I came across a post regarding no sugar and no shave November. Don’t know about the no shave but I say let me try the no sugar as I have done so before. There are three levels to this challenge:
– Bronze which entails you resist soft drinks and juices with a mere one cheat drink per week.
– Then there is the silver level which requires you to avoid soft drinks, juices, and adding sugar to tea. I thought to myself that I already live in silver and bronze, at least most days, so I can do the gold.
– The gold is similar to the bronze and silver with an additional instruction to avoid all foods with added sugar, i.e. cookies, chocolate cake etcetera. Now, I mean I could handle a bronze and I could handle a silver but a gold budday.
As a woman, especially around a certain period of the month, I would be disrespectful to tell my body to stop calling for sour wormies, cakes and spicy food. How are we going to do this ‘gold standard’ of no sugar?
Do not let my reluctancy influence your effort to try the gold level. Please do share your experience with us in the comments if you have or are trying any level of the no sugar challenge.
So here is how it went. The first week was not a problem. On Saturday my friend forced me to drink cream soda. Literally held a knife to my neck. However, the second week there were two birthdays at work. That means two cakes, Monday and Tuesday. Did I enjoy a slice? Hell yeah I did, on both days. You might be thinking I am such a hypocrite, preaching fitness and eating cake on the other hand, but one thing I am sure to do is to enjoy a piece of cake.
Don’t get me wrong, there are times when I fast, there are times when I go through a cutting phase, mostly at the beginning of the year but, life I think is for us to enjoy and not deprive ourselves completely of good food. That’s why my very inactive tik tok page is Fit Foodie. Nonetheless, a no sugar phase is good, whether you do it for a month, or two weeks. There are lots of benefits, also a few side effects to consider.
Before you plunge right into a sugar-free diet, please consult with a doctor if you have any known health issues. I would also advise that you gradually reduce your sugar rather than cut it out completely by the next day. This will cause you to become extremely fatigued and possibly crash if changed suddenly. According to nutritionists, once you gradually reduce the amount of sugar, like drugs, you will experience withdrawal symptoms for about a week.
I don’t mind reducing my ‘added sugar’ in-take but I am not reducing my in-take of naturally occurring sugars found in fruits and vegetables. This type of sugar is actually good for us.
Benefits of reducing your added sugar in-take:
According to Dietitian, Lindsey Desoto, there are several benefits of reducing your added sugar in-take.
- Helps regulate your blood sugar
- Aids in weight management
- Improves your oral health
- Reduces your risk of liver disease
- Helps your heart health
- May reduce acne and improve skin health
- May lower your risk of depression
Symptoms
I ain’t gonna lie, the first time I did a sugar detox, I felt horrible the first three days.
There are mental and physical symptoms of a sugar detox says Healthline
Mental:
- Depressed mood
- Changes in sleep patterns
- Anxiety
- Difficulty to concentrate
- Cravings
Physical:
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Nausea
Now there are ways to manage these symptoms;
- Drink lots of water
- Increase dietary fiber in-take
- Eat protein rich foods
Takeaways:
Reducing your added sugar has lots of benefits.
There are symptoms to be considered
These symptoms can be managed
Reference:
DeSoto L, (September 30, 2022). 7 Health Benefits of Cutting out Sugar. Health. Retrieved: https://www.health.com/nutrition/health-benefits-quitting-sugar
Santos-Longhurst, A (August 20, 2020). What is a sugar detox? Effects and How to Avoid Sugar. Healthline. Retrieved: https://www.healthline.com/health/sugar-detox-symptoms#side-effects
Disclaimer: I do hope you understand that this post and/or comments do not constitute medical or health recommendation as it is based on the author’s opinion. Do not apply any content therein as information to replace consultation with your qualified health care professional. Please check with your doctor before attempting any diet or exercises. Assume any risk to yourself and agree to discharge ProWell Fitness and any platform utilised to share content from any and all claims of injury.