As we head towards the end of February we hope that going sugar free has delivered some encouraging health benefits in making long-term changes. Some say being sugar free has been harder to do than Dry January! Unlike the low fat diet of yesteryear, the sugar free one is principally low in starchy, easily digestible carbs but packed full of disease-fighting vitamins and flavonoids. With its roots in a Mediterranean style of cooking, a sugar free way of eating is derived from the habits of people living in the Med and can be applied to a wide range of cuisines from Chinese to Indian to Mexican. For this reason, people find it easier to stick to (unlike the low fat one) because it’s easy and enjoyable – and affordable. Whether you are going the whole hog and following a strict sugar free diet for non yo-yo-ing blood levels – and there is plenty of information out there – or just cutting out refined sugars as found in cakes, biscuits, fizzy drinks, tomato sauce and fizzy drinks; the wellbeing benefits are numerous.

Charity Supports Sugar-Free

It is also linked to a month of high intensity fund raising for Cancer Research, the charity continues with its annual high profile sugar free campaign providing handy hints and tips, recipes and downloads, encouraging you to cut out sugar and raise money from this tough challenge.

Low Sugar Eating

Just following these key principles for low carb Mediterranean-style eating for a healthier you!
  • Minimise or avoid the white carbs - bread, pasta, potato, rice, and processed cereals.
  • Cut down on refined sugar, sugary drinks and desserts, and be careful about your intake of false sweeteners, too.
  • Eat more veg!  Make sure veg makes up half your plate
  • Have some fruit but just a couple of portions per day.
  • Eat plenty of high quality proteins found in meat, oily fish, eggs, and seafood.
  • Enjoy your dairy products and the healthy fats and oils, such as olive oil, yoghurt, nuts, avocados,
  • Use vinegar in your cooking!  It’s a powerful ingredient linked to weigh loss, suppressing appetite and maintaining healthier blood sugar levels.
  • Combined with watching your portion sizes and enjoying an increased exercise regime, going sugar free could be life changing!
A top tip is to remember to increase your water intake to reduce the affect of calorie cutting such as tiredness and headaches. If you feel hungry try drinking a glass of chilled and filtered water or a cup of herbal tea – often hunger feelings are really signs of dehydration!

Drink More Water

Filtered and chilled water from a plumbed in or bottled water cooler or drinking water fountain or multi-use KettleTap (boiling and cold) tastes great and therefore helps you to drink more. Keep a bottle for life handy at your desk or in your bag and keep it topped up. Refill and reuse saves on single use plastic purchases and helps the environment. Our Blue Chill cold drinking water products help reduce Pass On Plastic by Reuse Refill Refresh.