Image supplied by Cadburys
OK, so I’ve been off the sugar for almost 2 months now. I wont pretend that it’s not been tough – it’s been very tough indeed but the more I read the more I find out about the detrimental effects of sugar on one’s health and the more convinced I am that this is the right thing to do, at the very least for the sake of my ear itching dilemma. It’s this, and other benefits (see below) that I keep in mind when I reluctantly refuse yet another custard cream at the mother and toddler group.
I know you’re dying to ask me if avoiding sugar has had an effect on my ears – I have to say that I think it has. Although I do still have to have a little dig in there every now and again, not nearly as much as I used to so I definitely think that sugar was the main culprit, unless there is something else in sugar that I am allergic to. The trouble is that it’s really tricky to avoid sugar completely. I tried sugar free ketchup and mayonnaise and they taste not too dissimilar to baby vomit so I gave in and continued with the regular brands which do contain sugar. I also eat sugar free jam, but the very fact that it has fruit in means it has fruit sugars in, and I think fruit sugar has much the same effect on my poor lugs.
So there you go. I know I have to some extent failed in my quest to eliminate sugar from my diet completely but I have stuck to my guns when it comes to cakes, biscuits, cereals. I’ve not had one measly biscuit now for as long as I remember, well a couple of months anyway. I have however been making the most delish sugar free banana and sultana cake and is about the only treat I give myself, well that and lashings of sugar free jam on toast.
I can’t say I don’t miss the goodies though – I really, really do but I’m slowly building up momentum and I can even let a chocolate bourbon pass by my nose now with hardly a whimper from my lips. Eventually I hope to be at the stage where I gag at the sight of a bar of Dairy Milk – I think cows might fly before that actually happens.
I have noticed other benefits to not eating sugar, others have too. I’ve actually lost about 5 pounds in weight. Yes, that’s right, completely unintentionally but because I am avoiding all those little nibbles of biscuits, cakes and chocolate my weight is slowly but steadily decreasing, well that is unless the scales are playing a very sick joke on me!
A friend said to me just last week “have you had something done – you look so much brighter” Cheeky cow – what are you saying like? But then I realised it was the lack of sugar, it has made my complexion brighter – I definitely feel it in my skin too, it’s softer, on my face and body. My legs used to be like crocodile scales, (do crocs have scales? Note to self – must check this!!) but now they are as soft and moisturised as a pan of melted chocolate – hmmmm.
I have to say that I’ve not been quite as strict with my boys as I have myself – the way I see it, why put my poor children through the torture of not eating yummy treats just because I’m stupid enough. I do feel though that they should eat fewer sweet treats, especially after all the stuff I’ve been reading about the harmful effects of sugar. I am, slowly, reducing the amount of tempting lovely chocolatey, sugary treats that enter the house. The bonus is that they just love my banana and sultana cake!
So there you have it, I’ve (almost) given up sugar and as a result, my ears itch much less (damn ketchup!) I’ve lost weight, my skin is nicer, and I’m a right grumpy cow 24/7. Didn’t I mention that last bit? oh, I do apologise!!!