I have neglected to write at the conclusion to the Beyond Sugar Challenge, where we gave up all concentrated sweeteners (refined and natural) for the month of May. So here it is at the end of June and I think I’m finally ready to talk about it!
Truthfully, I was a little disappointed. That is what kept me from writing. I expected (hoped for) all sorts of good things to happen: boundless energy! weight loss! cure for anemia! Any of those would have made me wildly ecstatic. Perhaps my hopes were set too high.
We ended the challenge strong – without having broke it. Since then, we’ve had local raw honey a handful of times, but mostly rely on dates and raisins for occasional sweetening. Our UPS man brings candy for the kids, which we tossed in the trash during May, but which I let them eat in June. Choices!?
Looking back on the goals I articulated at the beginning of the challenge, I see some successes. Here’s a recap.
- Weight loss – about 5 pounds for me, initially
- Energy boost – don’t know, perhaps
- Overall health improvement - don’t know, perhaps
- Improvement in seasonal allergies – nope, they’re still strong
- Bumps on arms go away – nope, still present; I think cod liver oil will go to work on these
- Depression/mood swings improvement - perhaps an improvement for me
- No headaches – a little better for me, Jeff did not get any migraines
- Improved PMS symptoms – yes, this was better, praise the Lord!
- Break addiction to sweets (I think I am the only one who is truly addicted) - nope, I still crave chocolate and find it hard to resist
- Appreciate the true flavors of foods – we’ve enjoyed fruit more, along with new cultured dairy foods, and kefir, which I adore
- Learn to be satisfied — no, more than satisfied — with the rest of God’s foods – I think we’ve grown to appreciate other foods more
It is hard to isolate the effects of dropping concentrated sweeteners from our diet. At the same time we did this, we also got dairy goats and began having dairy foods, raw and cultured. This made it easier to bear the deprivation, but also could be the source of some of the improvements we saw. Also, allergy season hit me big time and without any natural remedies that even made a dent in my symptoms, I resorted to OTC antihistamines, which I swear made me gain that 5 pounds right back. Ugh.
So where do we stand now? We are somewhat liberated from sweeteners, and for that I’m glad. Going without broke our family’s dependence on having sugary sweets throughout the day and after dinner. We think twice about what we serve and tend to err on the side of less sweetening or no sweetening.
How about you? If you cut back sweeteners, or did without, what were your results? How do you feel about the change(s)?
Coincidentally I made some tonight as follows: 3...
wardeh- i have read from several sources in the past, that a big dietary change like that takes a minimum of two months to really see results. when we were eating 100% raw foods, we saw many benefits right away, but we did see a lot more after 8-10 weeks.
but im sure that if you continue to minimize your sugar intake, you will continue to reap gradual benfits! sometimes its hard to remember when the change is incremental, but you know it is so much better for you whether you see big changes or not!
thanks for the update. i was wondering how it all went.
gab
ps- i dont know if sterken has bing cherries, but the ones at shady lane orchard (near my house) are ripe for u-pick and so, so good. definitely a wonderful sugar substitute for us!
Gabrielle – Thanks for that encouragement! I needed it! Sterken does have Bing cherries – we got some last week! They’ve been wonderful to have around
We’ve cut back, but I know we still ate *way* more than your family did. For me, personally, I’m trying to cut back even more this week, for personal health reasons..although I did indulge a bit after lunch today. Yesterday my son asked if I had had dessert, and when I said I wasn’t gong to have any, he said “Why?!” I have a lot of work to do…I’ve fed my kids so much sweet stuff over the course of their short lives. (*sigh*) We are getting better, however slowly.
I find culture so hard in this respect. My in-laws are *wonderful,* but when they took the boys to the beach the other week, I shuddered when the kids told me what they’d had for breakfast at Denny’s. And we’re about to leave for our annual family reunion, which I know will be crawling with cookies and other goodies. For the meal my mother-in-law and I are preparing together, the night will end with s’mores. I suppose I should have offered to make something else, but I struggle with getting a reputation of being “that mom” who won’t let her kids enjoy such a well-loved all-American treat.
(can you tell I long to blog about this but don’t feel totally free to? My in-laws read my blog.
)
How do you handle culture? Birthday parties? It just seems to be in every aspect of our lives. My kids are even given donuts and candy in Sunday school.
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Hi Wardeh
I’ve been watching (from afar!) your sugar-free month. I have never done the artificial sweeteners as they give me migraines; and I eat little in the way of refined sugar since my weight loss surgery, as it makes me sick. That said – what sugar I do eat is the white refined stuff, and I’ll admit that my family does get processed and refined foods every day.
My loathe of cooking just has me watching you, Sylvia and others in amazement. Truly. I don’t want to think about food to be honest. I would rather have a personal chef than to fuss with cooking and worrying about all this stuff.
So for us, it’s old habits die hard. :-\
When I gave up all white sugar and corn sugars for Lent (40 days), I was hoping for the energy boost and mood improvement as you were, and was also disappointed. I still used honey and molasses and maple syrup, though, but I thought I would see more of a difference. ??? Hard to tell, really, with subjective things like energy and mood. Well done giving it a go!
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i just wanted to add that journalling is a wonderful, wonderful tool for this kind of thing! when we did the raw food, and in other times of radical change, we all wrote in journals daily about how we felt (even the kids). then, after gradual changes, we could look back several days and really see the difference in what we recorded as to how we felt.
just trying to remember, though, we couldnt always notice the differences!
With my family it is always up and down. When I first got off sugar, I was very strict about not letting my children have sugar. This worked okay for a little while and then it sortof back fired. Whenever they had the chance to get sugar from any other source they were all over it! I have realized that moderation in sugar is better than allowing no sugar and then binging on sugar to the point of being sick (which has happened). Since they have access to WAY too much sugar at school, and church and extended family I have had to back off a little. I don’t make it a big deal, I point out to them that they should notice how they feel when eating sugar, in small and large amounts. Doing this has helped them to moderate themselves, to notice when enough is enough. Although I would prefer that they didn’t eat any sugar at all (as I don’t) it has to be their choice. And when it is their choice, and they see the repercussions, it will be easier for them to turn it down.
I heard somewhere that craving chocolate is caused by a zinc deficiency… how is your zinc intake?
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Rebecca – Another friend asked me that, too. I have no idea how much zinc I get.
But that could be it! Thanks!
Over the years I have yo-yo’d between lowfat and “regular” diets. Then went somewhat WAPF/NT style, then more WAPF/NT, and yet more… During the past 1.5 years I have given up gluten, refined sugar and most other sugars. Over the last 2 weeks I have also given up dairy (suspected allergy). One thing that has remained constant has been my love of chocolate. I don’t have to eat a lot – I find very little pleasure in gobbling up a whole bar of it. I’d rather slowly savor a square of really good chocolate. That’s what I have every day. I don’t fight it, I don’t try to explain or justify it. I simply do it and I’m happy.
Just my perspective.
Thanks, Magda. You might have something there.
I have some very dark chocolate in the freezer calling my name right now… Thank goodness I’m at the library and can’t reach it! 
I cut back on sugar a long time ago, not even sure how long it’s been… at least a year. I used to love desserts but have lost a taste for sweet things all together. I do eat fruit but I don’t crave sweet things. I haven’t done any research but have heard that cutting out sugar eases menopause symptoms. I’m not quite there yet, but it won’t be long. Now if I could cut the salt out of my diet!
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