Week 3 – Sugar Free for a year
Here I am, week three of my 52-week journey, and I am making a pretty big commitment, removing sugar from my diet for an entire year. Now, I’m not talking about just cutting back, I mean getting rid of it completely. Why so drastic? Because sugar truly is everywhere, and it has been said to be more addictive than cocaine. The more I looked into it, the more I realised how often I reach for it without even knowing.
I never saw myself as someone with a big sweet tooth, but once I reintroduced sugar into my diet, I caught myself grabbing something sugary (chocolate!) much more often. That’s when I realised how powerful and sneaky sugar can be. It’s also highly inflammatory, which means it can wreak havoc on our bodies, our minds, and our overall well being. Since my plan over the next few months is to remove all inflammatory foods from my diet, sugar seems like the perfect place to start.
Hidden Sugars & The 5g Rule
One eye opening step I have taken is learning to read labels. The benchmark I use is staying under 5 grams of sugar per 100 grams in any product. It’s amazing how many “healthy” foods get disqualified once you really dig into the numbers! As for recommended daily intake, it’s typically around 25g (6 teaspoons) for women and 36g (9 teaspoons) for men, you will be surprised how fast that adds up. Once you start looking what’s in your cupboard, you’ll see sugar is in things you wouldn’t expect, like savoury sauces or salad dressings.
My Personal Sugar Struggle
I’ve always been aware of sugar’s downsides, I have cut it out many times and then move to limiting it, telling myself it’s all about balance. This time I am taking the leap and cutting it out entirely. My biggest downfall is chocolate, especially milk or white. Dark chocolate was a compromise I forced on myself, but it’s just not the same. Because of this, I add organic cacao to things like chia pods and my oats for breakfast. I have substituted with a variety of different sugars over time, however over the next year I will be cooking and using liquid stevia. It took me a while to get used to the taste and the powdered stuff is just plain horrible. I do use the body ecology brand and it is very good. I won’t be removing fruit, I will keep my 2 serves of fruit a day, which is berries in my morning smoothie and a green apple, I enjoy these and as they say an apple a day you know the rest.
A Fun (or Not So Fun) Fact
Did you know that sugar can weaken your immune system for several hours after you eat it? This is a huge issue for me as i am still immune compromised, this is one of the biggest reasons why I am doing this experiment as I NEED to build up my immunity, sugar can also influence hormones that impact stress, sleep, and even how your brain works during the day. For me, these are a powerful motivation to see what life feels like without the sugar roller coaster.
Looking Ahead
Over the next year, I’m curious to see how going sugar free will affect my energy, mood, and overall health. I’ll also be gradually removing other inflammatory foods to see how big a difference that makes for my body and mind. If you’re thinking of cutting back on sugar (or cutting it out altogether), let me know. We can compare notes, share tips, and I will even throw in a recipe or two.
Here’s to Week 3 of this adventure, ditching the sweet stuff for a sweeter life!
