I've been back on the sugar for a week. It's pretty rad stuff. Things I appreciate now:
the taste of real sugar (or, even better, raw sugar) in my coffee
cake
caramel slice
orange juice with added sugar
being able to eat whatever I want.
I haven't really come back with a vengeance. I've probably still had a lot more than the average person because I could but I feel a bit like I'm out of the habit. Having chosen to alter a non-food-related behaviour this month has been a bit strange as I'm so used to having some form of restricted eating that I act as if the sugar fatwa was still on. I wouldnt' say I've lost my sweet tooth, but I don't need as much to give me that lovin' feeling as before and, I don't find myself seeking it out like I did out of habit before.
This is potentially a good thing. Only time will tell how long it lasts, though.
Now, without further ado, I would like to introduce Coyote Shivers who will be helping me celebrate the return of glucose to my life with their little ditty, 'Sugarhigh'.
The deal To go without watching any TV for the month of June. No TV shows on DVD, on the TV or on my computer via the internets.
Any exceptions? I'm allowed to turn the TV on to play my Wii - feel this is justified as is an active activity - Mario doesn't run across the screen by himself, you know. Will be leaving on a jet plane later this month (yes, poor me) and am allowing myself to watch the tv on the plane but am only allowed to watch movies I haven't seen or play the Nintendo thingy I hear they have these days. No TV shows or movie repeats. And no TV at the airport. I am a harsh mistress to myself.
My hypothesis If my mother is to be believed I will be far more productive once I give up the teev. I am not so sure, given that if I were a super hero my name would be The Procrastinator. I'm the one that made the costume but never quite got around to the fighting crime part. Did I mention I forgot to set my DVR to tape Dr Who and Glee?
I've been a bit lax with the ol' posting, haven't I? Had best make up for this turn of events.
To sum up caffeine-free April: caffeine is in a surprising number of things which only made me want them more. The week I got back on the Diet Coke was my most productive at work in some time. Seriously, I did 42 reports in ONE DAY. That is huge, just so you know.
Then I moved on to Sugar for May. I enforced a personal bann on all added sugar. I was allowed back on the beers but cakes, chocolate and all their partners in deliciousness were out of bounds. I slipped up once, on which I blame alcohol. Industry awards show + winning (twice - yes, we are that good!) + celebratory drinks + more drinking = accepting vodka, lemon lime because the boss bought it. So, in short, alcohol does not contribute to a winning formula.
I think I served some serious pennance by baking the world's largest overcatering spread for Australia's Biggest Morning Tea and not getting to eat any of it. Though, I admit I did save some white chocolate and macadamia caramel slice for the first day of June. We raised $570 for the Cancer Council too so I think I made up for it.
Was sugar worth it? Well, given my family's history of diabetes combined with my sweet tooth it could be a very real possibility. It did give me a new appreciation for savouries but I like my choccy, what can I say? It has been slightly overwhelming being able to eat it again, but I'll cover that in another post.
Thursday Leave work in a cloud of paperwork. Tell self that self will find time to complete said paperwork over long weekend. Feel like a rum and coke would be great but choose to satisfy self with beer. Aah, sweet, liquid amber.
The deal To go without caffeine for the month of April. Thank god it's a short month.
Any exceptions? No... unless I can justify one.
My hypothesis Judging by my reaction to carbonated beverage withdrawal, it's going to be another sleepless month. Let's hope orange juice has magical invigorating powers.
March has been a lot harder than I was expecting; January and February were tough but this month affected me physically. I haven't been this sleep-deprived since I had exams.
The good
Well, I'm sure my sugar levels have gone down.
At least I could have chocolate.
The bad
I miss beer.
I miss diet coke.
Inability to sleep.
The ugly
Have you seen the bags under my eyes?
Would I go without again?
Definitely not by choice. I can't believe I once went without carbonated drinks for six months and survive.
Would I go without for good?
Not a chance. Hello carbonation, I've missed you!
In April I boycott caffeine. If my bubbles deprivation was bad, caffeine is going to be a biatch.
So it's almost the end of March and this is my second post for the month. I've been a bit... well, flat this month. My sleep pattern is off, I've barely slept through the night and am constantly exhausted.
And I keep almost accidentally ordering carbonated beverages. I'm lucky I have wonderful supportive friends who remind me that I can't have the beer because it's carbonated. So I drink wine instead. Or rum and OJ (which, BTW, is a lot better than I expected).
I do miss beer though. Only two more sleeps and I can reacquaint myself with Greenoch Brewery micro brew...
The deal No carbonated beverages for the 31 days of March. No beer. No champagne. No soft drinks... and, it goes without saying, especially no Diet Coke.
Any exceptions? No. *sulks* Am trying to work out a loophole for St Patty's day. And my little brother's 21st. Maybe if I donate money to charity?
My hypothesis Diet Coke was hard but at least I had lemonade. But can I do a month without bubbles? Does effervescence make you bubbly or is it all just a sugar high? I'm not so sure. I have gone months without soft drinks before but that was ten years ago. No, literally ten years ago. History can repeat itself, right?
Yes, I know it's a third of the way through March but life got in the way. Sue me. I would normally write about my thoughts on going without for the month but since there's another month and a half of diet coke deprivation is on the cards (carbonated bevs followed by caffeine is going to be a killer) I'm goikng to reserve my judgement.
Having gone 38 days without, I can definitely say, I miss yoooouuuuuu.
Friday night: dinner followed by Taylor Swift concert.
Saturday night: birthday barbecue followed by hens night.
Sunday: gym followed by Vanity Fair.
Number of Diet Coke cravings: about seven billion. Almost ordered it with tea out of habit but held off admirably. Was also disappointed by the Entertainment Centre's lack of postmix beverages. Beer it was then.
Saturday I remained cola free, admirably assisted by lemonade and grape slushies. And the stripper, obviously.
Meanwhile, today I did a 5km run (why, yes I would love a medal - I already have the chest to pin it on) and didn't even reward myself with the sweet synthetic cinnamon taste... Halfway through the month today - am telling myself it will all be okay. Eventually.
I couldn't go through Diet Coke month without mentioning the Diet Coke man, now could I?
The original is always the best. It may be the fact that the early 90s fashions have dated but the women in this commercial look like women who work in a normal office (and not just Conde Nast) and the actual Diet Coke man looks like he earned those muscles working, not in the gym. That's right, it wasn't all happy pants and scrunchies - the men were manly!
It may not be 11:30 but I'm sure you want to take your Diet Coke break. More diet cola men after the jump.
Yes, I know this was on the 7pm Project tonight but it's topical and it's relevant. According to a study carried out by the University of Minnesota and the National University of Singapore, I can now add soft drinks to the already-giant list of Stuff That Will Kill Me. Other members of that list include cling wrap, plastic water bottles, aerosol deodorants, red meat and aspartame.
The scientists followed more than 60,000 men and woment over 14 years and of those, 140 people died from pancreatic cancer. Those who consumed soft drinks more than once a week (the article is a bit shaky on the frequency so maybe we'll go with regularly) were found to have almost twice the risk of contracting the cancer, after taking other control issues such as red meat consumption into account.
The link: high consumption of sugary soft drinks causes the pancreas to secrete more insulin, which has been found to cause an increase in the number of cancer cells.
So there's a seven in 3000 chance that I might get pancreatic cancer (big leap, but let me have my numerical inacuracy please) due to my soft drink consumption. Is this a common ailment in diabetics, I wonder. Ooh, ooh, hang on - loophole! Diet soft drinks are less likely to cause the cancer as they aren't made from sugar. Diet Coke - we're still on as soon. The first day of May is looking better and better.
Diet softdrink ads aimed at both sexes always seem to be promising men that they can have just as much fun drinking the beverage version of a Nissan Micra (no offense to Nissan, but one of your main selling points for this car is it comes in so many colours you could match it to your nail polish). Yes, you over there - you can still drive a sportscar and wear a cable knit jumper even if you're swigging on the same thing as the missus.
Now that I've made you suffer through enough of my opinion please take in some vintage advertising (more opinions to come!).
Just a few thoughts on raising the Australian drinking age to 21 (while it's somewhat topical).
Is this the same PM who raised taxes on RTDs to combat underage binge drinking? If he thought the outcry over removing the right of 16 year olds to get drunk in a park was largish, imagine what it'll be like if it was extended to the 20 year olds.
At 18 we can vote, smoke and fight for our country. Surely a drink isn't going to hurt. I don't believe that alcohol is a right of passage as most of the people I know (myself included) had experienced intoxication well before they turned 18.
The legal drinking age in the United States is 21. Look how well that works.
However, let's not forget that this is based on a hypothetical question asked on a panel show. I don't know K-Rudd personally but I think it's safe to assume that his personal opinion is not out of character. So why are we surprised that he would take this kind of action?
In the mean time the drinking age is still 18. Australians, charge your glasses!
I never thought I was a slave to cola. Sure, I drank it a bit with meals and with my spirits, but that didn't mean I had a problem. Now I'm not so sure. I didn't really miss chocolate for the first week I wasn't eating it and it wasn't until about halfway through January that I started to feel like I was being stalked by Mr Cadbury and Mrs Nestle. And Freddo. Next time you're in the confectionary aisle of the supermarket take a look at the giant Freddos. They have shifty eyes and they look at you. Where was I? Oh yes, cola. I noticed the absence of Diet Coke in my life on THE FIRST DAY. I was tired, grumpy, distracted (still am, apparently) not sleeping properly... In general, just poo.
On the upside, I can have chocolate which is giving me my regular dose of caffeine. On the downside, I miss my daily can of DC. I miss tapping the top of the can three times before I open it. I miss the refreshing sound of carbon dioxide escaping from vacuum sealed aluminium. I miss the astringent sting of bubbles and my knowledge that it tastes better out of a can than out of a plastic bottle. And the taste. I miss that too. Thank God February's a short month.
You know how I said that I thought chocolate was going to be the tricky one? This was before I gave up Diet Coke. The big DC. I think it may be my own personal form of crack.
According to my good friend Wikipedia, withdrawal is caused by a reduction in the production of dopamine by the nucleus accumbens (this is a rough paraphrase so please don't yell at me if I'm not entirely correct - it's been a long day and I want DC). They even go so far as to say that:
Subnormal activity in the nucleus accumbens is often characterized by depression, anxiety and craving, and if extreme can drive the individual to continue the drug despite significant harm — the definition of addiction — or even to suicide.
Hmmm... don't know about the depression but the anxiety and cravings are right on the money. Maybe I need to book myself into the Betty Crocker clinic.
The deal To go without diet coke and all other cola beverages for 28 days.
Any exceptions? None required.
The hypothesis Aside from chocolate, diet coke is probably the main source of caffeine in my system. Let's wait for the crash! I'm more interested in seeing how long it takes to get over the withdrawal and how it affects my sleep patterns, etc. Let's see if it results in a calmer, more zenlike me.
Okay, the month is almost up and that means that chocolate will once again be mine, all mine. While I may not be staying up until midnight so I can partake in some cocoa-based goodness, I am making chocolate chip muffins to take into work tomorrow. This may have more to do with the litre of milk I need to use up so it doesn't go off than my need to make use of that packet of choc chips. There will also definitely be some consumption of the Fruchocs (that packet in the fridge has been staring at me for a month now).
Did it kill me? No. But around the middle of the month I was definitely getting ready to hit things/people/advertising concepts. I'm glad I'll get to eat it again, that's for sure. According to my WiiFit I lost two kilos this month but I don't think that the lack of chocolate is the only cause. Work-related stress was probably a big contributor to that! It did make me realise how often I did eat it and how mindless it often was. Not a revolutionary observation but true nonetheless.
The good
Examining eating habits, establishing some new rituals/alternate food choices.
Feeling self-righteous for abstaining.
Saving some snack dollars (afterall, what I save on chocolate I can spend on drinks!)
The bad
The cravings, oh, the cravings.
Sometimes an alternative just isn't what you want.
Do you know how many products contain chocolate, even if just as a garnish?
Discovering that the Easter countdown, and all of the associated advertising, starts in January.
The ugly
Getting sunburnt on Australia Day and not being able to use my moisturiser because it was Palmer's Cocoa Butter.
Would I go without again?
Well, I will be later this year when I give up caffeine so I'll be sure to have another chocolate-related psychotic episode. Watch this space.
Would I go without for good?
Hells to the no! I think I'd give up cheese before I gave up chocolate forever.
Am now officially more than halfway through and am starting to get cravings. I think I've been pretty good, afterall I haven't caved yet but I would really like some chocolate about now. Fruchocs would be great (and they have fruit in them so are therefore healthy! Right?), especially as there is an unopened packet in my fridge. Cadbury would also be nice. Or some Lindt.
I can see it now, opening the box and peeling back the foil a little at a time to look at the rich, creamy colour. Then, breaking a square off, allowing the aroma to permeate before taking the first bite. The explosion as the tastebuds kick in while the texture changes from solid to smooth, velvety liquid chocolate...
Oh dear, I've come over all porny for chocolate.
Shopping yesterday didn't help. We went into fricken Country Road and there was chocolate for sale. I even got my friend to pose with the chocolate to prove it:
There's a whole table of the stuff. What's an addict like me to do? This I know the answer to: stock up the fridge and wait it out. In 14 days I can eat that packet of Fruchocs so hard...
You know what sucks about not eating chocolate? Going out to dinner and all of the desserts - even the non-chocolate ones - being topped with chocolate. Ended up with green tea mousse - after I scraped off all of the chocolate curls and decorations and gave them to my friend. *sobs* Who had the chocolate mousse. *sobs more*
Am focussing a bit on fruit at the moment, mainly because it's a 'legal' way for me to satisfy my sweet tooth and hey, I like it. Except bananas. Those I eat because they have a gajillion nutrients which are good for me. Following on from that, I thought I would partake in a favourite pasttime of mine: late night baking.
Late night baking must take place after 9:30pm and generally seems like a really good idea at the time. It generally involves pawing through the fridge and three trips to three different servos because I ran out of flour/sugar/eggs and was too embarrassed to make three separate trips to the same one. The batter must be able to be mixed by hand so I don't disturb my next-door neighbour and should be something I can leave to cool overnight.
Tonight's effort involved one trip to the servo (and the discovery that I already had brown sugar when I got home), several items already in the pantry/fridge and a little bit of modification.
Last time I checked it wasn't Easter yet. In fact, last time I checked Easter was a long, long way away. Okay, maybe it's in April but that's still a good quarter of the year. Three months. Thirteen weeks. So why the fuck eff are we already seeing Easter bunnies on display? I went to my local shops on Friday night and the supermarket had chocolate eggs and hot cross buns already on the shelves. Which shelves? Why, the ones right next to the discounted Christmas stock, of course.
Now, don't get me wrong, I'm all about preparation for religious/consumerist holidays - I start buying Christmas presents in the January sales - but why do we need to start buying Easter stuff when the summer school holidays haven't even finished? When I was younger Christmas and Easter were great (the only two days of the year where it's considered normal to eat chocolate for breakfast) but I think the fact that they came at the start of school holidays contributed greatly to that. And then I walked fifteen miles in the snow in bare feet, but I digress. Having Easter eggs on sale when you haven't used up the gift cards you got for Christmas yet just seems wrong. And it's not like a multinational corporation to use the influence of a religious holiday for evil/commercial gain at all.
It's also mightily frustrating when one has decided to skip the lolly aisle and stick to the fruit and veg section so as not to be tempted and there's a massive end display right next to the celery. Seriously peoples, don't you get that I have given up chocolate for a month and I am very easily led astray? Where's the love?
I would like it to go on record that I did not buy any chocolate (even though I really, really, really, really, really, really wanted to) but I may have bought an icy pole. Chocolate subsitution win!
I loved this book when I was younger, although I think I preferred the sequel, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator (I really liked the Vicious Knids). As I was a massive nerd I never saw the Gene Wilder movie until I was in Year 11, so my opinion of the story is shaped by the book rather than the movie. I actually preferred the Tim Burton version that was released a couple of years ago but think it could have done without the father backstory. Anyways, I really just wanted an excuse to show some Oompa Loompas and, despite what I just said I prefer them in the earlier film, mainly becuase they are more similar to the Quentin Blake illustrations from the books.
And now, everybody's favourite glutton and his unfortunate demise. My only query: I'm pretty sure the Knids couldn't eat the Oompa Loompas because they burned up in the atmosphere. Yes, I am a pedant.
The Deal To go without chocolate (and other cocoa byproducts) for 31 days. No chocolate. No chocolate-flavoured items. No chocolate in things. No chocolate anything. Oh God, how depressing. It almost makes me want to eat chocolate.
Any Exceptions? None required. Even I know that there is no time that I have to have it.
The Hypothesis My chocolate addiction is well-documented. I could easily eat it every day but, as I tell my friends, I can quit any time I want. This month I want to find out how true that is. Plus, given my family's history of diabetes and high cholesterol one dy I may have to give it up for good. Now, if that's not incentive, I don't know what is.
Note: I actually gave up choccy on New Year's Day but due to travel and time constraints have only just been able to post these.
Welcome to my personal experiment. Watch me go without random First World luxuries for a month at a time. I am well aware that this isn’t going to cure cancer or solve the problems in the Middle East but I’m hoping it will keep me on my toes. Each calendar month this year I will be giving up a little luxury to see how I'm affected and ultimately whether I could live without it. The items and activities I'll be giving up are not necessarily huge items (for instance, don't expect me to give up my car); I'm aiming for those small items that I take for granted and would probably do/eat/use without even thinking.
Hopefully this will lead to a higher plane of consciousness... no, not quite that wanky. However, I am interested to see if this will cause any changes. Let's wait and see, shall we.
