Quitting sugar for 30 days can have profound effects on your health. It's not just about losing weight; it's about reducing inflammation, balancing hormones, improving brain function, and strengthening your immune system.
While individual outcomes may vary based on factors like metabolism and baseline diet, many experience significant weight loss within this timeframe. On average, individuals can expect to shed anywhere from 5 to 10 pounds by cutting out sugar for 30 days.
Once the source of those high dopamine doses is eliminated, the body asks for more in the form of cravings and other uncomfortable symptoms. It can take a few days to a few weeks for the body to adjust to the reduced sugar intake, during which time the withdrawal symptoms will gradually fade away.
Another big advantage that comes with quitting sugar is weight loss. Fried foods and sugar are two of the main culprits behind weight gain. If you quit sugar completely, it will aid in quick weight loss and might help you lose upto 1 kg in one week, when paired with healthy eating habits and some sort of exercise.
One good place to begin improving your food choices is to eliminate sugary drinks — and not just soda, but juices. Sugar increases belly fat and fiber reduces belly fat; thus when you're juicing fruits, you're removing the fiber, leaving pure sugar.
What can you eat on a no-sugar diet? “You can eat any whole food,” Keatley says. He lists off fruits, vegetables, starches, legumes, nuts, meats, and more as go-to foods on this diet. “When you start dipping into foods that have been modified, that's when you need to inspect the food label,” he says.
Visible Skin Damage: The effects of sugar on the skin manifest as wrinkles, sagging, and a loss of facial volume, particularly noticeable in areas like the jowls and cheeks.
Limit or completely avoid consumption of foods such as baked goods, potatoes, white rice, white bread, instant oatmeal, and corn/ corn flakes. These food are considered to be high glycemic carbohydrates, which means that your body rapidly breaks them down and causes a spike in blood glucose levels.
QUITTING SUGAR: BENEFITS FOR SKIN
Fewer Wrinkles – lower sugar intake reduces glycation, preserving collagen and elastin, which helps minimize wrinkles and fine lines. Reduced Acne – cutting out sugar stabilizes insulin levels, reducing oil production and inflammation, leading to fewer breakouts.
Stable blood sugar levels: By avoiding all the sugar highs and lows, your blood sugar will moderate, which means less chance of developing type 2 diabetes. Improved skin health: Cutting sugar from your diet may also improve the health of your skin and alleviate conditions such as acne, eczema, or premature ageing.
Prioritize nutrient-rich foods that are high in complex carbohydrates, fiber and protein to help your blood sugar stay even and steady throughout the day: Whole grains (oatmeal, quinoa, bulgur, barley, brown rice, oats, whole-wheat bread, pasta and couscous) Legumes (beans, lentils)
Drinking water and staying hydrated is important for managing blood sugar, also known as blood glucose. “Water helps your kidneys filter out excess sugar through urine,” says Khan. “So, the more hydrated you are, the more urine production you'll have, which flushes out sugar in the body.”
No added sugars, no fruits, no dairy, and no starchy vegetables (such as potatoes, butternut squash, peas, and corn). Food recommendations: meats, eggs, hummus, nuts, leafy vegetables, and peppers. Beverage suggestions: water, unsweetened tea, and black coffee.
Foods to avoid on a sugar-free diet
That means no more fizzy drinks, biscuits, fruit juices,, fruit squashes, breakfast cereals or sauces such as mayonnaise, ketchup, etc. It is also preferable to stop consuming white bread, pasta and rice – in fact, any food with a high GI (such as potatoes).
Sugar-free diets encourage people to avoid table sugar (sucrose), sweeteners such as honey and maple syrup, refined flours, condiments, soft drinks, sweets and some fruits such as bananas. Some also recommend eliminating or restricting dairy products.
Skin looks puffy, saggy and dull
“The more carbohydrates we eat, and the more sugar – which is just a simple carbohydrate, after all – the more water and sodium we hold onto,” says Rhian Stephenson.
By reducing or cutting sugar from your diet, you can easily slow down the process of glycation and also the formation of AGEs which preserves the integrity of collagen and elastin in your skin. This means fewer wrinkles with improved elasticity and a more youthful and glowing appearance.
Diabetic dermopathy (shin spots)
Also known as shin spots, this condition is harmless. The spots look like red or brown round patches or lines in the skin and are common in people with diabetes. They don't hurt, itch, or open up.
You can add fruits like dates, applesauce, and bananas to sweeten your food with natural sugar. These fruits also provide added nutrients and fiber, making them a healthier alternative to refined sugars.
Sugar-free ice cream is recommended instead of cookies and cakes. Forbidden foods: You'll have to give up white potatoes, white rice, white bread, white flour, corn, beets, soda, candy, baked goods, and refined sugar.
You might lose a few pounds.
One research study suggests this could be a possible 14 percent decrease in total calories, which may mean you could consume 210 fewer calories when based on a 1,500-calorie a day intake. Just by cutting down on your added sugar intake you could lose one to two pounds per month.