Friday 6 March 2015

The Sugar Lowering Challenge

I know that my post about cutting out sugar was very popular so I thought I would update you as to how I am getting on. There is an 8 week programme in Sarah Wilson's 'I Quit Sugar:Your Complete 8 Week Detox Programme and Cookbook' and when I first cut out sugar in my coffee I thought I would wait until my book that I ordered arrived before going fully on the programme. I was still eating fruit and really getting stuck into grapes which I normally eat like lollies when they are in season as I was under the impression that fruit was off the menu until after the 8 weeks were up.


I was pleasantly surprised tonight when I was flicking through the book, as I had forgotten what week I was up to, and read that after gradually cutting down on sugar for the first two weeks and then going cold turkey (and giving up fruit as well) at week 3, a small amount of fruit can be introduced again in week 6. Well, I mistakenly thought I was already in week 6 so just scoffed down a pear with unsweetened yoghurt and cinnamon and then checked my original post about giving up sugar and it was written not quite five weeks ago. Oops! No big deal though and I will plod along with the rest of the programme. 

 Goodbye pavlova

It is an interesting process when you have to take notice of what you actually eat in a day. Try it for a few days and you might be surprised. Comfort eating is a big issue for a lot of people and it is so easy to just pick up a 'little' chocolate at the checkout every few days or be tempted by those freshly baked hot cross buns that the supermarkets display at their entrance at this time of the year. Well, I am pleased to say that I haven't bought any of those this year but want to try to make David Gillespie's Hot Cross Buns if I can ever find the dextrose in the brewing section of the supermarket which I have had no success at doing so far. 


There are a number of sugar free recipes in Sarah Wilson's book and on her website  and some of them include ricotta cheese which we learned to make at one of our Simple Living Toowoomba workshops last year. You can find the recipe here. You only need milk and vinegar.


It is very easy to make and doesn't take long from start to finish.


I have also replaced our tomato sauce ( of which more than 1/4 was sugar) with homemade tomato sauce using the recipe from a friend's blog The Herb Barrow. I must say it is quite delicious and well worth the effort. I have frozen a few batches and they should keep us going for a while. 

If you would like to know more about lowering your sugar intake down to the recommended five to nine teaspoons a day then do check out the 'I Quit Sugar' website. There is now an article there about the latest WHO guidelines about sugar which have just been released. You might also be interested in reading about 'That Sugar Film'. You can also download a PDF sample of 'That Sugar Book' and subscribe to get an eBook of Damon's post experiment recipes. Damon's experiment was to find out what happened to his healthy body when he consumed only 'perceived' healthy foods which are in fact laden with hidden sugars like low fat yoghurt, muesli bars, juices and cereals. Very interesting!


Before I finish I must show you our new in-ground worm farm which we bought at ALDI for $20 last Sunday. I am not sure if they still have any in stock if any Aussies want one. They look pretty good. All I need now is for the CEO to recover from a frozen shoulder as he has to dig me a deep hole to put it in. He had an ultrasound and X Ray yesterday on his shoulder and it was confirmed today by his GP. 

He was on the cancellation list and was 25th on that list so we didn't think he would have it done until next week. We got a phone call saying there was a cancellation yesterday and could he be at the radiology clinic in 20 minutes. You better believe we could get there! Oops, I was going to fill the car up with petrol the other day wasn't I? No time for that so I very nervously drove him down to the CBD hoping we didn't run out of petrol on the way. What was that word of advice I heard once about considering a 1/4 tank of petrol to be an empty tank? You live and learn don't you? :-)


I am working on a Rag Rug tutorial and should have it ready by next week if I can find a few days when I am not visiting a doctor's surgery with the CEO. Have a relaxing weekend everyone. 










19 comments:

  1. Although I have cut down significantly on sugar in recent years, I'm not convinced that going without fruit is good for you. Staying away from refined sugar makes sense to me, but eating fresh and natural fruits and veg is such a major part of our diet. Do you find it difficult?
    It looks like you've been keeping busy, what a pity your husband has an injured shoulder!
    Your worm farm looks interesting, can you tell us what you think after it's in use?
    I look forward to the rag rug tutorial.

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  2. Kelly, fruit is restricted just for a few weeks only. Having heaps of vegetables is recommended of course. I will let you know how the worm farm goes. It looks interesting. The rag rug tutorial should be done soon.

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  3. I know that first bit of sugar after being off it, you notice the effect immediately. Best wishes to the CEO too.

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    1. I think that giving up the sugar in my coffee was the hardest part, Phil. Bad habits take a while to break, don't they?

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  4. glad to see the sugarless diet is going well, i swapped sugar out for honey & have not looked back, though recently i have been enjoying a homemade worcestshire sauce from a lovely lady who sells at our markets.
    love your new warm farm! looks like one of those Daleks out of Dr Who! let us know how it goes/works.
    thanx for sharing

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    1. It will be interesting to see how the worm farm goes, Selina. It does look a little odd.

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  5. Nanna Chel,
    When I came out of hospital after my hysterectomy last year I couldn't stand drinking coffee. I was a big coffee lover and always had two sugar in my coffee. I switched to tea and don't have sugar in my tea. it might not sound much but I was drinking up to five to six cups of coffee a day and I did notice a drop in the heartburn I was having.
    Now if only I can cut out the comfort eating and try to diet.
    Hope you have a good weekend and the CEO comes home healthy and happy.
    -Shiralee.

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    1. I have also cut down on the number of coffees I have in a day, Shiralee as I was drinking too much especially as I was putting a teaspoon of sugar in each cup.

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  6. Glad you really enjoyed that pear, Chel. I eat mine with yoghurt and cinnamon too. Dextrose will be available in a "Home Brew" shop if you have one in Toowoomba.

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  7. Yes Sandi, I just found one in a Google search. I have been surprised that I couldn't find it in the supermarket brewing sections though. Not sure if I will use it much though but would like to try making the hot cross buns unless you have a better recipe :-)

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  8. Good for you, this is not an easy challenge, I watched hubby go through this when he was diagnosed a diabetic and we struggled. We eat very little sugar but have tried coconut sugar and raw sugar and are careful how much fruit we eat at a sitting as it spikes his sugars. You might check out some diabetic websites for sugar free recipes as well. Hope the CEO recovers quickly.

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  9. Thanks for that recommendation, Kathy. It is not too bad apart from lowering the amount of fruit I eat as I used to eat heaps of grapes when they are in season.It's just like eating lollies. LOL!

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  10. I have cut back on processed sugar and that is all, but have discovered that Paleo style treats are just what I need. Supposedly healthier than bics and cakes, etc. Hope the CEO is improving.

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  11. There are some interesting Paleo recipes, Deb. The CEO now has such a painful foot that he can hardly walk. Honestly, it is just one thing after the other. I am wondering if it is gout caused by the pain killers. Who knows!

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  12. I dont want to talk about diets! I've been home for a visit and i actually had trifle for breakfast one day. What can i say, i miss my mothers cooking. Bad girl. Bad Bad girl. Jeepers, what a way to start the day though. Mum did say it was diet jelly though. (teehee)

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  13. Trifle for breakfast, Lynda! The mind boggles. LOL!

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  14. Having had 2 frozen shoulders (left then right) I know what your husband is going through. I found that a good massage therapist was much better, and cheaper, than the physio that I was getting

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  15. Dee, you wouldn't believe it but he has fixed it himself and now will need to cancel the appointment to have the cortisone injection. He rang his brother who has lived in Asia for many years and learned how to do accupressure. He told him over the phone what points to press on his body and he has been fine ever since. That was last weekend so it looks like it has worked well. It is not a pleasant problem to have I must say.

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    1. I did have cortisone both times, but if it happened again I would let my massage therapist know, actually she would be able to feel it any way. She is about a size 8 but the strenght in her hands is amazing

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