strict you go depends on your goals and what you can actually live with.

Because the best diet isn’t the most extreme one. It’s the one you can still follow a year from now.

The Big Levers in the game (the stuff that actually matters)

This isn’t complicated. Most people know what they should do — they just drift away from it.

A few things matter more than everything else:

1. Stop drinking sugar. Sodas, sweet teas, energy drinks, fancy coffees.

Liquid sugar hits fast and often.

2. Move your body. You don’t have to become a gym rat. Walk. Lift. Work. Move daily.

3. Sleep like it matters — because it does

Bad sleep wrecks hormones, hunger, blood sugar, and recovery.

4. Eat real food more often than not

Meat, vegetables, eggs, fruit, rice, potatoes — food your grandparents would recognize.

5. Keep treats occasional, not daily

Dessert used to be dessert, not Tuesday afternoon.

Different Ages, Different Problems

If you’re 25 reading this — build margin now. Your future self will thank you.

If you’re 40 — stop the drift before it compounds.

If you’re 60 — it’s not too late, but now you’re repairing instead of preventing.

There is one rule that works: Make better choices more often than bad ones.

You don’t need perfection…… You need consistency.

Use premium fuel most of the time.

Because life doesn’t send the bill right away. But when it does show up…

it’s a whole lot nicer if you’re ready for it.