A few years ago I decided to detox from sugar. Why give up sugar? It was trendy at the time and lots of people were doing studies to prove how sugar was not just making you fat but straight up killing you. I figured giving up sugar for a month would be an interesting experiment. This was a long hard road. Not for the faint of heart. Thankfully practice makes anything perfect, even will power.
It started as a month long trial. Say no to sugar for one month. I can do that, right? Cutting out hidden sugar like salad dressing, ketchup, basically, any sauce was awful. Sugar is everywhere. I was saying no to almost everything. I only allowed honey in my coffee and I tried to make that as little as possible. Just a small spoonful in one cup a day. It was really all part of a Paleo conversion. One first huge step.
I said all of my no’s and was a very good girl. Having a fixed time of one month helped make it easier. It wasn’t going to be forever. I bought some of my favorite chocolate bars and stashed them in the freezer, girl scout cookies too. I was going to be ready to break my fast. After going through a month of no’s I couldn’t wait to say yes.
That first candy bar was amazing. And surprisingly way sweeter than I expected. I actually felt a sugar rush after it. Not an entirely pleasant feeling as a fully grown adult. As a kid, it’s fun you run around and play. As an adult, I just felt like a caged tiger. I decided to ration the sugar going forward. I would have a treat a week but keep on saying no to the sweet stuff. I drastically cut my intake as time went on and even scaled back my treats on cheat days. Something was telling me to really follow this through. There was so much evidence about how it’s evil and all of the Paleo magazines/books/blogs I read kept me on track.
After one year I noticed something amazing. I could breathe. I play a LOT of volleyball. Now I wasn’t having nearly as much trouble with asthma. It took a hot, humid, sunny day on the beach to make me reach for that inhaler. All my life I have had issues with sport induced asthma. Basically, I was fine until someone made me run… convenient way out of gym class I know. But it was true, I really couldn’t run a mile in gym class. But something had changed. Now that I was able to breath more easily during sports I even trained for and ran a 5K. Did I mention my skin became more clear and even toned? Life after sugar was fantastic!
I do still have some sugar. I am not made of stone. But it is so much less. I have the occasional sip of my husband’s pop (only if it’s root beer). Sometimes, once a month maybe, I get a fancy drink at Starbucks. I always tone down the pumps of syrup.
Saying no to so many wonderful things you love does get easier over time. Now I say no to a desert and sugary drinks with way more ease and confidence. If I have sugar now there is a price to pay. I feel my heart race, thoughts wander way more, I feel a little sick in my stomach. The lack of focus was interesting as a side effect. It makes sense. If you have that much more energy, how can you possibly sit still? If you force yourself to sit still then your mind races. When I know I will feel physically sick I can pass on cookies, candy, drinks without feeling like I am giving up something and being sad. It just takes time to get to that point. Have patience and give yourself some grace.
The first few months will be horrible but, the more confidently you say no, the less people will pressure you to have a bite. If you want to detox I suggest you have a buddy. You do need at least one other person who will understand your struggle and let you vent. Keep each other honest and give each other strength. Most people are supportive and understanding of cutting out sugar. Also another awesome benefit, no sugar crashes. You aren’t randomly tired at inconvenient non-bedtime parts of the day. Then completely wired at bedtime because you had a desert. Kinda awesome 🙂
Honesty is the last key. Many people will “detox” and say I haven’t had any _____ insert name of forbidden food. When in reality they have indulged, but it was only a little so that doesn’t count right? If you cheat a little everyday you are only hurting yourself. A detox of a food item is a great time to do some reflection and meditation on self-love. You are worth giving up sugar for. You are strong enough to stand up for yourself and say no to a sweet treat. Don’t let someone bully you into a cookie just because they don’t want to be the only one indulging. At some point saying no to sugar isn’t about will power or denying yourself a treat, it’s about loving yourself. You start to feel empowered to make other good choices for yourself. It can snowball into some wonderful life choices and changes if you let it.
Julia