Licorice, fudge, cinnamon drops, salty licorice mints, macarons, cupcakes, Tony Chocolonely sea salt and caramel (damn you) I love it all! I basically love everything that contains sugar. It started at primary school. Every Wednesday afternoon me and my posse would go to the local candy shop to spend all our pocket money. And finishing all the candy within 2.3 seconds whilst reading a teeny bopper magazine. Nothing has changed actually. Only the teeny bopper magazine is now Vogue and primary school is now a dream job. I had it all under control. Gym visits three times a week, healthy diet of which about 80% is organic. Sugar and I had a very good understanding. I work out and sugar won’t ‘stick around’. But behold! I started to notice that sugar was having a blast on my belly and waist. Lets just say that sugar overstayed its welcome. But finally I’ve seen the light and started to beat the addiction. How have I been doing? Read on, reader!
I mean, it’s not that I didn’t know that sugar is bad, really really bad. And especially in the amounts that I was having. Not two pieces of chocolate but the whole bar. Not a hand full of licorice but the whole bag. All day, every day. I think it’s save to say that it’s an addiction. I would have these ‘sugar crashes’, falling asleep after consuming a big amount of sugar. Not only is sugar bad for your waistline but it makes your skin age, it makes your hormones go out of balance, it is very addictive, after a ‘high’ it’ll make you super tired and can cause all kinds of diseases. Time.to.break.the.habit!
Eating completely sugar free is a bit of a challenge. Since I’ve been doing my grocery shopping more consciously and reading the labels I’ve noticed how much (added) sugar our food actually contains. Bread, hummus, ketchup, dressings, gingerbread and so called healthy breakfast bars are packed with (refined) sugar. Luckily I stopped drinking sugary softdrinks about ten years ago and you won’t find any light products in my cupboard. I mean I’m not going to go all bananas about food but for now I just won’t be having any licorice, fudge, cinnamon drops, salty licorice mints, macarons, cupcakes or Tony Chocolonely sea salt and caramel.
Want to minimise your sugar intake, but still want something sweet every now and then? Here’s the way.
- Your Starbucks visit: have some herbal tea in stead of that Chai Latte (sugar bomb!!)
- Make your own energy bar. A handful of dates, some (raw) organic almonds, walnuts or peanuts, throw in some raw organic cocoa nibs, chuck it in the foodprocessor, make some bars and there you have it: your own healthy ‘Snickers’.
- A healthy ‘bring the boys to the yard’ milkshake: a cup of rice, coconut (my fave) or almond milk (make sure they’re sugar free) two medium sized bananas, two dates, some raw organic cocoa nibs or powder. Blend and pour it up!
- Salad dressing: keep it simple. Two spoons of olive oil, two spoons of apple cider vinegar, some fresh grounded black peper and no more dry rabbit food lettuce.
- Chewing gum: just don’t. Even the sugar free gum. Artificial sweeteners are just as bad as sugar. Doggie breath? Chew on a piece of ginger or parsley. It really helps.
- Snack attack? Have some nuts. Walnuts together with (unsweetened) cranberries are the yummiest!
- Still want to have some chocolate? Have the one with the highest amount of cocoa. After two pieces you’re satisfied.
- Know what triggers you. Do you crave sugar at certain moments? Like when you feel down or after you’ve had a bad experience? Find distractions like going for a run, listening to your favorite music, read a book or do some writing.
- Unfortunately we don’t have (or take) the time to make all our foods ourself but keep your diet simple. The closer to nature the less refined or added sugar it contains.
Sugar free update: I’ve been candy free for three weeks (and counting)! It’s going really well and I want to keep it up as long as possible. Day one up to day six were a bit harsh (I was cranky and light headed) but after that, happy days! No more naps during the day, I’m super energized during my workouts and wait a minute, are those my abs?? Yay! Welcome back!
xx Mishanou
