Since beginning this vegan, limited sugar, and processed food-free six weeks, I've been faced with several important facts about me, some of which I knew already: I have a love-hate relationship with sugar, I use sugary foods to calm down during stressful situations, and I have several triggers that keep rearing their ugly head throughout my day. Every day.
So in following this challenge and trying to stay true to it, I have faced the same stressful situations and triggers, but without resorting to cake and ice cream. However, I have definitely continued to eat in response to stress. I have a particular trigger, a work trigger, that I noticed today: while I was talking about a work issue, I began downing the can of raisins in front of me, handful by handful. The funny thing was that my coworker, to whom I was complaining, said, "hey, at least you're not gorging on cookies." But it was the same thing, really.
It hasn't been very difficult to eat non- animal products. However, the big issue with me has been the sugar, which is not food that is limited by vegans, for the most part. Cake can just be cooked in a vegan way and be just as tasty. With the same amount of sugar. That't not good for me right now.
I've been using agave nectar, which carries a lower glycemic index rating than sugar or honey: http://www.allaboutagave.com/agave-vs-granular.php
The good thing (which can also be the bad thing, upon introduction) is that it's not as sweet in recipes. It actually has a different kind of taste to it. There is a sweetness, but it's light and fleeting, actually. It doesn't linger on your tongue as long as sugar does.
I made bread tonight and used agave nectar in place of honey for an "Agave Nectar Whole Wheat Sunflower Seed Bread", which was really good, but not as sweet as the honey whole wheat bread that I made 2 weeks ago! Still, I felt just as comforted inside when I took a bite of the warm, homemade bread that it didn't matter.
