Quitting Sugar

Hello!

There has been a significant change in my diet with the nutrition programme I took up, and the most difficult one has been letting go of sugar. And by sugar I mean white sugar and artificial sugary snacks. All my life I’ve been eating chocolate and ice cream for an unhealthy amount to the point I was really surprised I did not have diabetes yet.

 

After seeing the dentist (and surpassing my fear for injections), getting all my (mostly mild) cavities fixed, I lessened the amount of sweet snacks. Still, it was a daily habit to snack on something. With the nutrition programme, going cold turkey on sugar was evident as one of the fundamental successes behind it.

 

It’s not been clean. First week I binged on almost a liter of ice cream in a craving psychosis and it set me back. It’s still not clean, but I haven’t had a binge for 2 weeks. There are significant changes that are motivating me to end my consumption of artificial and white sugar once and for all. Firstly, my taste buds seem to be adjusting, fruits have started to taste more rich compared to the past. The aftertaste of a sugary snack has become unwelcome. Secondly, for the first time in perhaps…. ever? I feel my brain chemistry being more stable. I used to be very prone to go into moodswings, and the lower swing being very much filled with an amplified sense of loneliness and all the emotions that go along with it. Anxiety over things I rationally know are fine. It wasn’t perhaps visible to others, but the feelings were intense.

 

Now Ive realized I’m in situations where I would generally feel the same sense loneliness and anxiousness,  yet I dont. Not anymore. The lowest point of my mood swings are neutral or perhaps reach mild frustration (PMS, amirite women? Strikes the best of us). I feel my emotional centre is finally aligned and cooperating with my rational mind. A past discrepancy that had been perplexing me for months. I honestly did not think how much impact nutrition really has on one’s mentality. It might be common knowledge that I just have turned a blind eye to, but I always excused myself with “We all have our vices, sugar is mine.”

No, no it isn’t. Sugar is not my vice. And it won’t be.

 

Thirdly, skin problems what I assumed were merely my dust alleries, apparently were largely from sweets. My skin has cleared up almost entirely, par from the times I snuggle my cats half an hour too much (they are adorable hyperactive furballs, can you blame me?). Again, another cold-turkey surprise which I am delighted by. And not to mention the added perk towards my weight loss goals which was my initial objective.

Exhibit A. The rascals

 

I honestly think the consumption of sugar is too normalized due to the availability of such products. Easy to see why – available, cheap, common, great taste, dopamine rush. Barely anyone in my immediate social circle had initially considered it an addiction once I revealed my goals to quit. Despite that, I’ve been lucky to have their moral support in my efforts. The cravings from withrawal that I felt, they only solidified to me that yes, in my case it had definitely crossed the line by miles. By now, to my joy, the cravings have diminished. The more I research and the more I experience a life of minimal (soon read: without) sugar, the more solid my goal becomes.

I will link a few articles below that I’ve found useful on the topic for any of you who might be further interested.

 

With that I’m signing off~

Have a Great day and Until next time!

-Ann

 

LINKS to articles about Sugar Consumption:

• Direct Sugar Effects on your body: https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/how-sugar-affects-your-body
• Redirects to topics like Hidden Sugars in processed foods: http://sugarscience.ucsf.edu/latest-sugarscience-research
• Experiment on Cocaine vs Sugar preference:  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1931610/