NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather forecasts

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
    • The Great NZ Road Trip
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
    • Cooking the Books
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • What the Actual
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Lifestyle

Nicky Park: Quitting sugar makes life sweeter

Herald online
12 Jun, 2012 10:30 PM5 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Sugar is addictive. Photo / Thinkstock

Sugar is addictive. Photo / Thinkstock

Opinion by

The last few months I've been a quitter. First to go was coffee, then sugar and alcohol. Without too much thought I began embarking on a mid-year health buzz, giving my body a rest and getting back to a healthy equilibrium.

Now I'm not saying that I was grossly unhealthy before, or that everyone needs to quit everything to be well. I'm saying that in order to give myself a fresh look at what makes my body happy and energised and my head clear and motivated I wanted a clean slate.

Back in March I chatted with sugar-free fan, David Gillespie. It was a topic many seemed to engage with - we were inundated with comments and hundreds of people shared the story on social media. Gillespie, who used to be morbidly obese, said one of the best things he ever did for his health was put a stop to "sweet poison".

The easiest way to do this, he said, was to avoid processed food and shop around the edge of the supermarket. So I began packing my trolley with as many vegetables, seeds, lentils, nuts, spices and grains as I could carry home. Most people assume that going sugar free is a tall order, but if you're prepared then it's not as hard as it sounds.

Fellow Australian writer, Sarah Wilson was also inspired by a chat to Gillespie. The former Cosmopolitan editor shares her healthy living insights on her blog. She gave the sugar-free thing a go for a fortnight and hasn't found a reason to revert to her old ways.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

I've adopted a 'do what feels right' sugar-free philosophy. I've cut most of it out. However I mix half-a-teaspoon of manuka honey in my lemon, ginger and warm water morning drink. I stir another half-teaspoon into my rolled oats for breakie and throw on a handful of blueberries. These sweet hits are filled with so much other goodness I feel it justifies the sugar that I'm putting in my body.

New Zealand nutrition expert, Kath Fouhy, says sugar is addictive, but like fats, some sugars are better than others.

"Trying to avoid all sugar can be quite difficult because it's in a lot of foods and when you do that it's difficult to make your diet complete," Fouhy explains. She says a teaspoon of manuka honey a day and a couple of pieces of fruit are fine. It's the added sugar that's "what poison".

Sweet foods aren't filling so it's easy to go over-board.

"The fullness centre in your brain doesn't detect it so you just keep eating," she says.

Discover more

Lifestyle

Weight gain: Big fat lies - and the sweet truth

29 Mar 07:01 PM
Opinion

Nicky Park: Giving up alcohol and getting on the wagon

17 May 09:05 PM
Opinion

Nicky Park: What's all the fuss about lemon in warm water?

24 May 12:35 AM
Lifestyle

Recipe: Sugar-free coco-nutty granola

12 Jun 05:00 PM

"There are lots of different ways to write sugar on food labels so it's really easy for consumers to get confused.

"A general rule of thumb is under 10g of sugar per 100g."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Wilson's says her sugar-free philosophy is: "I don't eat sugar, it's just that every now and again I'll stick my fork in somebody's dessert."

Through her website and e-books she encourages other people to give sugar-free a whirl: "Try it, do it delicately and gently and treat it as an experiment."

"If you happen to have a moment where you want to eat a Tim Tam or you end up eating chocolate cake at a friend's birthday, so be it. Use it as an interesting experiment in what sugar does to you if you've been off it for ages.

"I'm doing this because it makes sense and my body actually tells me, it's not right [to eat sugar]."

When we talk about sugar, it's fructose that's the trouble maker. Normal table sugar is usually about half fructose, half glucose. Juices and sauces are some of the worst fructose-filled culprits. And when it come to booze, all the fructose in wine and dry spirits ferments and turns in to alcohol. It's the mixers like tonic water and OJ that you've got to watch out for.

(Plus, alcohol puts a toll on your liver. So, if you've been eating a lot of sugar and you're keen to cut back, Wilson suggests backing off the booze to give you liver a chance to clear out.)

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"We're so addicted that we don't really know what it feels like to not have sugar," Wilson says.

"We also don't know what it's doing to our bodies because it's so intrinsic."

Dr Robert Lustig, an American endocrinologist, told Australia's 60 Minutes programme that sugar is killing us, slowly. He says it's replaced fat as the new dietary evil.

"Sugar is a way bigger problem than fat ever was," Dr Lustig said.

However Professor Jennie Brand Miller from Sydney University says focusing on sugar alone is dangerous, ineffective and unfair.

She says using words like "toxic" and "poison" to describe sugar is a headline grabbing exercise and we should be cutting back on all bad foods.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

I've found quitting sugar has meant a diet free from all the foods that aren't good for me. Like Wilson says, it's eating the way that your grandparents used to eat. I sleep well, am more alert, have far more energy and feel lighter. My body is smiling, my head is clear and life is much sweeter without sugar.

Wilson has been sharing her sugar-free recipes with readers and recently pulled them together in the I Quit Sugar e-book, with contributions from a host of health nuts, including famous foodie, Gwyneth Paltrow.

Here's one of her favourite recipes, Coco-nutty Granola. Check out her site for more info on how you can get your hands on more sugar-free recipes.

Follow Life & Style Editor Nicky Park on Twitter.

Have you quit sugar? How are you feeling? Would you like to try and quit?

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Lifestyle

Premium
Lifestyle

The sleep trends experts think you should (and shouldn’t) try

12 May 06:00 AM
Premium
World

USA: 4000 miles, 6 small towns: a whistle-stop tour of America

12 May 02:06 AM
Premium
Royals

Can King Charles heal a royal family crisis before it’s too late?

12 May 01:35 AM

Sponsored: How much is too much?

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Lifestyle

Premium
The sleep trends experts think you should (and shouldn’t) try

The sleep trends experts think you should (and shouldn’t) try

12 May 06:00 AM

New York Times: Mouth tape, melatonin, “worry journals” - do they actually help?

Premium
USA: 4000 miles, 6 small towns: a whistle-stop tour of America

USA: 4000 miles, 6 small towns: a whistle-stop tour of America

12 May 02:06 AM
Premium
Can King Charles heal a royal family crisis before it’s too late?

Can King Charles heal a royal family crisis before it’s too late?

12 May 01:35 AM
Bindi Irwin rushed to hospital in emergency

Bindi Irwin rushed to hospital in emergency

11 May 10:20 PM
Sponsored: Cosy up to colour all year
sponsored

Sponsored: Cosy up to colour all year

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP