It's been an interesting adjustment however, I have become accustom to reading the fine print on every product I pick up and it's mindblowing how many household products contain sneaky sugar! From obvious things like bread and fruit jucice to more inconspicuous items like tomato sauce and pasta bake.
In quitting sugar this means that not only is your standard table sugars out (white, raw, caster, icing) but you can count out agave nectar, cane sugar, honey and fruit.
So about artificial sweetners?
Well Aspartame is one of the most dangerous substances that is added to food. It is sold under the brand names Equal and NutraSweet. Aspartame is an artificial sweetener/sugar substitute and one of the most common sweeteners used today. It is a white crystalline powder made up of three chemicals – aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and methanol. Aspartame is about 200 times sweeter than sugar, but contains no calories and can be deadly to diabetics. Prolonged consumption can lead to Headaches/migraines, Dizziness, Seizures, Nausea, Numbness, Muscle spasms, Weight gain, Rashes, Depression, Fatigue, Irritability, Vision problems and the list goes on. Best to stay well clear.
What can I use?
Well once all traces of sugar have left your system you will find that things that were once not sweet taste sweet. But for those of you that want a sugar taste in baking then Stevia (concentrate of the Natvia plant) is your go to product. Those of you who use it know it’s extremely sweet. In fact, this remarkable noncaloric herb, native to Paraguay, has been used as a sweetener and flavor enhancer for centuries.
Coconut is going to become one of my best friends over the next few weeks, months or years (depending on how long I can keep it up). But it's a fruit you say! Well yes, but it's special. Coconut doesn't contain any fructose (which is a bad form of sugar as our bodies aren't designed to breakdown fructose) which makes coconut natures wonder product. Don't get confused with coconut sugar either - this is bad stuff - it's made from the sap of the coconut plant and provides no health benefits. More on the benefits of coconut later.
Through cutting out sugar you also naturally cut out bread and pasta, which is a bonus in my case as I am cutting out all gluten to see if it affects my eczema. So far my skin is still the same but I feel clearer, lighter and less bloated - booyeah!!
Well better put my clear unfoggy head to good use.
Till next time
Nic xx
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