Remember when I first told you I gave up sugar? Well, I’m pleased to say things are going well and fortunately the less sugar I eat, the less I crave it. And when I do end up having a treat at the cafe or party, it tastes extra sweet, so one sweet treat is enough satisfaction.
Of course now that the holiday season is here all the chit-chat and groaning about sugar overload has started. Since I’m not immune to this oh-so-trendy subject here are my tips for avoiding the sweet stuff:
- Keep a steady supply of clementines handy. Mmmm, sweet, succulent orange-y crack goodness.
- A little raw, unprocessed honey is good straight off the spoon.
- Make lots of roasted sweet potato squares. Roasted to the point of carmelization, these could easily be classified as candy.
- Do not attend any cookie exchanges. Such events are just cruel.
- Eat lots of dates. But not too many, they… ummm… have a lot of fiber. Homemade power bars are good, too.
- Focus on the positive changes of eliminating sugar from my diet: fewer headaches, better skin and suddenly maintaining (and losing!) weight without even trying (Full disclosure, I don’t worry about my weight, but as this is a concern for some people, I thought I’d mention it).
- Reread New York Times article, Is Sugar Toxic? People, if this doesn’t motivate you to give up sugar, nothing will.
I feel compelled to mention I am concerned about sugar, not about fat and calories. I’ll still be eating lots of brie at all the parties I’ve been invited to home. And I’ll be honest: I am going to make my traditional Swedish Rice Pudding for Christmas and a batch of gingerbread (not cookies) from the aforementioned cookbook but I am happy to say that I am looking forward to a low-sugar holiday.
What about you, are you concerned about sugar? Or do you eat what you want over the holidays?
MaryAnne says
The only sugar I eat much of is chocolate. Which I'm sure I would still be better off without. I do eat less than I used to…
Those roasted sweet potato squares sound good – do you have a special recipe or is anything off google good?
Steph says
I'm very impressed! I first read the Sugar is Toxic article via your site and it made an impression on me. Since then, I've been cutting back my sugar cunsumption significantly, and we I do make something, I'm making an effort to use unprocessed sweeteners like sucanat and honey. I sure do notice that the more fat I eat, the less sugar I want. (I, too, treat myself to a nice, big hunk of brie quite often! I figure I work hard, I deserve it!) Since the spring we've cut back on flour at our house big time because I suspect gluten is NOT Pbig's friend, and I noticed those last two or three pounds leftover from pregnancy came right off without effort. Thanks for sharing your tips!