My 7 Day No Sugar Challenge
This week I started seven days of no sugar. I believe that I eat a healthy diet but sugar seems to be a part of a number of the foods that I eat. There is sugar in mayonnaise and sugar in tomato paste. When I bake bread, I always add some sugar to the yeast to help the yeast bubble up.
Since the COVID pandemic started, I have started making homemade muffins almost every day. I have tried to make the healthiest recipes that I can find but there is always some sort of sweetener, be it brown sugar, or maple syrup, in the recipes that I follow.
I saw an article about a 7 Day No Sugar Challenge and I decided to try it. The idea behind the challenge is to become more aware of the amount of sugar that we eat.
The hope is that during these 7 days one will create strategies for making healthier food choices.
So …….I cut out the muffins, I changed to soy milk with no added sugar for my morning cappuccino (made at home in the machine that my children bought me for my birthday) and I cut out crackers and breads that have any sugar in them.
My husband and I try to eat breakfast together. He cuts up a plateful of fruits and vegetables to eat as part of our meal. Now without the muffins, I am eating avocado on corn crackers and 5% soft white cheese instead. We eat very few processed foods so that has not been a big change for me.
I am now at the end of day 4 and I feel lighter, healthier.
Wish me luck. I think that I will finish the challenge successfully. And the takeaway-I know that I am more aware of sugar in my diet now and will continue to look for healthy foods and recipes with no added sugar to make up most of my daily diet.
I am waiting till the end of day seven to eat a piece of dark chocolate. Apparently the darker the chocolate, the less sugar is in it… and it is packed with good things.
“Real, low-sugar chocolate is packed with flavonoid antioxidants, contains soluble fiber and is loaded with minerals. Studies show that people who eat small amounts of chocolate two to five times a week have better heart health: Chocolate may help the brain and skin, and it may also reduce insulin resistance. Even though some of the research is observational (and not definitive), a little dark chocolate isn’t going to hurt you, and it’s definitely better for you than other sugar-laden sweets. And here’s another reason to love real chocolate. Studies suggest that you are less likely to overeat or consume junk food when you eat dark chocolate rather than milk chocolate.”
I think I can manage to eat small amounts of dark chocolate 2-5 times a week.
Daniella Peyser Teutsch
