How addicted was I to sugar? Let’s just say those yuletide visions of sugarplums danced in my head year round.

I found an excuse to indulge nearly every day — which is easy to do in a place as decadent as the South Fork, where my relationship with those fist-sized Levain Bakery cookies predates my relationship with my husband, and where a soft, rich brownie from Harbor Market in Sag Harbor could seemingly fix any number of problems.

Except that all the refined sugar I was eating was eating away at my health. Periodic medical tests revealed consistently high levels of glucose in my blood, and my weight refused to budge regardless of how many expensive fitness classes I sweated through. I myself was dancing dangerously on the precipice of pre-diabetes, one gooey beach-campfire s’more at a time.

It became obvious that it was time to kick sugar — the best bittersweet decision I’ve ever made. And it was really, really hard to do, considering it is in nearly every store-bought product you can find, right down to everyday staples like salad dressing, peanut butter, and pasta sauce.

“I saw a study that found that Americans eat 140 pounds of sugar per year, on average,” said Noah Zingarelli of Springs, a founder, with his wife, Alex Burst, of the School of Healthy Consciousness. “Some people are eating a lot less, and some people are eating a lot more. That’s like three-quarters of a cup every day of sugar. It’s insidious — it’s so easy to get hooked into sugar.”

Zingarelli and Burst are two of the South Fork’s trailblazers in clean, plant-based eating, from their professional meal-prep service to their cooking show on LTV to their online recipe collection, called the Healthy Consciousness Cookbook. But even they like to indulge their palates in something sweet every now and then, so they do it with smart substitutions, creative combinations, and fiber-filled food choices.

Their date-pistachio energy balls are one example (see accompanying recipe). Dates are naturally sweet, but they’re also high in fiber and potassium. The pistachios contain protein and healthy fats, and cinnamon is a familiar and favorite spice for this time of year. Zingarelli called these snacks “a great alternative to eating a piece of cake.”

“One thing about refined sugar versus sugar you find in fruits and other foods is you’re getting fiber from the plant,” Zingarelli said in an interview. “If you drink a glass of orange juice versus eating an orange, you’re just getting a straight shot of sugar, whereas if you ate two oranges, you’re getting fiber that helps the body digest the sugar. The fruit might satisfy that craving, plus you’re getting the vitamins and minerals.”

“It breaks down totally differently in the body. Fruit is God’s gift to this earth,” Burst added.

They also make a breakfast berry loaf, hiding healthful ingredients in what otherwise tastes like cake. “We use maple syrup as the sweetener, but it has spinach, carrot, and berries in it as well, so you’re not eating a pure sugary sweet,” Zingarelli said.

“Really research and find new recipes and experiment with what to bring to the party,” Burst said, “so that you can have an option and maybe turn others on to having healthier eating habits.”

About six years ago, my cousin Bridget Sampson, an uber-dynamic life and career coach based in California, offered an online class about giving up sugar. She advised detoxing off sugar by dropping it cold turkey, but warned that it will feel like you’re wading through “a river of misery.” And indeed, that’s what it felt like the first time I tried to give it up. The river’s current was too strong for me at the time; I was defeated.

Burst agreed that detoxing first is important. “Once you get that out of your system and give your tastebuds time to adjust, these more natural sugars will taste so sweet. Fruit will taste so sweet and refined white sugars will not taste as good as they once did.” She said it can take at least a week or two for this to occur.

Daniel Preiato, a nutritionist based in Sag Harbor who is the head dietitian at the Hamptons Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing in Southampton, called the winter holidays “the toughest season for anybody trying to stick to a diet.”

His advice is to prepare yourself ahead of time by deciding what you will and will not eat whenever you’re in a social setting, calling it “a more preventative approach” to overindulging.

“Once you get used to a lower sugar intake, you don’t feel like you’re missing anything,” Preiato said. “Don’t be afraid to use a diet or lower-calorie product. Including these in moderation will not have any negative effects. The studies with artificial sweeteners are typically in rodents getting a crazy amount that we would never consume. . . . You have to indulge sometimes, but if your indulgences are better than they used to be, it’s not a problem at all. The name of the game is you don’t want to sacrifice the flavor in your diet, so be strategic.”

He also reminds people that they should eat a well-balanced breakfast, even if there’s a big dinner coming up later on. “If you’re hungry, you’re more likely to indulge. Protein, healthy fats, and fiber-rich foods manage blood sugar and prevent sugar cravings when you’re presented with tasty snacks,” he said.

Zingarelli, Burst, and Preiato all agreed that there are natural sugar substitutes that are much easier for the body to digest: coconut sugar, monkfruit, and stevia. Some of them, like coconut sugar and monkfruit, can be used as a one-to-one sugar substitute or at least a partial ingredient swap when baking.

But what do these actually taste like? My curiosity was piqued, so I attempted to compare and contrast by adding some of each to my coffee. (Separately, not all at once. I’m not a monster.) The coconut sugar was my favorite; it was nearly indistinguishable in my coffee from the refined white crap I’d been spooning in for years. Monkfruit and stevia, however, tasted a little less authentic. Still sweet, but with an aftertaste that I did not enjoy.

However, it still didn’t address the fact that I needed to wean myself off the sweets. So reluctantly, I again tried what my cousin advised years ago, and waded into the river of misery. I even gave up coffee for seven groggy weeks, thinking there was no chance I’d ever enjoy it again without sugar.

The next sip I had was in the form of a lavender oat milk latte made by my lovely friend Lauren. She simmered oat milk with some organic lavender buds, then strained the flowers out and frothed it up with a handheld mixer. It needed only the tiniest touch of honey to feel exactly the right amount of sweet. That’s a weekend treat now; my mornings typically begin with regular coffee with half-and-half and a sprinkle of plain cinnamon on top.

Slowly and surely, I stopped craving sugar. I don’t even have to consciously think about it now. If I can do it, then anyone can. Bring on the holidays, I’m ready.

Pistachio Date Balls

This versatile recipe by Alexandra Burst makes a great morning energy source or afternoon treat. It relies on dates for sweetness, spices for flavor, and pistachio nuts for fiber and other nutrients. Makes approximately 1 dozen.

Ingredients
1/2 C. raw shelled pistachios
4 large Medjool dates, pitted
1/4 tsp. arrowroot powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. turmeric
1/8 tsp. salt (if using unsalted pistachios)
1 to 2 Tbsp. water if needed (only necessary when the dates are super dry)

Use a food processor to grind pistachios into a meal. Add arrowroot, cinnamon, turmeric, and salt and mix well.

Add dates and process until the mixture is thoroughly combined. Drizzle in water if needed, and process until mixture forms into almost a ball. If the mixture is too wet, add more ground nuts.

Scoop mixture into tablespoons and form into balls with your hands. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.