When Gemma and I embarked on this sugar-free adventure, little did we know we’d actually be coming at this from very different directions. Whilst Gemma was a social butterfly, hung out with Peppa Pig and successfully avoided ice cream and cake, I stayed at home for the best part of a fortnight with a pretty bad case of tonsillitis.
So, there I was, good intentions on the one hand and a pharmacist on the other trying to give me sugary medicine. Which I managed to decline for a – I am sure – perfectly effective – sugar-free variety.
But then my body betrayed my best intentions. ORANGES. I WANT ORANGES. Oranges NOW!
So, to be clear, I really, really wanted an orange. And hey, I was feeling very sorry for myself and thought – what damage can an orange do? So, it was off to Tesco where – somehow – strawberries, bananas, plums and apples jumped into the basket along with my afore0desired oranges.
They were going to be MINE no matter what because I was poorly, and I deserved them. And here we get to the crux of the issue.
Now, I have yet to give up fruit although all other sugar is out of my life. I don’t know how I’d feel if I had gone cold turkey. But what I experienced and let myself fall foul of is the desire for sugar. Because I was sad. Because I was bored. Because I felt sorry for my poorly self. Am I addicted to sugar? I think I might well be. And so, I let that addiction rule to some extent, as I allowed myself to be ruled by my emotions.
That isn’t to say I feel like I failed. Still, there has been no biscuits, cake or ice cream. No pasta or bread. And tomorrow, which is supermarket shopping day, the only fruit on my list are avocadoes and tomatoes. And I am going to treat that list like it is writ in stone (except as the magazine aisle draws me in. You know how it is….).
The petulant part of me says I deserve sugar. The (somewhat) intellectual part of me knows – at least short-term, if not long-term – going sugar-free will do me the world of good. If you’re not sure why, check out the rather eccentrically produced but entirely amazing documentary ‘That sugar film’, which Gemma and I both watched this past week. It’s a real eye-opener.
In homage to ABBA, who are making a comeback soon, and having watched Muriel’s Wedding on TV last night, ‘Here we go again’….
