Those of
you who have read my last post would be aware that for the past 26 days (and
for the next 3!) I have been doing a 'Sugar-free February' challenge in aid of
Cancer Research UK.
When I've
mentioned about doing the challenge, I've been met with a variety of responses,
from "Ooh, that must be hard", to "Do you feel healthier".
The truth is 1. it's not been as hard as I thought it would be, and 2. Yes I
do. I haven't lost much weight- at least not so much I could tell- but I do
feel better not eating those sugary snacks (and not snacking in general) When I
signed up for the challenge back in January, I even doubted myself. I could eat
a whole share bar of Galaxy to myself without much remorse or thought for the
consequences on my waistline, and then there I was vowing to not eat any of
that for a whole month- and it's a leap year! But I've been strict with myself
and have so far managed to swerve all the sweeties!
AND
adding to that achievement, I have raised £35 for Cancer Research so far! Ok,
it's not a bajillion pounds, BUT that £35 can go a long way for a charity such
as Cancer Research UK. I'd like to say a huge THANK YOU to each and every
person who has donated so far. It means a lot to know you are all supporting me
and the charity. Cancer has unfortunately affected many people's lives in some
form or another, and I'm proud to raise some cash to help them on their Cancer
fighting mission.
To add to
that, and to also expand on point 2 from earlier, I thought I would create a
little guide on how you can kick your sugar habit (or at least cut down). So,
whether you're also on the Cancer Research sugar free February journey,
struggling and counting down the days, or whether you just fancy trying to
control your sugar cravings in order to live a little healthier, then check out
my top tips!
1. Swap fizzy sweetened soft drinks for sparkling water and no added sugar squash
I'm not
sure about you all, but for me, having a refreshing can of Diet Pepsi at the
end of the day is just what I need after a long day. Yes, ok, its diet so sugar
isn't necessarily the biggest issue here, however,
the caffeine content was. While I was doing a sugar free diet, I
wanted to also make my diet healthier in general. So, in order to get the same
fizzy feeling without all the nasties, my tip is to grab
a sparkling water (about 17p for a 2 litre bottle in Tesco). Some may
reply to that with an "Urgh no way, sparkling water tastes horrible!"
and I would completely understand as I don't like it much either- when it's on its
own. However, to get through that sparkling water sharpness, simply get some
sugar free squash in whatever flavour you like, mix it in, sip it up and enjoy
a fuss free, sugar free and guilt free fizzy drink.
2. Swap the sugary snacks for fruit and yogurt
The sugar
free journey can be tough enough without going completely cold turkey and
swerving anything remotely sweet for fear of breaking the month long vow. You
needn't go without completely, all you need is 2 simple ingredients to make
something that will satisfy your cravings whilst still keeping on the healthy track.
Plain yogurt and fruit, it’s as simple as that. You may say you're not keen on
fruit, however, there's guaranteed to be a fruit out there that you like! Set
aside some time to take your taste buds on a journey to fruit fulfilment and
before you know it, you'll be munching on a good sugar alternative in no time!
For me personally, I like pineapple, grapes, strawberries, raspberries,
tangerines (or any easy peeler variety) to name but a few! Ok, so fruit has
Fructose in which is a type of sugar, however, our bodies process Fructose in
an entirely way to other refined sugars such as Sucrose or Glucose. Not to
mention that fruit is packed full of great nutrients and vitamins that are
vital for your health. Also, your body will process the natural sugar found in
fruit much more slowly, meaning you'll feel fuller for longer. As for the
second ingredient, yogurt, it has to be plain. Flavoured yogurts can bring
extra refined sugar into the equation and that's a big no-no. Again dairy has a
lot of nutrients as well as those amazing natural sugars. Oh and before you go
picking up the fat free yogurt- DON'T. While these yogurts may be fat
free, they will be full of other stuff such as refined sugar to help compensate
from the flavour that goes with the fat. Fat isn't necessarily a bad
thing, especially in this case. Our bodies need certain fats so don't hide away
from them completely! As for the flavour of the plain yogurt, yes it's a bit
boring on its own as by its very nature it's plain. However, mix in those
fruits and your once "boring" yogurt will come to life.
3. Don't sit there moping about sugary snacks- keep yourself busy
I for one
am that 'I'm only eating cos I'm bored' type. Sometimes it's hard to distinguish whether
you're actually hungry, whether you're thirsty, or whether you're just hungry
because of boredom. To solve all of those in one go, eat fulfilling meals,
always carry a water bottle with you to keep you hydrated and curb those pangs
of "hunger" and find something to keep you busy; whether that's
pottering about the house, reading that book you always said you were going to
finish but never did, or take up some exercise. And before you mention the gym,
you don't need one. All you need is some space, a WiFi connection and the
motivation to move. There are so many videos from the likes of Joe Wicks or
from the Fiit channels on Youtube that cover levels from complete beginner/
couch potato, to the fittest of fiddles. For me, it's been getting back into
reading again. I subscribe to a monthly history magazine and usually I struggle
to find the time to fully get into it. However, instead of thinking about
snacking, I'm thinking about everything in my magazine. I've also got into a
new BBC Sounds podcast called Mortem. See, as well as a keen fascination with
history (mostly Tudor and Victorian), I love to learn about the human body, its
anatomy and what happens when we've passed the pearly gates so to speak. Mortem
is hosted by mortician and author Carla Valentine and has so far explored the
behind the scenes of a murder from the perspectives of the various
professionals involved as they talk through their journey to finding out what
happened. It's an incredibly detailed and well thought out podcast that will no
doubt surprise you, so go give it a listen on the BBC Sounds app.
4. Bring your own food in for lunch
If, like
me, there's a snack table at your place of work/college/school then you'll know
how hard done by you feel when everyone else is gorging on cake, biscuits and
sweets and you're left staring like a lost puppy....and maybe you'll be
drooling too, who knows! While you can't partake in exactly what's on offer,
you can instead take your own packed lunch with extra healthier snacks so you
don't feel quite as jealous while everyone else tucks in. For me personally, I
try not to snack on anything as much as possible and wait until lunch. It gives
me extra motivation to get my work done for that reward of a tasty homemade
lunch. Also, homemade is definitely the way to go! Homemade doesn't have to
mean fancy la-dee-dah food either, even the simplest meals can be super tasty
and nutritious.
Matthew
made us the best spaghetti bolognese I've ever had! That day at work was a good
day!
5. Get yourself some cheerleaders
No, I don't mean that kind of cheerleader! I mean surround yourself by
people who believe in you and will support you in your sugar free mission.
Whether it's donating to the cause if you're doing it for charity, or
simply accommodating your sugar free diet or suggesting sugar free
meals to try out. Everyone needs someone on their side no matter what life has
in store, especially when life hands you a tough sugar free challenge! For me,
I've had several donations, messages of good luck, and Matthew has opted to go
on this sugar free journey with me. There are also many support groups filled
with people looking for a buddy to go sugar-free with, so looking into those
can offer you an extra boost. Some days can be better than others and after a
really hard day, sometimes all you want is a sugary snack. But, if you have
someone there to listen to you and to encourage you not to raid the sweet
cupboard, all those hard feelings will soon be left behind. And remember, it
doesn't matter who your cheerleader is; it could be your cat, your dog, your
best friend or a colleague, just something/someone who makes you feel at ease
and who will offer their support when you need it.
So, that brings us to the end of my 5 nifty sugar-free tips. I should
say at this point that I'm not a doctor or a trained dietician, so if you have
other conditions that could make going sugar-free a bit more
difficult, I'd suggest seeking doctors’ advice first. However, I hope I've
given you some (sugar-free) food for thought to help you embark on your own
sugar-free journey. So, with that all I have to say is good luck!
Just before I go! It's my colleague Asima's birthday today. She's a true
gem and I wanted to wish her a very happy birthday!
To donate to my sugar-free cause, Cancer Research UK, head to my
donations page here!
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