The Last Supper

And with one final sip of organic apple and blackcurrant juice, the sugar-coated curtain fell and landed on the head of the small guinea pig. But sadly, that little guinea pig was little no more, his flanks were now swollen, his teeth stained and aching, and his internal organs clambered for rest, stretched to their maximum functioning capacity.

The feeble mind of the guinea pig had waned too, for now he just thought in animal metaphors that were smaller than himself. Sugar had been on the menu for the last 60 days of his precious life and sugar had been the real winner. It had claimed yet another scalp in its unending crusade to conquer the kingdom. Here curled up in its destructive path lay the guinea pig, motionless, with short, sharp breathes ballooning his plumed little tummy. All seemed lost and devoid of meaning until there in the depths of his jaundiced eye was the tiniest sparkle, a shimmering orb of hope. His dry and cracked lips quivered closer together and some swear to this day that they heard, in a high pitched breathless guinea squeal, the distinct uttering of the word ‘detox’.

Many say the guinea pig snuffled its final gasps that day but others tell a very different tale. They regale with yarns of seeing a brave and noble guinea rise again, with chiseled torso and a flock of guinea piglets behind him, dancing with joy through fields of lush green vegetables. A pig reborn; with more power and wisdom than ever before. The little guinea didn’t die that day, it was in fact his greatest moment.

Okay. It is definitely time for a break.

Today was a real challenge. How to ‘enjoy’ the final 40 teaspoons? It has been such a journey, an international sugar tasting adventure, that I really wanted to make the most of the last hurrah. The ‘Last Supper’ with my 40 disciples.

I know I put out a request list for the last meal for readers and received some terrific and truly teeth rotting suggestions, but in the end I went with something that felt more poignant. The suggestion came from a terrific man who has been incredibly helpful to me throughout the process and it seemed fitting to end this way. The last meal was for all the people out there, especially parents, who are led to believe they are doing the right and healthy thing for their children. They are making an effort yet are horribly let down by the lack of integrity in marketing and packaging strategies.

The last meal was a full 40 teaspoons of sugar that could be found in a child’s school lunchbox. Sadly, it was very easy to do and fitted comfortably into the small plastic container.

One apple and blackcurrant Organic Sunraysia juice (6 teaspoons)

One packet of Sesame Snaps (3 teaspoons)

Two tiny Woolworths ‘Fruit Bars’ with 4 in each (8 teaspoons)

One box of Macro Organic Sultanas (5 teaspoons)

One Kelloggs Twist Bar (4 teaspoons)

One Packet of ‘Fruit Salad Bites’ (like apricot pieces but mixed fruits, coated in sugar. (5 teaspoons)

One Apple Fruit Jelly pack (5 teaspoons)

One Jam sandwich (4 teaspoons)

I sat with my lady and ate the whole box. All 40 teaspoons in one sitting. I have never had worse reflux in my life, even in my red wine, cheese and pork days.

I also ate Weetbix for breakfast and had a bean salad for lunch and added some chicken to it for dinner.

There was a strange silence and a time for both of us to reflect on the whole experience. This journey has highlighted to me just how shaky the foundations of our food supply are. If what can happen to me in 60 days has occurred without any so-called ‘treats’ on top, then it is little wonder we are in such a sad and sickly state.

I don’t quite understand what it all means yet, I need to be off the sugar for that, but I am certain that we are all in this together. A tribe is only as strong as its weakest link and we have some people on this planet that are in desperate need of a hand. We know there are some that have created a lot of this mess but if we waste too much time pointing fingers, more beautiful and vulnerable people will get sicker and die. We have enough evidence now to start taking serious action. Its not like we have anything to lose. The proof is in the overly strained medical system, the proof is in the demands of the deteriorating aboriginal people, the proof is in the laboratories of the scientists I have met and the proof is in my own struggling body. In fact this time and with convenient poetic eloquence, the proof is actually in the pudding (about 10 teaspoons).

60 days done and 2400 teaspoons consumed.

And now to get them the hell out of my system. Tomorrow, I master the art of detox.

Thanks to all for the kind comments along the way, thanks for the generous feedback and thanks even to those who did some A grade trolling, it actually made me research even deeper and be more thorough in my approach. I am really excited to put this film together and share the adventure with everyone.

I think a quote David Wolfe told me is a nice way to end this little chapter. “We needed to get the lessons of a high sugar diet and now we have done that and it is time to move on. It is time to return to the magnificence of whole-foods and vegetables, and if we can do that, then we can create true genius in our children.”

Now that is something worth striving for.