How To Quit Sugar
Clean Eating|July - August 2019

For a self-proclaimed sweets junkie, would our contributing editor’s moratorium on sugar spark a new, healthier way of living – or send her running back to the refinery faster than you can say “glucose-fructose”?

Rachel Debling
How To Quit Sugar

“You know there’s sugar in alcohol.” My boyfriend’s non-question, delivered without prompt over an early-afternoon diner “breakfast,” dripped with irony as thick as the Nutella pouring over the edges of our massive shared pancake.

In his attempt to lighten the mood leading up to my self-sanctioned sugar fast, he had inadvertently shed light on the hypocrisy of this endeavor. From the outside, I come across as a fairly healthy person – I write for fitness and health publications and teach exercise classes at my local gym, for instance. But those who know me best also know the only thing I love more than wine is candy (unless wine happens to be closer to my reach). Having recently adopted a comfortable “que sera sera” attitude toward my body and how I treat it – a great place to be, mentally – I had to admit it had been years since I last tried to curtail the amount of sugar in my life. Since then, I had filled my days with pliable gummies, generous glasses of Merlot and coffees as sweet (and sometimes as expensive) as dessert.

I knew an excess of sugar in the diet can lead to weight gain, high blood sugar and even heart disease. I knew that it is estimated the average American eats over 150 pounds of sugar each year, with around 60 of those pounds coming from added sugars. I was even aware of the short-term effects of too much sugar, namely stomach aches and regret, because I felt them almost every day. And the by-products of such excess are not just internal: Some dermatologists warn too much dietary sugar can speed up the aging of your skin, and research has shown that foods high on the glycemic index, like refined sugar, can spur acne in some sufferers — two things my late-thirties skin did not need but experienced nonetheless.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة July - August 2019 من Clean Eating.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة July - August 2019 من Clean Eating.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من CLEAN EATING مشاهدة الكل
Summer Lovin'
Clean Eating

Summer Lovin'

Bushels of berries, peaches, nectarines, cherries, plums and more beckon at the market. Buy them all and soak up the sun in these bejeweled desserts.

time-read
6 mins  |
Summer 2022 / July - September 2022
Into the Wild
Clean Eating

Into the Wild

Cooking along the 500-mile Colorado Trail taught Clean Eating editor Amanda M. Faison how to transform the campfire into a kitchen.

time-read
9 mins  |
Summer 2022 / July - September 2022
[ Three Ways ] Tropical Punch
Clean Eating

[ Three Ways ] Tropical Punch

Of African origin, hibiscus or Jamaican sorrel, is an important staple in West Indian and Mexican cooking. Hibiscus is sour enough to make you pucker and tropical enough to evoke the islands. Popularly brewed as a tea, the dried petals play well in savory or sweet recipes, too.

time-read
4 mins  |
Summer 2022 / July - September 2022
You Had Meat Tacos
Clean Eating

You Had Meat Tacos

"When it's done properly, taco should be a verb," declared Jonathan Gold, the late restaurant critic of the Los Angeles Times. Tacos are much more than a meal; they're an action.

time-read
10+ mins  |
Summer 2022 / July - September 2022
The Multitasker
Clean Eating

The Multitasker

Collagen usually makes headlines for its skin-saving benefits. But did you know that it's also an essential nutrient for joint health? (Especially if you sit at a desk all day.)

time-read
3 mins  |
Summer 2022 / July - September 2022
The Minimalist
Clean Eating

The Minimalist

Summer cooking is all about fresh and fast and avoiding the stove.

time-read
2 mins  |
Summer 2022 / July - September 2022
Lighten Up
Clean Eating

Lighten Up

If you've had an air fryer in your online cart since the start of the pandemic, it's time to commit. Let's just say it'll change your life.

time-read
5 mins  |
Summer 2022 / July - September 2022
JUST RIGHT
Clean Eating

JUST RIGHT

The classic low-country boil is a celebration of place, tradition and ratio.

time-read
3 mins  |
Summer 2022 / July - September 2022
Recovery Days
Clean Eating

Recovery Days

The mantra that food is fuel is gold, but food as refuel is equally valuable.

time-read
10 mins  |
Summer 2022 / July - September 2022
Lower your impact without sacrificing satisfaction.
Clean Eating

Lower your impact without sacrificing satisfaction.

Eat like a Reducetarian.

time-read
7 mins  |
Summer 2022 / July - September 2022