I recently read a magazine article by a writer with no medical or nutritional background, which described his personal odyssey from average to a healthier body and mind. What he had to say sounded a lot like the recommendations of current official Food Guides and eating regimes…
The Mediterranean Diet ‘menu’: Keeps popping up…
But what blew me away was that he claimed he had made (or at least started) his life-turn-around in just two weeks by doing just one key thing: cutting out all identifiable added, refined sugars from his otherwise healthy diet.
What he did
Giving up added, refined Sugar wasn’t as easy as Michael Grosthaus first assumed it would be:
“Giving up refined sugar isn’t easy from a practical standpoint. It’s found in virtually all packaged foods and drinks and most food at fast food restaurants[.] […] That means if I were to escape refined sugar, I was going to have to spend more time at home cooking fresh foods than I was used to. Further, not only would I have to cut out my once-a-day sweet treat, but also all canned drinks (soda, energy drinks, and fruit juices), white breads and pastas, and those deceptively “healthy” yogurts with fake fruity sauces added for taste. I also gave up sugar and milk in my coffee.”
His Refined-Sugar-Free diet consisted of some pretty simple, healthy foods:
“[M]y refined-sugar-free diet for two weeks consisted of only fresh foods: fruits and vegetables, fish, chicken, and meat, and whole-grain pasta and rice. Most of these I already ate regularly–only side by side with foods containing refined sugar.”
He didn’t give up naturally-sourced sugars, which have been getting just as bad a rap lately as added, processed ones:
“It’s also important to note that for these two weeks I did not give up sugar entirely, only refined sugar. I ate plenty of natural sugar–those found primarily in fruits, and the ones that the body turns into glucose from the meats, fats, and carbohydrates we eat, which are a very important source of fuel for the body and, more importantly, the brain.”
He also maintained his usual Calorie count: between 1,900 and 2,100 Calories a day.
What happened
“The first day I eliminated refined sugars from my diet, I thought it was going to be a cakewalk. I ate plenty of fruits, had fish for lunch, and a steak with a side of vegetables for dinner.
“Things changed radically on the second day. […] [A]round 2 p.m. I suddenly felt like I had been hit by a truck. […] I felt foggy and had a headache, which never happens on my normal diet. […] On the third day, I actually got the shakes for a period of time. It was very, very hard not to have something sweet. […] By the end of Day 4, I would have sold my dog for a brownie.”
In short, it was like kicking a serious addiction. But…
“[O]n Day 6, something happened. The fogginess began to disappear along with the lingering headaches. […] By Day 8 or 9, I felt more focused and clear-headed than I had at any time in recent memory. This translated into greater productivity–for example, I was more engaged when interviewing sources for stories. I was better able to focus on what they were saying and could rapidly respond to their answers with new queries and reformulated ideas with a speed and clarity I’ve never possessed before. While reading a book or article, I felt like I absorbed more detail and information. In short, I felt smarter.”
Other positive effects
Grosthaus also reports experiencing better, more restful sleep and significant weight loss – all over just two weeks. And the weight has stayed off.
My take
Sounds like something all of us who are trapped on the added-sugar merry-go-round should try. But read the whole article first, and decide if you could stick with it. There are many other details in there that you need to know and consider before committing yourself.
Observation: Sounds like the jolly old Mediterranean Diet all over again – with the important proviso that you get brutal and cut out all identifiable refined, added sugars. Evidence keeps pointing to the Med…
~ Maggie J.