Journalist Fleur Baxmeier maintains a healthy lifestyle, but sweets—especially the colorful, processed kinds—have always been her weakness. Determined to cut back, she commits to eliminating sugar entirely for 30 days.
I glance around furtively. Does anyone notice? Just one more scoop. And another. I tie off the plastic bag and head to the register, avoiding eye contact like it's a covert operation. It feels forbidden because it is—I'd vowed: no more, starting today. Yet here I am, a week later, tempted to relapse. How did sugar grip me so tightly? No illicit drugs here; it's just my love for candy. That bag? Packed with gummy monkeys, coke bottles, bananas, salty licorice, and foam sweets. At least twice weekly, I hit the Trekpleister across the street for my fix. The brighter and more artificial, the better. It started young, ingrained like a habit.
Sugar solved everything: stress? Sweets. Bullied? Candy. Road trips? More candy. Even victories earned sweetness—post-Vierdaagse tea, after-school snacks, Wednesday Seabert marathons. Sweet meant comfort. We weren't indulgent gluttons; my family prized fresh veggies, daily salads, home-cooked meals sans packets. Mom embraced real ingredients: butter, sugar, chocolate, bread, milk. Genetics helped—we're all tall and slim like Aunt Sidonia, metabolism untroubled.
I believed in balance: eat what you want, just offset it. I devour fruits and veggies daily, skip alcohol, favor salads over meat, avoid fried foods. My diet's light, protein-packed; I train four nights weekly—fitness, Pilates, BodyPump, weights—plus weekend runs (10-15km). So, occasional luxuries felt earned: daily latte biscuits? Fine. Post-workout vanilla yogurt tub? Muscle fuel. Drugstore candy hauls? Happiness boost. Excuses flowed freely.
While saturated fats and gluten faced bans, sugar stayed 'cozy.' I ignored health warnings, scoffing at sugar-quitters as extremists. As a self-proclaimed health enthusiast, I tracked the debate. Initially balanced, but evidence mounted: sugar harms heart, vessels, liver, lungs, skin, kidneys. A pivotal BMJ opinion piece, 'Public health: the toxic truth about sugar,' called for legal curbs, likening sugar's dopamine hit to drugs, alcohol, smokes.
Sugar's addictive pull hit home. My intake? Minimal, I thought—speculaas, yogurt, tarts. Reality: it's everywhere—meats, bread, low-fat dairy, pickles, chips, margarine. Dutch average 70g added sugar daily; WHO caps at 25g (free sugars: added in treats, juices—not natural in fruits/veggies/dairy). Nutrition Centre allows 90g total. Tracking mine? Sky-high.
Time for cold turkey: 30 days sugar-free, with guidance from Carola van Bemmelen, author of 100% Sugar-Free in 30 Days and The Happy Eater. 'Sugar's ubiquitous,' she notes. 'Label-check everything initially; soon you'll spot safe bets.' Fresh, unprocessed shines: quick veggie omelets, tuna salads, foil trout.
Psychologically tougher—no severe withdrawal (flu-like symptoms, headaches possible), but grumpiness and cravings struck early. I needed cookies, chocolate, custard!
Day six: interview flakes, email avalanche, dog vomits everywhere. Craving comfort, I bag candy, pay... then return it. 'Changed my mind—no refund needed.' Epiphany: it wouldn't help. Carola explains: sugar spikes blood glucose/dopamine, then crashes, fueling the cycle. Goal: stable levels.
By week two, adaptation kicked in: fewer energy swings, better metabolism, focus, sleep. I completed 30 days. Post-challenge? No forever ban—mindful use. Occasional apple pie or currant bun? Fine. Sugar-conscious, not sugar-free.
Photos: Getty Images. Source: Santé archive. Text: Fleur Baxmeier
