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Simply Sarena

Simply Sarena

Home | Toxin Free | What Happens When You Go 30 Days Without Sugar?

What Happens When You Go 30 Days Without Sugar?

Healthy Lifestyle, Toxin Free

What happens when you go 30 days without sugar? I decided to find out how sugar effects my body.

What happens when you go 30 days without sugar? I struggleddd on a weekend getaway where I figured sugar could be the culprit, so I decided to try 30 days without sugar!

A few months ago, me and my best friend went on a girls trip to the Greenbriar (again.) We always have the best time at the Greenbriar! This year however, my little frienemy came to visit the morning we left…

I had been getting my period on weekends for a few months so my cramps didn’t seem to be a huge burden. They were obviously uncomfortable, but I was always able to stay home, relax, and nap through it.

I felt fine on the drive down, but a few hours after we got there, I wasn’t feeling well at all. My cramps were so painful that they were making my legs ache and my stomach was hurting so bad. I tried to power through, I even stopped at the Greenbriar gift shop to buy overpriced advil…I hate taking advil, but desperate times call for desperate measures. My period was not going to ruin my weekend.

I went to bed around 10:30, which is way earlier than I go to bed on a normal day. When I woke up the next morning still in pain, gave in and took the advil. Finally, I started to feel better after breakfast! I was so annoyed that I wasted almost an entire day of our trip feeling awful.

When I got home, I decided to do 30 days without refined sugar.

I used to not suffer from period cramps or any PMS symptoms really, but recently they have progressively been getting worse. My diet hadn’t been the best recently either, so I figured it had to be all the sugar I’d been eating.

I got into the habit of brunching a few times a month, eating dessert every night after dinner, and eating more gluten than I should have been. (Gluten makes me inflamed which gives me headaches, digestive issues, acne, cramps, etc. when I eat too much of it.) I figured going refined sugar free for 30 days would make a big difference in my monthly symptoms.

You’re probably thinking, “Why don’t you just go on birth control to get rid of your cramps.”

I will never go on hormonal birth control because it doesn’t prevent issues, it just covers them up. It can also lead to breast cancer, infertility, and even worse hormone imbalances. Unfortunately, these are things that doctors don’t tell girls before starting hormonal birth control. There are non-hormonal options however, they don’t help with symptoms and they can sometimes make symptoms worse. 

If birth control works for you, that’s great! I try to live a more natural, holistic lifestyle. Birth control doesn’t align with my lifestyle or views on health and wellness. 

So anyways, I had so much willpower to stick with no sugar that I really didn’t experience any kind of withdrawal symptoms.

That could also be because even when I’m eating bad (for myself), it’s exponentially less refined sugar than the Standard American Diet. Me eating a junky diet probably still wasn’t enough sugar to cause any withdrawal symptoms.

By the end of the first week, I had noticeably more energy! I was working out 4-5 times a week without having to “make” myself work out. I just had plenty of energy for it! Also, I was sleeping better too (which could also explain having more energy.)

By week 2, my skin was looking really good! I don’t suffer from regular breakouts, but every once in a while I’ll get a few little spots. Week 2, I had no little spots on my face and my skin was noticeably smoother! It also looked more hydrated.

Also during week 2, I started to notice more muscle definition! My skin wasn’t feeling “thick” so it was really making my muscles pop! When you eat too much processed foods, you can tell by how thick your skin is. Especially if you’re in the process of losing weight and you just can’t seem to get rid of the last little bit, or if you’re down to your goal weight but still look like your skin is thick, it’s probably due to processed food. 

I’ll talk more about this in the future, but a lot of “health foods” have enriched flour as an ingredient. Enriched flour is super processed! That’s just one of many crappy ingredients in some “health foods” that could be preventing you from losing the last few pounds. 

Weeks 3 and 4 I didn’t notice any big changes. My skin still looked great and my energy levels were still high, but that was it.

When I got my period again the following month…

I still felt awful! I’m still trying to cut way back on sugar and only eat it for special occasions because I just feel better and look better overall, but I was disappointed it didn’t make a difference in how I felt during my period. 

It may make a difference for some other women though! If you’re struggling with time of the month issues, it’s definitely worth a try! It just wasn’t the root cause of my symptoms and that’s okay!

I’m in the process of trying some other methods and working on figuring out exactly what is causing my symptoms so I’ll definitely keep posting on the process! 

May 30, 2022 · 2 Comments

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Comments

  1. Karen Hardesty says

    March 18, 2023 at 11:58 pm

    I know for a fact that sugar is bad and gluten can screwup your body! I have recently been diagnosed with gastrointestinal issues and prediebetes
    So needless to say trying to follow the low fodmap diet is extremely hard and difficult! Not to mention limited, I feel like a short order cook, one Dr says that I can have anything to eat that I want and when I do eat it I hurt! So.. what do I do eat the foods that make me sick or be a short order cook. I think I know the answer.

    Reply
    • SimplySarena53 says

      March 19, 2023 at 9:55 pm

      That’s tough! I can’t give personalized advice however, a lot of people find success with food journaling. Write down what you eat and how you feel. There’s no one size fits all diet or nutrition plan!

      Reply

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HI EVERYONE!

I’m Sarena


I’m a Northern Virginia based Integrative Nutrition Coach, a Toxin Free Lifestyle enthusiast, a dancer, and a dog mom to my sweet girl, Miss Cammie.

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simply.sarena

Flea and Tick medication is so toxic to your fur b Flea and Tick medication is so toxic to your fur baby! But fleas and ticks are also horrible for them as well…so what option is there??

I like to use Wondercide on my dog in flea and tick season. Wondercide is low tox and is safe for your pup and you!

The only downside to Wondercide in my opinion is you have to be DILIGENT about applying it. 

My routine for Miss Cammie this summer is the flea and tick collar every time we go outside, the spray once a day, and the spot on after every bath.

Have you ever thought about natural flea and tick prevention?? Let me know! ⬇️

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#dogmom #naturaldogproducts #nontoxicdogproducts #wondercide #fleaandtickprevention #lowtoxdogproducts #healthypet #healthypets #healthydogsarehappydogs #lowtoxliving #lowtoxfamily #lowtoxlife #lowtoxlifestyle
I can literally make multiple meals with these 5 f I can literally make multiple meals with these 5 foods! They’re always great to have on hand when I don’t know what to eat.

For example, I’ll make a smoothie with the frozen fruits and veggies with some eggs for breakfast.

I have oatmeal as a bedtime snack with frozen blueberries.

I can make rice, a salad, and a few eggs for dinner.

What do you always have in your kitchen??

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#healthyfood #healthykitchen #mealprep #healthymealprep #nutritioncoach #healthcoachlife #kitchenstaples #pantrystaples #eatwellbewell #eatwellfeelwell #fillingfoods #healthyeatinghabits #nutritiontips #healthydiets #healthandwellnesstips #healthandwellnessjourney #healthandwellnesscoach
I’ve seen so many toxin free people tell others I’ve seen so many toxin free people tell others to look out for ethoxylated ingredients but no one ever says exactly what ingredients people should be looking out for!

Here is a list of common ethoxylated ingredients I’ve seen on ingredient labels for cosmetics. This is not every single ethoxylated ingredient, but these ones are super common.

Swipe to the last slide for a list of companies that do not use these ingredients in their products! 

Save this list for later!

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Women use makeup everyday and use so many differen Women use makeup everyday and use so many different products. Unfortunately, most makeup does contain hormone disrupting chemicals 😩 

While switching your makeup won’t get rid of ALL your hormone issues on its own, it’s an important step to take to help regulate and balance your hormones.

Most hormone disrupting chemicals mimic estrogen. Too much estrogen can cause…
-mood swings 
-heavy periods
-period cramps
-migraines
-weight issues 
& more

My FAVORITE makeup brand that does not contain any hormone disrupting chemicals is Crunchi Cosmetics! There are other brands that are clean too…there is absolutely no reason to use toxic makeup products anymore!

If you want to make the switch to makeup that won’t mess up your hormones, DM me for a link for $10 OFF clean makeup! 

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Is this time change effecting anyone else horribly Is this time change effecting anyone else horribly this week?? My sleep schedule is so thrown off! 

I’m realizing more than ever how important it is to get the day started right! My morning routine really sets the tone for the rest of my day! 

It effects my mood, my energy, and even how I feel about myself!

If you need a better morning routine, try incorporating some of these healthy morning habits into your routine! 

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#morningroutine #morninghabits #morningperson #startthedayright #healthyhabits #healthymornings #healthcoach #healthandwellnessjourney #healthandwellnesstips #wellnesstips #healthylivingjourney #healthylivingmovement
It’s always a good day for tea at The Greenbrier It’s always a good day for tea at The Greenbrier! 🍵💕 

I obviously couldn’t miss tea time since I clearly have a tea addiction. And of course I had to show up in some new sustainable fashion!

If you’ve seen my stories recently, I’m done and I mean DONE with fast fashion. Check out my fashion highlight for more deets, but in a nutshell, fast fashion is full of toxic chemicals, plastics, unethical workplaces for workers, and soooo much waste!

I have vowed to myself to stop buying fast fashion and only purchase new items from sustainable, ethical, plastic free companies OR purchase second hand items to cut down on waste.

The dress I’m wearing was originally $218 and I found it new with tags Thredup for $20! 

Let me know where you like to find sustainable clothing! ⬇️

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#sustainable #sustainablefashion #sustainableclothing #thredup #sailtosable #thegreenbrier #thegreenbrierresort #teatime #teatime🍵 #secondhandfashion #secondhandclothes #secondhandfirst #sustainablestyle #ecofriendlyliving #ecofriendlyclothing
Clothing has a huge impact on the environment and Clothing has a huge impact on the environment and our health! I am officially done buying fast fashion clothing. There are other ethical, environmentally friendly, and toxin free clothing options!

Swipe through for more info! Also, these are obviously not the only organic and sustainable companies out there 😅 Just a good place to start on your ethical, eco-friendly clothing journey! 

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I literally eat this breakfast EVERYDAY! I did a I literally eat this breakfast EVERYDAY!

I did a whole other reel on lemon water, so check out my page to see why it’s so good for you!

My green smoothie is loaded with fruits and veggies so I get a great dose of vitamins, fiber, and healthy fats!

Eggs are PACKED with nutritional value! They’ve got protein, healthy fats, B12, iron, and more! They help you stay full and give you energy. 

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#healthybreakfast #healthybreakfastideas #nutritioncoach #whatieat #greensmoothies #healthysmoothie #goodfood #healthydietfood #healthyfoodreel #healthyfood #foodismedicine #healthylifestyle #healthylifehappylife #healthylifestyletips #healthyeatingtips #breakfastideas #holistichealth #holistichealthcoach #holisticnutrition #holisticliving
I keep seeing Seint all over social media so I wan I keep seeing Seint all over social media so I wanted to do some digging on their products!

I love the idea of an all in one compact that you can customize to your preferences.

In my opinion, convenience isn’t worth it if the ingredients are toxic! 

Seint uses multiple petroleum based ingredients which can cause c**cer.

Their products also contain phenoxyethanol which is a combination of corrosive phenol with c**cerous ethylene oxide, talc which is usually contaminated with asbestos, and lake dyes which can also lead to c**cer. 

They also don’t do third party testing for heavy metals which means their products could be contaminated with dangerous heavy metals like arsenic and lead! 

There are much better cosmetics options out there that don’t put your health at risk! Personally, I LOVE Crunchi cosmetics. Crunchi uses ecofriendly packaging, ecocert minerals, and their formulas are completely toxin free! 

Shop my favorite toxin free products at the link in my bio 🛍

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