My sugar addiction: Another winner

By Kristen Birch

Can you imagine the type of feelings that Christopher Columbus was experiencing when he discovered America or when Bill Gates added the finishing touch to his invention before launching Microsoft?

Those are the exact emotions that I experience when I discover a delicious, delectable treat that I am able to not devour in one sitting. You may think to yourself “that is just ridiculous, how can that moment even compare?” or perhaps you are thinking “I can’t even eat a slab of chocolate in one go, let alone by myself”….

Well then you, my friend, are an amateur. And if you are reading this post right now because you think you have a sugar addiction, I will be the first to tell you that you most definitely do not. If you are reading this post because you want to be healthier or because you are simply interested in what I have to say, then you are just a nice person.

I have been on a mission to overcome my sugar addiction for the past few months. It all started out when I realised how much time my friends and I had spent discussing Tim Noakes and his new high-fat, low-carb diet/lifestyle. I am not on that diet. But what I am on is a mission to incapacitate the hold that sugar has on my life. Being dependent on any food is never a good thing.

You can read a bit more about my journey here and here.

If you read my post entitled Halloween on a (student) budget, you will know that this weekend was not a good one for me. Celebrating a holiday where the sole purpose is to dress up and eat a bucket-load of sweets…or “candy” as they call it, can be catastrophic for a sugar addict, especially if you are the one organising the party. Just yesterday morning, I demolished eight fizzers before breakfast. It was not a good day for me.

But today, I am back on my mission. I had a shameful weekend, but nothing is stopping me from trying again.

So, here is another sugar-free treat that is extremely easy to make. The best part about it for me is that I literally cannot eat more than two or three pieces without feeling sick. The bars are just packed so tight with yummy things that too much of it is not pleasant. Well, that’s my take on it. Hopefully you feel the same way.

The recipe does require peanut butter, but if you are on the paleo or Noakes diet then just substitute the peanut for almond or cashew butter. Dates being a fruit may also be an issue for you, but unfortunately I cannot provide you with a substitute there. I see absolutely no issue with eating fruit. In fact, it is one of the things that keeps me from turning into a wild sugar binger. (I realised yesterday that I had not eaten fruit in over a week. After two oranges I felt so much better and the sugar craving was gone).

So, stop being a Nancy and eat some fruit! Sometimes, it can taste as good as chocolate!

Here is the splendid recipe.