Lets get it right!

The extended sugar family (Mmmmmm)

It has been 11 months now since I've quit sugar. It was on June 8th, 2012 that Ben and I watched an episode of 60minutes where Sarah Wilson spoke about her sugar free lifestyle. The next day I was committed and haven't looked back since.

People still ask me every now and then, "are you still sugar free?" and I have started having trouble answering. I used to say 'yes' but now I'm not so sure. Let me elaborate. 

I eat fruit, honey and drink milk, daily. They all contain sugar of some kind (fructose - fruit/honey and lactose in the milk). To go even further, I eat bread, rice and pasta (not so often) which all contain carbohydrates, which gets converted to glucose (type of sugar) in our body. I know it sounds like I’m being technical, but it is this sense of confusion, which makes making healthy choices too bloody confusing. It is this exact confusion and grey area which has made product labelling in Australia misleading.

Check out this definition of sugar...



Source: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sugar



If you believe the above to be true, like me, then I don't know a single soul that is sugar free. This also makes recipes difficult to decipher. I've seen a new 'sugar free chocolate ebook coming out soon - but who are we kidding? Sugar free chocolate... please!!! I'd love to know your thoughts on this. Am I thinking about this too much? But for me, if a well known celebrity can advertise a sugar free chocolate cookbook, then why can't Cadbury bring out a sugar free chocolate bar? Furthermore, I don't know how many times I've been offered a sugar free dish - full of fruit, sultanas, juice, syrup of some kind or vanilla. I do it myself. I cooked a baked fruit cake lastnight. It had pineapple juice, grated apple, pear and pineapple - but I called it sugar free, no wonder it was so sweet. I munched on a sugar free cocao coconut ball tonight...no table sugar, but honey and sultanas. Are we really eating sugar free? I'm sure anyone on a paleo diet would beg to differ and I can see why. THen I get thinking... should I... could I... would I... cut out bread, rice, pasta, crackers, startch etc..... A point for me to ponder.

Anyhow, I'm sure you get my point and my dilemma. I feel like I'm going around in circles every time I think about it. What do you think? Please write a comment below.

 

Am I still sugar free?

They say that you should never go shopping on an empty stomach and I'm wondering if I should be blogging with a sugar hit rushing through my system.

 Am I still sugar free? No, not today.  But most of the time, yes I am.

I'm sitting on the couch feeling quite sick and sorry for myself. Did I have to indulge in a slice of cake and a sweet today? Most people may wonder, is it such a big deal? To me, no, it is not a big deal to indulge in a piece of cake that a friend of mine had gone to the effort of making and it was part of todays celebration, but my body just can't handle it. I feel so sick and mentally, I feel like shit for eating it because it makes me feel crap. The sugar blues.

 

It has been many months since my husband and I decided to keep processed sugar out of the house and out of our lives. Overall, we've made some very positive changes to our lives and are benefiting from the side effects. We have more energy, have slowly lost some weight, have our taste buds back and we no longer have sugar highs or sugar blues. The problem is that when the time comes for us to have a piece of cake or something sweet as part of a celebration, our bodies just aren't used to it and we get major highs (and headaches) and major blues. This rollercoaster sugar ride lasts for days and days. I normally get a headache straight away, have a bit of a high then I get the sugar blues a few hours later. The days that follow are testing. My body craves sugar big time and I have to fight it for about a week before I"m really over it.  A pretty crappy cycle really.

Easter has just passed and I think that was my undoing. The Easter Bunny kindly limited his chocolate to 1 egg, 1 bunny and a few small eggs for our daughter instead giving her art and craft bunny activities. I ate a few small eggs with my daughter and I feel soooooooooooooooo addicted to it now. Every day I have to make a conscious decision not to buy or eat something sweet. It's hard. I feel like I’m starting from the start.

As for my daughter Ruby, I've definately relaxed more with her. I was finding that she was eating so well here and always wanting to go to other houses knowing she'd get fed the crap - no matter how much I protested. I've learnt that although I can control what she eats in our house, I have to accept that she is 4 years old, attends day care and is surrounded by sugar laden treats that if she doesn't get from me, she'll get from someone else. So instead, I've. relaxed by giving her some dark organic chocolate every now and then and letting her slowly enjoy the chocolate from Easter. I still talk about it with her and she knows how I feel about it, but I'm just trying to find a balance. I'm really just trying to educate her knowing that one day she'll make her own choice.

Tonight I will go to bed with a book in my hand. A book about sugar addiction. It is the most effective way of keeping me off the stuff. Reading about the life threatening effects of sugar motivates me to keep off it - so tonight the reading light will be on!!! 

Happy New Year

I know I know I know......this blog is well overdue! I have had a wonderful break over Christmas and New Year (which has not entailed the use of the laptop). But I'm excited and happy to be back blogging.

Now that I am plugged in and ready to go, I have so much I want to talk about. I just won't do it all in one blog!

As everyone already knows, Christmas is a time of celebration with family and friends. Unfortunately for me, celebration with my family means lots of alcohol, cakes, lollies, chocolates, soft drink, punch, Christmas pudding, pavlova and more sugary treats.

Christmas has been a challenging time for me and my family, in terms of our food choices. In saying that, I think that we have done very well. I could probably count on two hands the number of sugary foods I've eaten over the break. It would probably take more than two hands for my daughter and husband though.

I did loosen the reigns slightly over Christmas, allowing my daughter to indulge with the rest of the family and kids. Saying 'no' to her while other children, family and friends eat ice cream, cake or chocolate was not something I was willing to do. My daugther handled it pretty well considering. The best thing that I did was always make sure that she had eaten a decent meal first, and she did.

The new year also saw my daughters 4th birthday. Mmmm, this was another challenge - not so much for me, but for everyone else. I'm proud to say that the only sugary food at my daughters party was her cake (made by herself and her nanny - making it very special) and also some diet soft drink and diet cordial (however, these were for the adults). Instead of a table full of sweets, the kids could choose from chips, popcorn, kabana, cheese, crackers, fruit salad and a sausage sizzle for lunch. My husband summed it up well after the party by saying "The kids will only eat what is there". I had no complaints and the kid were able to fill their bellys with proper food instead of getting high as a kite then going home and falling to pieces for their parents. Instead of lolly bags, I decided to make little gift bags. I simple used paper bags and filled them up with little toys. I wrote everyones name on their bags (as children were from babies to 10 year olds, both boys and girls) and I was able to personalise each bag for each child. I think they loved it. For the real little ones I gave them baby rubber ducks and playdough, girl toddler bags had necklaces, mini fairy wands, notepads, rings, hair ties, balloons, personalised name badge, boy toddler bags included mini cars, glow sticks, sports whistle, bouncy balls. I simply raided the discount store for ideas and the paper bags were affordable, environmentally friendly and a great way to store everything. Let me know if you have any other ideas.


Anyhow, I'll write more in the next couple of weeks, but I"d love to hear how you coped over the Christmas. Do you have any hints and tips for next year? Please comment below.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Cooking in the kitchen of a different style!

It has been a few weeks since I last wrote... so much has been happening in and out of the kitchen!

I'm so proud of my husband Ben. He has finished his teaching degree! Maybe this is why I haven't blogged recently; I've been busy soaking up some family time and loving every minute of it under the warmth of the spring sun. Flowers are blooming, chicks are chirping and the weather is warming - what a wonderful time of year.

 As for my 'sugar free life', I have certainly hit a speed bump. I celebrated my birthday in September and as part of the celebration, I enjoyed a slice of mud cake & some mini Cadbury chocolates. I had absolutely no reservations in doing this. I want to show my daughter that I do eat sugar  and enjoy it on special occasions, but not every day. If only I knew the effects it would have on my mind and body.

Although it may be hard to believe, I was actually quite sick later that night. I had stomach pains, a headache and felt dizzy. The following day was absolutely TERRIBLE!!!! I craved sugar like you wouldn't believe. It was absolutely crazy and to make it even worse, it was a good 7-10 days before I could really say that I wasn't being overtaken by that 'sugar craving'. For the first time (since I began this journey), I had a strong reminder of just how addicted to sugar my body is. It has been a really tough month. I've been reaching out for more fruit than normal too, which is just giving me another sugar hit.

My husband helps to keep me focused, he appears to be more disciplined then me at the moment and brushes off any talk I have about craving sugar. Thanks babe!

I've eased off on my reading at the moment too - (something to do with having my husband home)....I'm just slowly finding my way through 'Sugar Blues', written by William Duffy. This book has blown me away. It is probably the best book I've read so far (even though I haven't finished it) and ironically, it was the cheapest ($7) and is the oldest (written in 1975). I'm finding that this book is filled with unbiased interesting facts.

For something a little different this month, I decided to have a crack at making some of my own cosmetics. I made my own toothpaste, washing powder, shampoo, conditioning treatment and anti-dandruff shampoo. Sadly, the conditioning treatment and anti-dandruff shampoo didn't turn out as good as I would have hoped, but the shampoo is AWESOME, the washing powder is GREAT and the toothpaste is the BEST!!!!! Even better is that it only took 10 ingredients to make it all!!!

From left to right: Body Shop Deep Sleep lavender oil (I always add this to my mop water when mopping the house!), tea tree oil (add to washing powder or homemade anti dandruff shampoo), vegetable glycerine from the healthfood store, jojoba oil, citronella oil (I plan on making my own insect repellant and Body Shop Deep Calm oil (always on my pillow!)

Here are the details on how I made each item.



Ruby's toothpaste on the left and Ben and

my tooothpaste on the right

 TOOTHPASTE
3 Tbsp coconut oil
3 Tbsp baking soda
25 drops of peppermint essential oil
Optional
stevia - liquid or powder
2 tsp vegetable glycerine

Simply mix all ingredients in a bowl!!!!

This recipe REALLY suprised me. At first, the lack of 'frothing bubbles' and the taste was a bit confronting, and for my first batch, I ended up mixing in the rest of my Colgate toothpaste with it. I'm used to it now and my second batch needed no adjusting. For my daughter Ruby, I bought some DORA toothpaste and added a bit to hers and put some cute stickers on the container. She's uses it with no complaints.

One AMAZING thing did happen with this toothpaste. After tidying up the bathroom, my husband found me and asked me where the homemade toothpaste was as he couldn't find it. I told him to look on the shelf and that there were spare tubes of other stuff if he couldn't find it. He INSISTED on wanting the homemade stuff and when I asked him why, I was stoked. Turns out that an abscess that my husband has had in his mouth for most of his life had disappeared within a week of using my homemade toothpaste!!! I knew that coconut oil was an anti bacterial and anti fungal agent, and now I was convinced. Not only is this toothpaste good for an abscess, but also great for looking after your gums, brushing your tongue and keeping your toothpaste bristles hygienic!!  I am VERY impressed to see how easy, quick and cheap it is to make my own.

Homemade Coconut
Milk Shampoo

SHAMPOO

1/4 cup of coconut milk

1/3 cup liquid castile soap (I bought organic castile soap from my local health food store for $6)

1 tsp jojoba oil

15 drops of essential oil (I used lavender)

Simply add all ingredients together and add to a bottle. I used one of my old shampoo bottles. It is quite runny, I just squeeze it straight onto my hair and I LOVE it!

WASHING POWDER

This REALLY REALLY REALLY impressed me! So easy and so cheap!!!!!!

 

Washing soda

1 cup white vinegar
1 cup baking soda

1 cup washing soda (I found this in Woolworths on the top shelf for about $4). I have read that you can make your own washing soda by putting baking soda in the oven for a long time but I didn’t do this. Simple Google it if you'd like to make your own.

1/4 cup liquid castile soap (the same stuff I used for the shampoo)

This recipe took me back to high school; I had the baking soda and washing soda in a bowl and tipped the vinegar straight in - BIG MISTAKE!!!! It was an instant volcano in my kitchen. Instead, my second batch saw me slowly adding the vinegar and then the liquid castile soap. Just keep stirring, just keep stirring, just keep stirring, it will harden up and continually stirring (or shaking.if in a sealed container) will keep it in a powder form. Add essential oil (before the vinegar) for a nice scent.

The final product

I hope that you've enjoyed this weeks blog - feel free to leave a comment. See you soon!

A test of the tastebuds

Sugar Free Recipe Facebook Group

The last couple of weeks has seen me getting my hands (and kitchen) dirty as I have been trialing and testing out numerous sugar free recipes for my family and me. Some have been a complete flop and others a wonderful scrumptious suprise. I've started a sugar free Facebook group where I've been sharing some of these recipes and inviting others to do the same.   Click here to join this page and check it out.

My sweet potato bread

A couple of interesting things happened while I was doing all this cooking. I cooked Sweet Potato Bread, which included 1/4 cup of rice malt syrup and some sultanas.  I woke up in the morning with ants all over my kitchen bench and when I followed the little ants trail, they were feasting on my Sweet Potato bread! At that moment, I realised that the use of sultanas and rice malt syrup probably attracted these ants to my bench and I wasn't suprised. It reminded me of a book I read which mentioned sugar being used in toothpaste. One of the telltale ways of seeing if there is sugar in your toothpaste is waking up to see ants climbing all over it....Mmmmm



Russell and Kelly



While I was going crazy for homemade bread, I also made carrot, coconut and cocoa bread. No, the ants didn't make it to this bread. It didn't stay on the bench long enough as we took it to my mother in laws house for an after dinner treat. When Ben and I tried this bread, we couldn't believe it. It was sooooooooooooo sweet, yet I had added no refined sugar, just rice malt syrup, raw cocoa and sultanas. We toasted it and spread it with butter and were LOVING it. I was rather excited sharing it with Jean (my Mother In Law) and the following day I shared it with my good friends Russell and Kelly. It was at that moment that I realised that what is sweet to us (my family) does not mean sweet to others. "Isn't it amazing?", I said to Kel and Russ. I got no reply. Russell just glared at me as he was slowly chewing (he reminded me of Mr Ed the talking horse with a mouthful of peanut butter) and Kelly was scrunching her nose up. When Kelly told me that it tasted like cardboard, I couldn't believe it. I kept telling them that it was so sweet to me and that I was even considering keeping the sultanas out next time to reduce the sweetness. Russell's eyes perked up "Sultanas!!!  Where??? Give me one"...he was searching for some kind of sweetness. Then I realised, to Russell (who had drunk a bottle of Coke earlier) and to Kelly (who also enjoys her sugar), this bread was no comparison. I then gave them some more so that I could take their photo when Russell said, "Do I have to eat this?". I shook my head as I was scooping up the last of the crumbs to eat. We just had to laugh, but boy, what an insight!

I've finished reading "Eat Fat Lose Fat" by Dr Mary Enig & Sally Fallon, and have written a little book review in my 'Reading List' post. To keep it short, if you're interested in improving your health and losing weight, read this book. I'm now reading Sugar Blues, written by Willliam Dufty in 1975.

Did you know that Sugar Blues was a song written in 1931? It coincides with the prohibition, which saw an increase in the use of corn and sugar (for home brew). Here are the lyrics.

SUGAR BLUES, EVERYBODY'S SINGING THE SUGAR BLUES
THE WHOLE TOWN IS RINGING
MY LOVIN' MAN'S SWEET AS HE CAN BE
BUT THE DOGGONE FOOL TURNED SOUR ON ME

I'M SO UNHAPPY, I FEEL SO BAD
I COULD LAY ME DOWN AND DIE
YOU CAN SAY WHAT YOU CHOOSE, BUT I'M ALL CONFUSED
I'VE GOT THE SWEET, SWEET SUGAR BLUES, MORE SUGAR!
I'VE GOT THE SWEET, SWEET SUGAR BLUES

Crazy as a coconut

I am going to share a few basic facts about coconuts and why they are so amazing. In this blog, I will talk about the various coconuts products - and how they can be useful from cooking to camping.

Before I begin, please be mindful that if you are new to coconut products, do not start 'over' consuming coconut oil in your diet. Coconut oil is not digested in the same way as other fats. It does not need bile to digest, as it is directly absorbed. If you are not used to coconut oil, this direct absorption may cause a tummy ache or two if you are all of a sudden filling your digestive system with the stuff for the first time. I suggest that you start off with only a couple of tablespoons of coconut each day and see how your go. Slowly increase this over time.

Me up a coconut tree

Here are basic coconut products and common uses are written in blue:

• Coconut Oil: White when solid, creamy coloured when liquid. It melts between 21 and 24 degrees Celsius. It can be a great temperature gauge!  Coconut oil can be found in most supermarkets and speciality stores. Look for virgin coconut oil, which means that the extraction of oil did not involve high heat or harmful chemicals. Aim to pay less than 2c/ml of virgin coconut cold pressed oil made from the flesh and not copra. Copra oil will be described as 'refined' or 'just plain'. Avoid this oil. Coconut oil made from copra usually involves the use of harsh chemicals to bleach and clean the oil. At the moment, I purchase 5L of virgin coconut oil for $62 - this is on the Sunshine Coast. USES: Unlike olive oil, coconut oil can withstand higher heats so it is great to cook with. Common everyday uses for coconut oil include, add to baked goods, stir frys, stews, desserts, add to your tea and coffee and drinks such as smoothies and juices. Mary Enig (author of Eat Fat Lose Fat) recommends making an oil blend by heating 1 cup of coconut oil with 1 cup of sesame oil and 1 cup of olive oil. This will give you a great oil to use in everyday cooking without an overwhelming coconut flavour. You can even use this for salads.

• Coconut Milk: When coconut flesh is pulverised in water and squeezed, a rich creamy liquid drips out of the meat - this is coconut milk. Slightly sweeter and creamier than cows milk it is best to use whole coconut milk and not 'lite' versions. USES: Can be used to make smoothies (combine with full cream milk if the flavour is too overpowering), very common in curries and stews, can be frozen with fruit to make ice cream, use in your coffee or pancakes, use when making oats etc. Simply use coconut milk instead of 'cows' milk in any recipe or dish.

• Coconut Cream: Coconut milk, when left standing will separate into coconut cream (top) and a watery liquid (on the bottom). For this reason, coconut cream contains less water and is a thicker creamier liquid. USES: Whip chilled coconut cream to ice cakes, have on pancakes or with fresh fruit. For a thicker creamier taste - add to curries and stews etc.

• Coconut Water: Coconut water is the clear sweet liquid inside young coconuts, usually around 7 months old. USES: great beverage to add to smoothies or juices or just on ice with fresh lime, lemon or orange. A great hydrating drink to use after exercising. Freeze into ice cubes to add to any drink this summer!

• Desiccated Coconut: Desiccated Coconut is the coconut meat shredded or flaked very coarsely and then dried to remove as much moisture as possible. Dessicated coconut can be very fine or coarse depending on the process used. Be careful as some dessicated coconut can be 'sweetened' - so read all packaging carefully before buying so that you get the product that you're after.
• Shredded Coconut: A thicker version of dessicated coconut - shredded coconut is long thin shreds and flaked coconut is wider and thicker again. USES (shredded and dessicated): add to muesli, sprinkle on fruit, add to smoothies for texture, sprinkle on cakes and baked goods, dress savoury foods too!

• Coconut Butter: This is made from whole coconut flesh with all the fats and solids included. The oil and flesh meld together to made a creamy texture that spreads well. USES: spread on toast, pancakes, waffles etc, mix with peanut butter or honey to create your own 'spread', spread on a cob of corn and add to muesli bars etc

• Coconut Flour: Put simply, this is dried, ground up coconut meat. The difference between this and dessicated coconut is that the fat has been removed from coconut flour as part of processing. USES: Coconut flour DOES NOT perform the same as grain based flours.It absorbs moisture quickly and is NOT equivalent to grain based flours so do not simply 'substitute it'. My suggestion is to follow a recipe that is designed with coconut flour to begin with.

• Creamed Coconut: This is pure coconut flesh pulverised and moulded into blocks and is hard unlike coconut cream which comes in a can as a liquid. You can use creamed coconut in very much the same way you use coconut cream - just melt it down first.

Using Coconuts outside the kitchen

When you use coconut oil on your skin for the first time, you may notice a small outbreak of small pimples, but this is actually a cleansing effect, and it soon clears up. For skin care, be sure to use virgin coconut oil as it has not been treated with harsh chemicals (Eat Fat Lose Fat, Dr Mary Enig & Sally Fallon, 2006., p.283)

Keep a separate container or bottle of coconut oil that you plan to use for 'beauty' reasons so that your fingers are not dipping in and out of the jar and then being used for cooking.

Bath Oil: Simply add to your bath with a few drops of essential oil - melt some coconut oil, add essential oils and put into a jar to have in your bathroom. You could add some fresh lavender for some texture and it looks pretty. This makes a great homemade gift.

After bath moisturiser: After a bath, rub some coconut oil into your skin - it'll feel so soft!

Make Up Remover: Coconut Oil is also great for removing make up!

Body Scrub: Mix coconut oil with brown sugar for a sweet body scrub.

Lip Balm: Keeping some in a small container for lip balm will keep your lips hydrated. Just be mindful that heat will liquify this lip balm so be careful when you open up your jar that it hasn't melted.

Facial Moisturiser: Simply use a small amount and massage into your face - be mindful of doing this and staying out of the sun!

Foot Treatment: Mix some coconut oil with some peppermint oil and rub all over your feet including dry spots. Put on a pair of socks and keep on overnight. Add salt to make it a foot scrub and moisturizer before you shower.

Hair Treatment: Rub coconut oil into your hair, leave on for 15+ minutes and rinse. You can also mix it with your own shampoo or conditioner

Fungal Infections: Mix 1 cup of coconut oil with 1 teaspoon of tea tree oil - great for fungal infections and rashes

Warts: Warts will often disappear after applying coconut oil to them several times a day.

Insect Repellent: If you'd like to stay away from insecticides such as DEET (commonly found in insect repellents) make your own. Simply mix 1 cup of coconut oil with 1 teaspoon of catnip oil and 1 teaspoon of other oil such as citronella, lemongrass, peppermint or tans. (Dr Mary Enig & Sally Fuller)

Deodorant: Simply use under the arm for a natural deodorant that won't stain your clothes!

If you would like to read about the medicinal (both traditional and modern) benefits of coconuts visit the Coconut Research Center website.

At my one of my favourite places... Chili Beach, Cape York
Coconut heaven!

Sugar is not love

I am happy to say that my enthusiasm and interest in the health and well being of my family is only strengthening. The more I read about our nutition, the more I am intrigued to find that next book.

 So far, my sugar free lifestyle has been a relatively easy transition (never thought a once sugar addict could ever say that!). Apart from the occasional craving for sugar, sugar is no longer an issue. 



The two smallest (and most important) reasons
 why sugar is no longer in our lives.



I just finished reading 'Little Sugar Addicts', which is a must for anyone with children in their care. What I took from this book was about our childrens ability to maintain a sense of 'calm' and how food affects their behaviour. I have learnt to make sure that there is sufficient protein in Ruby's diet and she has a source of protein with every meal and every snack. Peanuts, cheese, eggs and meat are examples of these. I can see now when Ruby is running 'low' by her moods. She becomes upset, frustrated, emotional and/or tired and I know now to give her something to eat containing protein. It has made me more aware of how often she eats and what she is eating. She eats at regular intervals and I insist on this. I know that if dinner is running late and it has been a while since her afternoon tea to give her some crackers with peanut butter on them. It has made an INSTANT change in her behaviour. It is like reading a book and knowing the contents page! I am very impressed. Ruby was already eating very well, but this is just improving that even more.

  I also read a section in the book about 'special occasions'. It talks about being prepared and planning for occasions where there will be an abundance of sugar (Easter, Christmas, Birthdays etc). It got me thinking about how I was going to cope with my two children on these occasions.

Click on my reading
list for my book review

Easter is easy, I've already thought about it - no more filling up the basket with sugar, but instead books, clothes, games and any other Easter/bunny/egg material.

Christmas - that is also pretty easy, just make sure Ruby and William have enough 'good food' in front of them first and talk about it with them both beforehand.

But birthdays is more difficult for me to comprehend. I have read that beating the sugar addiction for children means no more birthday cakes - to break the 'tradition', but my husband and I have been talking about it and I'm not sure if it will be that easy. After all, it isn't just her birthday that we're talking about, it is everyone elses too. Anyhow, this is still a topic that I'm deep in thought about. I know that when Ruby has her 4th birthday next year, I will be working my magic in creating a sugar free party for her and her friends and I'm happy with that - I'm just not sure about the whole cake thing. Do birthday parties always have to have a traditional cake?


Who wants to live
happily ever after?

My answer is NO.



 I love Ruby and for her 4th birthday next year, I will show her that I love her by feeding her healthy nutritious food that she will feel good eating (both before and after!). I know that some people will read this and think 'oh, poor Ruby.... she's gotta have cake on her birthday' and may even think that I'm too disciplined. But, I'm not saying 'no' to cake. I'm saying no to the traditional sugar filled cake with a party full of cupcakes, lolly bags, soft drinks and chocolate. I want to create a birthday party where Ruby and her friends have a fantastic time playing, eating, drinking and celebrating without the sugar. It is possible.

Google 'sugar free parties' before
your next party

One of the most important things in all of this though is having the support of friends and family. It wouldn't be easy if my friends and family rocked up with soft drink and donuts. So far, most people in my life have accepted and respected our choices, but occasionally, I have to smile and relax as Ruby is offered a sugary treat. When this happens, Ruby looks straight at me as if to say "Mum, can I have it?". I know she wants it, but she isn't sure what to do because she knows that 'mummy doesn't approve becaise it is not good for her'.  I'm not sure how I feel about all this. The angel on my left shoulder is telling me that I am doing the right thing by saying 'no' to her having that cupcake but the little devil on my right is saying 'give it to her...she's only three". And this is the dilemma I am faced with. Most times I compromise. She can have the cupcake after she eats her lunch, (which is always nutritious). That way, we have met half. The last thing I want is for my daugther to be shoving her face with cupcake as she hides in the bathroom! Luckily, this doesn't happen very often, so I just go with it when it does.

Sugar is not love

The book also talks about how we relate sugar to 'love'. Our society says "I Love You" with sugar and I hate that!!!!   I love you, so I bought you a block of chocolate......I love you, and baked this double chocolate mud cake with chocolate icing on it... I love you....so I bought us a packet of chocolate biscuits to have with the movie tonight. This is why we have so many options of 'chocolate gift boxes' and you can even buy a chocolate bouquet! This is why we have birthday parties for kids FILLED with sugar treats and a big fat sugar cake. Because we love them and we want them to be happy and feel good. There is a reason why chocolate makes us feel so good. DId you know that eating choclate makes you happy because it contains phenylephylamine - the same hormone the brain triggers when you fall in love. This is science!
These traditions are poisoning our children and our children's children. We need to step away from the sugar bowl and start opening our minds to creating healthy nutritious meals and snacks for all occasions.