Am I the only one who struggles with letting go of sugar? If you thought it was only hard to stop alcohol addiction, you haven’t tried quitting sugar. One way most people start a sugar-free diet is by using a sugar-free challenge. So, today we are discovering the benefits of no sugar for 30 days.
When you look at most foods you buy, sugar is present in the ingredients. But also, the carbs usually break down to sugar. Thus, we tend to consume some form of sugar either way.
Consuming sugar makes us susceptible to chronic illnesses, weight gain, and improper body outlook. This is why we ought to limit sugar consumption.
So,
What does it mean to join the no sugar for 30 days diet?
For most people to reduce sugar intake, we set challenges. One of the best and most effective ones is 30 days. Notice that you only create a habit after 21 days, which is why the 30 days challenge works best. However, if you feel not ready yet, start with two weeks or seven days first.
Even if you don’t consume sugar directly, you always take it in cereals, sodas, candies, baked foods, and more.
There are massive benefits to your overall health and well-being when you let sugar go. You don’t need additional sugar because the carbs you consume break down into sugar anyway.
I’ve had most people say: but our bodies need sugar. Why would I stop it completely? You should know that your body will still have sugar from the carbs, so you don’t miss anything.
How does this challenge work?
This challenge aims to cut out all the extra and additional sugar. We know that we need caution. Generally, start by cutting out the sugars we add to our teas, coffee, and juices.
The essence is to shift focus to only natural sugars that you will mostly consume from different veggies and fruits. Join me in the journey to consume nutrient-dense food to ensure we are healthy. I like to include sweet potatoes, mangoes, and nourishment for my sugar intake.
You know that people will have different plans when making this challenge plan. I like to make it as simple as possible to ensure my brain doesn’t reject it over time. Remember, simple/easy goes a long way.
The following articles will include a plan for going about it. Feel free to understand the benefits and eventually follow the program.
But does 30 days no sugar diet have benefits?
This challenge wouldn’t even be this popular if it didn’t serve the people who started to use it. You only want to make it fun but also an experience to see how your body reacts. Here are some of the potential benefits you may experience:
1. You will be self-aware of what you consume
Most of us consume different foods on autopilot, which means our brains and bodies take us into consuming food as a habit. Well, when you do this challenge, you will do things consciously.
As mentioned earlier, most of the food we like to consume already contains lots of sugar, so we want to keep off this.
I tried this challenge for seven days before, and I like how I choose what I eat consciously by just reading the labels of the foods. Ensure you read the ingredients on the package to ensure you consume the right food.
In partaking in this, you must learn and unlearn everything you have known before. Take, for example, our favorite breakfast that includes cereals and yogurts; you’ll notice that it has sugar, and we want to keep it off.
2. Weight management
Of course, weight management is one of the topics most people struggle with. There’s nothing so great as a challenge that would make our work easier.
Consuming excessive amounts of sugar can contribute to weight gain. By cutting out sugar for 30 days, you can reduce your calorie intake and potentially lose or maintain a healthy weight.
Most people who have done this challenge in the past say that it reduces the tummy faster. If this interests you, you may consider it and create a new lifestyle.
Of course, some people may take longer to see this change, but when you do it with exercise, you may experience body shape change too.
3. Balanced blood sugar levels
Chronic illnesses are not fun; if you can avoid them, the better. The population’s food tends to have excessive sugar added. To some extent, it’s why many people have type 2 diabetes.
Taking foods with additional sugars tends to link with spiked blood sugar levels. We can help our bodies sustain a balance in insulin levels, cholesterol, fiber, and other things to make us healthy.
Regularly consuming sugary foods and drinks can cause blood sugar spikes and crashes. By avoiding sugar, you can help regulate your blood sugar levels, reducing the risk of developing insulin resistance and diabetes.
4. Improved energy levels
You will never understand until you go through your day with zero energy levels. Contrary to the belief that sugar will boost your energy, it often leads to crashes and fatigue later on.
If you focus on taking refined sugar every so often, you’ll feel weak, sluggish, and lethargic. We want to consume safer sugar that won’t hurt us.
By avoiding sugar, you can stabilize your energy levels throughout the day, leading to increased vitality and improved focus.
Note that if you cut the sugar for a month, you can rest assured you will have balanced blood sugar in no time.
5. Better dental and oral health
Sugar is a major contributor to tooth decay and cavities. Sugary food is also linked to improper gum health. We don’t want to develop gum disease, and you can save yourself by avoiding sugar.
Consuming sugars or sweet foods for a long time allows the bacteria in your mouth to break down the sugar into acid. This will always affect the surface of your teeth. Too much bacteria will also cause infected gums and bad breath.
By eliminating sugar, you can significantly reduce the risk of dental problems and promote healthier teeth and gums. Imagine getting rid of sugars completely because it means improving your oral health.
5. Reduced cravings
Sugar is addictive, and you may struggle slightly when cutting it out. We aim to challenge ourselves by cutting it out for 30 days; we help break the cycle of cravings.
Over time, you may have fewer cravings for sugary foods and drinks, making it easier to maintain a healthier diet. Don’t return to the sugar again; you will be safe.
6. Improved gut health
For anyone with an unpredictable digestive system where you bloat and sometimes just have a runny stool, this is for you. Excessive sugar consumption can disrupt the balance of healthy bacteria in the gut and contribute to digestive issues.
Too much sugar will feed the bad bacteria in the gut causing poor gut and digestion. With poor health then, you’ll also have inflammatory issues. Eliminating sugar may promote a healthier gut microbiome, leading to better digestion and overall gut health.
7. Reduced inflammation
There are many people affected by chronic inflammation in the world. Inflammation tends to cause different diseases, including chronic illnesses and some cancers. Well, it’s important to reduce the inflammation by all means.
Eliminating sugar may help reduce inflammation and lower the risk of these diseases.
8. Improved liver health
A high-sugar diet will cause fat build-up in the liver, making it hard to function right.
Remember to keep off the high fructose and corn syrup as it hurts you. Engaging in this challenge makes it easy to maintain proper liver health.
9. Clearer skin
We all love clear, healthy, and youthful skin, but with sugar consumption, you can be sure it will have lots of acne. If you want to fight adult acne, start by trying this challenge.
High sugar intake has been linked to skin issues such as acne and premature aging. Removing sugar from your diet may lead to clearer, healthier skin and a youthful appearance.
10. Improved heart health
I know most people won’t see how this relates, but it does affect your health to use or not use sugar. High sugar consumption is linked to various heart-related illnesses, including high blood pressure.
Like the paleo diet, most sugar-free diets will make it easy to attain proper heart health. If you want to achieve the appropriate heart health, you should take the sugar-free challenge. Who knows, you may just heal your problem.
11. Enhanced mental clarity
High sugar consumption has been linked to brain fog and reduced cognitive function. When you ditch sugars, you serve your mind, too, as most people say it enhances depression and anxiety. Eliminating sugar may improve mental clarity, concentration, and overall brain health.
12. Overall health benefits
You will likely consume a more nutrient-dense diet rich in whole foods by eliminating sugar. This can provide your body with essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants for optimal health and immune function.
Should you avoid some foods during this no sugar for 30 days diet?
Of course, there will be foods and drinks you think are safe, but they aren’t. So you should always check the ingredients of the food you take.
- Avoid sweetened fruit juices. Only focus on natural fruit sugars.
- Avoid cakes and cookies
- Stay off candies
- Don’t use alcoholic beverages
- Don’t add sugar to your tea
- Sugary breakfast food
- Stay away from sweeteners
- Pastries are a no-no during this time
Also, check out our article piece: Can you eat fruit on a sugar-free diet?
Are there challenges to this diet?
Of course, there will be challenges. When you are stopping a habit, it’s generally challenging.
Remember, your only problem is that you have created a habit of consuming sugar, and you can easily create a new pattern. You also don’t have to live on autopilot, so you can learn to be conscious.
It’s hard to break the cycle.
Notice that you are used to eating sugar, so that it will challenge you, at least for the first week. Some days you will want to eat just a little sugar, but you shouldn’t if you’re in this challenge.
The last time I tried this challenge, by day three, I felt generally tired, a little bit irritable, and sleepy. Don’t worry, it does pass, though, and after a few weeks, you will be okay.
One thing you want to know is that sugar is almost on every step you take, and the truth is that avoiding sugar is almost like avoiding light outside. Just know that unless you choose to be conscious in the process, you will not manage.
Are you going to dine out?
Now you won’t be eating everything because remember you aren’t the one who has made the food. This is also because you don’t know the ingredient list. Make sure you take only the foods that are generally free of sugar.
Keep off bread meals and the juices you find in the hotels. Just take the food that you know will be free of sugar. Even when you crave those healthy smoothies and juices, ensure that you only choose the ones with nutritional smoothie additives.
You have to read the ingredient list.
I mean, you no longer have the luxury of eating just anything. You have to check the ingredient list of processed foods particularly. I know this can be tedious, but just do it because we want to avoid sugar.
What’s the plan for this challenge?
Imagine noticing the difference it makes to your body, mind, and soul. I know you already know what you want to do. I intend to keep off sugar for real, maybe not completely, but generally make a lifestyle free of added sugar.
I love the benefits of the challenge and would love to maintain it. I don’t know about you. What would you like this challenge to help you with?
Do you like the benefits of no sugar for 30 days?
Of course, I do, and I hope you do too. However, it’s important to note that individual experiences may vary, and the benefits listed above are general observations.
Is there anyone interested in this challenge? Let’s do it together to determine which benefits serve you.
If you have any specific health concerns or conditions, it’s always a good idea to consult a healthcare professional before making significant dietary changes.
This is a very good idea. It is also interesting that when you get off sugar, your taste buds adjust so that you need less of it. I always think of the elasticity of the sense of taste to help me overcome initial challenges in making a dietary change.
Thanks a lot! Now that I’m starting the challenge in 2 days, I’ll keep it in mind. #journeytohealth