Going Cold Turkey on Sugar
Sugar has been bothering me for some time now! It is such a harmful substance and yet it is part of our everyday life. We even call it a treat!!!
As a Nutritionist I know that sugar is not good for us but as a Mum I find it increasingly difficult to avoid the stuff. It is LITERALLY EVERYWHERE and to top it all on many occasions I have been made out to be some kind of terrible Mum, ruining children’s fun, because I refuse to give my children too much sugar!
If we really look at the damage that sugar in our diets is doing, I think many people would have a change of heart about using the word ‘treat’!
In studies it has been concluded that sugar kills more people than tobacco and alcohol. How can we be happy to give our children a substance that does this!?
I know that many of you are already trying to keep sugar low and I applaud you because I know it is not easy.
My aim over the next month and the purpose of making my documentary is to educate and help you lead a healthier family life. To show you that raising sugar free kids is achievable or at least that keeping sugar low is a gift you can give to your family.
My family are going to be avoiding all refined sugars for the month of August. You can follow our progress HERE where we will be posting up lots of live videos and comments. You will also get to see what we are eating, the swaps we are making and probably the challenges we come up against (it being the school holiday and all!!!).
Did you know that we now consume in 2 weeks the amount of sugar we used to consume in an entire year? This increase has happened over the past 100 years. That’s a HUGE increase in sugar consumption.
The truth is that our bodies simply cannot cope with this constant drip feed of sugar!
Our sugar consumption is making us ill and killing us with diseases we know can be PREVENTED with the correct dietary and lifestyle choices.
The estimated cost to the NHS for treating type 2 diabetes is currently at £1.5m per HOUR!!!! This is a disease that is completely preventable and if caught earlier enough, completely reversable!!!
Just imagine where that money could go if we all watched our sugar intake.
Children should not have more than 5 teaspoons of sugar per day and adults no more than 10 teaspoons however, the average intake is actually this:
** Children under 10 yrs.: 15 teaspoons per day
** Teenagers: 18 teaspoons per day
** Adults: 15 teaspoons per day
[info taken from the national diet and nutrition survey.]
The effect on the body is massive. Our sugar intake effects EVERY cell in our bodies. It also effects our emotional and mental response.
Have a think about how you react when you are low in sugar! Or how your child reacts if they have had a lot of sugar!
If you haven’t already read the book, Pure, White and Deadly by Robert Lustig, I urge to do so as soon as possible.
I know sugar tastes nice and we all think a little bit of what you like is fine. I like sugar too – we are all addicted to the stuff because we are genetically built to seek it out. What a total ‘sh*t’ that is! An evolutionary flaw because nature did not foresee us being able to access sugar at every waking hour of every day!
The trouble is the saying “a little bit of what you like” really did expect you to only have a little bit of what you like. Not every day for breakfast, your mid-morning snack, your lunch, your mid-afternoon snack, your dinner, your TV watching snacks or your ‘I’ve been good’ snacks!
As uncomfortable as this is going to be – it’s time to reduce your sugar intake – teach your children that relying on regular sugar fixes is not the answer – it’s time to STOP giving Haribo out just to celebrate the opening of an envelope – it’s time we showed the food manufacturing companies that we do not want to eat their sugar loaded foods and drinks.
It is time to go sugar free………………
Follow our journey for great tips and to see how we get on, as a family with two kids aged 6 & 9 years during the school holidays!
Yes, it’s going to take a little more organisation, planning and cooking but think about the benefits to be rid of the sugar addiction. You will have more energy, better skin, improved concentration, level mood, balanced hormones, great sleep quality and you will be going a long way to protecting yourself and your kids from the big 4 killer diseases!
If we are all too busy to take a little time to feed ourselves and our kids a healthy diet, then we are going to have to find the time sooner or later to deal with illness and health problems.
I know what I’d prefer!
We can do this together – Would like to join us?
Could you and your family go sugar free for 7 days??
Please comment if you’d be interested in a 7 day plan for going sugar free with your family.
Me please. Pregnant with kids 5 and 8.
Ok. 7 days. Ill give it a go. Though it could be hell.
Yes I’d like to try this. Have told my 10 year old and his first reaction was shock horror but he’s now asking me questions about it so I might be able to get him on board!!