We are extremely grateful to our agent, Betsy Amster, who saw the potential value of Sugarproof and whose guidance was invaluable in helping us shape the material to bring it to a broad audience. We are also extremely grateful to our consulting editor, Leigh Ann Hirschman, whose inspired ideas, including the title of the book, helped bring our scientific writing to life. We are grateful to Lucia Watson and her team at Avery for also believing in this project and giving us the opportunity to publish this book. We are grateful to several colleagues who helped review some of the scientific content, including Donna Spruijt-Metz, who helped shape Chapter 6, Kimber Stanhope who reviewed the scientific content in Part 1, Allison Sylvetsky for always being so generous in sharing her wide knowledge on the topic of low-calorie sweeteners, and Nicole Avena for her expertise on the effects of sugar on the brain. Thank you to the many families who helped us test our 7-Day and 28-Day Challenges. The feedback you provided on our materials and recipes was invaluable. And the stories you shared with us about your experiences were key in bringing this book to life.
Michael’s Personal Acknowledgment
I am extremely grateful to all of my colleagues and collaborators that I have had the good fortune to work with over the years, not just at USC and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles but also many amazing people around the world whom I have had the good fortune to interact with over the past three decades. Our interactions and discussions have helped in immeasurable ways to shape my thinking and move the science forward. My clinical research in children would also not be possible without an incredible group of pediatric specialists whom I have worked with over the years. This group includes Marc Weigensberg, Rohit Kohli, Jennifer Raymond, Juan Espinoza, Alaina Vidmar, Brad Peterson, and Frank Sinatra, who gave me a better understanding of fatty liver disease in children. To the amazing students and fellows I have worked with over the years, too many to mention here but who have all contributed to the progression of our research together. Many have specifically contributed to our work with sugar and spent endless hours doing studies, poring over the data, and writing manuscripts that have helped shift the field of sugar and child health forward: Jaimie Davis, Courtney Byrd-Williams, Rebecca Hasson, Tanja Adam, Kim-Anne Le, Ryan Walker, Claudia Toledo-Corral, Brandon Kayser, Lauren Gyllenhammer, Tanya Alderete, Emily Noble, Jasmine Plows, Paige Berger, and Roshonda Jones. Thank you to all of my students and trainees over the years for responding to my constant pleas to “show me the data!” and for your passion and dedication. Mentoring you and watching you evolve has been the most memorable part of this career. Thank you also to the many dedicated and passionate research assistants, coordinators, dieticians, and other staff who have worked with me over the years to organize and implement the studies to make the research possible. Finally, a big thanks to all the families and children who have participated in our research studies and dedicated their time and effort in the name of nutrition science. We literally couldn’t have done all this work without you.
To my mum, who introduced me to cooking at a young age, and for teaching me to “say it like it is.”
I’m extremely grateful to Lori. I couldn’t have asked for a better person to spend my adult life with, or for a better proofreader who always asks probing questions that lead me to dig deeper. Lastly to my amazing daughters, Coco and Orla. You bring me such joy and you help keep me young—even though you have watched me go gray. You and your generation bring me such hope for the future through your insistence on unity, inclusiveness, and civility in this world.
Emily’s Personal Acknowledgment
First and foremost I would like to thank Michael for inviting me to work with him on this project. It’s been rewarding and energizing for me, even despite the late nights and early mornings of passing drafts back and forth across time zones between the United States and the UK. Also thank you to other professional mentors, including Jaimie, Lourdes, Donna, and Jean, who trained me in health behavior research. As far as my culinary education goes, I’m especially grateful for Alice, Esther, Greg, Lili, and Paolo. Each of you has shown me that the most important ingredient in any dish is your desire to make it. Also, the end result of what you make is only as good as the quality of the ingredients you start with. Simply put: source good ingredients and put enthusiasm and love into preparing them, and the end result will be delicious.
Without the support of my family and friends, I would not have been able to successfully dedicate myself to this project, especially in the wake of my husband’s death. Thank you for being there with me either in person or in spirit as I went through all the waves of grief over this last year while trying to write.
Mom and Dad, you have given me everything, and the way that you have mobilized to help me in this particular time of need has been especially touching. Thank you for all the love and joy you give to me and the boys. Leo and Alex, you keep me smiling and I’m lucky to be your mommy/mamma/mum. Here’s to more dance parties in the kitchen. I’m also immensely grateful for other family, including Laird, Kim, Lynna, Lisa, Helen and Anthony, Tom, Beth and Brian, John and Trish, and Barb for your continual support. Thank you as well to Lili and Ramiro, Maria, Bernarda, Sofia, Emily F, and my whole Ecuadorian/German family as well as to Paolo and Margherita in Italy for adopting me into your families.
My tribe of friends rallied for me as well, encouraging me as I wrote. Thank you to my best friend, Emily N, for being my constant go-to for pep talks, laughs, and inspiration for keeping fit and keeping my act together in general. And thank you to your whole family, including Lloyd, Evelyn, Matt, Marc, and Meredith who have always been there for me. This book was also made better by so many of my other friends who supported me, including Sarah P, Emma A, Mindy, Jackie M, Tatiana, Katie D, Liz, Jai, Cassie, Wyatt, Elizabeth Z, Jacqueline, Lindsay, Chrissy, Jen, Helen B, Jenelle, Salva, Samer, Kat, Claudia, Rosa, Laura S, Kim-Anne, Anna, Nick, Amy, Vince, Lisa, Tracy, Taylor, Jadenne, Nadia, Stefano F, Silvia S, Vincenzo, Marco, Giovanna, Davide, Jackie B, Ulrik, Claire, Giacomo, Eloisa, Julie, Maria-Carmela, Santo, Maria-Letizia, Gianni, Ilaria, Michaela, Letizia G, Cinzia, Maiju, Adrianna, Silvia T, Stefano C, Mon, Bex, Deirdre, Roisin, Lidia, Lucy, Isabella, Katie M, Tito, Sinead, Gavin, Becki, Matt, Sadie, Jenny W, Mark, and Ravi.
Thank you to everyone who helped test our recipes and suggestions, including Silvia T, Nadia, Junko, E’lain, Scarlet, Sarah M, Marla, Theresa, Deirdre, Sinead, Laura O’B, Emma T, Katie M, Kate, Jemma, Gemma, Nichola, Brenda, Amy, Anna, Judy, Shannon, Danielle, Emma A, Emily N, Liz, Jenelle, Tammy, Chrissy, Ace, Georgiana, Ruby, Jenny S, Suzanna, Kelley, Cheli, Leah, Lauren, Anita, Yuliya, Abby, Kristen, Megan, Cathy, Jessica, and Melissa. A special thanks (and apology) to anyone who tried the first round of muffins.
I’m deeply grateful for all of you who helped me during this last year, which has been the hardest year of my life so far, but also the one that I have learned and grown the most in.