“Actual happiness always looks pretty squalid in comparison with the overcompensations for misery. And, of course, stability isn’t nearly so spectacular as instability. And being contented has none of the glamour of a good fight against misfortune, none of the picturesqueness of a struggle with temptation, or a fatal overthrow by passion or doubt. Happiness is never grand.”
― Aldous Huxley, Brave New World
Cakes, cookies, doughnuts, ice cream, pies, pastries, tarts and candies come in all shapes and colours. There is something for every taste. Even I, who drinks mainly plain water, like some form of sweet relieve every now and then. But what do they all have in common? Right, sugar. This sweet drug is hidden in almost everything we eat, forcing us to a constant, passive consumption.
The tendency to present us with foods all ready to eat, without even having to add a pinch of salt has made us slaves to a very specific aroma pallet. And I am not talking about precooked food. I am talking about basic stuff like yogurt and tomato sauce.
It has been twelve days since I have eaten sugar. When I first heard of it, the whole thing did not sound as difficult as it has been so far. As mentioned before, I do not drink sodas just coffee and tab water and alcohol. I do not like candy, but I love dark chocolate and cookies. The first day I went to the grocery store and I was unaware of how many products contain sugar. I could not but a simple coconut yogurt, tomato sauce, pesto, a lot of bread types, dairies and so on. You get the picture. Just plain fresh vegetables (except for corn, peas, sweet potatoes and butternut squash), dry pasta and fresh meat, which does not sound bad. It is everything you need: carbohydrates, vitamins, and proteins.
On day four I spent two hours lying on my bed crying. Why you ask? Fructose, a component of glucose, is the stuff that tells your body you are doing a great job. The stuff that makes you active and happy. The stuff that makes you want more. But like any other drug, you do not get these happy feelings for free. Your body stops caring about the protein collagen (which makes your skin look young and soft and beautiful); on the other hand the oxidation of the cells is accelerated which causes damages such as liver disease, kidney failure and cataracts[1]. Since you cannot stop craving sugar, you will end up having more than you need which is stored as fat in the liver, causing diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Cortisol, the hormone which reduces stress, will also sink. Further effects of sugar are cavities, high blood pressure, heart diseases, memory loss, insulin resistance, liver inflammation which can cause fatty liver disease, depression, wrinkles, arthritis, pancreatic failure, impotence[2].
This said when you deprive your body of it after, let’s say 30 years of dependency, the effects might be overwhelming. It started with sleeping problems such as difficulties in falling asleep or sleeping through the night. I am still having bad dreams almost every night. It continued with mood swings which transformed into a short fuse, anxiety, depression, meaning I do not have patience for anything. Headaches almost every day, difficulty to concentrate and last but not least the worst of all: CRAVINGS. Going to the grocery store makes me feel like a heroin addict in a drug fabric. Everywhere you look, colourful little packages of your favourite drug, calling you like the song of the Sirens. Pacing back and forth to the kitchen, hoping to find something, anything with sugar in it until rage fills my eyes and afterwards a feeling of desperation. Two days left and while I am still tied to the mast of the ship, there is nothing else I can think about, besides finally being able to give in to the sweet sound of the sirens.
[1] https://www.health.com/nutrition/sugar-health-effects
[2] https://www.projectwellnessnow.com/?s=sugar&submit=
Aromatic deception 