Davina McCall - Davina´s 5 Weeks to Sugar-Free Yummy, easy recipes to help you kick sugar and feel amazing

Cut out added sugar. Use only honey and maple syrup and work towards cutting those out as much as possible if you can. When buying maple syrup, check the label and make sure you get the real thing and avoid anything called maple-flavoured syrup which will be mostly corn syrup.

Cut out white rice, white flour, white pasta and white bread. Instead go for brown rice or barley, wholewheat or spelt pasta, bread and flour. And dont worry theres nothing scary about spelt. Its just another sort of grain and you can buy it everywhere now.

Dont eat ready meals and processed foods such as ready-made sauces. Yes, they are convenient, but many are packed full of sugar to make them taste better.

Eat plenty of fresh vegetables and fruit. All these recipes contain loads.

Watch out for low-fat foods such as fruit yoghurts, which may be laden with sugar. Buy full-fat plain yoghurt instead.

Use butter not margarine, and whole milk, not skimmed.

Drink plenty of water still or sparkling. Flavour your water with slices of lemon or orange, cucumber, or herbs such as mint or lemongrass for variety.

Use herbs and spices for flavouring your food and making it extra delicious.

Eat foods as close to their natural state as possible. No processed gubbins.

For years, some scientists have been trying to tell us that its sugar not fats thats the big bugbear in our diets. It upsets our blood sugar and insulin levels and encourages fat storage and many believe that sugar is contributing to the rise and rise in obesity, and of type 2 diabetes and other ailments. Some of the converts to a no-sugar diet have even said that they have fewer wrinkles and spots since giving it up WOW! Sugar is a problem now because were all eating way too much. We dont need it!

This is really something we can work on. I can help myself look and feel better and improve my kids health by making some simple changes in my way of eating.

I know it is for me. The more sweet things I have, the more I want. After Christmas, when the house has been full of chocolates, cakes and other sweet treats, I really crave sweetness and it takes a few weeks to get back to normal.

Sugar gives you a quick high. We all know that feeling when youre really tired and hungry and you think only a chocolate bar will do. It does do the trick briefly. But then you crash and feel worse than before, so you want more and more sugar to help pick yourself up again.

Ive certainly been guilty of eating too much sugar. The trouble is that its not as simple as just giving up sugar in your coffee or that lunchtime chocolate bar. The big problem is the hidden sugar in foods.

Did you know that its almost impossible to find any shop-bought mayo that doesnt contain sugar? I didnt realise that ketchup, canned soups and sauces, and ready meals are all laden with the stuff. Some of the worst offenders are the low-fat foods such as fruity yoghurts, which can contain five teaspoons of sugar. Even a glass of fruit juice or one of those healthy- looking smoothies contains as much sugar as a fizzy drink far better to eat the fruit itself.

Ive stopped buying table sugar brown and white and instead I keep some honey and maple syrup in my kitchen. At least theyre closer to their natural state and they contain some nutrients. Ive also cleared out the other stuff pickles, canned soup, and so on. Im trying to chuck out my ketchup I really am but I know this is a process. By cutting out sugar, you automatically stop eating so many of the things that just dont do you much good and make you pile on the pounds. Its simple.