That Sugar Guide
Ahhh Gameau's you've done it again (the Aussie's will get it).
Flash back to August last year when I first watched That Sugar Film and then raced to read That Sugar Book before of course, actually quitting sugar. I talk all about my health and nutritional journey in my first review and I guess that this review will kind of be like my "where are they now?" episode! So, gosh, this is my tenth month sugar free!!! Its been a journey. For the first six months I was anal and didn't eat anything with high fructose or sucrose. As time as passed though I've learned to be much gentler on myself and those who sometimes cook for me. My biggest problem before was being unable to moderate portions, and binging on shitty foods resulting in shitty (you know what). This is the same as Damon, little self control have we. However, now I'm more like Zoe. I can have a biscuit once a week and first of all, not eat the packet and second of all, say "holy clap that is sweet and rich and intense" when eating a scotch biscuit. That Sugar Guide goes through all the same science as the first book, but goes more into depth and gives you the low down on sweeteners, grains and gut health. The Gameau's are like my ideal neighbours; smart, funny, wise and capable of cooking up a feast for our block parties. I would honestly read anything they wrote and cook anything they've cooked. I'm like a little groupie actually.... There are so many amazing recipes for those beginning life sugar free and also for those who have beaten the cravings. I have honestly made a bunch of different meals, snacks and "sweets" but generally have started tucking in before I remember to actually take a photo. So see below the dishes I have made and showed incredible self restraint with. You're welcome. Rate: 8/10 Pages: 248 Format: Paperback Genre: Cook Book Acquired from: Pan Macmillan Publishing *I received this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are entirely my own* |
That Sugar Book
I first had my eyes pried open and stunned when I watched That Sugar Film. I had been seeing snippets and mentions of it on the dear ol’ interwebs and was very keen to see the movie as I had a grand interest in wanting to know exactly what the deal with sugar is. I myself used to consider myself to have a big sweet tooth. I love pasta and chocolate and spent the first year of college eating nothing but it. Come the end of the year I had put on 5kgs and felt so sluggish and awful. Over the next three months I cut back the processed foods and sugar I was eating (plus spent a week not eating thanks to having my four wisdom teeth removed surgically) and lost almost all of the weight. I also started working out at the gym with my girlies and in all honesty, felt and looked amazing. It was at this point that I (back at college) discovered that I had grown a stomach sensitivity to certain foods. Essentially, the sweeter or richer something was, the less time it took me to dispel it quite violently. I used to LOVE cheesecake; every year for my birthday I would request it as my birthday cake. But I found that it now literally took ten minutes max for it to have me running to the toilet. I am not exaggerating. I once nearly vomited during a formal college dinner from it. Practically all deserts made me sick, which I guess was really a good thing. However, I didn’t see it as that, and was advised to try Yakult as it would correct the bacteria in my stomach. And hallelujah, raise the roof, I could tolerate ice cream again, just, and only if I had it within 24 hours of eating it. However, Yakult’s are pretty expensive (uni student remember) and weren’t available at the corner store when I was home from college. And then came my mother’s discovery, hey voila, a probiotic capsule not needed to be kept in the fridge. They helped so much, and I still take them a few times a week to this very day. And what do you know; soon enough I was back to eating countless amounts of sugar. But, significantly less than I could tolerate before; with certain things making me feel sick just thinking about them (red velvet cupcakes and Chinese which both tasted just as sweet on the way back up). So as you can see, I was very interested to see if the film could outline the issues I was having, and if there was a direct link to the sugar consumption. I certainly got more than I bargained for; in a good way!
That Sugar Book follows ex-sugar junkie, Damon Gameau as after three years off refined sugar, he begins a 60 day experiment looking at effects of eating a ‘healthy’ diet of the average Australian. The results? He gained 8.5kgs, added 7% to total body fat, and stacked on 10cm around his waist. His liver also went from the best 20% to the worst 20% and it was noted that if he kept on with his diet, that he would be on track to liver disease, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and other serious health issues. But one of the biggest things Damon noticed was how dramatically his moods and behaviour changed. He describes fluctuating foggy and manic states, and how edgy and irritable he became. The book is set out in four parts; The Experiment, The Science, The Good News and The Recipes. Essentially everything from the film is in here, but the book includes a lot more features and facts. I loved that it had much of the same humour from the movie, and you could rarely read a page without smiling or giggling. Gameau is a funny and easily likable guy, and this definitely shines through in his writing and its style. There is a fair bit of technical jargon in the book, but most of which Gameau explains in simple ways for those dummies out there like me. And to add the cherry on top (metaphorically of course, cherrys are full of sugar, gasp!), the book is full of fun illustrations and has a pretty package. I will be honest in saying that this book certainly does not have all the answers, but it has achieved its biggest and most important goal of raising awareness as to what sugar is doing not only to us as individuals, but to our societies and cultures all around the world. So what now you ask? Am I going to give up sugar?! Well, considering my bliss point (see film, book, app, or you know, Google it; for an explanation) is below normal, my sugar intake is much smaller than the average Aussie and I have never been a drinker of anything but water, so you’d think that I haven’t much further to go. But my friends; I do. I am definitely going to be reducing my intake of processed foods and sugar. I am taking on a whole foods lifestyle approach, but am not restricting myself with rules and regulations to overwhelm myself. I am excited for the healthy journey I am on and know that my body will sing my songs of praises. I cannot wait to try some of the yummy recipes which this book includes, and am hoping that Gameau and his girlfriend Zoe TuckerwellSmith will make a larger sugar free cookbook soon. *Update. I tasted some of the yummy recipes after I made them! They were all superb! Check out the pictures over there. >> Rate: 8.5/10 Pages: 240 Format: Paperback Genre: Non-Fiction/Health/CookBook Acquired from: Pan Macmillan Publishing Thoughts and things I loved (as told from my little brown book) • “I flicked into hyper-drive and casually threw a wave to the Millennium Falcon as I sped by” –pg 29. • "It [sugar] is now found in 80 per cent of all items available in a supermarket” –pg 32. • "Sugar Addiction is not a moral failing; it’s a genetic condition, like asthma, which I also have. It’s just the way I was put together, it’s not my fault. On the other hand, I know what will give me an asthma attack, and it is my fault if I bury my head in the truck of a lime tree. And similarly, it would be a bad thing if I constantly stuffed myself with sugary foods. Because now I know better” –Stephen Fry, p. 64. *I received this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are entirely my own* |