I have multiple reasons for why I am giving up sugar!
I have given up sugar in the past. In fact, I have actually given sugar up for Lent the last two years. After the initial 2 -3 days of withdrawals, I feel much better and have more energy. I feel so much better that I think about maintaining my sugar-free lifestyle… and then Easter arrives and I dive into a piece of carrot cake.
This year I have started taking small, maintainable steps to lead a healthier lifestyle. I gave up soda pop for my New Year’s resolution and 9 months later I am still following through with that commitment. I have increased my water consumption. And I have followed through on my goal to get more exercise. While I feel good about following through on my health goals, I have decided it is time for me to step up my game. I have a new health challenge: I am giving up sugar!
Why I am Giving Up Sugar
Why am I giving up sugar? Because even consuming small amounts of sugar is causing me to have a “sugar crash”. I am the mother of a very active 7-year-old; there is no room for a sugar crash in my day!
I also have high cholesterol. Most people who have Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis (a condition that causes an under-active thyroid) struggle with high cholesterol. I have been working on lowering my cholesterol naturally through diet, so I was surprised to learn that your body converts sugar into triglycerides. Consuming more than 90 grams of added sugar a day can raise triglycerides and also lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL or “good” cholesterol levels). That means, I need to lower my sugar intake to help lower my triglycerides.
My Goals
My plan is to give up all sugar for 2 weeks. I know from past experience that this will help reset my “sweetness point” causing me to enjoy the simple sweetness of fresh fruits more.
When I gave up sugar in the past it wasn’t necessarily for health reasons and I didn’t have a plan in place to maintain a low-sugar lifestyle. this time, when I add sweeteners back into my diet, I will do so in moderation and I will use natural sweeteners like honey and coconut palm sugar which should not cause the same sugar spikes that refined sugars cause.
Tips for Reducing Sugar Cravings
5 Ways to Naturally Reduce Sugar Cravings
7 Ways to Stick to a Sugar-Free Diet
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Emily Martinez says
I went sugar free last year for 6 months and did really well, then crashed and did it again several months later and lasted 4 months. Then crashed… It is HARD but I felt so much better when I was off the sugar, and an added bonus is you end up eating less bad carbs because pretty much all bread has white sugar in it.
Heather says
I don’t know if I can give up sugar without going insane, but I did switch from sugar to stevia in my coffee and I feel like that’s helped me a lot!! Sugar can be an energy zapper, apposed to what some people might think. It doesn’t really hype you out like some might think.