Two months ago, I embarked upon a 30 day trial to transform my personal finance awareness and put healthy financial habits in place. Money May was born.
The experience was challenging and full of growth. I’m happy to say that the financial habits I adopted in Money May are still going strong two months later. I’ve called on some of my water brothers for continued support and growth in that area, and we’ve formed a small group dedicated to financial awareness. When you reach out, the growth potential becomes exponential.
I took June off to let Money May settle in, and now I’m back for a new, way more challenging 30 day trial. Something way harder than making a new habit … breaking a really old habit.
Are you ready for this?
I am giving up sugar for 30 days.
This means sugar, artificial sugar substitutes, chemical hodge podge sugars, and any food or beverage that contains sugar or a substitute in the first five ingredients.
Alright, so it doesn’t sound super crazy at first. But it really is. Think about how much sugar is consumed every day. Try finding a sugarless beverage besides coffee, tea and water on the shelves at your grocery store.
If you need a shocking visual, check out Sugar Stacks.
And, I love sweets. Apple danishes, Hostess orange cupcakes, gummy bears, energy drinks (though I’ve kicked the large carbonated ones awhile ago), sweet fruits (a natural source of sugar I’ll be glad to keep in moderation), and more…
As consumers, we crave the sweet, white powder (the drug comparison is on purpose people) so much that food scientists have created compounds that are even sweeter than sugar. They have found ways to make our bodies demand more sweetness. And none of them are healthy for us (though there are great, healthy, natural sweeteners like maple syrup or agave nectar).
To make their products more appetizing, companies have dumped salt (another story entirely) and sugar as primary ingredients into most of our foods. This blows my mind, as most natural foods I eat are just fine without the extra crap. Try and imagine eating most manufactured, on-the-shelf grocery store foods without sweeteners or salts.
What would it taste like? I have no idea, but I know they dump the extra stuff in for a reason – to sell. If it wouldn’t sell without them, I’m betting that they taste pretty terrible.
Don’t even get me started on high fructose corn syrup, or HSFC for the food industry haters. One of the all time worst compounds that you can put into your body. If Michelle Obama was as serious as she should be about childhood obesity, she’d start working on anti-HSFC legislation instead of just getting rid of candy in schools.
The more time I spend considering this trial, the more time spent learning about sugar and its substitutes effects on my body, the more dedicated I become to this trial.
Why Do This Crazy Thing?
I’m a little crazy, and I enjoy challenging lifestyle changes. That’s not the main reason though, and if it was, I wouldn’t share it here on the blog.
Just like money, our health is an area where many people struggle with awareness. Within health, there are two main areas of struggle I see: relationship with food and relationship with exercise. This is all about the relationship that I have with food.
It is so easy to become unconscious about my eating or exercise habits. When they aren’t good, this becomes extremely damaging. Diet has a significant impact on your health, your emotions, your psychology, your physiology, and by extension, your goals and your relationships.
By giving up sugar, I am encouraging myself to transform my dietary awareness. I will be looking at more labels and ingredients, avoiding manufactured instead of natural foods, and making more health oriented choices.
Giving up sugar has side effects. It means that most of my caffeine intake is going to go back to zero. Sadly, with a full month of extra freelance work, I latched back onto caffeine as a fuel source. This month is back at the battle of living a mostly caffeine free lifestyle. All of my favorite energy drinks seem to have some sort of sugar or sugar substitute. I don’t like black coffee.
I’m left with yerba mate and green tea, which have pretty small amounts of caffeine.
Trialoris Practicatum
How is this going to look practically?
- Avoid sugar, sugar substitutes and products containing either.
- Learn more about the effects of sugar, HFSC, and sugar substitutes on my body and on the population
- Learn a few Sugar Free recipes and ingredients
- Drink lots of water and yerba mate instead of energy drinks
- Re-introduce green smoothies to my diet
This trial isn’t just about sugar. It’s about health and health awareness. That’s why there are positive, non-sugar related steps involved as well.
I’ll keep you all posted on the progress I make. I’m expecting withdrawals and some bodily reactions to this abrupt and drastic change. I look forward to the results on the other side.
If you want to learn more about body and health awareness, follow this journey subscribing via RSS or getting updates by Email.
I would love to hear receive your feedback now and along the way, so leave a comment!
Aaahhhh… victory will be sweeter than sugar.
I'll be following along eagerly! I have a huge “sugar jones” and I'm looking forward to seeing your progress.
good on you Jonathan, two things – brilliant that you'll be asking the question “does this contain sugar” – hopefully you'll be loud about it when you eat out. That one simple questions could raise awareness for the person you ask the question of, and anybody in the near surrounds that hears it… would be great if the question becomes common.
Then, secondly will be interesting to read if your blogs lose any sweetness during this month! I am absolutely sure the sugar strike is going to impact you on many many different levels…. did you know sugar is highly acidic when it is absorbed into the bloodstream? You could actually be sweetening yourSELF during the strike – funny huh?
Thanks for the encouraging words Dale! I had no idea that I would be making myself sweeter haha. At this time, I'll probably be avoiding eating out because I have less control on the contents of a menu than I do at my home kitchen… but I think at least one social display of no sugar is needed this month.
I'm sure too that the lack of sugar will have an impact … I'm anticipating a short term challenge/impact, a long term positive, and hopefully a lasting change.
Hopefully this will be more satisfying to read than about money
Sugar Jones is on the most wanted list! JK
Thanks for following, I'll make sure that it's worth every minute.
Thank you Jonathan. I am embarking on a similar journey, and I agree- it is hard. I am attempting to re-structure not only my entire diet, but also my relationship with food. I find that instead of eating mindfully, I shut off my mind, and PLOW food into my mouth. I think it's because as soon as I stop chewing, as soon as I turn off my music and close my book, I am all alone. It's just me and my four walls.
I am interested to see where this goes, both for you and for me. It feels really good to know you are on a similar journey.
Alex – I can definitely relate to the way you have eaten, and am glad to share this journey with you. There always seems to be background noise around me, and I do find it comforting. When I first started reading Thich Naht Hanh, the practice of eating in silence, mindfully, seemed extreme. After all, I love going out to eat and interacting with my friends… It is a social time.
So far, lots of water and a little yerba mate have kept me on this… Only a few days in, but I feel that it is very doable.
I would love to hear more about the relationship and the diet that you are creating with your food. I'm sure it is inspiring.
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I am also on a journey of illiminating sugar from my diet. I am currently on day 8 and have not consumed any sugar. Today is my last day of consuming artificial sugar (diet coke). I want to live a healthier life and I know sugar and sugar substitutes are not the way. Good luck to you.
I know how challenging the journey can be, and I commend your efforts! Today is day 8 for myself as well and I've been able to stay strong throughout. It's not without ups and downs of course, but it is also one that has given me more energy and vitality as of late. Good luck to you as well!
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What? Yerba mate has huge amounts of caffeine.
What? Yerba mate has huge amounts of caffeine.