I knew from a young age that sugar was bad, that my mum disapproved of it, that even though it was delicious I shouldn’tlike it, or want it.
So to avoid getting in trouble I snuck sugar. I would grab a sugar lump when no one was looking, sneak the jar of Nutella up to my bedroom to eat in secret, eat ice cream only when no one else was home.
I learnt that sugar was bad, and therefore I was bad for liking it, or wanting it.
- Whilst you’ll find little evidence that sugar is good for us.
- It is part of our lives.
- It’s also delicious.
I don’t think the solution is to strike sugar off the list and make it forbidden – we know that will likely lead to cravings, binges, secret eating and other disordered food habits.
Instead I believe the answer lies in creating a positive relationship with sugar.
The kind of relationship you might have with an ex who you want to be on good terms with but you also need some strong boundaries with.
I never thought I would be able to have a balanced relationship with sugar. I mostly restricted it, and then had moments of overdoing it (the classical restrict-then-binge pattern).
But I can now completely truthfully say I have made friends with sugar. By using the tips that I share in this week’s podcast I truly am able to have a healthy balance with sugar. I can have a little bit, not too much, and not feel at all deprived or restricted.
You can too! Tune into this weeks podcast.
Previous podcast episode How to create a balanced plate
