Sugar Free Farm: Episode 1
The full lowdown on episode 1 of Sugar-Free Farm and how you can join in at home!
Thanks to all of you who’ve filled my inbox with kindness and questions since Episode 1 of Sugar-Free Farm hit ITV last week. As TV debuts go, it’s been incredibly exciting and I’m beaming from all your support. I’m going to try and answer as many of your questions as I can both here and in my fortnightly Health Tribe newsletter.
For those that missed it, here’s what you need to know…
The show: six famous faces are challenged to a dietary experiment – going cold turkey on sugar for two weeks, while living and working together at Laverstoke Park Farm. And when we say ‘cold turkey’, there wasn’t a single grain of sugar available during their stay!
My role: as the show’s nutritionist, I devised an exclusive menu of new sugar-free recipes for the farm. I was also on hand to advise and encourage our brave challengers throughout. Really, giving up sugar is tough…and I have first-hand experience! I was able to spend every day for a solid two weeks with the celebs talking about healthy eating to nourish the body, how to eat balanced meals and also how to change their behaviour towards eating the sweet stuff and sugary foods!
What happened in Episode 1:
Episode 1 introduced us to our Sugar Free Farm residents – Jane McDonald, Rory McGrath, Mark Labbett, Tupele Dorgu, James ‘Arg’ Argent and Jennifer Ellison – and the stories behind just how much sugar our stars were eating – a whopping 800lb a year combined!
After bearing witness to this monstrous pile, the challenge began. There was a bit of drama along the way and I wasn’t at all surprised to see tempers start to fray and the first of our sugar detox symptoms appear. Jennifer and Jane were hit the hardest, with Jennifer requiring some medical support.
It was my role to step in and remind the challengers of their goal. You’ll have to tune into ITV for the rest of the series on Tuesday the 2nd and Tuesday the 9th at 8pm to see if and how they pushed through!
Some questions raised from this episode…
Yes, whole fruit is incredibly healthy and should make up 2 of your 5 a day. As we discussed in the ‘6 sugar myths debunked’, we look to fruit for vital nutrients and fibre. However, my job was to reset the stars’ tastebuds and this meant removing everything sweet from their diet for the first week. Week two saw us reintroducing some fruit, but you will have to watch the rest of the series to see that unfold.
I can assure you they weren’t! While we were on the farm for two whole weeks, we’ve only got three hour-long episodes to share the journey. Sadly you won’t get to see everything that was said and eaten, but you will get to see plenty more. Keep watching, and ask if there’s something you want to know more about!
I get it, it doesn’t look too pretty, but it’s amazing to watch how our tastebuds grow to love those notes we find bitter or unsettling to begin with. And that’s why the smoothie is there, not only to fuel our challengers with some hydrating and vitamin-filled goodness, but also to see how they become accustomed to it. I promise, it tastes great!
Want to join in at home?
1. Watch out for my next blog post! I’m going to be unveiling the ‘farm rules’ for you to follow.
2. Try the recipes: you asked and we answered, my Sugar-Free Sweet Potato Granola and Sugar-Free Cauliflower Pizza are now live on the recipes pages!
3. Stay in the loop: I’m excited to be working on a recipe book (thanks to all who’ve asked about this!), alongside my soon-to-be-launched 7 Day Sugar Detox. Want to be the first to know more? Join my free Health Tribe mailing!
4. Leave a sugar-free question! Ask away in the comments, I’m here to help.
Finally, don’t forget to watch Episode 2 of Sugar Free Farm at 8pm on Tuesday 2nd February over on ITV! Or if you missed catch it on ITV Player on demand…
While it’s entertaining stuff, there’s a real message behind this show. The experiment is underpinned by evidenced-based science, with our national sugar consumption having reached epic proportions and increasing our risk of a host of preventable diseases. See my three part special Finding blood sugar balance, Avoiding insulin resistance and Avoiding Type 2 diabetes for more on the science.
Nourishing well wishes,
Angelique
Consult your doctor or health care practitioner for any health problems, and before embarking on any new health regimes, using any supplements or before making any changes in prescribed medications or food programmes.
