In my last post, you followed me through the perks and challenges of my sugar cleanse. Now that I am eating sugar again, I want to reflect on the experience of introducing it back into my diet.

December 22: The first thing I ate when I woke up was an almond pear tart. And let me tell you, having something with added sugar was a very odd experience. Like I said in my last article, I’m generally a sugar fanatic, but now I’m just not that impressed by it. I expected my first bite to be the best thing I’ve ever tasted, or at least nostalgic, but instead it was as if my taste buds rejected it.

December 25: I made cake today for my large family’s Christmas dinner. I had my dad test taste the icing because I was unable to because it was too sweet. Although I can eat sugar now, I don’t crave it and honestly I try to avoid it. I caved in today though and had a slice of cake. It wasn’t worth it, the sugar gave me a stomachache!

December 29: I went out for coffee with my friends and I was able to have a pastry with sugar. This time it tasted good, but I still got a headache and a slight stomach ache from consuming the sugar, but at least the taste of sugar was appealing again.

January 3: I like sugar again, but it’s not a staple in my “healthy” diet like it once was. At this point, I’ve been having about one sugary food a day. The adjustments I made during my challenge has carried through to my day to day diet.

Overall, I highly recommend this challenge. It has changed my perspective on the enormous sugar consumption in the everyday American diet.

If you are looking for a way to feel better, think clearer, lose weight, and spike your energy levels, then this challenge is for you. If you’re like my dad and believe in “everything is okay in moderation” you too would be surprised by how much you truly consume through the little things without even realizing it.

Pair your fitness goals with a challenge, since your diet accounts for the greatest part of your overall health. The first week will be rough as you curb your cravings and adjust to a new lifestyle, but it will be well worth it going into the new year.