I'm now sugar-free for well over 2 weeks. And I must say: it's been fairly easy until now. This initial success is due to the fact that I already had fairly good eating habits and haven't attend any parties yet. But I know how hard it is to stay put, so I prepared myself for the worse.
First of all I went to the library to find some books on healthy eating habits. It was hard to find a relatively good book, since most books address serious problems like bulimia, obesity and anorexia. It's disappointing to see that there are more people who are interested in solving a specific problem they have, then proactive people who want to change a mediocre situation in an ideal one.

Anyway: I found a book that was reasonable. I learned some new stuff and some things I forgot through the years:

• Go for the slow carbohydrates.
  I'll first explain what the difference is between fast and slow carbohydrates. Fast carbohydrates are refined sugars (like sugar beet) and is, after eating it, available to the body in no time. That seems efficient, but it's not. The sugar level in the blood peaks enormously, just to go to rock bottom at the same speed as it peaked. As soon as you get to that low, you get hungry again because you need that energy.
  By eating slow (or complex) carbohydrates, the sugar gets into the blood over a longer period of time. So you can go on much longer before you run out of 'fuel' and have to refill your stomach.
  In short: eating refined sugar gets you in a downward spiral of highs and lows in your sugar level. It increases your chance of having diabetes.
• Eat a lot in the morning. Your digestive system is ready for that. Eat normal at noon and not that much in the evening, because your digestive system is getting slower during the day.
• Eat regularly. So don't miss a breakfast. You need to fuel yourself throughout the day. By fueling yourself with three good meals without fast carbohydrates, you don't need to munch that much between breakfast, lunch and dinner.
• Prepare yourself for weak moments, like parties and eating while traveling. Although it's best to discipline yourself, you may need some help from others in those vulnerable moments.
• Avoid alcohol. It will only make you fat. (in my case it will also make me sick)
• Don't buy sweets for some people come by to visit you. It's better to buy something just-in-time in a shop that's open 24/7 or a shop at a gas station. I must say: that looks like a good option to me, since I can't handle having sweets at home.
• Eat consciously by pausing regularly while eating. That way you take the time to feel if you really need to go on eating. There is no need to eat until the plate is empty. You eat until you're full.

Some snippets I found about sweets and children:

• It's better to have one good 'candy moment' than 10 small ones. Keep sweets something special!
• If you want to give something extra, you could give alternatives like dried figs.
• If you have a healthy lifestyle, you have a high chance your children will follow that example. Though I must say, I know some exceptions to that rule :)

Sorry. I don't have any links to give to you. My hard drive broke down.

Labels: food, health