Are you ready for our 10 Day Sugar Free Challenge? It starts on Monday, January 11! Hope you’ll join me. I need you, Obi Wan.
The rules of the Fed Up Challenge are harsh and mean, like the mean girls in your high school, only you can’t go home and bury your sorrows in a bowl of M&Ms.
I get a lot of questions about sugar substitutes. I also see other sites claiming to have sugar free recipes for the Fed Up Challenge and, sure, they contain healthier sweeteners like honey that are better than refined sugar and chemicals, but they’re still not allowed.
I’m going to say it and it’s going to hurt. You can’t have sugar substitutes during the Fed Up Challenge.
Don’t leave me.
Are you still here? Good, cuz I’m going to explain to you why. Let’s assume, for the rest of this post, that whenever I mention the word “sugar” I also mean any sweetener.
The Fed Up Challenge has 2 main purposes:
1. To detox from sugar.
This is the most important aspect of the Fed Up Challenge. It might seem obvious, but there are some things you should be aware of.
I joke around about being addicted to sugar but it’s no joke. It really is an addiction just like an addiction to any street drug or alcohol (minus the lamp shade on your head).
Artificial sweeteners slow down your metabolism and make you crave more food, especially sweets. So drinking that diet coke isn’t doing you any favors. The point of this sugar free challenge is to break the addiction.
Once you break the addiction, your taste buds will start to change.
At the end of 10 days, you’ll be surprised how the normal amount of sugar or honey you put in your morning beverage will seem like too much. Even your favorite yogurt will taste unusually sweet.
Do you ever notice that the more you eat salty foods, the more you need salt on your food? If it isn’t overly salted, it tastes bland to you. (guilty!) It’s because you get used to it. The same thing happens with sugar.
2. To teach you what’s in your food.
Your first trip to the grocery store where you’ll be reading EVERY. SINGLE. LABEL. will be eye opening. It will also be infuriating. Just about everything prepackaged has sugar, sugar substitutes, or items from this list, which are all forbidden during the challenge.
Want to buy that prepackaged sushi with spicy tuna? Sugar. What about deli lunch meats? Sugar. Want to buy some fat free vanilla yogurt? Sugar. What about those weird brands of plain, organic, fat-free yogurt that you find in the organic section? Probably sugar. Check the label.
And don’t forget: sugar = any sweetener.
My biggest eye opening moment:
I honestly had no idea there was sugar in my Pepperidge Farm sourdough bread. And not just sugar, but high fructose corn syrup! Check the label. You’ll find that most breads on the shelf have some sort of sugar, especially the breads labeled “wheat” or “whole wheat.”
Now, I buy Ezekiel bread (from the frozen section) or I buy from Panera Bread or other bakeries (you can ask to see the ingredients list).
By looking at every product you buy and learning to recognize sneaky names for sugar substitutes, you’ll start to learn about what’s in your food. You’ll see why fat-free or low-fat products don’t really help you lose weight. Those products have more added sugar in them to make them taste better.
For a more details on this, watch the Fed Up movie which is now on Netflix!
Important note: You’ll notice some items like milk will have a number where it says “grams of sugar”. That’s the natural sugars from the lactose. Natural ingredients like fruit, vegetables, milk, and cheese will have natural sugars in them. Those are okay. You want to avoid the added sugars and sugar substitutes in the ingredients list.
When in doubt, buy ingredients. Don’t buy foods with ingredients in them.
Take-Aways
There’s no reason for us to consume so much sugar in our lives. The Fed Up Challenge teaches us that it’s possible to consume less sugar. We do have a choice. As consumers, we can demand better products by not buying products with high fructose corn syrup or other unnecessary added sugars. Low-fat and fat-free products are a trend because consumers want them. Let’s show the food industry that we want to go back to the basics: healthy, whole foods.
It’s not that we can’t ever eat a cookie again. But let’s lean towards moderation and not get crazy with 10 cookies. Followed by some Sprees and Gobstoppers. M’kay?
Is it even possible to have sugar in moderation, if sugar addiction is as real as drug addiction? I don’t know. I hope so. Because every once in awhile, life calls for a cookie.
What do you think? If you’d like to share your thoughts or comments, please share them below!
Beverley
I just read your website. I tried to give sugar up years ago and found it in all ingredients on labels. Now I had an ephemy early while in bed. I have diabetes II and fibromyalgia and can’t sleep well, hurt all over. I thought about sugar free and also staying off my meds Glucophage II for a couple of days to see why I ache so much while in bed. It is horrible for me. I thought I’d have to give up fruits, too. I am going sugar free for 10 days. Also started to do gluten free.
The Kitchen Snob
Good for you, Beverley! Let me know how it goes.
Esther
Alcohol
The Kitchen Snob
I like calling it awl oho 😉 It’s much more fun. Alcohol should be avoided if possible. It turns to sugar in your body.
Esther
I’m thinking of giving up for Lent…. Is there any awl oho Allowed?!
Kat
I, too, will be joining the challenge. I’m really in for a tough climb because my partner will not be joining me in this challenge and when he is crunching on Reece’s pieces in bed I’ll be struggling.
I’m coupling the detox with an exercise routine to really get my energy up. I’m hoping to make this a lifestyle change. Good luck to everyone!
The Kitchen Snob
Hey, Kat. Oh man, I would be wanting to throw those Reese’s Pieces across the room. 😉 That will be tough. Hopefully your partner will have some sympathy and not eat sugar in front of you. I hope you’ll update us on how it’s going!
Kemi
I started this challenge with a couple friends today. I hope I can make it through.
The Kitchen Snob
Hi Kemi. I’m sure you’ll make it through just fine. If you slip up, just keep going. I’m right there with you! And it always helps to have friends to support you.
Jayna
My family will be joining you. I will do my best with the kids (5 & 2), but this family has to seriously kick our sugar addiction.
The Kitchen Snob
Hi Jayna. I’m so thrilled that you’re doing it with your family. Yes, I can see how it would be difficult with small children. Have lots of fruit on hand for the kiddies! If you slip up, don’t give up, just do your best.
mariah
I am starting this challenge with you tomorrow. For most of the summer I ate sugar free and I felt awesome, but I slowly let sugar and artificial sweeteners creep back into my life. I have been having migraines again and I have to think that it’s partially due to my addiction to diet dr. pepper and the candy,sweets, and general junk I eat on a daily basis.
I would like to apologize to my family and coworkers in advance- I think it will be a rough couple of days :/
The Kitchen Snob
Great to have you join, Mariah. You’re going to do great!