Love chocolate? Attempting to get on the low sugar train? These two things don’t tend to go hand in hand, do they? Fear not my chocoholic friend, help is at hand. Sarah Wilson has gone and made a completely sugar-free (and fructose-free) Chocolate Cookbook. I’ve purchased, read and road tested a recipe. So it’s only fair that I share my thoughts……

The book in a nutshell

• A whopping 89 pages!
• 74 recipes, although some are variations taken from other Sarah Wilson I Quit Sugar books.
• Lots of extra and detailed information on things like the difference between cocoa and

… More about this

Now I was in a quandary when Natural Balance Foods wanted to send me some of their Nakd cereal bars to review. I actually had to sleep on it. Why? Because at one point, these little bad boys fed my sugar addiction. They are not the most sugar saintly thing on the planet. Would it be right to review on my blog? And could I live in peace with a whole box of them in the house?

I thought about those who actually might be reading the post, and I figured I could put together quite an insightful piece on … More about this

Sugar craving. Tea. Relief (at least a little).

OK, I know it doesn’t hit the spot all the time, but tea can seriously help on more occasions than not.

I still try new teas, even with a lack of cravings these days. My cupboard is stacked up in quite a ridiculous fashion. If there’s something I will enjoy reviewing for this blog it’s TEA!

Here are three that currently rock my tea filled world…

Regular Rooibos

Rooibos was initially a caffeine free option I wasn’t entirely sure of at first. I wanted to ease off the Earl Grey later on … More about this

Whilst I get more into this blogging malarky I come to realise a few things. On the one hand, I like writing and expressing myself in this way however, on the other hand, I possibly can’t talk about sugar all the time. I’m sure you know by now that you should snack regularly, look out for invisible sugar and go easy on the orange juice.

So I’d thought I’d open out and review a few other things that have been going on, similarly aligned to the health and wellness-like theme.

Enter the Hot Power Yoga Foundation Course. … More about this

So another review today of the tea variety. This time a tea by Pukka called ‘Detox’ that was kindly donated by my lovely mum just before Christmas. As I’ve mentioned before, tea in general is a great soother of cravings where I’ve previously praised both chai and licorice for their sugar detoxing properties. About time we mix it up and add another to the list!

Pukka ‘Detox’ Tea

Aside from a pretty box, which is always appreciated, the Pukka ‘detox’ is a blend of organic aniseed, fennel and cardamom to ‘cleanse and revive’. Rather suiting for January I guess, as … More about this

So, seeing as I seem to be in snack mode this week, I thought I’d stick in a cheeky review of one of my favourite products. I’ve always really loved seeds from a long way back when I discovered their astounding health benefit. Needless to say, I was quite excited when Munchy Seeds kindly sent me some of their Chilli Mix.

So what’s going down…

We’re talking a few apricot kernels along with succulent pumpkin and sunflower seeds, coated in a reddish, crispy-spice kick. Yum. I was a fan with my first mouthful, so they certainly passed … More about this

It’s always exciting to try a new healthy product, so when I took a leisurely break to Piccadilly Wholefoods Store last week, I decided to treat myself to a product I’d had on my low sugar radar for a while – A CO YO coconut milk yoghurt.

Let’s start with the facts…

• dairy free
• soya free
• gluten free
• lactose free
• no added sugar

Understandably you might be asking what on earth has this yoghurt got in it at this point? Well, it’s nearly all natural coconut milk with a little bit of Xylitol sweetener (a natural alcohol sugar … More about this

Dried fruit was one of my former sugar weaknesses. Oh gosh how I loved raisins, candid peel, dried apricots and prunes etc. Unfortunately, dried fruits are loaded with sugar despite having various health benefits. They contain a lot of fructose which is metabolised in the same way as any sugar.

In an ideal sugar free world, I would cut dried fruit forever and stick to fresh, but there will be lapses, especially with Christmas around the corner. When Go For Life sent me some dried mulberries as one of the healthiest dried fruit alternatives, I thought I would give them … More about this

Getting yourself good with sugar is really quite simple if you think of it as roller coaster. Save the adrenaline for the real thing at the theme park and turn your own blood sugar big dipper into a tame, flat, steady ride, that is so boring you completely forget you’re event on it. Haunted house anyone?

Anything that helps stop a sudden surge of carbohydrate or sugar into your system will facilitate this steady flow of blood sugar and potentially stop sugar cravings or a sudden carbohydrate need later on.

Enter the use of chia seeds.

These tiny black … More about this

I honestly don’t think I could have successfully cut back on sugar without tea. It filled that gap of ‘wanting something’ after a meal of and gave me a suitable distraction from cravings when they came knocking. So when Twinings sent me their latest Christmas themed Mulled wine tea to try, it did feel like Christmas had come early. Not to mention in an extremely pretty tin (we girls appreciate these things). I am tempted to buy a few Christmas themed tea gifts from the Twinings selection.

Whilst Earl Grey is my staple tea of choice, I am a … More about this