Connecticut Green Living

The following article by the author originally appeared on Examiner.com June 11, 2016 I'd be a liar if I said I wasn't glad I'm more than halfway through this self-inflicted sugary deprivation week . I'd also be a liar if I said I had given up all  sugar this week - but it's really not my fault. I have realized more than ever that in America, land of the processed food obsession, it's really tough to find enough to eat sometimes if one wants to go sugar-free. For example, I'm on a tight budget. I was craving a breakfast sandwich. I looked at the labels and it just appeared nothing was sugar-free. I had no choice but to break my own ban in the guise of a sausage/egg/cheese/English muffin sandwich. (You don't want me passing out, do you?) I also decided I could buy some bread, after all, if it touts "no high fructose corn syrup" and 21 whole grains per serving, and is low in fat (also no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.) I see it...

The following lightly edited article was originally published by the author on Examiner.com, June 8, 2016 Quitting smoking is a terribly difficult challenge. This writer tried in the eighties, only to resume the nasty habit in the mid-nineties. But eventually, it was mind over matter, and I quit in three days (smoking fewer and fewer cigs each day) in 2008. If only giving up sugar were that easy! Here in the US, refined sugar is in everything from spaghetti sauce to "healthy" breakfast cereals and bars. Fruit juice is one of the biggest culprits, with more per average serving than in many candy bars. The only way to really avoid juice sugar is to juice the fruit (or vegetables) yourself. Nevertheless, I'm taking on what I've coined the "No Sugar for Seven Days Challenge" and implore my readers to follow suit. Whether our motivation is losing weight, setting a good example for our kids or, in my case, stopping constant cavities and other dental woes, ...