Sugar has an impact on your gut health, your gut biome, skin health, acne, breakouts, puffiness, excess body fat, mental clarity, but most importantly, on your immune function. Try a 30-day elimination to see if you notice any improvements in your health.

To participate you can join our Instagram account, @30DayNoAddedSugar Challenge . If you want to participate in daily acknowledgment for your successful day, just comment on that day, “did it”, “done”, “made it but I found it hard to…”, or “i didn’t do well today but will try again tomorrow”.  Include whatever you want to address. You can also participate without publically commenting daily, or ever.

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Being part of a supportive community always helps and makes it fun. If this challenge triggers weird food feelings, depression after a few days, bad college memories, then unfollow and talk to me!

WHY EXCLUDE SUGAR? Sugar has an impact on your gut health, your gut biome, skin health, acne, breakouts, puffiness, excess body fat, mental clarity, wakefulness, mood, but most importantly, on your immune function. Try a 30-day elimination to see if you notice any improvements in your health.

WHAT COUNTS AS SUGAR, you ask?

Here’s my list. You can interpret however you want but I recommend this list. Makes it straightforward. . In general, EXCLUDE added sugar, sugar subsitutes and fruit juice. INCLUDE whole fruit, veggies, proteins, grains. Ok to include naturally occuring “sugars” in foods such as fructose in whole fruit, lactose in dairy. Lemon juice is ok. Twizzlers don’t include naturally occuring sugar, FYI. . EXCLUDE: desserts, honey, sucrose, table sugar, white sugar, brown sugar, molasses, syrup, stevia, chocolate, sodas, diet soda, sweetened ice tea, sweetened coffee drinks, agave, fruit juice, pear juice, apple juice, breakfast cereals with added sugar (Raisin Bran), high-fructose corn syrup, traditional margarita mix, cocktails made with sugar or juice. Tonic water. Also exclude sugar substitutes and artificial sugar. No Diet Coke. . INCLUDE: fruit, veggies, grains, proteins, whole orange, whole apple, raisins, unsweetened dried fruit (check cherries, cranberries, coconut, etc.), plain yogurt, plain unsweetened kefir, smoothies made with frozen fruit (not sweetened yogurt or fruit juice). I think sugar-free gum is ok. And some liquid meal replacements, like my beloved cafe Soylent I have on busy days.

. CONSIDERATIONS: You may consider how you want to include or exclude some savory foods that include sugar in the process, such as teriyaki (pineapple juice), bbq sauce (molasses), marinara sauce (sugar), cinnamon chicken entree (brown sugar). Some people may decide to include the sugary processed ingredient if part of a family dinner, if not considered a “problem” for you, and if not consuming a large portion. Connect with me if you want to talk it out. If you believe your sugar love is with processed foods then you might consider eliminating. But if your sugar love is with snacking on licorice, chocolate, diet coke, your kids’ halloween candy then focus on that. . We can talk about alcohol on another occasion!

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COMMUNITY Being part of a supportive community aways helps and makes it fun. But if this challenge triggers weird food feelings, true depression after a few days, bad college memories, then talk to me!

SUGAR AGES SKIN

Sugar ages your skin. Sugar and sun age your skin by weakening the collagen that holds it firm. Even if you don’t have diabetes, the transient increase in your blood sugar after eating sugar will age your skin. Don’t put sugar in your collagen coffee drink. . From the experts: “The effect of sugars on aging skin is governed by the simple act of covalently cross-linking two collagen fibers, which renders both of them incapable of easy repair. Glucose and fructose link the amino acids present in the collagen and elastin that support the dermis, producing advanced glycation end products or "AGEs." This process is accelerated in all body tissues when sugar is elevated and is further stimulated by ultraviolet light in the skin. The effect on vascular, renal, retinal, coronary, and cutaneous tissues is being defined, as are methods of reducing the glycation load through careful diet and use of supplements.”

IS SUGAR ADDICTIVE?

Not in the way that people become dependent on a drug. But for some of us, the anticipation and hope of eating something that is highly rewarding becomes an important focus for how we think about food and what we look forward to each day. But the big issue with added sugar is that it causes a surge in dopamine, which floods our brains with the intense feelings of pleasure. That’s why it’s so very hard to make the decision to avoid added sugar. For health reasons.

Chocolate and the no added sugar challenge.

I suspect that for many of us adults, one food that is hard to stop thinking about is chocolate. I have discovered during this challenge that I apparently really love chocolate. Many people have asked me about work-arounds related to chocolate during this challenge, from Day 1. It’s easy to justify including chocolate in our diets. Because unsweetened cocoa has health benefits. So here’s the scientific scoop. Dark chocolate (>70%) contains flavonoids.

Flavonoids have direct effects on neurons and neurodegenerative processes and may improve cognitive function by improving blood flow to the brain. Flavonoids are also powerful immune boosters. But milk chocolate and highly processed chocolate (Dutch processed cocoa) have very low levels of flavonoids. These flavonoids can also be found in black tea, blueberries, grapes, citrus, red wine and parsley in very high concentrations. So don’t feel bad about missing out on any of the health benefits from chocolate when you can get them from parsley!

SUGAR AND GUT HEALTH

Added sugar can increase the bad bacteria in our gut (and decrease the good bacteria as well). Soluble fiber from beans in most people improves gut health. Probiotics and your gut macrobiotia feed off of the fiber, especially soluble fiber as short chain fatty acids. Yum!