This article is sponsored, but I’m also going to talk about my health, quitting sugar (aka: losing my sanity) and why I agreed to do it and see how I feel.
I’d like if you kept reading, because I’m interested in your thoughts too.
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I’d been thinking about quitting sugar for a while, in an abstract “maybe I’ll feel better” kind of way. My health is tenuous at best, and I wondered how my chocolate consumption was impacting on my general feeling of wellness.
Plus, I have rotten skin and I was interested to see if cutting out sugar would help. This tied in well with my “god I need to drink more water” epiphany in December, which saw me doubling my fluid intake and feeling much better for it.
Now, I haven’t been over the top about it all. I’m still eating fruit, and I’ve been adding honey to smoothies. When the sugar cravings got really bad I was also eating honey on bread, much to the passive aggressive disgust of one of my twitter followers. Apparently I can’t complain about quitting sugar because I’m DOIN IT WRONG or something.
Today is day ten of no processed sugar, and I honestly can’t tell you if I feel any better or not. I think I do. Maybe? Detoxing is such a slow process I’m not sure I’d notice the improvements.
I’ve definitely been making better choices with my food, making salads, or sandwiches, or cheese on crackers instead of reaching for another chocolate biscuit. If you tell me cheese isn’t healthy, I will cut you.
I’d like to say that quitting sugar has eased my Ehlers Danlos related nausea but I’m also weaning Evelyn, so I think my periods are returning, and someone pass me a goddamned bucket and a cold compress PLEASE.
It’s been an interesting experience so far. I’m not as ravenously hungry as I was on days one through five, and it’s interesting to me to notice how often I was snacking out of boredom, or oral fixation (who said my quirky kids fell far from the metaphorical quirky tree?), rather than pure hunger.
As for my skin, well it’s been kind of terrible actually. BUT, I noticed with my skin it gets really bad whenever I make a big dietary change, before improving again. Doubling my water intake made me breakout badly, before my skin improved to look clearer than it had in a long time (gestating girl babies messes with my skin horribly – I had lovely skin during my pregnancy with Isaac).
I was also hoping to lose weight quitting sugar, but I think ravenous hunger and ‘oh god I’ve got no energy why am I doing this’ lethargy have been working against me, and ten days is not enough time to lose weight anyway. So that’s still something that might happen.
All in all, I’m really glad I was sponsored to begin this kick. It definitely pushed me over the edge and made me commit, which I’m not sure I would have been able to do without the incentive. At least not without lots of angst and should I shouldn’t I oh help crap.
I’m going to keep it up, definitely for the entirety of January, and then I’ll be joining in properly with Febfast (my lovely sponsors) to stay off sugar for February, and then we’ll reassess and see how I feel. I started early, so that I could write about it for you.
Now for the sponsored part.
FebFast is the original charity movement which challenges Australians to take a 28 day break from alcohol and raise funds for youth addiction. New for 2014, FebFasters will have the choice to take a break from alcohol, sugar, caffeine or digital overload.
For six years, FebFast has been just the tonic to kick-start a healthier year, raising $5.5 million and inspiring nearly 1,000,000 drink-free days in the process. Resisting your cravings is also a tiny insight into the challenges young people face with serious addiction issues each day. It’s time you joined the ultimate pause for the better.
ANYTHING that raises money to help with youth addiction is something I am willing to get behind.
If you’re interested, check out their About page.
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JOIN MY TEAM
Currently I’m all lonely in my quitting sugar team, and I’d love if you joined the Sleepless Nights AHOY team. You can also give up digital devices (SACRILEGE), alcohol, or caffeine.
Or you can support us by going here and donating. Your money is used to help young people suffering from addiction.
My advice
My advice if you’re quitting sugar is to start cutting down now. I spent December cutting out sugar in my tea – going down 1/2 teaspoon at a time, and avoiding chocolate biscuits. Of course, then Christmas came and I ate WAY too much pavlova, effectively setting myself back the entire month, but you know. BABY STEPS.
I assume it’s the same for anything you’re quitting. Cutting down to begin with is easier than going cold turkey.
I’m interested to see if I’ve lost weight by the end of February, how I’m feeling, and whether I’ll immediately fall back into my old habits.
I MAY think about joining you in the sugar/caffine for febfast. I NEED to cut down the coffee, and the sugar, so maybe getting people to sponsor me might help. however having to pay to register makes me a little bit twitchy.
I just chalked that up to January’s charity spending for me.
Hello!
I’ve left comments here and there but I also have EDS (though with no/little stomach stuff). I just started to cut out added sugar (except in coffee; I’m using stevia and cutting it back with time). The only thing I’ve noticed is that 1) oranges are actually sweet. Really sweet! and 2) when the cravings for sugar come it’s intense but I really don’t want to have to start the month over.
GOOD LUCK!
I’m so glad you don’t have the stomach stuff, it’s miserable, and I’d like everyone spared it. How are you finding the stevia? I wasn’t a fan, but admittedly when I tried it I was still eating sugar.
Oranges have to be the best thing for sugar cravings I’ve found. Bonus! They’re good for nausea.
People look at me weird when I’m like “I’m mainly weird dislocations and subluxing and some lady part issues”. Not really guys – SUPER glad I don’t have the stomach stuff.
Stevia is awesome with two caveats – It needs to be in something (coffee, tea, etc) and not on something (like strawberries or the like) and start small (like a single packet). I don’t get any of the weird chemical taste from it and come spring I’ll be able to pick leaves off the plant itself for sweetening. Supposedly. Last year it wasn’t close to sweet enough.
Twitter twats are bastards. Someone comments about a friend’s decrease in refine sugar by giving her crap for eating fruit. If I’m not having loads of treats, you can take fruit away from my cold dead hands.
Give up digital services? Never. NEVER!!
Don’t know about sugar either, I love the stuff. I could probably cut down though, have a coffee every other day instead of every day, less ice cream, I’m already off chocolate.
I’d say you probably need to do this for at least a month to notice any difference in your skin or energy levels. Weight too. Ten days is too soon.
I agree that cutting down first helps. When I quit Diet Coke (12 days now!), I cut down in the week or two prior, which helped. I am often of the, “I should binge consume all of the [thing I am quitting] now!” persuasion, but I think that might not be the best tactic.
Hi Veronica. Well done.
Doing it slowly is good.
I am doing this too.
Bit by bit.
My progress is slow due to severe sleep issues – getting there.
Here goes:
Sugar raises insulin and upsets hormonal balance, need to keep cortisol levels low.
Some of these following references may or may not help.
Check out Jon Gabriel – writes a a lot about this and is very helpful about what to replace and offset this , loads of recipes and gives you the nutrition science behind all, and this, with and other stuff. Does not believe in dieting but a gradual change in eating habits and foods choices.
Considers kids and families
Uses whole body approach including powerful visualization meditations.Follows basic 3 ingredient guide for, whenever eating , putting this combination, together:
1. foods high in Omega 3’s 2. Protein 3. live foods
‘Food Matters’ website- “Hungry for Change”. similar ideas, in line with Jon Gabriel – very good with know how and recipes, nutritional info, supports and arms you to succeed.
Hummus , Raw Tahini with cut up raw veges help offset cravings, a handful of flaked almonds.
I use all his free stuff sent via emails, watched him demonstrate and follow other YouTube. I did pay $19.00 for a digital version of his recipe book – and bought his book.
His own story is remarkable and he has made it his mission to help people turn off their fat switch. His book is inspiring, readable, and he is genuine about helping people .
End of my spiel
Which ever way you do it – wishing you endurance and success – it is not easy, but worth it.
Cheers Krista
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