Hi guys, just thought I'd share what my full answers to the interview questions were. And thanks so much to Judith Tan from TNP for taking the time to interview me on them! I know the article was about cutting out processed sugar entirely but I do still have it on the rare occasion. If it happens to be in something I'm eating I'm not going to be too fussed about it!- Life is all about reveling in abundance and not worrying about restriction!
1. Why did you decide to cut processed sugar?I decided to cut out processed sugar because I was trying to get healthier and find a way to curb my tendencies to mindlessly binge. At a point of time in my life, I couldn't understand why I was always so hungry even after eating a full meal. Through a lot of research, I found that processed sugar had more detrimental effects on the body than dietary fat and read that an excessive intake of processed sugar caused an imbalance in the blood sugar levels causing people to crave more (sugary) food. I was also horrified to find out that high levels of processed sugar is in everything. Nevermind that it's in obvious choices like soda, pastries and cookies but it's even in 'healthier' options like low fat yoghurt, milk and pasta sauce. Since processed sugar is nothing but a nutrient-less quick energy source and I am not a marathon runner, I decided that I didn't need much of it in my life and began to limit my intake of it.
2. When did this happen?About a year ago.
3. Did it work to help make you a healthier person? In what way?It definitely did! For one, I had to learn how to read nutritional labels and that opened the doors to general all round healthy eating. I learnt that almost all packaged food contained some sort of harmful additive or was just imbalanced in some way. They were either too high in salt, sugar or fat and were engineered to keep consumers addicted to them. Since processed sugar is in virtually everything, I started to add more vegetables, fruit and lean meats to my diet to make up for all the things I could no longer eat. I soon began to delight in a diet made up of natural, nutritious whole foods. My skin started to glow and I stopped binge eating.
4. At any point did you backslide?Of course! It wasn't till I tried to get off processed sugar that I realised just what a drug sugar is. In the beginning I would restrict all products with sugar then cave and inhale 3 chocolate fudge cupcakes in one go. Like all girls on a diet, I initially beat myself up on the fact that I was not 'sticking to it' properly. Then I realised that if I really wanted to do this for health I needed to make it a lifestyle change and embrace freedom from processed sugar rather than miserably restrict myself from it. Instead of feeling upset I ate something sugary, I would now just eat more natural whole food like fruits and vegetables to make up for it. Over time, I gradually lost my tastebuds for unnaturally sweet and salty food. Now, more than a few mouthfuls of chocolate fudge cake feels like an assault on the tastebuds so my body naturally forces me to stop and I feel satisfied and happy with a few bites rather than miserably craving more.
5. How then did you overcome the temptation since everywhere we turn there seems to be a cake or cupcake or ice cream shop popping up?Eating healthier has really change my tastebuds so I no longer crave sugar products. Drinking carbonated sugary water now is literally a painful experience I do not enjoy. I delight in water! I do still have the occasional sweet tooth and will usually share a sweet treat with a friend or make my own sweet treat with whole foods. Walking pass confectioneries is not a problem. It's often birthday parties and other social functions that are more difficult to handle. It's unbelievable how much we center a celebration around sugar! At first I just kept silent and tried to go with the flow and eat whatever everyone was eating. Then I realised that this was helping neither myself nor my loved ones around me so i started to try and encourage everyone else to eat better as well. At social functions I bring non sugary tea and desserts with no processed sugar added. A chocolate mousse made out of banana, avocado and coacoa powder is a crowd favourite! I've discovered that people actually do want to be healthier and are curious about how to do. Putting myself out there and letting people see that I am reaping the benefits of such a lifestyle encourages others to try it too (even though there was a lot of ribbing and joking in the beginning! Isn't it strange how there seems to be some sort of glamourization of unhealthy eating?). Nowadays social functions are not a problem as the people around me are very obliging and do try to provide healthier options to cater to me. It makes me very happy to see other people eating healthily as well!
6. How would you advice someone who wants to do the same?First off, understand that it's not a short term diet nor is processed sugar the no. 1 enemy. Food should never be separated into forbidden and non forbidden categories. Fearing food and categorizing them can lead to a disordered relationship with food. Instead of miserably restricting yourself from it, embrace the fact that there is an abundance of gorgeously beautiful and tasty food that nature provides! Start to add more fruits, vegetables and meat into your diet instead and experience the natural sweetness from a juicy ripe mango. Start to cut down first on sodas, drink teas (sweetened with honey if you must) or water flavoured with real fruits. Then educate yourself on which products have high amounts of hidden sugar. Read nutritional labels. Cut down on packaged food and learn to cook simple meals. Bring your lunch to work. . Stay processed sugar free 80% of the time and enjoy the remaining 20% of the time sharing a sugary treat with a friend if the feeling strikes. Give yourself time, drink a lot of water and gradually, your taste buds will soon be reset. Indulgence to you will be a juicy watermelon instead of a tastebud assaulting coke! Good luck!
