So Sweet it Isn't: My Week Without Sugar

Usually, I have an ‘all things in moderation’ philosophy about food. This past week was different as I tried to survive a week without sugar as part of my ‘less is more’ challenge.

I love sweet things. I would grab a chocolate bar over a bag of chips any day. My hope was that by eliminating sugar for a week, I would become more mindful of my eating.

I followed three ground rules:

1. No eating anything that listed sugar in the first two ingredients;
2. No adding sugar to anything; and
3. Natural sugar from fresh fruit was allowable.

It was a tough, but enlightening week. The first couple of days were the toughest as my sugar withdrawal set in, resulting in headaches and a general feeling of sluggishness. However, this challenge, like the others that preceded it, offered many interesting revelations.

• Hidden sugar is my worst enemy: sugar truly is in everything, from plain pancakes to granola bars to even the most basic of cereals. The two teaspoons of sugar I put in my coffee every morning is inconsequential given the multiple teaspoons of sugar in my morning yogurt.
• Mindless snacking is second worst enemy: with two children under the age of six, lots of food goes uneaten. I didn’t realize until this challenge how often I mindlessly picked from their unfinished plate. Half a muffin here and half cookie there add up to a whole lot of sugar.
• Carbohydrates were swapped for sugar: with many of my favorite feel-good, sweet snacks off the table, I quickly turned to carbs to fill the gap. Having consumed two loaves of bread during the week, this challenge definitely did not result in any weight loss.
• Sugar now tastes sweeter: the first sweetened drink I had after this challenge tasted so sugary that I couldn’t finish it. It appears that eliminating sugar has heightened my taste buds for anything sweet.

While I have no intention of continuing my sugar abstinence, I believe this challenge will help me make better nutritional choices.  And, when I do have a treat, I will make sure to savor each delightfully sweet bite.