How I Took Back My Life in 10 Days: I Quit Sugar.
Food elimination diets are hard. I’m not going to sugarcoat it (heh). I went on a “sugar fast” for 10 days, and it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. Yes, it made me healthier. But more importantly, it uncovered a whole lotta scary emotional shit that my eating habits had been masking. Taking sugar out of my diet taught me about when and why I crave certain foods (hint: it’s not because I was actually hungry), and how it all relates to my physical and psychological well-being.
Are you thinking of doing a sugar fast? (You may have read that sugar is poisoning your liver, undoing your workout, and shortening your lifespan…among other things). Good! But before you start, know this: You’ll be cranky, and frustrated, and feel left out at social functions. But you’ll learn so much about yourself. I did. Here’s what happened:
Days 1–2
Remove all refined sugars, added sugars, and liquid sugars. No more chocolate chip cookies (sniff), desserts, sodas, sports drinks, or sugar in my coffee. This includes all artificial sugars and sugar substitutes.
Emotional Instability & Psychological Revelations
The first few days were the hardest. I got headaches, stomach cramps, emotionally volatile, and viciously cranky. These were serious, drug-like withdrawals. I realized I was an addict. I got irritable and twitchy if I didn’t have something sweet at the end of a meal. At lunch I started to pine for a chocolate chip cookie before I had even finished my sandwich.
There were other, more emotional triggers too. I craved sweets when I was bored at work. Or after a stressful phone call with my boyfriend. Or at night if I was home alone. It was pretty jarring to realize just how heavily I depended on sugar to bring me up. I had to face the fact that I was relying on the dopamine reward to make me feel happy. My energy was totally hijacked by the intense sugar cycle of spikes and crashes.
I read Sugar Shock by Connie Bennett and clung to these pieces of advice to stay strong:
The “H.A.L.T.” strategy:
Every time I felt an overwhelming desire to sink my face into the breakroom birthday cake, I asked myself: “What is this craving really?” Am I really Hungry? …or could I be…Angry? Lonely? or Tired? (H.A.L.T.)
“The Six Ds” also helped me a lot. Bennett writes:
Delay: drink a glass of water then delay for 15 minutes — chances are the craving will pass.
Distance: make an escape. Avoid your favorite bagel joints, candy stores, or pizza parlors when you’re in the throes of a craving.
Distract: do something else. Take a hike. Clean your house. Read a book. Throw yourself into a project. Time will fly, as will your craving.
Decode: your craving. Determine why you’re so sure you’re upset right now.
Decide: to respect yourself. Now ignore your cravings, watch them subside, and then give yourself non-food treats.
Delight: that you said no! Really relish your joy, relief, and pride that you successfully took control over your habit.
There was one major perk, however: way more energy and focus. That was just enough to keep me going into…
Days 3–5
Remove all refined carbs and lactose sugars. That means no more refined flours (au revoir croissants and savory scones), bread, crackers, milk, and cheese.
Every Time You Say No, It Will Be Easier
These days were some of the hardest. The only thing that got me through was this realization: every time I didn’t give in to a sugar craving, the next craving was a little less intense. Every loaf of bread, every poppy seed bagel, every buttery croissant made me whimper. I told myself, “This really sucks. I really want that f*cking scone. But if I don’t eat it, it only gets easier from here.”
One huge perk of this stage? My skin cleared up. I had been struggling with acne for years, but as soon as I cut out all refined sugars and carbs, my face was freakin’ radiant. Turns out the reason sugar is a potential cancer-aggravator is its ability to stimulate cell proliferation. In my case, this happened in my skin cells, leading to pimples.
Days 6–8
Remove all naturally-occurring sugars: Say goodbye to all fruit and starchy vegetables.
Freeeedom! Finally!
By day six I started to feel stronger and more determined. I had to cut out all fruit, potatoes, squash, and beans. Even carrots! I really grumbled about that. But as hard as it was, it was incredibly freeing. Now that the withdrawals had passed, I was finally free of the gnawing cravings, hanger, and irritability. I could refuse dessert without feeling deprived. I could eat a meal and feel satisfied at the end. I could eat more nourishing foods without calculating how I should cut back to compensate for that cupcake or chocolate bar that I ate earlier.
I was free of the emotionally exhausting cycles of willpower, weakness, and regret. I was no longer sugar’s b*tch! I rose up from under the self-loathing and binging and feelings of helplessness. I made it to the other side, and I’m here to tell you — it’s so much better over here. I felt invincible.
Days 9–10
Gradually work back in low-GI vegetable carbs and whole grain bread.
I Can Taste All the Things!
On day nine, the worst was behind me. It was time to reincorporate low-GI carbs and grains. I found that my palate had readjusted. Foods I had considered savory, like carrots and red bell peppers and whole grain bread, now tasted sweet to me. My sugar addiction had dulled my taste buds. But now I could actually taste the full range of flavors — I could derive more pleasure and satisfaction from whole foods. All the textures and subtleties were more delicious and complex. I had a richer “food experience” every time I ate.
How My Life Has Changed Since…
I love feeling more in control about what I eat and why. I spent too long feeling controlled by the shitty-quality, high-reward food that was engineered to override my willpower. Now I determine the best foods for my body — not only because they taste great, but because they make me feel great too.
Before I did this I thought, “I love chocolate! It makes me happy! Why would I give up something that makes me happy?” But it wasn’t the chocolate that made me happy, it was the rush of endorphins. I had become dependent on them to get through the day. Now I’m free of those cravings, liberated from that dependency, and more in touch with my own nutritional and emotional needs. Now I choose when (and when not to) indulge in chocolate — and that makes me happier these days.
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What’s so bad about sugar anyway? Well, a shton of terrible things. I outline them here.
Not ready to do a sugar fast? At least cut out the High Fructose Corn Syrup, k? Replace it with something better — like one of these.
