Rachael Ray

A few nights ago, we ate dinner at our favorite neighborhood Italian bistro; after the meal, the bartender gave us a generous slice of airy, cocoa-covered tiramisu, on the house. I watched as my fiancé polished it off; I didn’t take a single bite. Last night, at a different restaurant, our check was accompanied by homemade cookies; again, I ignored the sweets. You may wonder why I would be silly enough to turn down a good dessert, and a free one at that, but it’s part of an experiment; what I’m calling my sugar-free summer.

A more precise description of my current eating habits would be my dairy-wheat-alcohol-coffee-and-sugar-free summer, but that’s a bit of a mouthful! The reason I’ve restricted my diet for the last month is that I’m trying to improve my health.

It all started over Memorial Day weekend, when I got a bad cold that had me sick in bed for days. It took me a month to recover, and even then I was still coughing. I went to see my acupuncturist, aka my Chinese doctor, to find out what was wrong. After looking at my tongue, feeling my pulse, and hearing about my symptoms, she gave me the diagnosis; I had internal dampness, and my constitution was too cold. This had come about, she told me, from stress, and my immunity was worn down. To get rid of my lingering symptoms, I would need to get warm and dry inside, and that meant no sugar.

According to Chinese health practices, food is medicine, and each food has a specific effect on us. Refined sweets are believed to be both cold and damp, causing “bad weather” inside the body. Sweets are fine in moderation, but if your constitution is out of balance, it’s best to cut the sugar out altogether. Sugar is believed to weaken the spleen, slow digestion, and depress the immune system. Wheat and dairy are believed to have similar effects, creating cold and damp in the body in the form of mucus. Alcohol can create too much heat and dampness, and I’m guessing the coffee does the same; probably because we usually drink coffee with sugar and/or milk, it’s on the don’t list.

So far, the experiment is having good effects; I still cough when I drink a cold beverage, or when I’m in air-conditioning too long, but I have a lot of energy. On the whole, I feel pretty positive and happy, and more calm. I’ve lost a few pounds, and my skin is clear. I’m saving money - skipping midday trips to the coffee shop, and dessert and alcohol at restaurant meals really adds up. I can honestly say that I don’t feel deprived. I satisfy my sugar cravings with fresh fruit; at this time of the year, I’m lucky to be surrounded by sweet fruits like raspberries, blueberries, apricots, and peaches in abundance. I’m also allowed to eat sweet dates and use honey in moderation.

I know I’ll go back to eating sugar eventually; at social occasions and family gatherings, it’s easier to eat a small portion of dessert rather than refuse it altogether, and in moderation, desserts are a treat! What this experiment has given me, in addition to boosting my immunity, is a feeling of control over my eating habits. Now, when someone puts a free dessert in front of me, I don’t have to eat it; it’s a choice, and I can say no.

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Rich, Fruity Oatmeal

I’ve been making this almost every morning since I stopped eating sugar; the richness of the almond milk makes up for the lack of sugar, and really satisfies my craving for something sweet. The carbohydrates in the oatmeal give me fuel to start the day, and a longer-lasting energy boost than I would get from sugar. I especially like making this with peaches, because they melt into the oatmeal. You can buy almond milk, or make it yourself by blending one cup of almonds with three cups of water.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup plain rolled oats
• 1 ½ cups water
• 4 dates, pitted and chopped
• ½ cup chopped fresh fruit, like peaches, apricots, or berries
• ¼ cup almond milk

Instructions

Combine the oats, water, dates, and fruit in a small saucepan. Bring the oatmeal to a boil, then simmer for 7-10 minutes, or until the fruit is very soft, stirring often.

Pour the oatmeal into a bowl, and top it with the almond milk.

Louisa Shafia is a cook with a passion for healthy eating. She recently penned Lucid Food: Cooking for an Eco-Conscious Life, a collection of seasonal recipes and eco-friendly advice on food. To watch her cooking videos, see her recipes, and find out about her cooking classes, go to lucidfood.com.