30 Day No Sugar Challenge

So, I have agreed to 30 Days without sugar! What was I thinking?? When they said alcohol too, I wanted to pretend like I hadn’t just agreed to it…but, I committed. Last month I challenged myself to detox my body and remove all alcohol to help re-set my metabolism and surprisingly (with lots of prayer), I was able to last 30 days exactly and saw some great results in my skin, my body composition and my overall mood and energy. So, I figured I can do this again, but include removing ALL added sugars.

I don’t typically eat a lot of added sugar anyway and I don’t have a sweet tooth (I’m more of a bread and cheese lover), so I thought this would be pretty simple. BUT, we don’t realize just how much sugar is in EVERYTHING else we eat and the fact those starchy carbs we crave like chips and fries are complex carbs that our bodies break down in to simple sugars. Not to mention, all the stuff that is added to “Sugar Free” products! We all know the typical sodas, candy, etc. but who knew there was so much sugar in milk, ketchup, bread or spaghetti sauce!?

I’ve been on the low sugar kick for a long time now, but I have never pushed myself to include removing “healthy sugars” like honey or artificial sweeteners like agave. But, sugar is sugar whether it comes from bees or cane, it causes your blood sugar levels to rise, the calories still count and what does “natural sweetener” really mean? I mean what would I do without Truvia and sugar free flavoring for my coffee?? So, now is the time to step it up and really challenge myself to read the labels a little more carefully and understand what I am putting in my body and see what kind of results I will have.

If you would like to try this I would recommend a couple things.

1. TAKE BABY STEPS. If you are the type that is eating a cookie and drinking a full sugar, or even, diet coke, as you are reading this, then I would recommend taking baby steps and try removing one thing each week. As with any “shock”, challenge, diet or cleanse, I would truly recommend not going full out cold turkey. While you will see results if you do this, we all know that once you go back to your normal eating habits, you gain all the weight back, sometimes even more, and you just go back to your old routine.
2. LOOK AT IT AS A LIFESTYLE CHANGE. Stop being so egocentric. Don’t see this as just trying to lose weight, flatten your belly, or see your abs. Really try to change the fact that you drink a case of soda every 3 days and are possibly headed down a diabetic path or try to stop adding so much artificial sweetener and additives that you can’t pronounce because they probably have some very serious side effects.
3. RE-TRAIN YOUR BRAIN & TASTE BUDS. The point isn’t to completely deprive yourself and be miserable. I’ve seen some people on carb-free, sugar-free diets who become completely mean or lethargic. The point is to re-train the way your brain thinks and re-train your taste buds. We’ve all seen the way children act when they eat sugar. It literally fuels every cell in the brain and we have a sugar high and continue to try to reach that “high” or get that “energy” spike, so we continue to crave it. Once your brain and taste buds realize that you don’t need  as much sugar, you will notice that the foods and drinks you previously loved are TOO sweet. And, the added weight loss and positive benefits will help motivate you as well.

Rules:

• No added sugar of any kind.
• No artificial sweeteners or sugar substitutes (including Honey, Stevia, Sucralose, Agave, Glucose, etc.) See this list of some other names for sugars. Sugar by Any Other Name.
• Read your labels. Try to stick to <1 g sugar per serving.
• No fruit juice (even if it says 100% juice). Surprisingly High Sugar Foods
• No diet drinks
• No processed products that have added sugar or sugar substitutes (sugar free products, ketchup, salad dressings, spaghetti sauce, yogurts, milk, etc.)
• No white flour or white starches (bread, pasta, potatoes, rice). Use brown rice or whole wheat flour. If using whole wheat bread or pasta, make sure there aren’t any hidden sugars in them. You’ll be surprised how many of them have sugars or sugar substitutes. If you’re allergic to gluten, eat the bread you need to, but try to find one with no added sugar.
• No alcohol