The effects of sugar of your body.

2021 was a tough year for me. I wasn't working for most of it the year. Not having a exact schedule to follow really messed with my mind, body, and eating habits. Towards the end of the year, I didn't feel the best. It wasn't that I was eating a lot or gained a bunch of weight or anything. It was just that what I was eating wasn't the healthiest. My eating had gone off the rails. I was eating a lot of processed foods and a lot of sugar. I felt like my body could use a reset. So I decided to do 3 days of no sugar, processed foods or processed carbs. I debated doing no carbs, but I don't think carbs are bad. I just wanted to eat as clean as I could.

In 2019, everyone was talking about the 10 days no sugar or carbs diet. It was something Jennifer Lopez did when she was getting ready for her movie, Hustlers. I tried it, as I wanted to see what would happen. It did take me a few tries before I was able to do the full 10 days. I was a lot hungrier, especially with the lack of carbs. So I had to eat a lot more food to stay full. My biggest takeaway was just how much sugar and carbs that I was eating. When you really think about it, you will find that at least one of them is most likely in every meal that you eat. It was a big eye opener for me.

So when I knew that I body could use a reset, I knew I wanted to try it again. I didn't do this to lose weight, that was not my intention. I could feel that my body was bloated, and wanted to get rid of that. Of course, I knew that I would lose some weight in the process, but it would be water weight. I decided to only do it for 3 days. I felt like 10 days was a long time, and I just didn't think that I was prepared to do a full 10 days. 3 days I felt like was easy. If you do it, I would suggest maybe not committing to the full 10 days to begin with. It is a lot. And when I tried the 10 days before, it took me a few tries to get to the full 10 days.

I decided not to cut out all carbs, as things like potatoes are considered carbs. I just wanted to cut out process carbs. So if I wanted pasta for example, I would have to make it from scratch.

I didn't think I would have a lot of side effects as it was only 3 days. I was surprised when I started to feel nauseous on the second day. I also got a major headache, which is not something that happens to me every often. Actually, I very rarely get a headache. I couldn't make it go away, no matter what I did. I had cut down on my caffeine as well, so I thought that was it. On the third day, I had a bit more caffeine, which helped. But didn't make it go away. So I broke and had some sugar, which also helped. It wasn't until the day after the 3-day challenge that I was able to get my headache to go away after having carbs and sugar. I was honestly really surprised by that reaction. And while it made sense, I really didn't think that was going to happen. I was unaware that I was eating that much for that long, that my body would react that way.

What it showed me so just how much sugar that I was consuming? And the big affect that it had on my body. I was also surprised that I lost 5 pounds in 3 days, just from cutting those things out. Now I'm aware that a lot of it was bloat, and water weight. But it was still really surprising.

It made me look at things differently. Look at how I was eating, and reevaluate my overall eating habits. I know that my body is use to too much sugar. I considered extending it to 10 days or even 5. However, I could feel that my body was just not use it. Yes, maybe my symptoms would get better if I continued, that it would have adjusted. I just felt like I wasn't ready to take the risk that it might get better. I felt like I wasn't ready to go all the way.

What it did show me was that I really need to get back on a eating plan. Part of my problem was that I didn't have a plan when I wasn't working. So I would just eat whatever was around me. And given that I am a baker, a lot of times it is baked goods. So I want to make sure that I am making a full meal plan, and planning out what I am going to be eating. I also want to make sure that I cut down on my sugar. I want to do the 10 days again. I feel like my body could really use it. Before I try it again, I want to cut down on my sugar slowly. I feel like by cutting down on my sugar a litte bit at a time, it will be easier to fully cut it out. And it also won't be as much as a shock on my body.

If you try to do this, make sure that you have a plan. Plan out every meal. Otherwise, you will never make it. I do think that it is important for everyone to at least try it. It just makes you reevaluate your eating, and look at things in a different light. We just are eating too much sugar, and too much junk. We need to get back to the basics of eating healthy and clean food. We need to fuel our bodies with good things that will make us feel good.

-T