Turn away from the siren song of sugar

On a return flight from Brisbane three years ago, my co-passenger, an Australian fitness trainer, caught me adding white sugar to my coffee, and was quick to warn me.

“Stay away from sugar, mate. Order your next coffee without sugar sachets. You may love it without sugar too,” he said. A minute later, I found myself engrossed in a conversation with him. “Like many people, I think sugar is poison. I would suggest consuming it in its natural form from fruits, or at least lowering its consumption, as it affects several organs.”

His words were like a wake-up call for me and I recalled that many of my relatives were suffering from an array of health complications due to diabetes.

Later, when I ordered another cup of coffee, looking at the stunning sunset from my window seat, I just added cream to it. I took the first sip, and then another, and raised my thumb towards him. “I don’t feel the need for sugar, and I can taste the coffee better,” I told him.

Since then, I started having coffee without sugar, and having taken baby steps in the direction, soon gave up on all my addictions.

At first, it was hard because of my sweet tooth. My self-control was first tested on the flight itself as we were served tiramisu, one of my favourites, as part of the dinner trays. Again, my Aussie mate advised me to control my mind. He right away returned his dessert, while I gave mine to a child.

Since that trip, I have crafted my own formulas, which help me stick to the sugar-free path. If I am invited to any social function, where desserts are sure to be served, I make an advance promise to myself to stay away from all deserts, however tempting they may appear. This helps me stick to my resolve.

If I ever fail to resist, say chocolates from Switzerland and Belgium or traditional sweets from a famous shop, I do not take more than one bite. I rationalise that the first bite will help me taste the delicacy, and the second and third bites will not be any different.

Whenever someone asks me to try a desert, remarking on its unique taste, I tell myself, “I have tried the dessert before, and know its taste. Thus, eating it again makes no sense.” It works!

At home, whenever sweet boxes arrive with wedding cards, I distribute them among the servants as soon as possible, and sometimes give them to the children playing in the street. This also ensures that my father, who loves sweets, despite his doctor’s advice, cannot get to them.

There was a time, when I had no control on my sugar intake, and had too many, without caring about its effect on my health. When I once had a wounded foot for several months, my doctor blamed the excessive consumption of sugar. Those days often come back to me.

Let us not forget that India has been labelled as the ‘diabetes capital of the world.’ Haven’t we all heard, ‘prevention is better than cure?’ Of course, there is a reason behind it.

We should draw inspiration from the words of the Roman legend Horatius: “What we choose to be ruled by will introduce us to the consequences accordingly. The choice is ours!”

rameshinder.sandhu@gmail.com

(The writer is an Amritsar-based freelance travel writer)