We feel a little weird when people refer to the I Quit Sugar: 8-Week Program as a “sugar-free diet”.
The term conjures up ideas of restriction and deprivation. Truth is, we don’t want anyone to be miserable about food. Or worse, hungry!
What we do want is for people to feel empowered to beat their sugar addiction and make healthy choices, without ever feeling deprived. Here’s why we reckon a “sugar-free diet” isn’t actually a diet at all. It’s a whole lifestyle of nourishment and abundance.
Quitting sugar IS about eating REAL food, forever.
You don’t have to buy into a strict regimen or buy exotic superfoods. As Sarah says, “When you quit sugar, you’re quitting processed food. You cut out the crap and get real.” In other words, you Just Eat Real Food (JERF).
Eating whole, fresh food can look like everything from a crisp salad to a hearty bowl of ramen – you definitely don’t need sugar to properly enjoy your food!
Quitting sugar IS NOT about cutting out food groups.
Repeat after us: added sugar is not a food group. According to Harvard School of Public Health, “there’s no nutritional need or benefit that comes from eating added sugar”. Sugar intake guidelines are a LIMIT, not a benchmark.
Plenty of “diets” have an unhealthy focus on limiting food groups – no-carb, fruitarian, and so on. Depending on how restrictive these diets can be, they may lead to deficiencies and digestive issues. Clearly the opposite of what we’re aiming for with JERF!
Quitting sugar IS about tailoring your diet to your needs.
Everyone can quit sugar. If doesn’t matter if you’re gluten-free, dairy-free, low-FODMAP, Paleo, vegetarian, vegan, Halal, Kosher or a mix of everything.
Maybe you are trying to work through gut issues or maybe you just don’t like tomatoes. Whatever the case, we strive to help you find alternatives in our meal plans and recipes, because nobody (and no body) is the same.
Quitting sugar IS NOT about a number on the scales.
Weight loss often happens when quitting sugar but it’s not a focus. Neither is restricting calories.
Instead, we focus on the health benefits of cutting down sugar – including reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, heart disease and stroke. As part of the process of cutting out addictive, processed foods, we find our natural appetite. The weight then takes care of itself.
Quitting sugar IS about self-love, respect and compassion for our bodies.
We have a phrase here: “food freedom”. In essence, it means that when we break our sugar addiction, we’re no longer stuck in the cycle of dieting, bingeing, restricting and generally feeling crappy about our bodies. We’re finally nourishing ourselves with the nutrition we really need.
And, yeah, we might fall off the wagon a few times – we’re all human! Quitting sugar doesn’t mean you can never have yourself another cake. Rather, you’ll have the skills to get right back on track, be gentle with yourself and really, truly enjoy the occasional sugary treats.
We originally published this post in September 2016. We updated it in February 2017.
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