You may have noticed the anti-sugar movement gaining a lot of press lately. It seems everyone is ditching sugar and turning to sugar-free goodies to get their sweet fix. In this article, we explore the no-sugar movement and why it's becoming so popular.
Anti-sugar Advocates
One of the most prominent voices in the anti-sugar camp is blogger and former columnist Sarah Wilson. After the successful sale of her eBook 'I Quit Sugar', she is about to release a print version of the cookbook to help more people create sugar-free foods.
Sarah's involvement in the movement ignited after interviewing David Gillespie, author of the widely popular book 'The Sweet Poison' and 'The Sweet Poison Quit Plan'. Gillespie claims he lost 40 kilograms after cutting sugar from his diet. Since then Gillespie has published a new book, 'Big Fat Lies: How the Diet Industry is Making You Sick, Fat & Poor'.
Why Quit Sugar?
Gillespie opens 'The Sweet Poison Quit Plan' with these rousing words:
"Sugar makes you fat. It is converted directly to fat by your liver and it destroys your appetite control so that you want to eat more of everything. The more sugar you eat, the fatter you will be."
To prove his point, Gillespie compares stats and graphs that trace obesity back to 1910, when sugar was introduced to common foods. He states that prior to sugar being added to breakfast cereals, there was no heart disease and few overweight people in the US.
It's a strong argument, and one which Sarah Wilson backs up. She has appeared on numerous TV shows, magazines, newspapers and blogs to educate people on the hidden dangers of sugar.
Wilson told Channel 7's 'The Morning Show' that she's lost weight and feels much better after ditching sugar. In the segment, she warns people to avoid tomato sauce, which contains two teaspoons of sugar. Just one serve of sultanas contains seven and a half teaspoons of sugar, while muesli contains 45 per cent sugar.
Going Sugar-Free
If you're thinking about cutting out a specific food group or ingredient, it's always wise to consult a dietitian, nutritionist or other health professional before doing so.
When quitting sugar, you may experience withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, irritability and mood swings. These should all pass within a short amount of time.
To get started, you might like to seek out sugar-free recipes such as Sugar-free Berry Muffins and begin experimenting with sugar-free alternatives.
Originally published on Oct 02, 2012
