If you do anything at all this year, please go and watch 'That Sugar Film'*, and stick to the outside isles of your supermarket. That's all.
*but only if you're willing to be traumatised by the effects of sugar on your body, and vow to ostracise these tiny white cubes of dissolvable joy from all food groups henceforth.
Well it's not quite that dramatic, but nearly. I don't consider myself to have a sweet tooth, although I understand the real Saturday brunch struggle between Eggs Benedict or Brioche French Toast (I want half portions of everything) ((but I don't want to be one of those annoying customers)). I also love cake, but I don't need cake - unless it is a Victoria Sponge with chantilly cream and fresh berries, or Chocolate Mud Cake from the Cheesecake Shop - mmmmmm. I've also just remembered my not-so-subtle addiction with V the energy drink (the only soft drink that outsells Coca-Cola in NZ), I can't find it in London though, so that has been a sad yet important reality. Okay so maybe I do have a sweet tooth. But this film isn't addressing the odd cake splurge or $1 spent on lucky dip lollies, no this film manages to highlight the amount of sugar found in every day items that typically aren't considered 'sweet' or 'naughty'.
For example, a bonefied breakfast that I have grown up with usually involves cereal, milk, yoghurt & juice (if it made it first the past hour of being in the fridge)- but these foods combined often contain up to 40 tsp of sugar! Which is a lot. Some lunch and dinner items shocked me as well, the presenter went as far as putting actual sugar on things for greater impact, instead of Teriyaki Chicken Sauce, just sugar on cooked chicken, instead of powerade, just water with 7 tsp of sugar etc... I'm a visual person, so I particularly liked this part of the film.
Impact = achieved.
Inspired = yes, so this morning I had:
1 x 3 seeded toast made with spelt flour (fancy) 1/4 Avo smashed with lemon juice, S & P, coriander, feta and buckwheat crumble, with a cup of green tea with a wedge of lemon. I'm feeling so good about this mornings life choices, I had to tell somebody.
Buckwheat Crumble Recipe: Raw buckwheat, Olive Oil, Moroccan Spice, Smoked Paprika - then roast in the oven until crunchy - about 10-15 min 180 degrees.
There's a lot more to be said about the film, but I don't want to miss the point of actually being challenged and inspired to avoid the amount of sugar that creepily finds its way into so much of my eating. I've thrown out my Miniwheats, Crunchy Nut, Greek Yoghurt, Tropicana, Celebrations Chocolate (so much better than Cadbury Favourites), and I'm very nearly close to throwing out my Nutella. That will be a sad day. I love that so many people are joining this movement though, I've found some amazing recipes to kick start my sugar-less way of life from Nadia Lim, Hemsley & Hemsley and Jaime Oliver.
Nuff said. Go watch the film, and let's talk about it over cake.