So for a variety of reasons, I’ve been looking at cutting
back on sugar. Just over a year ago, I
saw the documentary “Sugar” (thanks, Surya!), and that in and of itself was
shocking/enlightening enough, but then once I started working for a health clinic,
and now read daily various things about health, sugar comes up again and again
as a gross, monstrous thing that certainly is the key driver (aided and abetted
by greedy, manipulative corporations) in the obesity and diabetes epidemic in
the U.S. (and, increasingly, the western world as a whole).
So when I came across a piece in one of my favorite monthly
reads (Bottom Line Personal), wherein the editor sang the praises of this
33-day “sugar detox” she did, I decided to give it a try. My first real effort to do a structured diet!
And I’m so glad I did; although it was hard as hell, I learned that sugar is
basically “drug like” in its effects on your body and brain and ditching it
pays huge dividends.
For example, my “default mood” is much better now; as well as my overall energy level. It took about 2 weeks
into the diet when I started noticing this.
I started walking faster during my morning commute (every day I walk
about 20-30 minutes to BART to work and then the same coming home). I found myself in a good mood for no apparent
reason. And of course I lost
weight. “Only” 5 pounds over that month,
but I’d already lost 13 pounds in the year before I did the detox since
I’ve been back from Africa and eating better, exercising more, etc. Bonus: a good chunk of the weight I was
losing was belly fat—the hardest to get rid of.
The first three days were the hardest; during that time it
was a COMPLETE avoidance of sugar—including no fruit, no dairy, no pasta, no
bread, etc. Basically, you eat protein,
vegetables, and nuts. Day 2 of the 3 was
the hardest. After a full day of “sugar
withdrawal,” I REALLY wanted a cupcake, juice, candy bar, donut, anything with
sugar! And on day 2 you knew you still
had one more full day after that to go.
If day 2 wasn’t the worst, then day 8 was for some reason I cannot quite
recall.
After 3 days, you get to add one piece of fruit daily for
the next week, and one serving of dairy.
I will tell you that the orange I had on day 4 was the best orange I’d
ever had in my life! For the rest of the
week, I had one apple daily and, again, best I’d ever tasted! In fact, one of the benefits of doing this is
that it “recalibrates” your taste buds so that fruit, in general, taste much
better, sweeter, etc.
After the first week, and each week thereafter for the rest
of the 33 days, you get to add one more thing (e.g., a glass of red wine 3-4
times a week, a serving of berries daily to go along with your one serving of
fruit, etc.). At no point in the detox
period could you have ANYTHING with any added sugars, and if you think that’s
not hard, try looking at all the shit you buy to see how much of it has added
sugars.
Anyway, my biggest worry about the detox was that, once it
was done, on day 34, I would fall on a box of Ding Dongs like a crazed heroin
addict swimming through a toilet for a little bit of smack. And I certainly did go a little crazy and
rush out to have a Dr. Pepper at the movie, ate a little of the Valentine’s
chocolate I’d saved, etc.
But here’s the thing: the cravings I’d had throughout most
of the 33 day detox almost went away.
And when I did have that chocolate, that Dr. Pepper, etc., it wasn’t
nearly as heavenly as I thought it’d be.
In fact, another benefit of the detox was that I seem to be eating less
in general—I don’t feel as hungry overall and when I do eat, I don’t eat as
much.
I was experiencing pretty much the opposite of the dude in
the “Sugar” documentary. When he started
having as much sugar as the average American, he immediately started gaining
weight—especially belly weight. His
moods started fluctuating, found himself cranky, with low energy, etc. I highly recommend the documentary to see
some of the medical stuff/reasons for this, as well as a lot of disturbing,
sociological crap that sugar has fucked with.
And for those interested in giving it a try, I’m sharing the link below. As I was wrapping
up my detox, I was very proud of myself for sticking to it/completing it—I
actually thought for a while that would be the biggest benefit: the
psychological “win” of being able to do something really, really hard. And while that was, indeed, a nice benefit, I
am much happier with the unexpected mood and energy improvement and weight
loss. Yay me! J
https://bottomlineinc.com/health/diet-nutrition/im-kicking-sugar-habit
