For ten weeks, I ate zero sweets.
Insane, right? Iâm still not sure how I did it. But I learned a lot, and Iâm now adopting a low-sugar lifestyle. Whatâs more, Iâve realized that anyone can cut out sugar â even if sweets are your life.
To recap, Iâve been trying to eat foods with less than five grams of sugar since early January. That doesnât include items with natural sweetening (fruits, for example), but I avoided refined sugar (the stuff that makes comfort snacks like mac ânâ cheese and brownies so delicious). After learning that sugar is biologically addictive, I wanted to see how hooked I was and how Iâd feel without it.
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What have I learned?
Sugar is truly addictive. Story of my life: Iâd say, âIâll only have one bite of [insert sugary food here],â and then Iâd chow down on way more than Iâd planned. When you have even a little bit of sugar, your body yearns for more. When I cut it out of my diet, my cravings dropped significantly. It pained me to admit it, but I was addicted.
When you stay off sugar, you really do feel better. Not only did my yearnings decrease, but my face thinned out and my complexion became more healthful-looking, too. I also experienced fewer emotional ups and downs under stress (in fact, mood swings can result from variations in your blood sugar). I hardly ever suffered from headaches, which sugar can trigger.
It is possible to stay away from sugar. I have a huge sweet tooth, so I never thought I could give up my favorite goodies. But after about a week of cutting them out, my longings eased. I didnât think about them as much anymore, and I didnât miss them too much, because I realized how sugar negatively affects the body.
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You might say, âThis sounds great, but how can I manage to live without sugar?â Iâve come up with a few tips:
1. No need to go cold turkey right off the bat.
If thatâs best for you, go ahead, but setting small goals works well too. For example, substitute sugar with cinnamon in your coffee. If you drink a cup of joe a day, youâd be amazed at how much less sugar youâre consuming. If sweets are calling your name, try one of these healthful options. Frozen fruit, unsweetened coconut milk or cinnamon are always good alternatives to processed sugar. You can also eat nuts or chickpeas when youâre generally hungry â theyâre protein-rich.
2. Avoid temptation.
Itâs hard to abstain from goodies when theyâre sitting right in front of you. Make sugary items invisible to the naked eye, or if you want to go to extreme measures, just throw them out. At parties, donât hang around the food table, because itâs probably littered with sweets. Try outings that donât revolve so much around food; for instance, shop for clothes or accessories instead of setting out on a mission to find the best ice cream in town.
3. Find someone to hold you accountable.
It helps to stick with a goal when someone keeps tabs on how youâre doing. Ask a trusted friend to check in to see whether youâre fighting or succumbing to cravings. It might take a little humility to talk with him/her about it, but itâll definitely help. Even better, find a friend who wants to cut out sugar, too, so you wonât have to go it alone.