30 Days Sugar Free: how a low-glycemic diet transformed my body & mind

written by Abbe Ciulla @mighty yogini

first, the benefits

In an effort to simply trim my waistline before hosting a yoga retreat in Mexico, I decided to take the 30 Day Sugar Free challenge.  The benefits were so much more than firming up a few jiggles, which is why I ultimately decided to make this change a life long commitment.  
​Here were the big changes I noticed within four weeks:

• Increased energy.  My sustained energy throughout the day sky-rocketed.  We are all familiar with the term "sugar high" but the truth is sugars behave much more like a sedative than a stimulant. Orexin, our neuropeptide that regulates arousal, wakefulness, and appetite, is inhibited by the consumption of sugar.  
• Less back pain.  I often blamed my sore back on long work days or lazy posture.  Never did I think sugar could be to blame. Why would sugar have this effect? According to Naturopath Lara Briden "Sugar contributes to pain because it causes inflammation, and that inflammation impairs the absorption of key anti-pain minerals such as magnesium and zinc." After only the first week my back pain subsided tremendously.
• Fat loss. This one is a no brainer. Our body processes fats at a much faster rate when sugars leave the body. During these six weeks my body fat dropped consistently (see the image below) even though i kept my calories up. The reason is, even with my caloric intake staying  high, my body was no longer fighting a deluge of refined-sugar intake it needed to process nonstop. 
• Healthier skin and hair. Almost immediately I saw a change in my skin. Sugar causes acne by stimulating an adolescent growth hormone called IGF-1. As soon as we allow our hormones to self regulate, skin conditions improves dramatically.
• Better workouts. With stable insulin levels my body was able to recover faster and more efficiently. No more crashing on the last rep, or failing on the left side of the yoga garland.
• Lighter, pain-free periods.  This was hands-down the best reward for cutting out sugar.  In my adult life I have always suffered through painful periods. Typically, i can feel my period coming from a mile away. The cramps and mood shifts sometimes starting days earlier.  Three weeks into my sugar free diet my period surprised me. I hadn't even felt it coming.  Now months later and the painful periods still have not returned, and my flow has become lighter.  Premenstrual syndrome is caused by estrogen excess, progesterone deficiency and inflammation. Sugar affects all those things. 

How to Implement a Sugar Free Diet in 5 Steps

Weeks 1, 2 , 3 & 4.

step one: admitting to having a problem

For years, I operated under the delusion that I followed a low sugar diet.​  But once I looked deeply into my eating habits I had no choice but to come to terms with the hard fact that I, Abbe Ciulla, had a sugar addiction (queue the dramatic music).

It has started off innocently, as they often do.  Chocolate chip scone here, scoop of ice cream there, some coco powder in my coffee.  But those one-a-week cheats started piling up into a daily sugary routine. 
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step two: breaking the cycle

Just like any lifestyle chance, the break-up is the hardest past.  Pushing through the sugar detox was definitely harder than I anticipated.  I was moody. I couldn't stop thinking about food.  Nothing seemed to satisfy my hunger the way my old pal sugar did.

This phase lasted about a week. I've heard it last as long as two weeks to even a month for others.  This relies on the magnitude of your sugary intake.

Here's how to beat the sugar detox: 

1. Prep is key. Put strategies in place so when you’re fiending for a fix you have something on hand to eat. 
2. Bring on the healthy fats. Good news! You no longer have to worry about fats. Yay! Healthy fats like nuts, peanut butter and avocado, help suppress the appetite and keep you fuller longer. They also keep our skin soft, deliver fat-soluble vitamins, lubricate our joints and stoke the fire of our metabolism. Oh and did I mention that they taste yummy? 
3. Be active in the afternoon.  For most of us, the evenings are when we are the most likely to slip. At six every night I was feeling that sweet tickle. So during that time- just get out.  Go for a walk or take a yoga class, etc.  Start replacing your old habits with a new routine.
4. Ditch the bathroom scale. Just trust me on this one.  Any time we commit to a new diet our mind can begin to hyper focus potentially bringing it to a unhealthy place.  As our body adjusts to the diet change we can sometimes hold up to seven pounds of water! On a new diet, this weight gain can be enough to send people reeling away in discouragement, but don't let it! 

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step 3: finding the hidden sugars

One of the biggest obstacles with a sugar free diet is finding where the sugar actually is.  A lot of the foods we eat in our regular diet contains loads of hidden sugars.  Always make sure to check the labels.
​Here are the most commonly overlooked food products:

1. Pasta Sauce Even the organic sauces can contain added sugar, rocketing them up the glycemic scale- 15-20 grams of sugar per cup.
2. Yogurt These generally taste like dessert because, well they are dessert.  Yogurts naturally contain a ton of sugar as a default from dairy which is loaded in lactose, top it off with added sucrose and now you are look at enough sugar to send Willy Wonka into a diabetic shock. I have come across only one brand of low sugar yogurt called Brown Cow.  
3. Milk Dairy and dairy products are loaded in sugar.  13 grams of sugar in only 8oz of milk.
4. Granola Bars As a general rule, I recommend steering clear of granola bars all together. The only thing they offer is convience, they offer very little in the way of nutritional value.
5. Seasonings and Marinades  Up to 15 grams of sugar in only two tablespoons of many seasonings and marinades. 

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step 4: scaling back on the fruits

This is usually where I loose people.  Cut back on fruit?  Dealbreaker. 
Okay, just hear me out.
Sugar comes in many forms.  In dairy sugar is known as lactose, table sugar is often sucrose.
Then you have fructose, the type of sugar found in fruits. As far as our bodies are concerned, sugar is sugar. And too much sugar in the blood stream at once leads to fat storage and insulin resistance. 
Also, if we are trying to release our body's dependance on sugar, then feeding it a deluge of high-fructose fruits isn't going to help.
So when it comes to fruit, moderation is the key. No skipping meals and drinking a smoothie or eating fruit salad in it's place.  It doesn't work. Try sticking to the lower glycemic fruit- remember berries are best. Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries etc.. all offer the least amount of sugar and often offer the most nutritionally.  When eating your fruit, keep it as a replenishment snack after workouts or first thing in the morning with breakfast.

step 5: being forgiving with ourselves

With any new lifestyle change, self compassion is key. There will be bumps and setbacks. You will have days that you are on and days where you fall off the wagon completely.  Start slow, integrating one or two new habits at a time. Remember, you are doing this for not only physical health but mental health as well- so don't let it bring you to a negative place.  Good luck, and reach out any time!

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Want to take the sugar free challenge but don't know where to start? I offer donation based health counseling! Click the image above to connect.

my awesome sugar resources:
​https://www.fastcompany.com/3050319/how-giving-up-refined-sugar-changed-my-brain
https://iquitsugar.com/quitting-sugar-hormones-period-pain-hair-loss/
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/davinas-tips-going-sugar-free
https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/topicoftheweek69.htm
http://www.mightyyogini.com/blog/february-24th-2016