I’ve always quite liked the idea of Lent, the six-week period of self-denial in the run up to Easter. So this year, although I’m not usually the resolute type – or even the particularly religious type – I decided to give up refined sugar. And since I then immediately told everyone I knew, I’ve been forced to stick to my guns.
Apparently nowadays there is some sort of sugar epidemic going on: three quarters of the sugar that Britain consumes is slipped surreptitiously into savoury food. Think processed bread, baked beans, canned fruit and sauces like ketchup or mayonnaise. Recently, the WHO halved their recommended sugar intake from ten teaspoons a day down to five; whilst in the past, fat has been viewed as the enemy among nutritionists, today sugar is being pointed out more and more as a major health concern leading to obesity, diabetes, dental problems and the like. Some research even shows that sugar is more addictive than cocaine… and right now I have a withdrawal headache which makes me inclined to believe this theory.
Aside from the health benefits of avoiding sugar, this is what I have found in the ten days of Lent I’ve survived so far:
- It is quicker and cheaper to get drunk. There’s nothing better than a fizzy drinks ban to keep you drinking your vodka straight all night, as I found out at a recent dinner with the Russian society (it goes without saying that there was plenty of vodka on offer).
So there’s one benefit, which, sadly, is overshadowed by all the cons:
- I had been under the horribly misguided impression that I was going to save money, whereas in actual fact I’ve had to turn down free food on a regular basis, and at the same time spend more money on my groceries. The cost of upgrading to better-quality brown bread and organic peanut butter (which, by the way, is a scandalous £1.37 more expensive than Sainsbury’s basics) has offset the savings I’ve made by exclusively drinking spirits.
- I’ve ended up going crazy over health food blogs and have had panic-inducing sessions of reading articles where I am told I can’t have soy sauce, sushi, ketchup or dried fruits (not a chance; I have too much love for raisins).
- This means that even compiling a list of forbidden food is easier said than done, leading to heated debates with my flatmates about whether or not I should be allowed honey. I should, by the way. I need it for my tea.
- Cooking can be a little bit more complicated. For instance, I am now the sort of person who makes baked beans from scratch. There’s also quite a bit of planning ahead involved, seeing as I can’t rely on getting food on the go.
- Accidentally finding gifs of melting chocolate on tumblr. Enough said.
- Despite all of this, though, I have to say that my least favourite aspect of Lent is the awkwardness of sitting there like a lemon whilst everybody else enjoys sweet treats. I am tested nearly every day, and so in that respect I am just like Jesus in the desert.
All in all, my self-control abilities have been much improved and I’m feeling super healthy at the moment… but that isn’t to say that I’m not intending to polish off a jar of Nutella come Easter day.