Another week down of avoiding added sugar. While difficult, I believe it has gotten easier as time passes. The biggest challenge is finding what to eat when grabbing a bite out. While restaurants have a number of nutrition facts available, “added sugar” isn’t explicity in that list.
Easier With Time
I was drafting up my thoughts for this trial last night and was ready to write a lengthy post on how diet related trials have been the most difficult. Today, however, I’ve overcome the thought that this is a burden. Admittedly, if not for the current challenge, I would probably grab a treat without thinking about it, but restraint is not a taxing effort.
Some of the initial information that inspired this trial discussed the addictive properties of sugar. Addiction made the first two weeks of this particularly difficult for me. As I’ve taken in less and less, my body has begun to physically stop relying on or expect sugar.
I’ve thought a lot about whether this would be a practice I continue or not beyond the trial, and it’s difficult to say. As of now, I’m not seeing any particularly clear health benefits. The metrics I am using may be flawed, or the benefits may only be observed over a much long period. Even with resistance being easier, I still think of enjoying the occasional treat. I’ll definitely need to think about the long term more as the trial continues.
Researching Restaurants
One element in avoiding added sugar I’ve found difficult still is handling situations at restaurants. As of now, my strategy has been to simply research the menu online. Most major companies have a pretty expansive list of nutrition facts. Unfortunately, added sugar can be a difficult one to discern.
Nutrition facts will often list the sugars present, but not if they are natural, i.e. from fruits and vegetables, or added. This usually leads to avoiding things that seem to have a much higher than expected sugar content, assuming natural sugars should be present. One simple solution of course is to stick to foods with zero sugar at all.
In general, I’m appreciative of the habits this trial is instilling in me to get a closer look at what is going into my food. I’m surprised at how much easier things have gotten in a short amount of time. It definitely sucks missing out on some of my previously favorite foods, at restaurants especially, but so far this has been an eye-opening challenge.
Trying Out Before Buying In 