Nearly seven years ago, Dad was diagnosed with Type II diabetes. After this diagnosis, he completely overhauled his diet and eliminated all forms of sugar. While E and I supported Dad's new diet, we did not feel remotely compelled to change our sugar-loving ways. Bread and bagels were still purchased. Cookies and cupcakes were baked on a near-daily basis. Mom continued to make mashed potatoes for dinner [a family favorite]. While E and I ate sugar and starchy food to our heart's content, Dad always resisted. He'd choose almonds over crackers. Fresh fruit over the cookies and ice cream in our dessert bowls. Steamed broccoli instead of the creamy, cheesy risotto my mom would prepare as a dinner side dish. Making his health a priority, Dad chose to forgo all of the foods that were once part of his daily diet. As a result, his blood sugar is now completely under control and he has lost nearly sixty pounds since being diagnosed with diabetes.
E and I don't want to wait until we are diagnosed with Type II diabetes [which is practically inevitable, considering our family predisposition and our current sugar-intake] before choosing to change our ways. We've decided that now is the time. We hope this blog serves as a source of inspiration for those wishing to choose a cleaner diet, free of "killer carbs" [phrase coined by Dad]. There are so many low-carb diet regimens out there--Dukan, Atkins, Paleo, etc. Some say beans are okay, some forbid eating fruit, some say only lean meat, some limit vegetables. How complicated and restrictive, right? Choosing to stick with just one of these "diets" is not our style. We're hoping to incorporate aspects from all of these into our own Sugar-Free-Sister [SFS] way of eating. This is not a diet, per se. This is a food lifestyle we have chosen for ourselves. We plan on sharing the whole experience with you--the successes, the pitfalls and setbacks, new favorite recipes, and more. Welcome to SFS!
