NO ADDED SUGAR | MY SUGAR-FREE JOURNEY

[This post contains gifted boots from CUCU Fashion]

An article popped up on my phone around a month ago that spoke about the amount of hidden sugar in our food. As soon as I read that article there was no looking back – I was a changed woman.

Sugar is a poison and is tucked away in so many foods that you would never know contained it. With frozen meals that contain upwards of 45g of sugar and tinned soup that contains around 10g of sugar – how is anyone supposed to stick to the 30g recommended sugar allowance per day? Especially those on a lower income.

Shepherd's Pie seasoning sachets contains over 10g of sugar per 1/4 (when prepared). Who would have thought that a simple Shepherd's Pie contained so much sugar? And then straight after a hearty meal most people 'fancy something sweet' when we've just unknowingly consumed over 1/3 of our daily recommended intake – so of course then we grab a yogurt that contains upwards of 14g of sugar and 'boom' then you've almost consumed your full allowance of sugar for the day. Who knew that a Shepherd's Pie and a 'healthy' fruit yoghurt contained so much added sugar?

After finding all of this out I've researched and read the labels of SO many food and drink products. I'm stunned at how uneducated most of us are – there are just SO many foods that you'd never believe to contain the sugar that it does. 

Because of the hidden sugars, added sugars and because of the bad effects of sugar I've decided to break up with my good friend and cut out sugar. To lose weight? No. I'm perfectly happy being a cute and curvy little chickpea – I love my curves, my rolls and my chub. To be healthier and to prolong my life? Of course.. I mean, who wouldn't want to be healthier, more energetic and more environmentally friendly in the process?

So, you're probably wondering what steps I'm taking to cut down on sugar.. well here's what I'm currently doing:

- I'm cutting down on dairy milk. I'll still have the occasional cup of tea with skimmed milk in it, but oat milk is my new best friend and the milk that shall be accompanying my coffees, teas and cereals for the foreseeable. It doesn't taste much different to skimmed milk and to be honest, it makes coffee taste much creamier. I'm using the Alpro Unsweetened Oat Milk which contains 0g of sugar per 200ml, whereas my usual skimmed milk contains 10g of sugar per 200ml – it's a no-brainer if you ask me.

- I've cut out crisps completely. I love rice cakes and popped chips, so I didn't even need to think twice about converting. Most crisps don't contain more than 2g of sugar per pack, but the fat content is pretty high, as is the salt content. I'd much rather munch on a cheese rice cake that contains under 0.50g of sugar and 0.30g of fat.

- I've also cut out biscuits and chocolate. With a chocolate digestive containing around 6g of sugar – is it really worth it? For me, no. Instead I've been exploring sugar-free and low sugar brands. I have also found an amazing substitute for chocolate, a range called Chocologics which contains 0.5g of sugar for 4 segments of dark chocolate and 3g of sugar for 4 segments of milk chocolate – 4 segments of no added sugar chocolate makes the perfect weekend treat. 

- I've cut out cake. Although I bake A LOT I don't really eat a lot of what I bake as I tend to send it to family and friends. It's been quite easy to cut out cakes and baked goods, although I will be investing in a sugar free baking cookbook at some point. I have also discovered a sugar substitute – xylitol – it can be used in baking and on cereal. It's the perfect sugar that doesn't spike blood sugar nor contain any sugar whatsoever (I'll be doing some baking recipes with this sugar-free sugar soon).

- I have one glass of Whole Fruit juice per day (these contain naturally occurring sugars).

- I eat 5+ of my recommended fruit allowance per day – usually a glass of Whole Fruit juice and 1 piece of fruit per day, and then 3 or 4 portions of veg. I'm really into peppers, red onions, courgettes, mushrooms, tomatoes, peas, carrots, brussel sprouts and sweet potatoes. 

- I did attempt to cut out processed meat by trying the Cauldron Vegetarian sausages. I was open to swapping them completely and was excited to try them. I had tried Quorn a few times before and couldn't stand the texture, but was 100% up for trying some new meat alternatives. I tried the Cauldron meat-free sausages and I just couldn't warm to the texture at all.. I found them to be chewy and stringy and lumpy – I couldn't finish them and ended up having a plate of red peppers, mushrooms, courgettes and then a glass of sugar-free pepsi max (and I'm not a big fan of fizzy drinks at all). 

- I've also started snacking on healthier foods – olives, natural yogurt, roasted chickpeas, edamame beans and almonds.

So.. there's the steps I'm taking to cut down on added sugars. I'm excited for this journey because sugar is toxic, addictive and something I've consumed a lot of for far too long (mostly unknowingly). I'm not doing this to lose weight, I'm not doing this to go on a diet and I'm not counting calories – I'm simply being mindful as to what I'm putting into my body.. not to shrink myself, not to get 'skinny' and not to 'look better' (because I'm already hot as hell).. there's nothing wrong with anyone waking up a bit and realising how harmful sugar really is.

Although I'm cutting sugar out *almost completely* I will sometimes treat myself to a little sugary treat, but I will always be mindful and skeptical. For instance I bought some free-from digestive biscuits the other week, they contained 2g of sugar and were eaten with caution. 

I'll be sure to update you with how this all goes. But in the meantime, I'm urging you to check the labels of the foods you eat (especially the foods that you wouldn't believe contain sugar). It's truly eye-opening and I'm so glad I discovered how toxic sugar is.

We cut toxic people out of our lives.. so why not the toxic food?

Outfit details:

Cropped jumper and trousers - Primark
Croc ankle boots gifted from CUCU Fashion