I created Sugar Freedom Mama because this work is personal for me.

My relationship with food has been a long journey.

I grew up in the former Soviet Union, where food was limited and many things simply weren’t available. When I moved to the U.S., the abundance felt exciting. Foods that once felt special or out of reach were suddenly everywhere - sweet drinks, soft white bread, packaged snacks, convenience foods. I jumped into that freedom, and over time it caught up with me.

I gained weight in my 20s, and that’s when I started asking deeper questions. At first, I tried to fix it the way many women do: more workouts, more “healthy” products, more effort. But I didn’t just want to lose weight - I wanted to understand why food was affecting me the way it was.

That curiosity became years of learning.

Sugar was always one of my biggest struggles, so that’s where I started. I learned about hidden sugar, discovered monk fruit, and found that reducing sugar finally felt possible without feeling deprived. By my 30s, long before kids, I was already eating mostly real food, staying away from obvious junk, and choosing cleaner options when I could.

Pregnancy made sweets harder to resist, even when I tried to keep things “clean.” After my first child, I mostly bounced back. But after my second child and after 40 - everything felt different.

That’s what really caught me off guard.

I thought I was already eating pretty well. And I was. But after 40, I realized I couldn’t get away with the same things the way I used to. The same level of effort no longer felt like enough. Cravings hit differently. Weight felt more stubborn. Energy felt harder to steady. And I did not have the time or energy to work out for hours to lose “mommy weight.”

So I had to look even more closely at food.

For me, that meant simplifying further: eliminating more hidden sugar, using monk fruit instead of sugar, making simple homemade meals with olive oil, and later learning the truth about industrial oils. Those shifts helped me start feeling more like myself again. They also helped me finally stop binge eating.

That’s why I do this work now.

I help women 35+ uncover the hidden food triggers behind cravings, low energy, and stubborn weight - especially when a “pretty healthy” diet still doesn’t feel like enough after 40.

What I share here is shaped by personal experience, years of learning, and a desire to make healthy eating feel more realistic, not more overwhelming.

With care,
Tatyana 🌿

I share educational content, practical tools, and personal experience to support healthier choices. This content is not medical advice.