How Cutting One Ingredient From My Diet Changed My Life
Updated: Jun 11, 2021
How I Lost Stubborn Weight, Cleared My Cystic Acne and Improved My Mood
The last time I did a no sugar diet was decades ago. I wasn’t hyper aware of the positive side effects of omitting sugar nor did I know that sugar reeked havoc on many of our systems, organs and hormones. Insulin, cortisol, and a slew of other hormones that regulate mood, fat loss, energy you name it, are all affected by sugar. When I learned this I thought to myself maybe I’d do a sugar free challenge for 2 weeks. See how I feel. But to be honest, I didn’t think sugar was a big deal in my daily diet. Refined sugar had been cut out of my diet long ago. Most my sugars came from a very small amount of natural sugar like honey and maple syrup for my tea. My fruit intake was usually low glycemic fruits like mixed berries and an occasional banana as a “treat” for my smoothies. There were some sneaky sugars that found their way into the sauces I used or almond milks I’d buy but the amount was so negligible, or so I thought. Celebrations were exceptions to the “rule”. I’d allow myself refined sugar because I don’t believe in being so strict that you can’t have a piece of cake. But on the average daily basis I believed that the only sugars I allowed in wasn’t much at the time. Because of this I felt confident enough to lead myself and a group of my friends through a sugar free challenge for 2 weeks not expecting to see much of a change for me at all. Oh how I was wrong.
There are 2 ways one could do sugar free. You can do no refined sugar and sub natural sugar or you can do no sugar of any kind not even natural sugars or fruits. Whatever method you choose, I always say talk to your doctor first before embarking on a sugar free challenge. For me I chose the “no sugar of any kind” route with one exception, I allowed myself to have an occasional apple if I wanted one but every other kind of sugar was cut. Refined, natural, fruits you name it, all gone. After one week, just ONE week I noticed the most insane results that BLEW my mind:
I lost 3 pounds
My acne cleared up, even the cystic acne I always get
My stomach bloating went down substantially
My mood was higher and more stable
I had more energy
My anxiety was reduced
I wasn’t as sore after exercising as I usually was
My itchy skin went away
Doing this challenge again over a decade later and in a different headspace proved to be totally worth it! I even gained new insights on the food and milk substitutes I rendered as “safe”. I was really focusing in on the added sugars and found some sneaky sugars I didn’t anticipate. I use ground jarred ginger with my veggies, that has sugar in it, high fructose corn syrup to be exact. I tried to use Cholula sauce, that has sugar in it. Some of the almond milks I got, had added sugars. Salami…. has sugar! And the list went on. It made me realize how quickly sugar can add up and how it isn’t just the sugars YOU add to your food, it’s also what has been added to your food that adds up and reeks havoc.
Because the results were so impressive I decided to keep going for another couple of weeks and even if I add sugars back into my diet again, due to this challenge I am now way more aware and mindful of what’s in my food and how it affects me. I’ve also been able to alleviate symptoms that I would see doctors for just by cutting the sugar. And that’s always a huge plus because I can save that money for something else. So I guess cutting sugar not only made me healthier, it helped me save money too.
The transformation that happens, mind, body and soul without sugar was truly miraculous and I’m so glad I have a new insight on sugar and I hope this helps anyone who is searching for answers to their health ailments.
If you have questions about the sugar free challenge or questions for me in general about health and wellness feel free to reach out. Either comment below or shoot me an email on my site, you can contact me via the home page or you can email me at contact@jeanniethehealthcoach.com
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Eat well to be well!
- Jeannie