21 Days No Sugar Challenge

Without a doubt, eating too much added sugar is bad for our general health. Unfortunately, most people consume too much-added sugar in the form of soda, chocolates, sweetened baked goods, sugary breakfast cereals, and more.

Reducing added sugar intake is crucial because too much of it is associated with a higher chance of developing fatty liver, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease, among other health issues.

Any dietary approach that eliminates or significantly reduces added sugar is probably going to improve general health, especially for those who often consume large levels of added sugar.

However, consistency is the most important factor in any dietary pattern, which isn’t necessarily the point of a 21-day no-sugar challenge.

The following benefits are related to reducing or cutting added sugar:

1. LESS FATIGUE AND ENHANCED MOOD

One of the most noticeable benefits you see right away is an improvement in overall energy, which is primarily because your blood sugar will not be rising and falling as much. Although sugar may provide a brief burst of energy, it also causes a sharp decrease in glucose levels, which leaves you feeling drained, irritable, and a little hungrier than before. A longer, more consistent supply of energy can be obtained by substituting complex carbohydrates for those added sugar calories, as well as foods like fruits that naturally contain sugars and fiber.

2. LESS HUNGRY

Leptin is a key hormonethat regulates appetite. It tells the brain when to eat when to stop eating, and when to speed up or slow down metabolism. However, obesity and insulin resistance make the body less responsive to the cue that it is full. Restoring leptin activity in the body gradually requires improving glucose regulation, and eliminating added sugars is a major step toward this goal.

3. LOSE EXCESS FAT

Overindulgence in added sugars is one of the main causes of overweight and obesity. Eating the same foods without the usual added sugars reduces your overall calorie consumption, which may help you lose weight and keep it off. Swapping foods with added sugars for those with little or no sugars, including beverages, breakfast cereal, and yogurt, can save hundreds of calories without changing the amount of food you eat.

4. BETTER SKIN AND SLOW AGING

The body's toxic relationship with the proteins that produce collagen, which keeps our skin smooth, elastic, and wrinkle-free, is forged over time by sugar. We stop receiving the advantages of collagen when that occurs. Excessive sugar consumption can aggravate the skin, making it more vulnerable to acne and other harmful conditions.

These are some of the most significant impacts that cutting back on sugar can help you achieve. But if you cut out added sugar for 21 days only to return to a diet high in added sugar, the benefits of following an added-sugar-free diet will be quickly lost.

Regardless of age or health status, it is wise for everyone to significantly reduce or eliminate sugar, but this does not mean eliminating all sugar. Fruit, some dairy products, and some vegetables contain natural sugars that are packaged with other nutrients like fiber, vitamins, and minerals, and these foods aren't linked to the health risks that added sugar intake overtime causes; rather, they are considered important components of a healthy diet when consumed in moderation.