Anyone who is interested in healthy eating has heard the health benefits of a sugar-free diet. Better looking skin, weight loss, decreased the risk of diabetes and so on. But chocolate is life and sugar is in everything so for I ignored the internet. My skin was still in revolt after I aged out of my teen years and I became desperate for relief. Hence, I decided to try out this miserable sounding sugar-free diet.
When I was eighteen, I started birth control because I was told it might help with my acne. But after months of seeing only minimal improvement, I needed to try something else. I stayed on the pill to stabilize my hormones but scoured the internet for more options. Teas, cutting out bread and other carbohydrates, and DIY masks flooded in. Detox teas helped, and I cut out bread. Sugar was a universal no-no amongst skin doctors on the internet but a sugar-free diet was the last thing I tried. Out of desperation I caved and began my sugar-free journey.
Cutting out sugar is easier said than done. The first day was easy because I usually don’t have sugar every day. But as the first week progressed, I found myself craving it more and more. Just one piece of chocolate? No. Eat an apple instead. And an orange. Maybe another one. Starting my sugar- free diet made me feel like an addict withdrawing from an addiction. I found it hard to concentrate on anything. But I made it to day seven still alive.
The beginning of the second week of my sugar-free diet was a bit easier. I created a schedule of what I’d eat each day and stuck to it. My parents tried to tempt me away from my diet on dinners out, but thankfully my stubbornness kicked into overdrive. Oatmeal with frozen fruit for breakfast, eggs and an apple for lunch, lentils for a snack, and chicken for dinner. When I ate out, I would stick to meat and skip dessert. It wasn’t always easy but I felt better.
As the month progressed, I saw improvement in my complexion but that’s not all. I had more energy, I wasn’t as moody, and I stopped craving sugar. It was October which is the month of multiple birthdays in my family. I was tempted by my grandma’s baking to cheat on my sugar-free diet, but I knew I’d regret it and politely declined her homemade apple pie and delicious chocolate chip cookies. I cried a little inside but was proud of myself afterward.
By the end of the month, I was fully committed to my sugar-free diet and content with the natural sugar found in fruit. Even at Halloween, I didn’t cave into peer pressure. I had a single pimple around my period but other than that I was celebrating my first month of clear skin. My friends and family commented on my skin as well as my self-confidence. Of course, they didn’t credit what they called “A stupid diet” but I knew the sugar has been at least part of the cause of my hormone imbalance.
After the month ended, I managed to stay on the sugar-free diet until I got out of school in December. Living at home with my parents was the death of my diet. Sweets and bread were bought constantly, and fruit and other diet items were scarce. When the holidays rolled around, I caved to the pressure and got off my diet to the detriment of my skin. I’ve been trying to get back on my sugar-free diet ever since but have thus far failed in my efforts. Still, I highly recommend it if you’re looking for a new diet to try!
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