GIVING UP SUGAR, DOES IT REALLY DETOX?

6/15/2015




 Bit of a different post today but I thought I would share my experience of giving up (most) refined sugar. Did it made any changes, or is giving up sugar an overrated "fad".

What were the effects?

INSTANTLY: Sugar. Cravings. Bad habits take a while to break. It was worth it for a few weeks because instantly my attention span improved, I had gone from not being able to revise for more than 20 minutes to concentrating for 30 minutes. Although I haven't kept it up fully, even with my greatly reduced sugar intake I can concentrate perfectly for 40 minutes. That was enough to keep it up.
My energy increased too because I was replacing the refined sugar which reduced my energy on the 'come down' with protein in the form of nuts and bread products.

GRADUALLY: No sugar cravings after a few weeks! Yey! My acne which was classed as moderate-severe transformed into very mild acne and has continued improving with my reduced sugar diet. It improved in about 2-3 months with less small bumps from about 2 weeks. At this time I hadn't changed anything in my skincare routine, so it shows the importance of carefully choosing what you put IN your body.

NOW: As I've already mentioned, I haven't gone back to the high refined sugar diet and I am in the process of packing in the carbs so I can gain my weight back before I remove the sugar again. My energy is still alleviated daily, I feel fuller for longer which is great too, my skin isn't perfect (because chocolate is my longtime weakness) but it is still so much better than it was, my blemishes are only mild. Plus, I could never go back because high sugary foods make me feel nauseated now I have got used to a different diet.

What did I give up?

-I gave up eating cakes with more than 10g of sugar in per serving. It doesn't sound like much, but in a MrKipling cherry bakewell (my weakness) there is .......g sugar.
-I said goodbye to coco pops and opted to Weetabix and Shredded Wheat. Although the latter have sugar in it is greatly reduced.
-And the rest: no sugary drinks, ice-cream, yogurt, chocolate (sob!) etc.

What did I replace these with?

-Bagels make a good substitute for cakes when I feel like a snack.
-Nuts also make a good substitute.
-I ended up eating a lot more fruit too, buying more exotic fruits than the usual apples, opting for cherries, pineapples and blueberries.
You may be thinking: well fruit is loaded with sugar. However, fruit is great for minerals and fibre. Also, it is not refined sugar which is processed in the body in a different way. Natural foods feel better in your stomach for a reason.

How long did I give it up for?

-I gradually introduced the foods above, and decreased the sugary snacks and meal items, so I don't count that.
-Then, I kept it for a few months, but I couldn't carry it on because I ended up losing weight accidentally which would be good news to some people, but for me, I don't like to lose weight I am so much happier with a few extra pounds.
-But I haven't completely gone back to my old ways I have greatly reduced the amount of high-sugar rubbish I eat.

Would I recommend doing it?

YES! YES! and YES!!! You'll be healthier inside and it will show on the outside. Plus, your taste for sugar will never come back, often when I'm eating out I will have an Eton Mess and think "woah this is sweet" whereas before I would think it wasn't sweet enough.

I would love to hear whether you have tried anything like this before, and if so, how did you get on with it? Were you able to keep it up?

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11 comments

  1. Giving up sugar is meant to be so good for you and what i really need to do...easier said than done though and so hard when everyone in the office keeps bringing in sweets and cakes!

    franklyflawless.com

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    1. Haha yeah i know its so bad! but as i have shown, you can just reduce sugar so if you have cakes in work just don't have any at home and on the weekend.

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  2. im such a sweet tooth, i think id die doing this hahaha but sounds really good for you and your body :)

    Pam Scalfi♥

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    1. Haha I thought the exact same when I started but its surprising how far a little motivation can take you! Yeah it is so healthy :) x

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  3. The amount of times I've tried to give up sugar - it's soooo hard, the benefits sound amazing though. I haven't been eating too many sugary treats recently though so maybe I'll give it another go!

    The Velvet Black | UK Style & Beauty Blog

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    1. Yeah you should! Even limiting the amount you eat as you're doing is great! :) x

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  4. Yey Im glad, you should do it for sure, you won't regret it!

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  5. I'm cutting down sugar too and I do notice the difference - I just can't cut out chocolate entirely though.

    Lizzie Dripping

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    1. Im glad its working for you! Agreed, chocolate is just so yummy! What I have been doing is buying dark chocolate because I love it, but its too rich to binge on. Doing this has really helped in moderating my choc portions! x

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  6. Here's another one who gave up on sugar! And it feels great! Instead I use agave nectar in my tea.

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    1. Its great to hear so many people getting healthy and giving it up! :) yeah I'm glad it feels great too! ooh yum I'm going to look into that because it sounds lovely.

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