30 Day Sugar Free Challenge
Posted on 18 December 2008
maych
A Month Without Sugar
Most people cannot think about a day without sugar, much less a whole month. But removing sugar will not only help you to lose weight, it is a also great step to take towards a healthier you.
This January marks the beginning of International Sugar Free Month and the 30 Sugar Free Days Challenge, organized by Dr. Scott Olson, ND author of the book Sugarettes, as a way to bring awareness to the addictive qualities of sugar and the health hazards of that addiction.
Dr. Scott is coaching and supporting participants with a free e-book, a newsletter, and the ability to answer any question about the program.
Why Remove Sugar?
Sugar is both addictive and harmful; a deadly combination. Let’s take a look.
- Sugar is addictive: Ask a group of people if they are addicted to sugar and around 90 percent of them will raise their hands. But while we all agree we are addicted to the white stuff, most of us don’t realize just how addicted we are. Animal studies have shown that sugar addiction is just as hard to break as addictions to cigarettes, alcohol and even hard drugs. No wonder it is so hard to lose weight! If you are one of the 10 percent of people who don’t think they are addicted to sugar, try the 30 Sugar Free Days Challenge and see just how addicted sugar can be.
Besides being addictive, sugar harms our health in three ways:
- Adds Weight: The standard medical position on sugar is that it contains calories, so it does have the ability to increase weight – but no more than any other food. Sugar, though, is special and increases our body weight because it causes such high spikes in our blood sugar. All the excess sugar in our blood stream has to go somewhere and it usually ends up on our waists and hips.
- Insulin Insensitivity: Whenever our blood sugar is high for a period of time, it leads to insulin insensitivity. Insulin insensitivity means that the cells of the body no longer are responsive to insulin. This condition leads to metabolic syndrome and is one step away from diabetes.
- Toxic: While it is not very well known, sugar is toxic to blood vessels. In much the same way that cigarette smoke damages the lungs of the smoker; sugar damages the blood vessels of the sugar-eater. It is easy to see this destruction in diabetics: they have kidney disease, heart disease, eye disease (retinopathy), nerve disease (neuropathy), and strokes, all caused by sugar destruction to blood vessels.
Take the 30 Day Challenge
Breaking the sugar habit is not easy; at every step you are going to run into your addiction. The effort to stop sugar, however, is well worth the results: you will live a longer, healthier life with sugar out of your diet.
Taking the 30 Sugar Free Days Challenge is a great step towards your better health. So many weight loss programs are designed to help you shed pounds, but often do nothing to address your health. Why not have both good health and weight loss? Join us for the adventure!
Why?
Myself and doctor Scott are firm believers that everyone can be in better health if they avoid sugar like foods. have a look into the free e-book provided here for a good example of how to eat for the month….
Dr. Scott Olson is a naturopathic doctor, an expert in natural medicine and the author of the book Sugarettes. You can read his blog at www.olsonnd.com.
As well as his previous post at Zen to Fitness here…….
Dr. Scott Olson is a Naturopathic doctor, expert in alternative medicine, author and medical researcher. Spurred on by his patients’ struggles with sugar addiction, he was determined to discover just how addictive and harmful sugar can be and ways to overcome that addiction. The result of that study is his book Sugarettes, which describes the addictive qualities of sugar and the harm that sugar does to our bodies.
Thanks again to Scott for the post and putting forward the sugar free Iniative. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I am taking a Hiatus until January but get ready for loads of cool stuff from Zen to Fitness in 2009! Best Wishes,
Chris
Comment by Andrew R - Go Healthy Go Fit
18 December 2008
This sounds like a very interesting challenge. But a Twix bar has a GI rating of 44… can I still eat that? Just kidding!!
Have a Happy Holidays Chris!
All the Best,
Andrew R
Go Healthy Go Fit
Comment by Tom Parker - Free Fitness Tips
18 December 2008
Wow. Now that is a challenge. I have drastically cut down the amount of sugar in my diet but I don’t think I have ever gone a full month without sugar. I may take this up in January but I think there are too many treats around at Christmas for me to completely eradicate sugar from my diet in the next week or two.
Comment by Jory
18 December 2008
Interesting post, but I take issue with certain aspects of this thirty day challenge. While I wholeheartedly agree that refined sugars should be avoided, I fail to see the utility or health benefit of foregoing healthy carbohydrates like whole grains. In fact, whole grains like barley, brown rice, oats and corn are very healthful and add important nutrients like fiber and protein. Moreover whole grains are especially important in vegetarian diets. Moreover, eschewing fruits and vegetables like beets, sweet potatoes and carrots will do very little to reduce your waistline, but deprives you of certain nutrients which are very beneficial.
I feel a more appropriate challenge would be to avoid refined sugars that are found in things like cupcakes, cakes, cookies; as well as white flour carbohydrates as found in many breads and crackers. These are the real culprits, not the whole grain nutritional powerhouses.
If anyone disagrees I’d truly enjoy to take their thoughts into consideration.
Comment by Rebecca
19 December 2008
This is great!
I have been tossing around this idea for awhile, January will be a great month for me to give this a try. I’ll even post my results on my blog.
When I was young I had a sweet tooth, as I got older, not so much, but I drank quite a bit of alcohol. About a year ago, I quit drinking and my sweet tooth kicked in again. I have a hard time going one day without something sweet now.
I’ve been thinking about giving up the sugar and figured I would have to employ the same tactics to quit sugar that I used to give up alcohol.
I think this 30 day challenge is just the thing!
Thanks for the post.
Comment by Bryan (from Six to Done)
19 December 2008
Hmm, I don’t think a sugar FREE diet would be beneficial (for me, at least). In fact, I’d imagine that it would be quite the opposite. Glucose is used as a natural source of energy in your body. Completely devoid of sugar, my body would wilt like a flower upon engaging in any intense exercise — and I’d probably end the 30 days lethargic and slightly depressed. Granted, I’m all for a LOW sugar diet, but I’ll pass on the NO sugar diet.
Comment by Yavor
19 December 2008
Good stuff! I might take the challenge in January if I don’t have any other challenge planned.
Can’t miss my Christmas cookies though
Yavor
Comment by LOLfitness
19 December 2008
@Bryan
But Bryan, all carbohydrates get turned into glucose in the body, right? You can just eat healthy carbs like oats for that, you don’t need sugar for it!
Comment by Dr. Scott
19 December 2008
Hi all and thank you for your comments!
Jory, I’m going to have to disagree with you on the health aspects of grains by pointing out that grains are not really able to be eaten unless they are processed in some manner. Think about having an endless supply of wheat, but then not being able to boil, grind, or otherwise process it. How long do you think you could survive eating whole-grains? We can extract nutrients from grains because we have the brains to do so, but that doesn’t mean we should or that our bodies are equipped to handle them. Grains also have a high allergic propensity and many people have problems with them. Like all health advice, the best way to know about grains is to avoid them for a while and see how you feel. Vegetables and fruits have far more nutrients in them than grains. I suggest if people are going to eat grains that they simply boil and eat them (as many people do rice).
I tend to agree with you on the starchy vegetables, they do provide a good amount of nutrients as long as they are not overdone.
Personalizing the 30 Day Challenge is just what a lot of people are doing. Some are just avoiding white sugar, others (as you say) processed grains
Bryan, I have a few ultra athletes (exercising up to 6 hours a day) in the challenge and they have to have some form readily available energy to carry with them. If you fall into that category, I agree with you.
Once again, thank you all for your comments and good luck on the Challenge!
Dr. Scott
Comment by Keith Norris
19 December 2008
Going sugar free is no problem for me — one month, two months, whatever. Just don’t ask me to go coffee free, though! The 60-hours of coffee abstinence I did recently was, to say the least, not much fun.
Comment by Bryan (from Six to Done)
19 December 2008
Thanks for your responses to my comment. Ultimately I believe, as Jory does, that perhaps not ALL sugar should be cut out — only refined sugar. I don’t think I could give up natural fruits simply because they contain sugar. But, as Dr. Scott mentioned, cutting out only refined sugar is acceptable as part of the challenge as well.
Comment by Jory
19 December 2008
Dr. Scott thanks for your thoughtful response, but I had a few follow up questions to better understand your reasoning.
1. How much nutrition is lost when whole grains like “whole wheat” are turned into whole wheat flour? If nutrition is lost, how much? And does it make eating things like whole wheat flower pointless?
2. How do you define “processed grains.” For myself I don’t think of unbleached whole wheat flour as overly processed. When I think of processed grains I think of wonder bread and white flour breads that have little nutrition.
3. I don’t quite understand your rhetorical question about how long an individual could survive eating whole grains? I imagine if this were the only thing a person ate they would encounter significant health problems. However, this is the same for a person who only at vegetables or fruit, or who only ate meat.
4. “We can extract nutrients from grains because we have the brains to do so, but that doesn’t mean we should or that our bodies are equipped to handle them.” What do you mean by, because we have the brains to do so? Do you mean that we can only extract nutrients from grains because we have developed advanced techniques of processing them via boiling and grinding? If so are you then promoting a raw food type diet whereby no foods are cooked to prevent nutrient loss?
I definitely agree with you that fruits and vegetables have more nutrients than whole grains; I also agree that one shouldn’t go overboard with them. But that fact alone does not mean that whole grains ought to be entirely avoided. I think you echoed that sentiment in your response.
Also I’m curious if you have any opinion on the effect of whole grains for vegans and/or athletes. As Bryan astutely pointed out in his comments whole grains can prove essential for athletes. Being both a vegan and an aspiring triathlete myself, I find whole grains to be very useful in building up my energy stores.
Again thanks for taking the time to respond. I really enjoy thoughtful dialogues like these. I’m eager to here what you have to say.
P.S. Bryan – I found your comments very interesting and insightful as well. I’d like to hear more of your thoughts on the matter.
Comment by JE Gonzalez
20 December 2008
You know what? I am not addicted to sugar, used to be. When first Losing weight I longed for my cheat days in which I would gorge down doughnuts and ice cream. Ever since going paleo I could care less for it. What I need every day is a fruit, banana or apple especially. But nothing has been better for me than to give up white death. Any white processed crap as a matter of fact. As for you Jory, some rains like quinoa and oats are great but grains aren’t all they are cracked up to be. Check out Mark Sisson’s definitive guide http://www.marksdailyapple.com/definitive-guide-grains/
I myself feel great by avoiding grains, save a side of brown rice once in a while and if I’m in the reeally mood the best damn sandwich in the world.
Comment by Super-Trainer
20 December 2008
Great post – I think a great first step is getting rid of juice and going from there – haha, yavor, I may wait until after Christmas to get super strict too – lol -
Comment by Dr. Scott
20 December 2008
Great comments Jory! Let’s see if I can address them.
The ideas that underlie my whole thought processes are these: Even though it appear to be normal to eat grains and carbohydrate because everyone in the world is doing so, grains and carbohydrates are not the optimal foods for humans to be eating. Can we eat grains? Yes. Can we survive on grains? Yes. But, are they the best foods for us to be eating? No.
Humans have been farming and growing grains for around 7,000 years and while this seems like a long time, in terms of biological adaptation, this is a blip on the evolutionary timeline. We have slowly moved from eating foods that we could just pick up or catch to eating more and more processed foods. This does not bode well for our health.
Your questions:
1-2) Really very little nutrients are lost when grains are ground. Heat and exposure to air will degrade some of the vitamins in grains, but not much. The issue with grinding grains is that the food changes from being a whole grain and low on the glycemic index to being a flour and being high on the glycemic index. Processing a grain means anything other than eating it straight from the stalk. Boiling is the least processing and white bread is the most. And, yes, there are degrees of processing and therefore degrees of health benefits: whole grain or even sprouted grains are much better than Wonder-type breads.
3) The point about trying to eat grains straight from the stalk is this: when you do eat grains in their whole form, they pass through your body largely undigested. This is not true with vegetables, meats or fruits. This tells me that grains, in their natural state and unprocessed, are not very digestible for humans. If you were take one of those “what one food would you choose to eat if you were stuck on a deserted island” quizzes, the worst health choice would a grain, especially if your island lacked the tools to cook the grain. You could survive a lot longer if your food choice were a fruit or vegetable and your survival wouldn’t be in doubt if the food your chose were meat. Having said that, I do think we are omnivores and don’t really suggest a high-protein diet: I believe 80 percent fruits and vegetables and 20 percent protein is about right.
4) Raw food? Yes, but not to an extreme. Eating foods as close to raw as possible is best. Some foods, such as tomatoes actually improve certain nutrients (like Lycopene) when cooked.
Okay, you got me if you are an extreme athlete. While you may not agree with this, I think exercising at a high level for more than a short period of time is not natural, so this requires a not-natural response: you need a quick form of energy. Or, let me say it this way: I’m not sure how to train for hours (and I have some people who train for 4-6 hours every day) without using some sort of easy form of carbohydrate. I like Hammer gels (http://www.hammernutrition.com/za/HNT?PAGE=PRODUCT&PROD.ID=4039 ) they have some good nutrition in them.
I rarely exercise over 45 minute now, but when I used to run a lot, I found that over one hour mark was usually where I needed to take in some additional calories. When cycling, that number is around two hours until I need to take on extra energy.
Jory, as with every dietary advice, try it and see if it works for you. The 30 Day Sugar Free Challenge is a chance to look at your habits, see if sugar/carb addiction is something real and to see how your body feels when you feed it what I would consider optimal nutrition. If it doesn’t work for you, that is okay. If you simply want to take the challenge and remove added sugars, that is okay too. The largest changes to our diet have occurred in the last 100 years. The amount of processed sugar we eat when compared to our great grandparents is huge, any step you can take to reduce the sugar burden on your body, the better.
Thanks again for your comments,
Dr. Scott
Comment by Chris
21 December 2008
Thanks all for the comments and thanks especially to Dr Scott for his long and comprehensive replies. I am currently away on Holiday so cannot post anything long until the start of January. I have to throw out thanks to Rusty @ Fitness Black Book as well for featuring me in this post…… Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Comment by Bonnie | Free Biorhythm
21 December 2008
Good post Chris, and very interesting debate you’ve started!
I’m still on the fence regarding the grain issue. I note that I feel best when I avoid wheat and most wheat flour products, but do like to include some wholegrain like rice or oats, plus starchy vegetables (preferably organic). I am mostly vegetarian though so this may be a factor. I have felt much better since switching to a higher protein, higher fat (good fats of course!) lower carb diet. I was a vegan before and just didn’t thrive on that diet.
Have a great Christmas Chris & I look forward to reading more of your informative articles in the new year!
Comment by Zara
22 December 2008
Hey, this article is great. It’s for reasons like those that I have decided to give up sugar (or refined sugar) for good! I know it is going to be hard, as I have a massive sweet tooth, but I have nothing to lose and I am determined…
And I am blogging my progress………..here
I would love it if anyone joined me in this challenge, left a comment, or even simply stopped by and checked it out. I know if I can do this, anyone can!
Thanks,
Z
Comment by Bryan (from Six to Done)
22 December 2008
There are some fantastic comments here. Great follow-up questions, Jory. I do agree with most of the doc’s answers — especially with the idea that most of our diet should consist of fruits and veggies (though paradoxically the consumption of fruits would rule out this sugar-FREE challenge).
Also, I would note in response to Bonnie that with my current exercise schedule, I find that my body really WANTS carbs. As soon as I devour some whole wheat pasta, or even a health(ier) pizza after a good workout (or even on a rest day), I find myself instantly rejuvenated. This is most likely related to my fitness regimen, however.
Comment by Dan
22 December 2008
Haven’t eaten sugar for years and don’t miss it one bit. There’s plenty of sugar in fruits and veggies and at least you know your getting lots of nutrients and antioxidants.
Comment by Bonnie | free biorhythm
22 December 2008
Bryan – I agree, I often feel that my body wants some carbs, amounts vary though depending on my activity levels. I tried eating meals with no carbs, just veggies & a protein like fish but when I do that I alwasy feel like something is missing. I am still tweaking to find the optimum amount. As a vegan I used to fill up on carby food and felt lethargic, weak & escessively hungry most of the time. I experience much better satiety when I base a meal on a good protein food, lots of veggies, some fat like olive oil, coconut oil or nuts and a small amount of carbs just to make the meal feel more complete. I know others are different though and can do without the carbs alltogether!
Comment by Bryan (from Six to Done)
22 December 2008
This is true, Bonnie. Everyone is different! By the way, my mom went full vegan recently — do you happen to have any recipes or tips that I can share with her?
Comment by Jory
23 December 2008
Hey Bryan – I’ve been vegetarian for over a year (vegan for about six months). One of my favorite vegan cook books is called Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moscowitz. I highly recommend it, especially as a gift for the holiday season.
Bonnie – I’m curious to know how long you were a vegan for and what factors induced you to give it up. Also, I don’t mean to knit pick, but I consider being vegan more of a philosophy of eating than a “diet.” Any thoughts?
Dr. Scott – Thanks for the feedback. I’m definitely giving your input some thought.
Comment by Bonnie | free biorhythm
23 December 2008
Bryan – I can’t think of any specific recipes but my advice would be to base each meal on a protein food (e.g. a nut dish, bean dish, tofu, tempeh etc.) add lots of veggies & don’t skimp on the healthy oils/fats. Best of luck to your mom on her vegan journey!
Jory – you’re right, vegan tends to be more about ethics than just about diet (vegans will often avoid using leather, wool & honey too). I ate a vegan diet for 10 years, the main issues I had were excessive appetite, lethargy & low iron levels. I also started gaining weight despite eating very little fat. I recently had to make the choice between my desire to stick to vegan ethics and my desire to fix my health. My health problems were addressed very quickly by the addition of organic eggs & fish (about once per week for each), addition of more fat & reduction of carbs. Most days I still eat vegan, but make more of an effort to eat fat and protein. I still avoid dairy though because I’m lactose intolerant.
Comment by Jory
23 December 2008
Bonnie – Thanks for the response. As I’ve only been vegan for about 6 months, I’m not sure if I will experience the same type of problems you encountered down the line. Thus far, however, I feel fantastic and have had no problems at all. Best of luck and see you around.
Comment by Guylaine
23 December 2008
Sugar sucks, keep spreading the word!
Except for rare occasions, I don’t include sugar or grain in my diet (http://www.thedrillcoach.com/2008/07/refrain-from-grain.html).
But eliminating grain from your diet doesn’t mean no-carbohydrates. Our bodies need carbs to function properly. Your main source of carbs should be fibrous ones from vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, spinach and peppers.
And there are many alternatives to bagels and cereals for breakfast and post-workout meals. I follow-up my morning workout session with a breakfast that includes two whole eggs and a baked sweet potato sprinkled with cinnamon and nutmeg. After a heavy weight lifting session, I might even add ¼ cup of fat free cottage cheese (although dairy is not an option for everyone).
Good luck to everyone doing the challenge. And remember to eat your vegetables!
Comment by Chris
24 December 2008
Thanks for all the posts guys. I am very pleased this post by Dr Scott started a torrent of discussion.
@ Guylaine: Your post workout meal seems great sweet potato’s are the perfect post workout food. I love them with dinner even smothered with some nut butter! Its obvious we need carbs but not sugar thats why things like sweet potato, fruit and vegtables work so well to repleish our glycogen as they are loaded with anti-oxidants, and digest slowly……I look forward to some making some more posts on the topic in 09.
Merry Christmas!
Comment by Andrew R - Go Healthy Go Fit
24 December 2008
Hey Chris,
Congrats! I caught that article on Rusty’s site, it was awesome. Good for you brother!
All the Best,
Andrew R
Comment by FrugalNYC
24 December 2008
Very interesting challenge. No cookies, candies, soda!! Never knew sugar was toxic.
I tagged you for this blog tagging game…hope you don’t mind. Here’s the link http://frugalnyc.blogspot.com/2008/12/six-random-things-about-me.html
Comment by Reader
30 December 2008
PLEASE POST A NEW POST. I’M DYING HERE.
Comment by raneemhay
31 December 2008
cool & healthy idea
but I’ll never do it .. I’m in love relationship with FOOD especially sweets XD
Comment by Super-Trainer
31 December 2008
Great idea – It’s funny how a simple thing like removing simple sugar can slim you down without you even having to lift a finger – Happy New Year!
Comment by fabelfisk
9 January 2009
How come this article is illustrated with a picture of an absolutely delicious-looking muffin? Mmm.. muffins.. I’m trying to stay away from sugars (at least the refined sugar) all of january, but that muffin picture just got my taste-buds starting to fantasize..
Comment by Connie
11 January 2009
Glad to see your post, and thanks so much for doing it! I’m really grateful. Your post — which I found, thanks to Google alerts — alerted me to Dr. Scott’s sugarfree challenge, which led me to contact him… Long story short, we’re co-presenting a Great Worldwide Sugar-Out Challenge on Jan. 16 on both my Gab With the Gurus Radio Show and on Twitter. (It’s a TwitAsYouQuit learnfest.) Anyhow, thanks again. Connie Bennett, author, SUGAR SHOCK!
Comment by Josh
29 April 2009
Great post, well done
I have also given up sugar for going on 7 months now I needed to I had a real sweet tooth.
Comment by Adam
28 March 2010
I love the concept and have tried it my self not for as long as 30 days, but a much noted difference
Comment by Marion
17 August 2010
I have been sugar free for one year. I have not felt this good in years.I am 68 years old. I can’t wait to exercise each day. My cholesterol went down 70 points, my blood sugar is now normal. My weight stays the same without counting calories. I eat whenever I am hungry. I not only do not crave sugary foods or processed snacks, they actually are unappealing. I can’t think of ingesting them into my body. I feel sorry for my contemporaries who I see eating these foods and at the same time complaining about how poor they feel, how tired they are, how they can’t sleep at night, how they fall asleep during the day.