The WhyOne afternoon at work, a few months ago, I was daintily nibbling on a Snack Right Fruit Slice with Sultanas and Chocolate (Yuuuum! Right?), I suddenly wondered how much sugar am I consuming every day? Well, I figured the only way to find out is to give it up and see how many times in a day where I would reach for the sugar sticks (my Bushell’s tea) or the scrumptious biscuits in the kitchen or the luscious slice of cake in the fridge or… I’d better stop there or it’s going to be a neverending list!I did no research, no prep, I just gave up sugar cold turkey. Weeellll… the first week flew by, no problems, and I even lost a kg or so. Second week, headaches all day long! I didn’t particularly connect the dots at first that these headaches were sugar withdrawals! How awful! And then… of course, my husband had to tell everybody how cranky I’ve been! Unfortunately, I just couldn’t keep up anymore, so I stopped there (ie. I had 2 huge scoopfuls of gelato).Hence, when I saw this book on NetGalley, I couldn’t help myself but to check it out and see what kind of information I was missing which would have helped me then.The WhatThis book is a follow up on Connie Bennett’s first book, Sugar Shock! In hindsight, I probably should have read that one first. Nevertheless, I think this book still provides more information that I cared to know about sugar (because I’d prefer to be blind still and enjoy my daily sugar hit).Interestingly, Connie herself wasn’t overweight but she had a lot of health issues which disappeared when she gave up sugar. There were many other testimonies in this book as to how lives were changed & much improved when sugar was removed.There were 2 (foodie) lifestyles:1. S.A.D.: Standard American Diet **Not good**2. SWEET: Savor Wholesome, Exciting, Energy-producing foods and activities that Turn on your better life of Mind-Body-Spirit balance. Bit of a mouthful, don’t you think? but it’s the idea of the whole bookThese are used continuously throughout the book to highlight the new ‘good’ bits of life and how to persevere.The scary bit is when sugar is being compared to heroin:…”The difference between sugar addiction and narcotic addiction is largely one of degree.” He goes on to explain: “After all, heroin in nothing but a chemical. They take the juice of the poppy and they refine it into opium and then they refine it to morphine and finally to heroin. Sugar is [also] nothing but a chemical,” Duffy continued. “They take the juice of the cane or the beet, and they refine it to brown sugar and finally to strange white crystals.”Connie included some facts and data researched to uphold her statements. The book is geared to assist others in kicking their sugar habit in 6 weeks (!) so there were a lot of practical pointers too. Mostly though what you need is support, so if you can’t look to people closest to you, there are online supports.A couple of useful tips:Using apple cider vinegar, or lemon or lime juice with meals helps you digest carbohydrates more slowly, which keeps your glucose levels stable and can lower your blood sugar by as much as 30 percent, according to Dr. Gittleman.Sugar Challenge: You’re really tired. That’s a big trigger for many.Solution: Take a nap, boogie to your Woo-Hoo, Feel-Good Tune, call a Break-Free Buddy, or listen to a ten-minute meditation download.The WhereforeI can’t. I’m just not willing to give up the sweetness in my life :p I am a Sugar Addict.There’s Sugar Shock Quiz in chapter 2 and I’m happy to say that I’m a “mild case”. I’ve always been on the chubby side of my acceptable range of weight / BMI but I’m not overweight. I’ve not got any health issues at the moment, so I figured I’m right for now. However… that’s not going to stop me from lightening up on my sugar intake (oh btw, she meant ALL sugar – including sweeteners, so none of those or CARBS, nothing, nada!) Oh, and for me to give up white rice – OMG, I may be disowned by my family (note I’m of Chinese decent which means I grew up eating rice 2-3 times a day).Maybe one day, when I have one of those epiphany days (like the one above), I may fully commit to kicking sugar off but a half-hearted one will never do. There are a lot of affirmations & commitments you’d have to make to kick out your sugar habit for good. But for now…*I don’t take sugar with my coffee (I’m making exception for black tea)*Will boogie when I’m tired so I don’t go for those bikkies in the pantry before dinner (plus my 2 yo will never let me nap so dancing together is a much better option)*lemon / lime juice when consuming rice*and more sleep… (how am I supposed to do that when I’m behind with my reviews?! LOL)
