Hello, my name is Eva. I gave up sugar a year ago. I wondered what would come of it. And how I would feel.

It all started with the movie “The Sugar”, it left a strong impression on me. Then I promised myself to live without sugar for a month and see what would happen. I just wanted to lose weight, but I never thought about how much that decision could change everything.

I thought sugar just added extra weight. But it turned out to be much worse than that.

For example, I had no idea how much sugar affects the feeling of weakness and the constant desire to sleep. I thought it was normal and that everyone lived this way. In fact, everyone who tucks into desserts lives this way. But back to the subject.

Look at this woman. That’s me, a year ago, depended on sugar and absence of sports. Before I lost 15 kilos.

And this is how I look now, after a year of living without sugar and, of course, doing a lot of sports.

Since then, 15 kilos have gone out of my life and I feel much more awake and better.

Initially, my friends and family thought this whole idea was strange. They all said: “How is it possible to live without sugar?”, “Are you going to give up sweets altogether?”.

In fact, it is possible to live without sugar. And it doesn’t mean you won’t have chocolate or desserts in your life. See for yourself, here’s a quick summary of what I got:

1. Sugar is as like a drug for the body as anything else. It’s just that the Overton Window on this issue was shifted so long ago that it doesn’t occur to anyone that all people are “densely addicted”. And when a person affectionately says “I’m love sweets” to me, it sounds like “I’m an addict.”;
2. It’s not hard to get off sweets. But you have to be prepared for the withdrawal effect. Yes, it really does. It also hurts because in parallel with physical addiction, there are many rituals: joining through a cake, rewarding with candy, walking in the park with ice cream, cakes for birthdays…;
3. The biggest problems with refusing to eat sweets have to do with “joining in”. This is when you stop chewing “for company” all the time, watching how much extra we eat when we don’t even want to. The first time is very uncomfortable. But then you feel like a free person;
4. To find alternatives to sugar and other “sweet rewards”, I made my own lists of things that inspire and delight me. For example, candy has replaced bath bombs. Although at first I thought there was nothing cooler than ice cream. And then it turns out that the world is huge and there are tons of beautiful things in it besides food.

Alas, the selection of sugar-free products on store shelves today is very limited. But what worries me the most is the amount of sugar in children’s products. Even “healthy” cereals will contain sugar. In other words, the government and business have been spiking us on sugar since childhood: first as a motivation for educational success, and then as an antidepressant in case of problems at work or in relationships (“Eat a chocolate bar and everything will be ok”).

And the consumption of sweets by children today has really become dogma. Don’t believe me? Try explaining to grandmothers that it’s not good to buying chocolates and candy to express their love for your child. You won’t get anywhere. Grandma, better buy your grandson a small toy for the same price. They don’t listen.

Personally, I don’t buy my child candy if I want to make him feel good. Instead, you can bring home a small toy, a balloon, soap bubbles. The joy is the same, and there is less chocolate and sugar in our lives. That said, I don’t deny him candy. I just limit that consumption. We don’t have sugary sodas, though.

We have honey, dates, dried ginger, and 75% dark chocolate at home. I don’t limit my child to these foods. It’s okay to have a croissant or ice cream once in a while. But everything in moderation.

A year without sugar is the best decision of my life. I am much more alert, I have a lot of energy, I wake up easily, I easily lose excess weight, I do not have a headache and I am eager to live.

Now all I have to do to get my sugar boost is eat a banana. That’s what I do before I work out. And I get my energy boost.

I feel the real spice of flavors again and can enjoy just 2 cubes of dark chocolate and small cup of coffee.

Another unexpected bonus of giving up sugar was a morning without coffee. Before, without two or three cups I could not normally start work (or wake up at all). Now I often just forget to drink coffee. 🙂

I don’t insist on being right or judging those who eat sweets. I’m just suggesting an alternative – watch one movie about sugar. Just one movie. And maybe it will turn someone’s life upside down, like it turned mine upside down. Its title speaks for itself: “The Sugar”.