With four weeks until spring, everyone is looking for a way to shed the kilos that piled up during the lockdown.
Most people are trying to do that by reducing their sugar intake and going on a no-sugar diet.
The no-sugar diet has gained popularity as people continue to look for effective ways to live a healthful life or lose weight.
According to Medical News, excessive sugar consumption has links to several harmful health conditions, including:
- obesity and metabolic syndrome
- heart disease
- Type 2 diabetes
- high blood pressure
- high cholesterol
- chronic inflammation
- non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
- dental plaque and cavities
Reducing the amount of sugar in the diet can help a person reduce the risk of these health conditions.
Eliminating added sugars and maintaining a diet rich in whole foods has many benefits for the body. Specifically, reducing sugar intake and eating a healthful diet may help people.
Lose weight and prevent obesity, according to a 2019 article in the journal Medical Clinics of North America.
Other benefits include having clearer skin and reduce the risk of skin cancer, according to a 2014 review in The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology
Colin Winklevoss, the former trainer at Virgin Active, tried a no-sugar diet a few weeks back and she shared her experience on Quora. Here is what happened to her during her 10 weeks no-sugar diet.
Week 1: Really you just want to eat sugar. You are exposed to the appetising smells of cakes and chocolate, and I find myself picking up a cookie, staring at it and then putting it back down. Standard stuff. you know. Your willpower is generally pretty good at this point, so its not tremendously hard. Physically you feel no difference.
Week 2: Withdrawal week. This week you start to get withdrawal symptoms. You start to get a few headaches and having sugar becomes a necessity.
Week 3: Withdrawal part 2: if you continue your no sugar pilgrimage, it gets a bit worse. You feel tired and wanting sugar is less about the taste but consciously the effects on your brain.
Week 4: Recovery. It starts to get better. You made it over the mountain and it’s downhill. You have a clearer mind as it’s not going on the highs and lows sugar causes.
Week 5: Physically better: your limbs feel lighter and looser. You are faster and feel stronger.
Week 6 to 8: Feels good to stay off sugar. Besides, there are natural isomers of sugars like fructose and glucose and lactose in fruits and milk.
Week 9: You don’t feel any strong urge, just what if I have a slice of cake?
Week 10: From there it’s back down the rabbit hole. It gets worse because as you deprived yourself you want more sugar than before. Moderation, not abstinence is the key.