When most people think of unhealthy foods, they usually envision sweets or fast food. Medical professionals and parents constantly encourage kids to avoid excess sugar, and common perceptions that sugar equals diabetes and obesity run rampant in our society.
However, completely cutting this ingredient out of your daily diet can be unhealthy, according to the Harvard Health article, “A simple way to look at sugar.” The most important distinction to make is the difference between natural and refined sugars, the same article mentions. Natural sugars occur in whole foods such as fruits, whereas added sugars are in products that have refined sugars included during the cooking process.
Proponents of a refined-sugar-free diet claim that it reduces mental fatigue and decreases overall cravings for sugar, according to an Eatingwell article. To determine the effects of cutting sugar out, I monitored the effects of removing all or most of the added sugars in my diet for two weeks.
One major challenge I faced was how to accurately determine if there was any amount of added sugar in dishes from restaurants and home-cooked meals. With breakfast and lunch, I was mostly able to confine my diet to light options that I prepared myself. Surprisingly, I found that school food had several options that included no added sugars.
Initially, it was difficult to remember that everything I consumed had to be sugar-free, but opting for items that had sugar alternatives definitely helped with my goal.
During this two-week period, I had one or two sugar-free protein bars a day. Occasionally, I would also have a milk-based protein drink, which, when combined with the bars, really satisfied those initial cravings for sweet foods.
Over time, I slowly felt less and less inclined to go all out and consume a ton of sugar, and not experiencing mid-day sugar crashes really improved my efficiency for completing tasks. Additionally, I no longer felt the urge to take naps when I got home after school, which was a bonus.
During my two-week trial, I also experimented with sugar alternatives, such as those in diet soft drinks. Caffeinated energy drinks often feature sugar-free versions, and some brands, such as Celsius, are exclusively sweetened with common alternatives such as sucralose. Another popular choice I had was Monster Energy’s Ultra lineup, which features no sugar. Compared to fully sweetened versions of these drinks, there was a noticeable decrease in the negative mental feelings I typically would experience after consuming them.
I also did several workouts during my no-sugar diet, and I discovered that I tired out more slowly and recovered more quickly from intense cardio. My mental energy definitely improved with lower refined sugars in my diet.
Ultimately, I wouldn’t keep cutting out all refined sugar sources, but simply reducing the majority of the amount you consume seems to offer various benefits to both mental and physical health. Instead of stopping by a 7-11 every day and grabbing a candy bar, consider eating some fruits instead.
