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No Sugar: Challenge yourself to go without sugar and see what happens in a month
Dr. Zulfikar Bux
Emergency Medicine Specialist
Kaieteur News – Refined sugar is sugar that has been processed from a natural source so that only the pure sugar remains; like granulated sugar from sugar cane, or corn syrup from corn. These are the sugars that are generally bad for our health and will be the focus of our discussion today. Excess or persistent use of these sugars trigger an inflammatory response which leads to numerous metabolic derangements and increases our risk for many diseases. They also promote an addictive effect similar to the cocaine addiction mechanism in our brains which causes dopamine to be released and stimulating pleasure. I do think that avoiding these sugars may be an important part of the solution to help combat many of the inflammatory conditions that burden our lives.
Decreasing disease burden risk
The more sugar we eat, the more insulin is released to break it down. High levels of circulating insulin increase fat storage and inflammatory effects. Avoiding this process, decrease the risk of having these conditions:
- Heart disease
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Chronic inflammation (associated with cancer etc)
What other benefits are there to you?
Reducing sugar load in your body, decreases the inflammatory effects on our brain and body and helps in the following way:
Increased energy: Refined sugars tend to cause a surge in blood sugar levels and then cause a crash which makes us feel tired and fatigued most of the time.
Weight reduction: Sugar free diet helps to increase metabolism and fat burning thereby leading to weight loss.
Reduced cravings: Reducing sugars, reduces dopamine which decreases cravings for sugars and bad foods
Better skin: Refined sugars trigger skin inflammation and break down skin proteins leading to wrinkling and sagging of skin.
Improve memory: High sugar levels affect BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor) levels, which is critical in memory and learning.
Decrease anxiety and depression: High sugar levels trigger overstimulation of serotonin which leads to mood disorders such as depression and anxiety.
How can you survive without sugar?
The trick is to survive without refined sugars and make use of naturally occurring sugars since your body will need them to perform important functions. In a nutshell, here are a few tips that should help maintain the right balance for you:
- If you absolutely must use a sweetener, consider a sugar substitute like stevia or monk fruit sweetener
- Use more whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy products, lean proteins, seafood, nuts and seeds.
- Skip the soda, energy drinks, sweet teas and fruit juices.
- Use whole fruit as a sweetener. Add a mashed banana to oatmeal, or blend dates into a smoothie.
- Avoid foods with added sugars or “disguised sugars” (corn syrup, maltose, dextrose etc)
What will happen if you do the 30 day no sugar challenge?
If you are accustomed to a sugary life, this challenge may not be as easy as it sounds. It will take a lot out of you for the first two weeks. Things will be harder before they get easier. Initially, you will have to screen everything that you eat and you may quickly realize how many hidden sugars you are consuming. The first week and a bit will be the toughest as your body pushes you to crave for sugar and you fight off the withdrawal symptoms. However, as you come to the end of the second week, you will start to feel much better. You will feel more energized and start to see positive changes in your skin. By the last week, you will realize that you are not as bloated and may see some weight loss, and stability in your mood. At the end, you should see most of the benefits we discussed in today’s article and this may be the boost you need to bring discipline into your health and lifestyle and make the changes that will benefit you for life.
- Better skin, Decrease anxiety and depression, How can you survive without sugar, Improve memory, Increased energy, Weight reduction
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