7 Days Without Sugar: How My Skin and Body Changed

By now, we all know it: An excess of sugar is the enemy of health. It’s bad for the body, the skin, and the brain, and eliminating—or at least reducing—as much added sugar from our diet as possible can make a huge difference in your life.

I can hear this a hundred times and it won’t stop me from grabbing an ice cream cone on my way home. So how can I give it up? Until recently, it was totally unthinkable. Then, I read a Harcard study that found refined sugar consumption can contribute to the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, as well as another study that highlighted that prolonged sugar consumption can lead to the development of diseases like Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, or thyroid problems.

The final straw was when a doctor pointed out my clear dependence on sugar. That’s when I decided to try out a 7-day cleanse. Now, on the other side of it all, I have some good news: It is possible to live without eating added sugar, and you can feel really good—that is, once you’re finished detoxing. More on my experience, below.

How My Sugar-Free Week Went

To eliminate sugar from your diet, you can go one of two ways: The drastic one, where you just go cold turkey or the easier one, where you gradually remove it from your life. The first one can lead to side effects like headaches or a feeling of tiredness, which feel dramatic at the time but will only last for a handful of days. The latter is certainly simpler, but is slower (and there’s more temptation along the way).

That’s why I cut it all out cold turkey, eliminating all sugars for 7 days immediately.

Day 1: I’ll never make it

From the moment I woke up, my mind was trying to sabotage me. I kept hearing this little voice saying “what about a little treat?” It was obviously difficult. When you’re avoiding a food like sugar, you have to change both your habits and even more so your way of thinking. First, I removed all the sugar that was easy for me to eliminate—like from my coffee—then I took a look at the hidden places where it might be lurking (think salad dressings and pre-made pasta sauce).

At the end of the day, I simply tumbled into bed. Apparently, all my energy had been used on hunting down sugar.

Day 3: I feel more energetic, how is this possible?

I had been told that without sugar you’ll feel better and more energetic. Obviously, in my mind, that just made absolutely no sense. It was therefore a great surprise to see how immediately I started to wake up fresher and more rested, less tired. In the morning I didn’t drag myself around like a zombie, but I started to get going quite quickly. I had no dark circles under my eyes and my skin was luminous. A miracle!