Sweet Poison

There was talk of the book 'Sweet Poison' on the Down to Earth Forum a few weeks ago and it sparked my curiosity. Last Friday night after dinner, Tony and I headed off to the local Baskin and Robbins (how ironic) for a very rare treat, when by chance an interview with David Gillespie, author of said book came on the radio.

Well to say it was interesting and a little scary at the same time would be an understatement. It certainly made me realise how much we have all become addicted to sugar, sometimes without even knowing it.

Blood orange cordial - sugar

I try to restrict my intake of sugar. I don't drink soft drinks, have the occasional glass of homemade cordial, don't eat too many chocolates, no lollies and little to no processed food. I do have one sugar in my tea, maybe three cups a day. However with all the home cooking, jams, cordials, cakes, biscuits, chutneys, preserves etc, we are still consuming a fair whack of the terrible stuff. Especially if you go by the US heart association's recommendation of no more than 9 teaspoons a day for men, 6 for women and 3 for children. Here in Australia the dietitians association is rather different, they suggest no more than 28 teaspoons a day. Hmmm that's a big difference.

Peaches preserved in light sugar syrup

Over the next few days and weeks I'm going to do a re-think on how I prepare our food, look for lower sugar content in recipes and sugar alternatives, not substitutes.

If you are interested you can listen to the interview ABC local radio. Click on download the audio file. It's rather long and a bit repetitive but very interesting. David Gillespie also has his own web page and blog here.

Anzac biscuits - sugar

I'm off to the local library to try and track down the book. I'm sure Tony thinks I'm going to ban sugar from the house; not a complete ban just a lot less. Someones gotta look after his health, cause he isn't!

Hope you have a lovely day
Cheers
Lisa