We asked one of our Advisors if she would try going five days without sugar and write about it. A big thanks goes out to Anne, who took this assignment in stride! Here’s what she wrote:
I‘m not a sweet tooth person. Don’t get me wrong, I do like good sweets. I like homemade baked goods, high quality ice cream, wine and the occasional mixed drink, but I’m not a candy girl and I don’t eat junk. (Well, I do steal a few of my daughter’s McDonald’s French fries when she turns away — but those don’t count, right?)
I don’t crave sugar as much as I did when I used to start my day with adding sugar to my coffee. And now that I’ve switched to decaf, the afternoon slumps are not as bad either. But I do take my Essential Nutrients, extra vitamin D and probiotics, which help. Sugar only beckons in the afternoon, when my energy slumps, and during the 10 days before my cycle starts, which is where I am right now.
Luckily, I had just finished a double scoop of chocolate gelato moments before being roped into this research. I was hoping it would pick me up out of my dark mood and it did! Sweet creaminess! Happy again!
The night before I started my five days without sugar, I had a glass of wine and some salt and vinegar chips. Normally, I would have resisted, but since I’m forbidden to eat sugar for 5 days, I thought it best to get rid of the temptations!
Day 1
Well, I woke at 2 AM. I have no doubt that eating chips and drinking wine sparked my adrenals. Somehow I did manage to get back to sleep and later made it through my 2 PM cravings by eating a Chobani mango yogurt. Oops, 20 grams of sugar. Oh well, could have been worse.
Day 2
I made it past my 2 PM cravings today only to head straight to happy hour. I had 2 rum drinks with fruit juice and then a major headache. I took some Tylenol before bed.
Day 3
I woke again at 2 AM. Took 2 more Tylenol for my headache and got back to sleep. I didn’t have sugar all day. Actually, I didn’t have much of any cravings either.
Day 4
No sugar all day. No cravings.
Day 5
No sugar until around 3 PM. I had to join my daughter for an end-of-the summer vacation ice cream cone. Otherwise I could have passed. It’s definitely worth any insomnia I may deal with tonight.
| What might Anne have done to stay on track? |
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