I have been on a no sugar and no refined carbs diet since some time in January, and just would like to share my experience and feelings in general... Hope that it will help&motivate people for a healthier lifestyle.
Before giving more details, I would like to tell that everyone is different and something which worked fine on me may not be the best thing for you, so I strongly recommend you to do your own research before changing your diet and your lifestyle. You should have a proper medical check as well, if you have any history of illnesses.
So everything has started by chance to be honest. First I have started reading articles here and also on medium.com about establishment in general, mostly on economic perspective... Then there were people sharing about how the food industry and healthcare were actually doing bad stuff on us.. Initially I was not impressed, but out of curiosity I have started reading/watching more about those... The claimed evidence was quite realistic, so I wanted to give a try to see the effect.
I am 193 cms and was 98 - 99 kgs back in January. My diet was pretty much the same with any other person, and almost 0 exercise... I am about to be 30 in May. Once I made my mind about "experimenting" on myself, I have cut the sugar, at once. For the first 4 or 5 days, I was feeling unwell, tired, and depressed. It was the withdrawal. I found many other people having similar symptoms. I am a coffee addict (not like the people who cant wake up without coffee chains, but the one who drinks unfiltered coffee, multiple cups) and sugar withdrawal was as strong as caffeine withdrawal. At the same time, I have stopped consuming all kinds of processed carbs - snacks, anything with white flour, bread, dumplings, pizzas. I have replaced the missing carbs with butter and olive oil. I haven't restricted my natural carb intake too much though, I still have vegetables (not potatoes though). And I have plenty of meat with natural fat on it. Plus, I have been drinking more water. It happened naturally, nothing to do with the "drink XX glass of water even if you are not thirsty" thingy... And result is... I am now 87.5 kgs... feeling much less tired after work... I feel much sharper mentally... My chronic pollen allergy is almost gone for this spring.. And most of the times I am the only one around who is not sick while others are having flu or cold. And good news for lazy people, this all happened with 0 exercise (well, I am not defending that it is good). I have just recently started calisthenics to shape my body a bit...
Brief points of my experience:
- Cut the sugar completely, and avoid processed foods as much as you can (you know, it is not very easy nowadays)
- Avoid juices... including NFCs and 100% ones without sugar. Fruits themselves are perfectly okay to consume.(This is something interesting. Just research for fruits vs. juices online)
- Dont be afraid of the fats and oils. Depending on your country/culture, pick the natural and cold pressed oils and fats. For me it is butter and olive oil. For you it can be different. Research and find the best fit for you.
- Yoghurt and milk are okay. Yoghurt is better than milk, ofc without any sugar or sweeteners.
- Increase the amount of meat intake. As long as it is natural and with natural fat on it, go for it. (In case your religion or beliefs do not let you eat certain types of meats, just eat the allowed ones, as long as it is natural.)
- Nuts - pistachios, hazelnuts, walnuts - you can eat them all.
As I said at the beginning, hope this helps you :)