I’ll start this by stating that I’m not a Doctor, Dietitian or Nutritionist. I’m a Dermal Therapist, and this article will get to my skin in the end, I promise!! I’ve recently experienced Quitting Sugar and I felt this was something you might all want to hear more about… as the results are far better than I expected.
OK, so a little about me. I’m 165cm tall and about 70 kilos. Not that my weight really matters, but it kinda does for the point of this article. If you looked at me, you would say that I looked pretty healthy. But you know, I have actually put on 20 kilos since I got married in 2005 (sorry Stevo!) It’s not an original fact, many women do, especially when we’ve had kids. I have 4 of them.
I am a sweet tooth and I always have been. These are just the foods that I usually crave.
Stevo (my husband), hasn’t put on any weight since we were married. It’s not fair. But he has something that I don’t (or didn’t) and that is WILLPOWER when it comes to food. He was a bit of an athlete (understatement of the century) back in the day and it’s still entrenched into his everyday life. But for me, and a lot of other women I know, carbs were the thing that I couldn’t say no to. It didn’t matter how many times I decided to go on a health kick, I’d always succumb late at night (around 8-9pm) to a desert of some kind. Cake in a Cup was one of my favourites.
For a good year or so now Stevo has been going on these 5 day fasts every few months. Created by Dr Valter Longer, it’s all about living longer and stronger. They’re not complete fasts where you can only have water. You can eat some foods each day, which you can check out on the Valter Longo website. Stevo’s has been trying to get me onto it, but I refused, knowing that I probably couldn’t hack it. Since then, my in-laws have both done it many times.
So at the beginning of this year I decided to give the 5 day fast a go…
I did my first 5 day fast in the 1st week of January, my new years resolution already achieved! I’m currently in the middle of my second fast now – which is what inspired me to write this. What I really wanted to get out of this fast was for it to be a dietary ‘re-set’, and ultimately, it has. Once I came off the first fast in January, I decided to continue with intermittent fasting (stop eating at 8pm and not eat until 12 noon the following day).
I also made a commitment to not eat processed foods or sugars during the week. This has certainly stuck over the last 3 months and it has actually extended to the weekends. Unless there’s a special occasion with cake, and now even then, I feel like a little piece is enough. Whereas before, I could have eaten the whole cake. What I really love is how proud of myself I am. I feel really happy that I have been able to set some goals and stick to them for nearly 4 months now. I think that I am slowly retraining my brain to make the will power part stronger (if that is a thing??).
I am not suggesting that anyone follow what I have done. If you wish to give it a try, consult with a medical professional please, they will know what is best for your body! It has been surprising what I have noticed with my skin since quitting (almost all) sugar though and worth sharing. I’m generally eating less but eating more raw foods, like nuts.
How my skin is looking:
Fabulous. It is looking very youthful with a nice even texture, glow and would you believe it if I said my Melasma has dramatically decreased?
As sugar is an inflammatory food (spiking insulin levels and creating inflammation) it makes sense that my Melasma would have decreased given that there would be less inflammation. This is also something to keep in mind if you suffer from Acne, Rosacea, Eczema or any other inflammation of the skin.
How my skin feels:
It feels supple, hydrated and like it can appear completely on its own without my favourite Jane Iredale pressed base.
Have I lost weight?
Yes, but that is not really the important part. Although I did need to lose some because I was puffing just to walk up a flight of stairs. So I guess it was important for my internal health.
What other things have I noticed?
- The BEST thing that has happened is that I have not had ONE SINGLE MIGRAINE since! I was getting about 2 migraines a month, since I was about 20. One just before my period that lasted for 1-2 days, then another just as my period ended and this migraine was the worst – it lasted about 4 days. So, no migraines in the last 3 months.
- The whites of my eyes are very white. Why? I don’t know but I do think that this deserves further investigation…
- My head is clear. I am not getting tired in the arvo, I feel more alive and I am not getting ‘brain fog’. I am definitely not as forgetful or as scatterbrained as I could be in the past.
So I would definitely say that by quitting sugar, I have seen a monumental change in not only my skin, but my overall health, and given that Easter is coming up very soon, it is a very good time to remind myself of those changes so that I don’t fall off the wagon!
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