I am officially on the bandwagon. The no sugar bandwagon that is. I have done lots of thinking and lots of reading about this humble sweetener over the last 6 months or so and I have finally come to the point where I have read enough to convince me that sugar may in fact be the root of all evil.
A large call you say. Sure it's a big call but if what I'm reading is accurate, and the science is convincing, then we really do have something to worry about. Those who have something to say on the subject and most notably I have been reading Australian author David Gillespie who wrote
Sweet Poison and
Big Fat Lies and Dr. Robert Lustig author of
Fat Chance.
Both authors have done a phenomenal amount of research into obesity and metabolic syndrome and what may be behind the massive increase in our waistlines and the massive spike in diseases related to metabolic syndrome such as Type 2 Diabetes, Dyslipidemia, Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver, Heart Disease and Hypertension amongst a host of others. Both authors are happy to present the science and take along the journeys that they both took to come to the conclusion that sugar or more accurately fructose is by far the most likely cause of all of these diseases and more.
I won't go through the science with you as you can read the books yourself and if you're a bit of nutrition buff like me they are well worth the read. The basic premise is that fructose which is one half of table sugar and the sugar that gives fruit it's sweetness manages to go undetected in our bodies energy balancing system and so our body continues to look for food to make up for the calories that it can't see. It also impairs the bodies ability to recognize leptin which is the hormone that tells the brain that you have eaten enough. Pair this with the fact that it is linked to the pleasure centers of your brain which reward you with a hit of dopamine every time you eat it and there-in lies the crux of the problem. No wonder we struggle to give up the white stuff!!
Unfortunately the only real solution to stopping the cycle of eat more sugar, want more sugar is to go off it completely. This is where I began to struggle. Yes I can see what they're saying about sugar being so bad for us but it tastes so good and has been one of my main sources of energy while pregnant and coping with a new born and it's my friend and I love it and I don't really want to give it up but give it up I must. I have however managed to recruit some help to get me across the line.
I found a great resource in the form of Australian writer and personality Sarah Wilson. I used to love reading Sarah's articles in the Herald Sun about getting back to basics and simplifying life and so when I found that Sarah had quit sugar and published the e-books
I Quit Sugar and
I Quit Sugar 8 week plan I knew I had found the help I needed. I purchased her 8 week plan and
I Quit Sugar e-cookbook and am excitedly preparing for week 1 tomorrow.
The program takes you on an 8 week journey that is designed to allow you to release your need for sugar and focus your eating habits on foods that will truly uplift you body but it begins gently to ease you into the scary world of no sugar. This first week is simply about cutting back on those added sugars in your diet and taking stock of where the sugar in your diet is coming from. It's about preparing for the weeks ahead by finding alternative foods and strategies for coping when the craving hits.
The e-cookbook is stunning and as it is my first experience of an e-cookbook I have had so much fun clicking on the links for more information and recipes. The 108 recipes in the book are also amazing and I have already made the Chia seed pudding, the zest n' poppy cookies (which my little man loved), some chickpea bombs and have got some almonds soaking tonight in preparation for activating them tomorrow.
With Sarah's help I truly believe that I can kick the sugar habit and supercharge my energy levels and my health and hopefully lose some baby weight along the way. Wish me luck over the next 8 weeks and I promise to keep you up to date with how I'm going and I'll pop in any recipes I feel have been helpful for anyone who wants to join me. Is anyone else in the process of kicking the sugar habit or has already done so successfully or not so successfully? I'd love to hear about your experiences.
Your balance buddy
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enough water to cover almonds and an extra 1" at the top
