If you browse around the cookery section in book shops nowadays, you’ll come across many titles where the word “sugar” stands out. But these aren’t dessert recipes – they’re there to show you how you can live and cook without sugar. It’s a trend with an increasing number of followers and is represented by the hashtag #sugarfree on social media.
Recently, my friend told me that she has been going completely without sugar for a while. And that she has been doing it with her children. Her daughter, 14, kept going for three weeks while her son, 19, is still on board to some extent and apparently likes life without sweets. My friend believes it to be a good experience for everyone.
No sugar doesn’t just mean going without granulated sugar. No, the no sugar experts say that you should also ditch sweet foods like fruits and also regular pasta, at least to start with. This is so the body readjusts and effectively rids itself of sugar. If this happens, you benefit from the fact that your energy resources are balanced and you don’t experience the highs and lows that occur as a result of sugar consumption.
Of course, not everyone does it because they want to feel a bit fitter. For many people, doing without sugar is obviously a way of living more healthily. Even Jamie Oliver is fighting against excessive sugar consumption as the rate of diabetes among children has increased enormously, for example.
Whatever the motives, it is definitely worthwhile taking a look at your own sugar consumption and reducing this if necessary. Or you could even try giving up sugar yourself. My friend told
me that is was very difficult at the start. She had headaches and couldn’t sleep well – it was like withdrawal symptoms. However, she now feels clear in the mind and extremely fit.
If you want to read more, there are lots of blogs, such as “Familie Zuckerfrei”, a Swiss family that has ditched sugar: www.familiezuckerfrei.ch