I feel like the catalyst for ditching sugar is one we can all relate to: I simply overindulged during the holidays (also read: every day). But more than that, I felt sluggish, foggy, dull (in skin and mind), and like I was well overdue for a reset. Studies show that our gut lining regenerates and renews every 28 days, and so my timeframe for the challenge was birthed. We’ve all heard about the notion of 21 days to create a habit…I figured adding a week on top couldn’t hurt, given my decades-long love affair with the sweet stuff. Here’s what I learned, cheat codes for how you can make it easier should you choose to do the same, and if I lasted the whole month or succumbed to my cookie cravings:

the rules (I set for myself)

But first! Here’s where I was at before the challenge began, to give you some context. A year ago, my friend Dr. Jen Tice gave our family a food intolerance test. Basically, you prick your finger, send in a tiny circle of droplets smeared on a paper, and it measures which food is not digested properly in your system leading to toxemia in the blood. She likens it to a cup: over time, when you don’t know your food intolerance and keep eating it, the cup starts to overflow and show up as symptoms in your body. For me it was bloating and acne. As it turns out my cup was overflowing with an intolerance of soy, plus cane sugar + fruit in tandem. Jon and Grey got dairy, as well as the cane sugar + fruit combo.

Since the latter came up for all three of us, I thought, ok, no more jams, or banana bread, I can live with that. But that doesn’t begin to cover it. It’s the combination of the two in your system together within six hours. Since it was cane sugar, we decided that rather than obsessing over if we were combining them accidentally or when, we would just remove cane sugar and I would use coconut sugar for baking, and check ingredient labels to make sure it wasn’t sneakily added to nearly everything we had in our pantry. Spoiler: it was. Cane sugar is everywhere. So we went through the arduous process of eliminating it, and come to find out, it wasn’t that hard after we got the hang of it, and we all felt markedly better in just a few weeks.

So if we solved the problem and eliminated a whole field of sugar, why go for more, you ask? Great question. Because coconut sugar, while having a lower glycemic index than regular sugar, is still a sugar in form. And because I didn’t like that I was reaching for something sweet after every. single. meal., and during the day when I felt like I was in a slump (physically or mentally). Also, I didn’t feel well after having treats – it would either look like a low grade headache, or a stomachache/ bloat. Here’s what I got rid of for the challenge:

1. No more chocolate squares or candy
2. No baked goods
3. No protein bars with added sugar
4. No cereal nor granola
5. No honey (high glycemic response) or maple syrup
6. Fruit was allowed (and started tasting SO much sweeter!), along with our daily smoothies

a daily diary

Day 1 – or at least what was supposed to be day 1. I ate a slice of homemade pie for breakfast, and finished the night with two squares of dark chocolate. It turned out to be a farewell day. Except the bananas are going brown on the counter and Grey just asked if I could make banana bread tomorrow.  

Day 2 – I was planning on starting today (a Sunday) and Jon pulled into Starbucks after church to get us a treat drink. A (vegan) Gingerbread latte. Which indeed is a sugar-filled treat and not at all belonging on day 1 of the 30 day no sugar challenge. We all felt ill after sharing it.

Day 3 – here we go!, the real day 1. I threw out the leftover Christmas crack and the rest of my beloved vegan fudge in the freezer. The one with the roasted hazelnuts. That was rough. But I did it alongside my morning cup of (black) coffee and felt determined and superpowered to do this challenge. Then lunch rolled around and I went searching for the aforementioned fudge. Thank goodness I had already trashed it. 

Day 4 – I made the banana bread. Two actually. One I immediately wrapped up and had Grey walk over to our favorite neighbor’s house. The second had a crust on top that was perfectly browned and calling my name. I resisted the temptation and had my first big dopamine win. I live another sugar-free day.

Day 7 – I made the mistake of opening the fridge after lunch consisting of a tomato, avocado, and vegan hash. I find that when I feel great about a “healthy” (read, boring) meal, I feel like I deserve a dessert. My eyes immediately darted for the dark chocolate bars in the “cheese” drawer (no one in this house can eat dairy so it was converted to a chocolate drawer). Remember when I removed all of the sweets? It felt criminal to do that to the organic, dairy-free chocolate bars. Today I wish I had. Willpower tested, and by some grand feat I came out on top again. I think seeing the chocolate and having the power to say no felt like such a confidence boost.

Day 8 – Saturday, and the first day I have missed baking for fun (but also to eat). I realized that I so look forward to baking on the weekends as a love language for my people, but also a form of therapy. Meditation, joy, peace, time focused on creating new delicious delights. I didn’t ask for the whole family to jump on this challenge with me, but they’re giving it a go anyway, so for today, no homemade dessert.

Day 9 – Reset again by Jon’s trip to Starbucks and the sweetened matcha latte with coconut milk that he ordered for me (and I’m too people pleasing and polite to refuse). He didn’t think it had sugar. I drank a few sips of it 😏. But do you want know the best part? It felt so much sweeter than usual. Likely because of a successful week without sugar. Two wins here because I actually spoke up and said, these drinks make my stomach hurt, I’m good with skipping Starbucks for a while. We start again!

Day 15 – I made cookies for Grey’s school birthday party. The chocolate crinkle cookies we all love so much. I was this close to licking the spoon from the batter before I put it in the sink. By some stretch of determination, I ran water over it so fast. I have to say, giving baked goods to others without taste testing them first is tough – Grey was up for the task, though 😆.

Day 21 – I am really feeling in the groove. I notice that at night after dinner when I would normally start craving something sweet, I’m just not anymore. It’s become part of my routine to have a nightly tea. And on nights where I don’t want one, I take my vitamins early and it signals that I’m done consuming for the evening. It feels like I unlocked a new level and I’m starting to feel the difference!

Day 25 – I have a headache today. Normally, one of the remedies I would reach for would be a square of dark chocolate. I’m going to attempt the other protocols first, but I may end up caving. Update: I didn’t cave and put peppermint oil on my temples instead. It worked!

Day 28 – When you have a little kid, it seems like their birthday lasts the entire month. I resisted two sets of cookies he needed for celebrations, but today is the funfetti birthday cake. I did a scratch vegan/ gf vanilla cake with homemade “buttercream” frosting and a mountain of dye-free sprinkles. I’ve never been a cake gal, it’s cookies all the way for me. But it felt wrong not to have a slice when I watched his excitement blowing out those candles! I had a few bites, enjoyed them thoroughly, and that was enough for me.

Day 30 – Normally, when there are treats in the kitchen, let’s say Grey’s birthday cake, or maybe some wildly fudgy, crispy on the outer edges brownies, I am the person in the house who takes a sneaky sliver every time I walk in the kitchen. Today I wasn’t even tempted! I had a friend many years back who got gastric bypass surgery. And she shared with me that in the counseling she had to do pre-surgery, the therapist told her: “I hope you come to understand, there will always be cake. You don’t need to have all the cake today. Today you can have a small slice, the world will never have a shortage of cake, so you don’t need to worry about getting your life’s fill in one day.” I thought of that today and it rang so true!

Day 36 – Longer than I planned, but let’s be honest, there were some “cheat moments” in there. That’s the thing though, that’s LIFE! That’s how I want it to be. The majority of the days I am treating my vessel well with whole, delicious, nurturing foods. And occasionally, I indulge in something sweet – mindfully, and joyfully! I am feeling PHENOMENAL. Also, it has helped my confidence and my view of my own willpower and determination: I can do whatever I set my mind to. I never shamed myself when I slipped, but I also didn’t let it derail me for the rest of the day, or days to follow. I kept to the mission! And now I have shaken the habit of reaching for something when I’m in a low mood, or after a meal, or just because. That in itself is a win!

cheat codes

• You’ve undoubtedly heard the advice of, toss everything that might tempt you. I disagree: I say keep it. Because the reality is, even if you toss everything in your cupboards, temptation is still going to be absolutely everywhere else you go. Keeping it is the power move. What better way to build discipline for when you’re off the challenge than to look it in the eye everyday and say, no thank you, that’s not serving me today.
• If you are like me, and reach for a nibble of something sweet after a meal, might I suggest having a tea instead? Stock up on teas that serve a purpose. Maybe you’re trying to boost immunity – go for this one (delicious!). Or you want to satiate that sweet tooth – this is luxe + lovely. Want a detox? – I always reach for this one.
• Drink more water. Add electrolytes (I love this one!), lemon or another favorite fruit, whatever it takes for you to drink more. When we’re well hydrated, we’re less likely to reach for a snack.
• If you’re missing the ritual of a dessert after dinner, replace it with something else that adds to your well-being in some way. It could be a walk around the block. Maybe a nighttime mocktail with cherry juice for better sleep hygiene? Perhaps you go for gummy vitamins that still feel like you’re having a little something but really you’re starting a new habit stack for ultimate wellness?
• Have gum on hand. This tip is especially helpful during the day. Did you know that having a gum with xylitol after a meal can actually help prevent cavities!?
• If you really really want to indulge and willpower is not coming in strong for you, give yourself a task. Maybe you go fold a pile of laundry, or finish sending that work email. Chances are, you’ll either have forgotten about it after, or the craving will have subsided and you’ll remember your why. If not, go ahead and have the treat. Just don’t let it derail future choices – hop right back on that train!

takeaways

1. I still love sugar. But I love it a whole lot less than when I started this challenge. I found that greatly reducing my sugar intake has made me more sensitive to it, to the point where I really don’t want it as much. Will I have a cookie the next time I attempt a new vegan/ gf recipe? Absolutely. I delight in the creative process and love whipping up something new and exciting. How could I not test it? But I will stop at one, and not let it turn into dessert every night of the week again.
2. There is something so freeing about knowing you have one less thing to “worry” about. As I get older, I realize how vital it is to take care of my vessel now, before it’s too late. Studies show that excessive sugar consumption can lead to diabetes, dementia, even cancer. So much of our health outcomes are out of our control (genetics, family history, environment), that I want to control as much as I can!
3. I feel ENERGIZED. You know how when you have a dessert there’s an instant high, followed by the dreaded sugar crash? I don’t have that anymore. It has cleared my skin, and my brain fog. If you’ve been feeling sluggish, I cannot recommend this reset enough!
4. Our bodies are designed to crave sugar from an evolutionary standpoint. Don’t beat yourself up if after you detox from it as much as possible, you still crave it. That’s OK! We’re human! But doing so in a mindful, purposeful, controlled way is key. You can have the slice of cake today, knowing you don’t have to have two slices. The other slice will be available to you the next time there’s something to celebrate. It tastes so much better knowing it’s a treat!
5. You are so much stronger than you give yourself credit for. In a world of fake dopamine releases (social media, amazon purchases) – it feels SO GOOD to do something hard, and feel the rewards of it. You build self confidence, self trust, self LOVE in following through on what you said you were going to do – what a gift!