It’s early January. New Year’s resolution season! The time of year that we resolve to change ourselves for the better, implement new habits, commit to carefully-planned routines and promise ourselves that we WILL use our gym membership (for the record, I only put this last one in here to stay relatable … I genuinely look forward to gym classes). Among the lists of admirable intentions, is often something nutrition-related, and more recently sugar – specifically the refined white stuff -seems to be something that people are determined to give the flick. AND FOR GOOD REASON.

Research has been published, books have been written, documentaries have been made and podcasters have dedicated hours of content to the topic of SUGAR . The research and theories go back much earlier that this, but the fact that refined sugars and carbohydrates are wrecking havoc on our bodies is no longer something that only PhD graduates and scientists in lab coats are discussing. The lay person on the street is catching on.

Most of us know that the sugars in whole fruit and sweet veggies are no big deal. They’re full of nutrients that our bodies so desperately need.

When it comes to refined sugar; think soft drink, lollies, table sugar, white wheat bread etc., we now understand that it is addictive and the old saying “everything in moderation” simply doesn’t apply …

Let’s be honest lovely ones … who can stop at just one row of dairy milk chocolate, one or two sweet bickies at teatime, or just take a sip of our friend’s frozen cola drink at the movies and then give it back … I sure as heck can’t!

Some people believe in going cold turkey, to which I say; “power to ya”. This may be the best approach for some. Personally, I don’t think this would’ve worked for me. I found it far easier to ditch refined, wheat-based carbohydrates and white sugar, replacing them with whole food options and then slowly cut down my intake, favouring savoury options where possible.

Eventually I found myself in a place where I was able to be almost completely sugar-free for several months. I just wanted a reset, to give my liver, that had been compromised by my autoimmune disease, a break from processing fructose. By this time my diet looked so different that it wasn’t a huge jump and I didn’t have any withdrawal symptoms such as mood swings, headaches or fatigue.

Then when I brought back foods such as bananas and young coconut flesh, I thrived on it, and was no longer addicted. It was far easier on my psyche and instilled effective habit change.

Here’s the sneaky swaps I made to get refined carbohydrates out of my life …

Where were the refined sugar/carbohydrate in my diet?

Breakfast cereals such as Special K (not super-high in sugar but it added up), Green Yoghurt sweetened with sucrose, Sipahh Straws (milk-flavouring straws), white wheat bread, muesli bars, low-fat ice-cream, the occasional chocolate milk or chai latte, homemade treats such as slices and puddings, dark chocolate (though this was a negligible amount as I favoured 85% varieties). I was a sucker for brown sugar on hot weetbix and milk. I loved Boost Juice Smoothies, particularly mango magic and green tea mango mantra. Oh and frozen yoghurt was my “treat” dessert of choice.

How did I change things up?

These changes occurred over months and years … I didn’t change anything overnight. Would it have been better for my short-term health to go cold turkey? Probably. However, because I moved slowly but very steadily, I was able to change my mindset and nutrition habits as I went. This established empowering behavioural shifts that my long-term health is still benefiting from, there’s no restriction or deprivation.

Breakfast Cereal with Yoghurt to one of the following …

Oats cooked in water, maybe a little milk too for creaminess, sweetened with honey plus fresh fruit; apple, berries etc. on the side
Oats cooked in water, with acai berry powder, chia seeds and lots of cinnamon stirred through
Quinoa flakes or buckwheat groats cooked in water with blueberries, nut butter and chia seeds on top
My recipe for buck “weet bix” (you can make this with brown rice instead for a creamy “rice-pudding” sort of breakfast or dessert)
Coconut Yoghurt with a activated buckwheat groats, fresh blueberries, dates, figs and dried white mulberries (layered in a jar). It can be made the night beforehand for an instant breakkie. I chop the dried fruit, mix it through the yoghurt and layer this mix between handfuls of blueberries and sprinkles of buckwheat in a recycled jar – old nut butter jars work a treat.
Oats or buckwheat (soaked overnight, drained and rinsed in morning) cooked in organic full fat milk or unsweetened nut milk with 2 pitted dates for sweetness, topped with berries
Mashed avocado or coconut yoghurt with a natural muesli mix (think oats or buckwheat plus dried fruits, cinnamon and coconut – no oil, no preservatives, no added sugars)

Sweetened Yoghurt to …

Unsweetened coconut yoghurt or natural organic yoghurt sweetened with rice malt syrup, organic stevia or honey (added at home)
My homemade organic yoghurt (this is seriously the best – so super-thick and it doubles as a cream cheese replacement). It’s actually lovely on it’s own but is extra indulgent with some raw organic honey stirred through

Sipahh Straws, Chai Lattes and Flavoured Milks in General to …

A teaspoon each of raw cacao powder and coconut (or rapadura*) sugar (or 4 drops of organic liquid stevia) dissolved in a little hot water to make a chocolate base, topped up with a cup or so of Organic Full Cream Milk (frothed with a milk frother if you want it extra fancy schmancy)
Organic Milk dusted with ground cinnamon … oddly delicious … the creaminess of the milk and subtle sweetness from the cinnamon is a satisfying combo
My favourite green smoothie

*Rapadura sugar: evaporated cane juice granules – sugar, before it’s refined and stripped of minerals. Whilst dates and raw honey are probably the most nutritious sweeteners (dates have fibre and honey has long been used as a medicinal food), they are trickier to work with when converting regular recipes to “healthier” versions. Rapadura simply calls for a 1:1 replacement – so 1 cup of white sugar in a cake would be swapped for 1 cup of rapadura.

Bought Smoothies e.g. Boost Juice, The Yoghurt Shop etc. to …

This creamy coconut smoothie (I didn’t add spinach in the beginning)
Unsweetened Almond milk, frozen mango or banana and spinach with ice cubes to thicken – blended in Vitamix
Organic Full fat milk (or homemade nut mylk of choice), plain yoghurt, banana, honey and ice cubes (sometimes I’d add spinach or spirulina for a green hit – but it’s purely optional. Not all of us are partial to pond water vibes) – blended in Vitamix

White Wheat Bread to …

Organic Sourdough 100% spelt bread. I loved the Ancient Grains Brand and also the chia spelt loaf from a local bakery here in Adelaide called Eve’s Organic Bakery. I’d toast these breads and eat them with lots and lots and lots of mashed avocado and chilli flakes – sometimes topped with an egg if I was in the mood. I’d make “toad in the hole” (cut a hole in the bread slice’s centre, crack in an egg and cook in the sandwich press). I also loved natural cheddar cheese and grated carrot toasties cooked until crispy in the snack-maker
I also, on occasion, would swap spelt bread for 100% organic sourdough rye or oat breads and use in the same ways. Mum would also make me killer “leftovers” sandwiches with roast meat, mashed roast pumpkin, avocado and salad of some description, plus a smear of pure butter for extra deliciousness. I actually think that sourdough, wheat-free breads are zillions of times yummier than generic wheat breads any way
Once I went gluten-free, I created my own bread and muffin recipes. There’s this one or these muffins

Muesli Bars to …

Initially I found a brand that made chocolate puffed rice and oat bars that were only lightly sweetened with rice malt syrup but shortly after I honestly just lost interest in muesli bars altogether
Instead I would snack of the Emma and Tom’s brand of fruit and nut bars (I loved the cherry and goji berry flavour – tastes like the filling in cherry ripe) or living foods brand bars from the health food store made from dates, sultanas, cacao powder and coconut (you could easily make these yourself at home)
Other great fruit and nut based snacks included a small dish of cashews and raisins (trail mix style), celery boats stuffed with a ridiculous amount of natural peanut butter with fresh blueberries dotted on top and (of course) homemade bliss balls (my fave recipe to date is Lola Berry’s chewy almond truffle recipe … available on her youtube channel and website)
Also deeply satisfying were chia seed crackers with cashew butter. They are usually available at health food stores but you can make your own by soaking chia seeds in a little water until a gel is formed, combining with a little salt, a touch of rice malt syrup and spreading thinly on baking paper and cooking at 100 degrees C for 2-4 hours until completely dry and crisp. Cut into squares and store in an airtight container.
I loved mixing a jar of unhulled tahini with 1/4 cup raw honey and storing in a glass bowl in the fridge. At snack/dessert time, I’d roll spoonfuls of the mixture into balls, coat the balls in chia seeds and top with goji berries

Low Fat Ice-Cream and Frozen Yoghurt to …

I basically just replaced ice cream and frozen yoghurt with more nourishing dessert options – even if they had nothing to do with frozen yoghurt or ice-cream in the first place
Thick natural yoghurt with a dried fruit and nut trail mix
30 or so grams of 85% dark chocolate
I’m going to be honest, before I had the will power to give up my beloved Special K, I’d swap ice-cream cups for this crispy cereal layered parfait style with Greek Yoghurt in a glass
Of course you can always go the trendy, conventional route of banana nice cream; frozen bananas blended with coconut cream (with raw cacao for a choccie variety)

Homemade Cakes, Puddings etc. to …

Simples … ditch the white sugar and white flours and replace with things like coconut or rapadura sugar, rice malt syrup, dates and honey and coconut four, almond meal, brown rice flour, buckwheat flour etc.
Check out this page for plenty of recipes – all free of gluten, refined flours and processed sugars
I also loved really simple desserts such as apples with almond butter or pitted Medjool dates dipped in cashew butter (FYI Medjool dates, raisins and sultanas are literally Mother Nature’s answer to lollies. Yes they are still quite addictive, but in the beginning they provide you with fibre, vitamins and minerals unlike the fluorescent-coloured gummy variety)
A bowl of mixed berries dolloped with two different nut butters e.g. hazelnut and brazil/linseed, ABC butter and macadamia butter, with pitted dates for good measure. This is like a nutty alternative to fruit salad and custard
Mum’s homemade custard (made from organic full fat milk, coconut or rapadura sugar, whole egg, organic GMO-free cornflour and vanilla extract) with a ripe banana sliced up on top
Then of course there’s the raw cake. I died and went to foodgasm heaven when I tried my first slice of triple chocolate raw “cheese” cake. There are millions of recipes on the internet or you can splurge on a few slices at your local whole foods cafe/market

My favourite thing about these swaps is that they are simple, sneaky and nourishing. They provide you with replacements and good stepping stones for a transition period.

In all honesty, these days I barely eat any breads, cakes, bliss balls, granolas, yoghurts etc. anyway. My desires have shifted and I get my sweet hits from green smoothies, butternut pumpkin and organic bananas. It took me years to start craving big bowls of mashed pumpkin with coconut cream over more traditional desserts. This is probably one of the best options to satisfy a sweet tooth. But I suppose this is where the Good, Better, Best motto comes into play right?

Better off jumping from mediocre to good, good to better, better to best at a pace that is comfortable, sustainable and satisfying for YOU!

Besides, I had a ball making the switches above. I wouldn’t swap my raw cake and sourdough spelt bread days for anything. They were fun, yummy and slowly changed my gut bacteria ecology and thus the types of food I craved, making the transitions easier and easier as I went. I’m now watching my mum slowly but steadily make the same changes that I implemented all those years ago and it’s exciting to watch. Plus she’s still totally in love with naturally sweetened cakes, which means I have a trusty taste tester for recipe development – winning!