Year of No Sugar

When Schaub read the research of Dr. Robert Lustig about the dangers of eating sugar, specifically fructose, she took his words to heart and declared that her family would go fructose-free for a year. Her blog about the experience is the basis for this book. Schaub points out that fructose is added to most processed food: breakfast cereal, bread, lunch meat, mayonnaise, salad dressing, ketchup, wine, salsa, chips, and crackers, just for a start. The amount of fructose most people consume leads to obesity, is a factor in diabetes, and has been implicated in increased incidences of some cancers. Schaub writes about how she got her children through the fructose-laden minefields of classroom treats, Valentine's Day, and Halloween. Thanksgiving and Christmas posed challenges, too, as did any meal at a restaurant. Schaub says that by the end of the year, when their self-imposed rules could be relaxed, they all found that a very little sweetness was satisfying. Hillary Huber's narration is cheerful and energetic. Recipes that Schaub developed are provided as a PDF download on the Tantor website (ow.ly/CkEtk).