Taking the online world by storm, some are saying that Sugar Free Feb will be much harder to do than Dry January! Linked to a month of high intensity fund raising for Cancer Research UK, the charity has launched a high profile sugar free campaign providing handy hints and tips, recipes and downloads, encouraging folk to cut out sugar and raise money from this challenge. From Davina’s latest cook book with smart and easy ways to feeling fab, to Chris Evans on Radio 2 who is also backing the ‘plan’ and no doubt we will listen to his antics and progress throughout the month; celebs are giving huge awareness through the media and can make such campaigns fly! Whether you are going the whole hog and following a strict sugar free diet for non yo-yo-ing blood levels – and there is plenty of information out there – or just cutting out refined sugars as found in cakes, biscuits, fizzy drinks, tomato sauce and fizzy drinks; the wellbeing benefits are numerous. Unlike the low fat diet, the sugar free one is low in starchy, easily digestible carbs but packed full of disease-fighting vitamins and flavonoids. With its roots in a Mediterranean style of cooking, a sugar free way of eating is derived from the habits of people living in the Med and can be applied to a wide range of cuisines from Chinese to Indian to Mexican. For this reason, people find it easier to stick to (unlike the low fat one) because it’s easy and enjoyable – and affordable. Just following these key principles for low carb eating to a healthier you!
  • Minimise or avoid the white carbs - bread, pasta, potato, rice, and processed cereals.
  • Cut down on refined sugar, sugary drinks and desserts. And be careful about your intake of false sweeteners, too.
  • Eat more veg!
  • Have some fruit but just a couple of portions per day.
  • Eat plenty of high quality proteins found in meat, oily fish, eggs, and seafood.
  • Enjoy your dairy products and the healthy fats and oils, such as olive oil, yoghurt, nuts, avocados,
  • Use vinegar in your cooking! It’s a powerful ingredient linked to weigh loss, suppressing appetite and maintaining healthier blood sugar levels.
Combined with watching your portion sizes and enjoying an increased exercise regime, going sugar free could be life changing! A top tip is to remember to increase your water intake to reduce the affect of calorie cutting such as tiredness and headaches. If you feel hungry try drinking a glass of chilled and filtered water from a water cooler or fountain, or make a cup of herbal tea using a KettleTap -  often hunger feelings are really signs of dehydration!