I have tried to go a week without sugar in the past just to see how I felt. I have heard from many people who have gone sugar-free that it is a wonderful thing and they felt amazing, but I've never been able to make it because I like sugar too much.
And then I read about a recent study showing that sugar added to depression. The idea being that one who eats sugar has a quick "sugar high", but then crashes even further down than their usual baseline after that euphoric period ends. Being one who suffers from depression, I was curious to find out if this was true. Would I feel different if I cut sugar out of my diet?
For five days I pushed aside cupcakes, apple pie, ice cream, candies, and every other kind of treat that seemed to appear. (You know that when you are trying to be good it seems that all of a sudden there is a plethora of sugar in the house.) I felt good, positive, and energetic, but I wasn't sure if that was from not eating sugar or just mentally wanting it to work.
Then I had lunch at new diner, where I tried their sweet cream pancakes. Divine perfection in pancake form! But they were also sweet. Afterwards I felt so tired and sluggish. I was ready to curl up for a nap. That night I had some chocolate lava cake given to us by a thoughtful friend. (I figured I might as well enjoy my day of sugar. Why stop now?!) Again, within a half hour of eating it I was ready to put on my jammies and go to bed. It was hard to keep my eyes open. This wasn't just a random occurence, there was a definite correlation between eating sugar and how I felt. Shoot! I mean, amazing!
Now I know I will not be able to go sugar-free for my entire life. Let's be realistic people! But I do think I am going to try to avoid it more seeing the amazing difference of how I felt without it and with it in my diet. I'm glad I tried the sugar experiment so I could learn more about my body and what works for me. Anything that can help me feel better about myself is something I am all for!
1 comment:
Like you, I love sugar. It's hard to think of going without it, but if it makes a big difference in how you feel, that would be very motivating!
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