I decided to quit sugar for a variety of reasons. It coincided with my body image issues and reducing sugar consumption could lead directly to weight-loss (or at least no weight-gain), so it seemed like a relatively easy option. It was also because the medication that I was taking at the time could lead to increased appetite and I was conscious of my struggle to only have one biscuit. It was also because since childhood, Dad kept saying that sugar is white death (together with salt and flour), so you should avoid sugary foods.
And so I've dumped sugar in favour of protein and healthy fats. I got really creative with my baking, replacing sugar with malt syrup. Veggies filled my fridge and random bits of healthy foods took place in the cupboard.
Is it easy? Not at all.
You do require quite a bit of free will to resist all the rice puddings, biscuits, cakes
Is it worth it? Certainly.
You might ask why all that fuss, but I do believe that you are what you eat, so diet is something that I pay particular attention to now.
There's been visible benefits already. I'm generally less hungry and less tired. I did, admittedly, get a little grumpy for a while, but I'm slowly overcoming this. My body slowly realises, that sugar will not be its fuel. I'm more mindful of what I eat. Quick fixes (see that ready-made pizza) still happen, but much less frequently. I don't get headaches so much if I don't have time to eat regularly. Wins all on sides.
The key is to be reasonable and kind to yourself. I do eat normal desserts sometimes. But I take even more pleasure with them, and I appreciate them more, because it is such an usual occurrence these days.
And now for the recipes.
I've been exploring IQS website and there's been quite a few good finds on there. My favourite is pumpkin protein bars. I was sceptical, and modified the recipe slightly (no protein powder, and baked the thing for 30 minutes), but the result is really tasty, perfectly satisfying all my cravings in the morning. Sweet potato brownies were not bad either, but next time I will actually melt the chocolate rather than keep it in bits to make up for the lack of the slow cooker.
And so I continue the sugar free adventures. Experiments on the horizon include energy balls and pumpkin amaranth porridge!
There's been visible benefits already. I'm generally less hungry and less tired. I did, admittedly, get a little grumpy for a while, but I'm slowly overcoming this. My body slowly realises, that sugar will not be its fuel. I'm more mindful of what I eat. Quick fixes (see that ready-made pizza) still happen, but much less frequently. I don't get headaches so much if I don't have time to eat regularly. Wins all on sides.
The key is to be reasonable and kind to yourself. I do eat normal desserts sometimes. But I take even more pleasure with them, and I appreciate them more, because it is such an usual occurrence these days.
And now for the recipes.
I've been exploring IQS website and there's been quite a few good finds on there. My favourite is pumpkin protein bars. I was sceptical, and modified the recipe slightly (no protein powder, and baked the thing for 30 minutes), but the result is really tasty, perfectly satisfying all my cravings in the morning. Sweet potato brownies were not bad either, but next time I will actually melt the chocolate rather than keep it in bits to make up for the lack of the slow cooker.
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