It’s April at the end of the week and I cannot believe where the year is going. 2020 (a.k.a The far and distant future where we’ll all have hoverboards) seems not so far away, and that is terrifying. I’ve found since Christmas that I’ve just not quite been on the ‘no sugar’ lifestyle as I was last year, and really wanted to get back on track. It’s a combination of excuses (Christmas, birthdays..) and working in a new office where instead of free fruit we have a little cafe that only stocks sweets and crisps. It’s way too easy to pick up something there than to pop out during a busy day to get a healthy snack.

Anyway, something needs to be done. So I’ve decided that April will be ‘no sugar’ month. Sort of like a late lent. That’s no chocolate, no sweets, no cakes. Nothing that’s bought and probably stuffed full of sugars. I’ve been planning the snacks I’ll take into work, and am looking forward to getting back into baking clean treats. I’ve also been slowly ‘encouraging’ others in the office to join in – it’s easier with friends to keep you on the straight and narrow. When I first started eating clean back in 2014 the only way to change my long ingrained habits was to go cold turkey on everything, from sugar to crisps to white bread and alcohol. It was hard for about 3 weeks and then boom – easy street. So Operation No Sugar Snacking begins 00:00 01.04.16.

Last week I decided to give up alcohol as well for the month. I’ve deliberated posting about this but think it will be cathartic to get it out into the blogosphere…

At the beginning of March my mum was hospitalised for alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver and severe jaundice. She’s still in hospital three weeks later and let me tell you, reading up on the damage alcohol does to your body is enough to make anyone give it up for a bit. Those of us who don’t suffer from the horrible disease of addiction are lucky. That I can drink as much or as little as I want, and then stop at any time makes me so thankful. Those that can’t, just ….can’t. And it’s a dreadful illness to have.

Mum has been an alcoholic for as long as I can remember and unfortunately I think hospitalisation and her body giving up was the only way it could ever end. So for now we wait as the doctors do their thing to help her get back home and in a healthier state. If she does get back home the hard work will be for her to stay off the booze, which at the moment she seems determined to do. Only Mum knows for certain if she can.

So for me, if I’m honest this month of abstaining isn’t really about ‘saving calories’ or ‘being healthier’, it’s more about taking each day to show I have control over my own life and actions. When you have someone close to you that is out of control it’s scary to see. I certainly won’t become a teetotaller, but a few weeks to just show myself that yes I can do that will be wonderful.

Let’s do this. #abstainingapril (that’s a TERRIBLE hashtag, I’ll keep thinking about that one…)

xx