December, unsweetened, No. 7

12/8: My sweetest vice

This blog chronicles the author's attempt to endure the month of December, 2019, without eating sugary foods or drinks.

Did I mention Michele Ferrero?

From what I've read, that Italian billionaire, who died in 2015, is responsible for creating my No. 1 candy vice—Ferrero Rocher chocolates. For the uninitiated, they're those seductive golf ball-sized confections wrapped in gold foil and nestled in a tiny, pleated-paper muffin cup.

Mr. Ferrero, from what I learned with a modicum of research, was once named the 20th wealthiest person in the world, with personal worth estimated as upwards of $30 billion.

He also just happened to come up with another sweet and wildly popular product named Nutella. Perhaps you've heard of it?

I also learned that approximately 3.6 billion Ferrero Rocher chocolates are now sold each year—about 60 percent of them during the last three months of the year, probably because they're so widely given as holiday gifts. In past years, I've probably been responsible for eating several million of those delectable little chocolate-and-hazelnut goodies all on my own.

Fortunately, I haven't succumbed to their allure yet, during my unsweetened December. I haven't been given any as a gift either, but they've been strategically placed beside checkout counters in markets everywhere I go.

Meanwhile, I'm about a third of the way through the month, with no sugar breakdowns to report. I'd be lying, though, if I said this is easy. I'll post a health update tomorrow.