Not too long ago I accidentally overdosed on sugar. Needless to say, the effects were horrible. Sugar is one hell of a drug.
I’ve also done subtle experimentation with no sugar & healthy eating, but nothing too rigid and consistent. I’ve honestly been lazy.
Me & my girlfriend have made a pact to quit sugar, and so far the effects have been wonderful. Eating sugar reduces your mood, libido, energy, focus, and more. Sugar is NOT needed to survive (in its man-made form). It only hurts you!
Note: Yes sugar is in fruits like banana. This is a different type of sugar, and the fiber, nutrients, & minerals in these NATURAL products completely eliminate any negative effects from sugar.
This is what I’ve noticed so far.
Energy + Sleep
My energy has since been higher. Sleep quality appears to have improved drastically as well.
I specifically need less time to fall asleep, and mornings aren’t so rough. Getting out of bed is easier. This could also partly be due to the fact my new apartment gets lots of natural light exposure, which would make the mornings easier.
The ability to focus is easier. Getting things done is easier. “Chores” such as cleaning, laundry, etc. aren’t as much of a hassle as they used to be. It’s now something I “just do.”
Peace & Mood
Yesterday & today I’ve felt a subtle degree of peace inside of my chest. A friend noted I appeared to “glow,” however this could be due in part to other reasons (yesterday was an incredible day).
The joys of yesterday could not possibly affect me so drastically today though. While it could play an effect, I woke up too smoothly for that to be the case.
Normally sleep “resets” you. You simply don’t remember the previous day as you sleepily get out of bed.
Today I had a lot more will, energy, & peace. I cooked a nice late breakfast, listened to health podcasts, and did a few things around the apartment.
In terms of mood, I’ve also felt a bit more joyous. Last night me & a friend were marveling at the branches of trees.
This sounds a bit like a drug trip, but it wasn’t. I felt very connected with nature; the trees were simply magical! I’ve noted similar effects upon previous cessation of sugar.
Other Misc. Effects
I may not have included everything. The short version is that no sugar appears to be greatly positively impacting me.
The short-term effects were slow to hit. New effects appear to “compound” as my body detoxes.
Visualizing & goal-setting feel a lot easier too. As I walked to a coffee shop to work, I saw many motorcycles. I now really want to earn a motorcycle.
Other Causes For Improvements
I’m not doing as detailed of a formal study on myself like I did last time, therefore it must be fair that I list other possible factors for the increase in my mood, energy, etc.
First, I finally got a new apartment. My life has had several stresses recently, including but not limited to: visa situation (legal stay in Bulgaria), apartment issues (having to stay at a friend’s place because an apartment had mold), and money (lost lots of money from a shitty apartment + immigration to Bulgaria).
Now that I’ve finally got a good home, and the stresses are ending, this could also be the case for the improvement in mood.
Another factor could be limited coffee. I haven’t done an extended self-study on coffee so the following statements are pure theory.
My short-term self-study on coffee revealed that it had no lasting effect on mood. I was using coffee very rarely (maybe 2 times per week) and noticing powerful benefits.
For a short period of time (2-3 weeks) I drank coffee every single morning. I upgraded from a small to large. Sometimes I would have two smalls.
Recently I’ve avoided coffee, and had it maybe 1-2 weeks per week. I have no intention to use it more than that (may even never use it).
I think, but cannot confirm with evidence, that subtle coffee withdrawal may have played an effect. It could presumably have negatively impacted my sleep, mood, and energy.
I’d say sometime last week I probably finally “detoxed” from coffee, IF there was any negative effect.
Personal Notes Regarding Diet & Mood
Personally, I think that my mood increase is due 80%-99% in part from the elimination of sugar and several “bad” foods for my body.
Past self-studies have revealed that diet plays a huge effect on every mental function, ranging from sleep quality, to mood, to libido, to focus, to energy.
In addition to quitting sugar, I’ve also avoided other foods that don’t “vibe” so much with me. For example, I have eaten very little bread. There are other categories of foods I’ve naturally avoided as well.
One thing that all diets have in common is the elimination of sugar, processed foods, and the likes of that. Paleo works, high carb works, low carb works, all kinds of diets “work.”
The one thing they have in common is the elimination of sugar & processed foods. If it is made by man, don’t eat it!
Whether meat plays a role I’m not sure. My body appears to really “vibe” with chicken, but not so much with other meats (ie. beef). One day I’ll experiment with a vegetarian-only diet, however I don’t see that being sustainable in the long-term (limiting belief or intuition??).
No Cravings & Building Awareness
I haven’t had any carvings for sugar. Experiencing the effects of sugar through experimentation is enough to not want to eat “nutella croissants,” no matter how good they may taste.
Awareness is critical I believe. My self-studies have revealed that sugar impacts your perspective. That is, one singular event could be interpreted in 2 different ways depending on your gut micro-biome (which produces 90% of your brain’s serotonin).
For example, let’s say someone bumps into you on the street. Someone on a bad diet might be pissy & reactive. Someone on a good diet may laugh it off, then forget about it.
This is why it’s so hard to notice the legitimate positive (or negative) effects of your diet: you perceive your mood as reactive to the world, instead of something that is regulated within!
Cheat Days
Will I opt in for cheat days? I don’t know. It sounds good to fit in and enjoy, but a deeper “knowing” inside of me doesn’t really want that.
I would instead prefer to find healthy desserts. For example, making cheese, salami, and spice platters would be tasteful for the mouth without damaging the gut micro-biome.
If there’s a way to enjoy cheat days without sustained negative effects, I would consider it. I also don’t want to risk one cheat day negatively affecting the next day.
Many experimenters in the book “The 4 Hour Body” started with 6 days no sugar, then one cheat day. Within a few weeks everyone quit the cheat day because it became apparent how shitty they felt on the cheat days compared to the other days.
Why do you need a cheat day if you feel amazing otherwise? Damaging my mood, energy, focus, and libido for a few moments of mouth pleasure is not worth it.
The increase in libido is motivating enough. I’d rather 2x sex than a few moments of mouth pleasure.
Also, reducing sugar appears to make everything else tastier. The cheese, salami, & spice platters really will taste like dessert. The problem with sugar is it’s so strong it desensitizes you to more subtle tastes. Once you reset, normal foods have the explosion of taste it is supposed to have, but you forgot how to taste.
Moving Forward: Following The Heart
I feel amazing. I have energy, vitality, and joy, for no reason at all! I credit this truly to the no-sugar, as well as a few other factors.
I’ll be trusting my intuition as I move forward. Right now I’ve 0 desire for sugar, both in the mouth & in the body.
I just wanted to share this post with everyone because I’m back on the no-sugar, healthy diet train and I’m feeling wonderful.
Everything we put in our bodies is a drug. This isn’t a crazy statement. It’s a fact.
What is a drug? A medicine or other substance which has a physiological effect when ingested or otherwise introduced to the body.
Food is an other substance, that has measurable, repeatable physiological effects, which is ingested. By this definition, it’s impossible to not put a “drug” in your body.
It helps to make this mentality shift because you then realize truly that everything affects your body. For example, certain molecules (ie. proteins and nutrients) may interact with micro-organisms in the gut micro-biome, and these micro-organisms may then release serotonin.
It’s a complicated process, but the important thing to know is that you really are what you eat.
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This is my experience so far. I will keep you all updated. So far diet improvements have been amazing!
