In January 2011, Sarah quit sugar. 'It started as an experiment,' she says, 'but my energy, skin and wellness changed so dramatically, I kept going.'
It
started as an experiment, but my energy, skin and wellness changed so
dramatically, I kept going. - See more at:
http://www.iquitsugar.com/start-here/my-story/#sthash.BPm69vTv.dpuf
It
started as an experiment, but my energy, skin and wellness changed so
dramatically, I kept going. - See more at:
http://www.iquitsugar.com/start-here/my-story/#sthash.BPm69vTv.dpuf
Sarah has Hashimoto's disease, an autoimmune condition that attacks the thyroid. Being the ultimate body-inflamer, sugar worsened her condition terribly. 'Some even argue sugar causes the disease in the first place,' says Sarah. 'Anyone with a compromised system simply cannot afford to have their stress hormones, neurotransmitter levels or their insulin levels tipped off balance by sugar.'
Sarah asks the question - 'Could it be that sugar is making us fat ... and sick?' After almost a year of my own personal, comprehensive research and experiments and changes to my own diet, I believe that answer is a resounding yes.
I
have an autoimmune disease (Hashimotos, a disease that attacks the
thyroid and mostly affects women over 30) and sugar flares my condition
terribly. Some even argue sugar causes the disease in the first place.
Anyone with a compromised system simply cannot afford to have their
stress hormones (adrenaline and cortisol), their neurotransmitter levels
(dopamine), or their insulin levels tipped off balance by sugar. It’s a
hard, cold, but oddly motivating fact! - See more at:
http://www.iquitsugar.com/start-here/my-story/#sthash.BPm69vTv.dpuf
So, I was absolutely delighted when Sarah released her I Quit Sugar Kids Cookbook--an eBook ideal for kids aged 5 and up. The serious effect sugar has on our health has long been misunderstood and dangerously underestimated, and educating our children early is vital if we want to break sugar addiction in our culture--a problem that has seen a rapid escalation in obesity as well as diabetes, allergies and myriad other autoimmune diseases.
Sarah wholeheartedly believes in clean eating, in minimising processed or packaged foods, and embracing new ways of thinking when it comes to the foods our kids consume. Simple ideas like shunning pre-made fruit yogurts (which contain 17 ingredients or more, many of them questionable) and opting for natural yoghurt with chopped banana, typify how easy it is to start kids on a healthful, nutritional journey that will have far-reaching effects on their lifelong health.
Beautifully photographed and designed, I Quit Sugar Kids Cookbook opens with some pretty startling (but heartening) facts on food, children, preservatives, additives, and hidden sugars. This is followed by ideas on encouraging kids to grow their own foods, and of course, get them in the kitchen.
Recipes are colour-coded into Gluten Free, Vegan, Zero Sugar, Freeze for Later, Lunchbox Friendly, and Nuts (there is also a note on food allergies, as well as sweeteners and spices) and are broken down into mini-chapters, with titles such as Breakfast for Brain Power, Weekend Cook-Up, Grab 'n' Run, and Let's Party.
Foodie delights include fabulous basics like homemade tomato sauce (as opposed to the store-bought kind, loaded with sugar and preservatives), berry jam and sugar-free nut-ella, with substantial snacks and meals like pumpkin pikelets, beetroot pancakes, zucchini blinis, meat-free meatballs, raspberry muffins, nourishing nachos and many, many more creative ideas. There's even a recipe for home-made sprinkles.
Many recipes are based on the paleo diet, offering super-nutritional ideas that are a glorious return to source-eating, devoid of the additives that so can so adversely affect children, yet still delicious and attractive to even the most 'picky' eater.
With contributions from a slew of professional foodies, from chefs to nutritionists, educators and psychologists, this is a well-researched, whole-hearted collection of high-nutrition goodness, written with nothing but the best in mind for children and their lifelong wellbeing.
Forget the Australian Heart Foundation, this book has KBR's big tick of approval.
I Quit Sugar Kids Cookbook is available from the website for $19, with instant download.
