Could You Ditch Sugar For A Year?

You've read all those scary headlines about sugar. We all apparently eat way too much of it for our own good — studies have shown that it causes serious metabolic problems (as well as diabetes and inflammation) and might even shorten our lifespan. But, no matter how often we hear about how bad it is for us, cutting back is way, way easier said than done. Earlier this year, I tried to cut out sugar entirely for a month, and it was one of the most challenging things I've ever done. And, while I learned a lot along the way, I must admit that I've gone back to eating a little of the sweet stuff here and there.

So, when I heard about writer Eve O. Schaub's Year of No Sugar project, I was immediately intrigued. After learning about the risks associated with a high-sugar diet, Schaub decided to embark on a mission — along with her husband and two children — to rid their diet of foods containing added sugar for a full year. This included not only white sugar but any other natural sweeteners (like honey and agave) as well as artificial sweeteners. Basically, anything sweet (with the exception of fruit) was off the table, though they allowed themselves one sugary dessert per month.

After their year without sugar, perhaps unsurprisingly, the whole family found themselves with huge amounts of energy and reported getting sick far less frequently than they did before. Maybe most importantly, Schaub says that she and her family really don't miss all that sweet stuff: They eat sugar occasionally but only enjoy it in small doses. Sounds like a dream. Click through to Everyday Health for the full story. (Everyday Health)