We have dared to do so and have set out on the Experiment 30 days without sugar let in. Sugar is addictive, promotes the formation of cancer cells, leads to obesity and diabetes, worsens intestinal health and also our brain activity. Yet it is found in almost every food we buy in a conventional supermarket. Time to escape from this madness and start an experiment that we are conducting here in the Natural Health Blog want to share.
Below you can find out how we use the term sugar free define how we ate and what you should look out for when living without sugar.
Here is another short Table of contents about our experiences:
What does sugar-free mean?
It is important to know in advance that for the period of this challenge no added sugar (industrial sugar) in products have. We have therefore not avoided fructose from fruit and dried fruit.
Sugar and sugar substitutes have many different designationsSugar, birch sugar, dextrose, glucose, added fructose, coconut blossom sugar, corn syrup...
For our personal sugar fast, we have avoided all products in which these terms appear in the list of ingredients. The following picture is an example for you.
While the ingredients for our 30 days without sugar took precedence, we more or less ignored the nutritional table. For example, if it says "carbohydrates 10 g" and "of which sugar, 5 g", this does not mean that 5 g of sugar has been added. But our body converts it to sugar. However, since we only fast on sugar Added sugar in food, the focus was on the ingredients.
Why live sugar free & sugar fast?
It makes sense to make yourself aware of the disadvantages of sugar once again so that you can actually follow through with the 30 days without sugar. You should therefore always keep the following things in mind during the sugar-free period. Sugar...
- is addictive
- accelerates the growth of cancer cells
- provokes obesity and diabetes
- inhibits intestinal health
- slows down our brain activity
As I write these lines, I realize once again how naively we used to shop. Even if the Shopping without plastic worked out, there was still a lot of sugar involved.
"Sugar is 'the most dangerous drug of our time and should come with smoking-style health warnings. This may seem exaggerated and far-fetched, but sugar is dangerous and is easy to obtain. Just as with smoking labels, soft drinks and sweet products should come with the warning that sugar is addictive and bad for the health." -
Paul van der Velpen (Dutch Health Chief)
So if, according to this statement, sugar is "the most dangerous drug of our time" - why on earth are products not labeled as conspicuously as cigarettes are? A little side fact at this point: every day, by the way, 10 billion cigarettes are consumed worldwide. Cigarette butts thrown into the environment, although they contain toxins and also Plastic contain
We wanted to find out what would happen if we gave up sugar for 30 days and which foods and meals would be suitable if we wanted to live sugar-free.
Start into a sugar-free life
We started our sugar-free challenge a day later than initially planned because we wanted to use up other foods before they went bad. Gherkins in a jar, for example - yes, that's right, they contain sugar too. By using up these foods first, we are doing our bit to reduce the amount of sugar in our diet. Reduce food waste.
From our own experience, we therefore recommend that you also plan one or two transition days before you start your sugar-free life. During this time, you can also plan which meals you can and want to eat during your 30 days without sugar.
Meals without sugar we ate
If more than 3/4 of the food in a normal supermarket contains sugar, then suitable meals for the challenge are naturally few and far between. However, we have found that it is quite easy to stay sugar-free if you cook a lot yourself. Ready meals are full of sugar and therefore a real thorn in the side of a successful sugar fast.
We have used these meals and snacks, for example, for life without sugar:
- Vegetable noodle soup and served with bruschetta on homemade bread (made from wholemeal spelt flour, egg and ricotta)
- Ribbon noodles with shrimps & broccoli
- Wholemeal bread with avocado and poached egg
- Porridge / Oatmeal muesli with fruit
- Green salad with tomatoes and avocado bread
- Scrambled eggs with fresh spinach
- Fruit & vegetables or dried fruit
- Nuts
- Organic Crackers
As I said, cooking for yourself is the key to the sugar-free challenge. If you buy products not in bulk but in packaging, then always look very carefully at the list of ingredients. By the way: It is of course difficult to keep up with the sugar fast. live plastic free, as before, but somehow it still worked out well.
How the body reacts to sugar withdrawal
Even though my girlfriend has had similar experiences, I would like to give you an insight into my personal well-being during the 30 days without sugar. Because it doesn't leave you completely unscathed when you suddenly stop consuming sugar. Here are some of my experiences:
- Hands were shaking: On about the 6th day of the sugar-free challenge, my body reacted to the sugar fast for the first time. My hands trembled slightly for about 3-4 hours. A clear reaction: my body craves sugar.
- Headache: In the course of the second week without sugar, I also developed a slight headache. Of course, I cannot diagnose whether this was really a consequence of the sugar withdrawal.
- Body adapts: Even if these experiences make it seem like I was doing badly, it wasn't all that bad. My body eventually accepted that it was no longer getting added sugar. From the third week onwards, I no longer had any problems giving up sugar. I got to know enough sugar-free meals and no more physical complaints.
Like your It remains to be seen how your body will react to a sugar-free lifestyle. It also depends, for example, on how much sugar you usually consume in your everyday life. I can only give you my personal opinion here - but it's best to find out for yourself.
30 days without sugar - our experience
It's definitely worth giving in to these 30 days without sugar. Some people will find it really easy, others will find it difficult. But in the end, you will have gained valuable experience of life without sugar. Your body will usually confirm that you were addicted to sugar without realizing it. Then it will thank you for reducing your sugar intake so much.
Avoiding sugar will help you do thisWe need to question products even more and give preference to healthier and more environmentally friendly products. For example, are ready meals simply loaded with sugar so that we become addicted to them and buy them regularly? Or does the added sugar only have a taste purpose without any commercial ulterior motive?
No matter what the reason is: since the sugar-free experiment, we have significantly reduced our personal sugar consumption.
We are looking forward to your experiences, questions and ideas about sugar-free living. Just leave us a comment.
Stay healthy,
PS: Have you ever looked into a vegan diet? Find out, for example, in the article Nutrition & Environmentwhat impact your meals have on nature. If you are more interested in the plastic-free life itself, then I recommend my Plastic-free book for beginners.
It is not so easy to say "no" to sugar. I wish you much success in your challenge!
Yes, you're right. But it's not impossible either - just stay away from foods with added sugar and always ask in the restaurant whether sugar is added there 😉.
Best regards,
Christoph
Sugar-free is actually only if you cook yourself, it is even more difficult if you are still vegan, but everything can be learned.Even I with my 40years learn every day, only the kids do not pull so with:).Difficult I find plastic-free shopping, especially if you live in a small town, with little choice.Here is except Edeka, Lidl and Netto not really much choice.It is a pity that unpacked stores are only in the big cities.
Hi Jenny, great that you are so committed to a natural lifestyle. To buy plastic-free, look at the next weekly market. But also at Edeka and Co you get out well plastic-free. Yogurt in a glass jar or noodles from cardboard packaging. Example.
Many greetings
Christoph