I miss my sugar! I've decided¹ to go on a diet to lose weight and I had to give up pastries² and cakes. It's difficult because I have a sweet tooth and I love cream cakes.

 

Not having treats can be good for your health. I've heard that a whole family in South East England lived sugar free for a whole year after they found out their daughter had diabetes³.

 

It wasn't easy. I don't go to bakeries to avoid giving in to temptation, but the family of five actually owns one. Jason Burt's business makes up to 3,000 cakes a week.

 

They were in shock when the doctor said that their 16-year-old Lucy had to check her blood glucose⁴ levels regularly and take insulin. He advised her to eat a normal, balanced diet, but the Burts went further and got rid of sugar altogether.

 

And how does it feel to live without sugar for a while? Jason Burt said that for a month they felt groggy⁵. But later on it all changed. He says he feels "more awake" and full of energy.

 

And what about the Burt family business? It had to keep using half a tonne of sugar a week and any cook worth his salt knows that you've got to taste a recipe to know if it's right.

 

No problem there, says Jason Burt's wife, Clare. She points out that she's got lots of people offering to taste the cakes for them. The family is also thinking about selling more savoury products.

 

I wonder what makes us have cravings for sweet food. Many scientists suggest that we instinctively⁶ want sugar because it plays an important role in our survival⁷.

 

The British National Health Service advises that the sugar we add to the food and drink we have every day should not be more than 10% of our calorie intake⁸. This is on average 70g for men and just 50g for women.

 

I've decided to forget about the sweet taste of sugar for a while. As British model Kate Moss⁹ says: "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels."

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