What happens to the body without sugar for 30 days?

Smoking and drinking alcohol are addictive, we all know. I'm even a little glad I didn't get into these addictive vices.

But have you ever thought that there is something you eat every day and are "addicted" without knowing it?

It's just — sugar.

Image source: giphy.com

Eating sugar is already a habit for many people. I know that eating sugar is not good, but I still want to come to some sweetness from time to time, and even if I eat too much, I don't know it.

The WHO recommends that our daily intake of added sugars should be controlled below 25g. However, according to the latest data in 2019, China's per capita daily intake of added sugars has reached 30g.

But that's not entirely ourselves to blame. Today, almost all processed foods have added sugars.

Casually walking into a convenience store, those who can find real food without added sugar are cruel people.

Common dessert cakes, biscuits, ice cream with sugar, but even a variety of non-sweet foods, such as potato chips, spicy strips, instant noodles... Also steal! steal! add! finish! sugar!

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The stark contrast is the fact that the human body does not need to consume any added sugars.

So – what happens if you overcome human nature and don't eat sugar at all?

Needless to say, someone actually did an experiment themselves. A girl named Arielle, who was originally addicted to sugar, had a sudden idea one day and started a program called "Quit Sugar for 30 Days".

Pictured is Arielle herself

In her hand was her favorite chocolate bread

Image credit: Arielle Calderon/Via instagram.com

Quitting sugar may not be as easy as you think.

Stage 1:

Uncomfortable, crazy, with a "withdrawal reaction"

The sugar-loving nature is written in the genes of human beings.

When we eat sugar, the reward system in the brain is immediately activated and begins to secrete dopamine, which makes people feel desired and satisfied.

But this reaction may translate into unconscious behavior, which is that you are "addicted."

Eating sugar can be addictive, and this has been demonstrated in animal experiments.

Scientists have designed an experiment:

Let the rats eat no sugar for a week, eat sugar for a week... This is repeated for 4 weeks. It was found that at week 3 (that is, the week of abrupt withdrawal after eating sugar for a week), the body temperature of the rats dropped sharply, and they showed related withdrawal reactions such as teeth trembling and body trembling.

Although the reference value of animal experiments is limited, it can still give us a warning.

And a person who eats sugar for a long time, if he suddenly quits sugar, may face a "withdrawal reaction" brought about by the fading of dopamine.

On day 1 of quitting sugar, Arielle felt going to.

On day 2 of sugar cessation, Arielle began to hate everything.

On day 3, she dreamed of a brownie... Days 4, 5, and 6 are still the same ordeal.

At the back, something funny happened. Arielle, who went to the movies with her friends, was full of thoughts about the gummy that her friends were eating, even Hugh Lee. Hugh Jackman's bulging muscles couldn't distract her either.

Left: Gummy: Or did I win hahahahaha

Right: Hugh Hugh Jackman

Overeating, withdrawal reactions, intense cravings... It is a typical manifestation of "addiction".

Although it is difficult to say that "sugar is as addictive as tobacco, alcohol and drugs", long-term eating sugar may indeed make people appear similar to "addiction".

At first, I can't help but want to eat more, and once I start to quit sugar, it will be a bit similar to the process of quitting smoking or drinking - extremely painful, and I can't help but want to break the quit.

It's like those around you who shout to quit milk tea, after insisting on it for a few days, you find that milk tea is still really fragrant.

But what many people don't know is that it's good to get through this time.

Stage 2:

Cravings for sugar decrease and the body is in better shape

Sugar is undoubtedly a "reward" for the brain.

But know that the more rewards there are, the more dopamine is secreted.

Dopamine is actually a reward prediction error, and when the actual reward is higher than expected, dopamine is secreted in large quantities.

Eating sugar for a long time raises our threshold for sugar, but it's not a good thing. The threshold is raised to mean that to achieve the same happiness, you have to eat more sweet, eat sweeter.

In turn, quitting sugar, unconsciously, lowers our threshold for sugar.

As a result, you will find that you don't want to eat sugar so much.

On her 13th day of sugar cessation, Arielle found that she craved less and less sugar.

"My mind is disturbed only when sweets are placed directly in front of me or smelled by me. But other than that, I wouldn't think about going to have a sweet tooth."

Even more surprisingly, on the 16th day of sugar cessation, Arielle discovered that even natural foods taste sweeter.

"I've never eaten sweet peppers or onions before, but all of a sudden I do. I ate an apple last night and it tasted like candy."

Just like the same people who drink milk tea and are accustomed to drinking three points of sweetness, and then drink seven points of sweetness, they may feel panicked.

In addition to this, quitting sugar may make some people feel a change in physical condition.

Many people may have had this experience: after eating, they feel groggy and want to sleep.

This phenomenon is actually inseparable from blood sugar fluctuations. Blood sugar fluctuates a lot, which not only makes people feel groggy, but also makes people hungry faster.

Image source: See watermark in the upper right corner

Among all kinds of foods with added sugar, a considerable part of them are high GI foods such as milk tea biscuits and cakes, which are more likely to bring large fluctuations to blood sugar.

At the same time as quitting sugar, we will also be forced to give up a lot of refined carbs, while eating more natural foods rich in dietary fiber, coupled with more stable blood sugar, which will make us less likely to be hungry.

Arielle also found that she was not as hungry as she used to be.

In addition to that, quitting sugar may be quite economical...

Because most processed foods contain added sugar, quitting sugar not only means quitting desserts, but also means quitting most packaged foods.

Arielle, who had to buy her own groceries and cook her own meals, used to spend $100 a week on food, but now only needs to spend $60.

Earned, there is no!

Stage 3:

As you wish, you may be thin

Whenever you want to eat sweet, the first thing that comes to mind is whether it is still a milk tea cookie small cake... These delicious little desserts?

However, the harsh reality is that the calories of these foods are really not low.

Although quitting sugar itself does not necessarily make people thinner, quitting sugar will also make people quit a lot of unhealthy and high-calorie foods. In this way, it is only natural to become thinner.

Arielle, who successfully quit sugar for 30 days, also underwent quite noticeable changes:

In addition, her waistline and hip circumference have also been reduced by 7 to 8 centimeters.

Look back at the process of quitting sugar for 30 days: from the initial torment, to the later less missed, and finally to become a better self (like a lost love).

The process is painful, but the ending is beautiful.

In addition, sugar cessation will have more long-term gains:

How many disadvantages there are in eating sugar, how many benefits there are to quitting sugar

Of course, completely quitting sugar is actually a more extreme way. But in this way, we can more intuitively see the effects of sugar on the body.

It is not that you can't eat a mouthful of sugar, but I hope that everyone will recognize the harm of sugar and make a little change for yourself:

Stop sugar tips

➊ Reduce dependence on sugar

For example, milk tea:

If you're used to whole sugar before, change it to seven sugars;

Wait until you get used to seven points of sugar, and then change it to five points of sugar...

And so on, to find the lowest sweetness you can accept.

➋ When you want to eat sweets, use fruit to relieve your hunger

Watermelons 🍉, cantaloupes 🍈, strawberries 🍓, mangoes 🥭, grapes 🍇, cherry tomatoes 🍅... All very sweet fruits.

When it's sweet, it's good to eat some fruit.

Although some fruits are not low in sugar, they are certainly a better choice than eating added sugars.

➌ Make it a habit to look at the ingredient list

White sugar, brown sugar, glucose, honey, molasses, corn syrup, fruit juice concentrate, high fructose corn syrup...

In short, when sugar appears in the top five of the ingredient list, it means that the amount added is quite large, and it is best to eat less.

➍ Can't help it, sugar substitutes can be used as an occasional alternative

Common sugar substitutes are sorbitol, maltitol, erythritol, sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, steviol glycosides, monk fructose... Choose foods with only added sugar substitutes.

A simpler way to judge this is to see if these products are marked with the word "sugar-free."

You're already sweet, you don't need to eat that much sugar anymore

This article is reviewed by experts