Health & Beauty 

Here’s What Happened When I Gave Up Sugar For A Month

Emma Taker

It is a widely known fact that white refined sugar is as addictive as cocaine and it is damaging our overall health. It is also a fact that most people seem to shut their eyes when this discussion gets opened; are we supposed to drink our morning coffee bitter and eat cake without sugar in it?! God no. Unfortunately people, we’re going to need to make some changes into our nutrition regimen if we want to live long enough to actually be able to play outside with our nephews.

I visited the healthy food store yesterday and I stumbled across something really interesting; natural sweeteners. There was a wide offer of them, but the sales lady was kind to explain that from all the natural sweeteners stevia was by far the most popular one. Its package said: ‘100% natural sweetener, no artificial sugars’, so normally I bought one. If there’s a way to sweeten my coffee and not get a lecture on how harmful white sugar is for my liver every single day, then I’m getting it. I did my research, and what I found out is that stevia is actually a plant, and its leaves are used for producing a sweetener because apparently, they contain substances that make the product about 300 times sweeter than sugar, while being completely natural. Imagine that.

So normally, the next thing I did was a challenge; I decided I was going to go a whole month without white refined sugars whatsoever. It sounded scary at first, but hey, if from all natural sweeteners stevia is the one that will make my coffee sweet in the morning without causing damage to my skin, I see no reason not to detox my body completely. After a few days of struggle, and some really bitter foods, I managed to get to the end of my challenge. I experienced 4 amazing things which all of my life I thought had nothing to do with consuming sugar:

  1. My skin got clearer – I have a combined skin, so from time to time a pimple or two manage to ruin my day. I thought it was because of some products I used or maybe because of PMS. However, after that one sugar-free month, my skin became crystal clear and I didn’t have any break-outs! I believed I was doomed to deal with this problem forever, so you can only imagine my surprise when I realized it was me who was the one to blame for this problem the entire time.
  2. I had more energy – That one month of no sugar and consuming only stevia natural sweeteners, I went to the gym three times a week, and did two classes of pilates besides the 8 hours work day and home chores. I definitely did not have that energy to live with that tempo before this trial period.
  3. I wasn’t anxious – I generally suffer of mild anxiety, especially when PMS hits. This time, I felt so relaxed, so free, almost like I was doing meditation every day, which I wasn’t. My body was in complete harmony and I felt no stress at all.
  4. My appetite increased – healthy appetite that is, which means I didn’t take that much snacks. I did consume fruit, since these sugars are also considered natural. I ate more, and didn’t crave for any sweet sins like chocolate.

Bottom line, I was surprised by the end-result of this sugar-free journey. Even though I was a sworn chocolate lover, I managed to endure through the entire challenge and I can say it was worth it. And yes, I was wrong – every sugary bite is harmful. Therefore, I’m welcoming this change into my life starting today – no more sugar for the sake of beauty, health and youth.