No refined sugar
Vivian and I have taken on a challenge of eating no refined sugar for a month -- April 10 to May 10. Things like honey and dark molasses are OK, but anything just called "sugar", brown sugar, and the ubiquitous high fructose corn syrup are all out.
Why do it? Multiple health reasons, of course. I've already learned a lot about different kinds of sugars, and how much sugar food companies add to various foods. I'm hoping to learn a ton more. I'm also hoping to break my addiction to eating whatever sweets are available in the lounge at work. And eating less sugar in the USA almost certainly means I'm consuming less refined corn -- and those companies are getting less of my money -- so that's good. Vivian has done something similar before, and remembers feeling more healthy and energetic after a couple of weeks, and she's looking forward to that.
So far it's been fine, really. It's not hard to come up with a lot of foods that don't have any refined sugar. It's also stunning how many do. I'll post what I'm learning soon. It does mean that it's basically going to be impossible to go out to eat for the month, unless we want to ask every restaurant for their ingredient list, since sugar sneaks unnecessarily into so many things.
I don't, and likely won't, believe that sugar is fundamentally evil. But the really refined versions might be, and I'm sure I've been eating too much of it.
Why do it? Multiple health reasons, of course. I've already learned a lot about different kinds of sugars, and how much sugar food companies add to various foods. I'm hoping to learn a ton more. I'm also hoping to break my addiction to eating whatever sweets are available in the lounge at work. And eating less sugar in the USA almost certainly means I'm consuming less refined corn -- and those companies are getting less of my money -- so that's good. Vivian has done something similar before, and remembers feeling more healthy and energetic after a couple of weeks, and she's looking forward to that.
So far it's been fine, really. It's not hard to come up with a lot of foods that don't have any refined sugar. It's also stunning how many do. I'll post what I'm learning soon. It does mean that it's basically going to be impossible to go out to eat for the month, unless we want to ask every restaurant for their ingredient list, since sugar sneaks unnecessarily into so many things.
I don't, and likely won't, believe that sugar is fundamentally evil. But the really refined versions might be, and I'm sure I've been eating too much of it.