One-Month Water Challenge

Image by Rajiv Shah,  used under Creative Commons Licence

I made the long trip back from Paris at the beginning of this week, and on the final train I succumbed to temptation and bought a snack from the trolley. As I was idly perusing the back of my Sprite bottle, I made two discoveries in quick succession.

Now, I drink quite a lot of Sprite. Not every day, or even every week, but if I buy a drink on the go then it is almost always Sprite, and  I often order it in restaurants too. I've never seen the point of buying bottled water (I usually carry a bottle of tap water in my bag). So I was horrified when I saw on the Nutritional Information panel that my beverage contained 29% of my daily recommended sugar allowance. 29%? That is a lot of sugar! Then I looked a little closer and realised that the bottle was claiming to be two servings - so it was actually twice that! Almost 60% of my recommended sugar in one drink, a drink which isn't even all that refreshing? And I don't believe that anyone leaves half a fizzy drink to be drunk another day, so this "servings" nonsense is just an attempt to hide the truth.

Liquid cavities flavoured with lemon and lime

I had already resolved to radically cut back on my fizzy drink consumption when I made my second discovery: a new cavity in one of my lower molars. My first filling arrived when I was nineteen and I am fairly certain I will need at least two more when I next go to the dentist. Apart from anything else, fillings are expensive!

As a result I have decided to cut out sugary drinks altogether. From now until May 20th I will only drink water. I will make an exception if I go out for coffee with my mum or a friend, but that happens very rarely. One month without liquid sugar. I wonder if I can manage it?

In other news, this morning I finally bought a rice cooker. I have been wanting one ever since I first ate rice which had been cooked in one: it is so much nicer, and so much easier! The model which I settled on is the Tefal 4-in-1 rice cooker, slow cooker, porridge maker and vegetable steamer and will hopefully be arriving at the end of this week so that I have lots of time to play with my new baby before I move out again in October and assume total responsibility for my diet once more. I'll be sharing the recipes I try out, and please let me know if you have any recommendations!