13 Things That Happen When You Stop Eating Sugar

Disclaimer: The title of the post is a bit clickbaity. I eat sugar. Yes, the big bad white stuff. I love my tea sweet (nope, no builders in the family), and I prefer at least a little bit of sugar in my coffee. An occasional sweet or a biscuit do make their way to my stomach. But these days I eat about 1/5 the amount I used to. I’d wager it’s even less.

Quitting sugar is hard. Sugar is addictive, and the cravings are very hard to beat. However, the benefits are numerous. Here are some I have felt on my own.

1. Your sense of smell intensifies. I am much better at detecting odours and distinguishing differences between scents these days. I can also smell a coffee shop from five blocks away.

2. … as well as your sense of taste. Again, the nuances. I pay attention to the differences in tastes I never paid attention to before.

3. You feel less fatigued. Your body adjusts to storing and processing energy more efficiently.

4. You get less cravings. Including cravings of sugary things, cravings of tobacco, cravings of caffeine (… OK, well maybe not that one), cravings of salty and crunchy snacks, cravings of pretty much anything.

5. Your energy levels become pretty uniform. No more sugar highs, no more sugar crashes.

6. You sleep better. See above.

7. Consequently, you wake up easier. Waking up after having had a banana and a piece of dark chocolate in the evening is way easier than waking up after having had a slice o cake with a huge mug of hot cocoa.

8. You lose weight. Sugar is empty calories. You’d be amazed at how much weight you lose even if the only change you make is cut out cookies, sweet sodas, and a slice of cake here and there.

9. Your skin clears up. There’s much less congestion, redness, and pimples. Sugar aids inflammation, and your skin responds to it with – yep – inflaming.

10. Your breath is fresher. Because your teeth and your stomach are cleaner.

11. You get less headaches. Sugar is one of the well-known migraine triggers.

12. Your digestion, absorption, and immune system get better. Sugar messes up the natural bacterial balance, which in turn messes up digestion, which in turn messes up absorption, which in turn… Yeah. Sugar is also highly acidic.

13. You spend less money. I used to spend at least $30 a month on sugary snacks and on sugar itself. I still buy both, but these days I spend around $5 on them.

Have you quit sugar? Has it made you feel better?

(I am not a medical professional. This post is based on personal experience. Please consult a health care professional before making any dietary changes.)