Would You Cut Out Sugar and Carbs for 10 Days Like J.Lo Just Did?
The star admits it was a struggle.
There’s no doubt about it: when Jennifer Lopez can do anything she sets her mind to. Singing? Check. Dancing? Check. Acting? Check. Washboard abs? Check. And now the star can add “successfully completed the 10-Day No-Sugar, No-Carbs challenge” to her list of achievements.
The singer and her beau, Alex Rodriguez, started their challenge in January, which also involved them inviting their fans, as well as other celebs, like Hoda Kotb and Michael Strahan, to join them. Lopez told Today that she was inspired to do it by her trainer who told her it would “reset” her body.
While Lopez admitted that she and Rodriguez “have struggled through” the challenge, they managed to make it to the finish line on January 30th. In fact, J. Lo is ready to do it again.
So, the bigger question remains: would you cut out sugar and carbs for 10 days?
What the Challenge Involves
Basically, what it sounds like. For 10 days, you’re restricting all the different forms of sugar and carbs from your diet. According to Today, this means eliminating starchy vegetables, candy, baked goods, some fruits (bananas, grapes, and oranges), grains (like pasta and rice), condiments with sugar, sweeteners, dairy, soda and alcohol.
It almost goes without saying that most processed foods are eliminated too since many contain high amounts of both carbs and sugar.
While most of the things on the list seem obvious, like cookies, cakes, and sugar substitutes, some of the less obvious foods that are to be avoided include staples considered to be healthy, like quinoa, legumes, potatoes, peas, and winter squash.
What You’ll Likely Experience
Most likely, at first, withdrawal symptoms. “First and second day is when you realize you’re addicted to sugar,” Lopez told Today. “It’s like a drug.”
Feeling irritable and sluggish after cutting out, or even decreasing, sugar from your body is normal. Studies have shown that withdrawing from sugar is similar to withdrawing from an illicit or controlled substance. One reason for this, says the Sweet Defeat, is because your body releases dopamine into the bloodstream whenever you consume sugar. Dopamine is otherwise known as the happy hormone, so whenever you eat something sweet, your brain feels “satisfied.”
Doing a program like this has the potential to reset your brain to reduce sugar cravings and allows your brain to be satisfied in new, healthier ways. For example, eating a cup of strawberries might feel just as delicious to you as eating a banana split sundae.
Should You Do It?
Sugar detoxes are nothing new. Numerous experts recommend doing a sugar detox simply because many of us are addicted to the sweet stuff. Robert Lustig, professor of pediatrics and member of the Institute for Health Policy Studies at the University of California, San Francisco, told CNN in 2017 that about 10% of the US population are true sugar addicts.
Those who have participated in sugar detoxes (you can find a slew of them on the Internet) report weight loss, clearer skin, and more focus and energy.
Of course, just like any change in diet, consulting a medical professional is recommended before you jump on the J. Lo bandwagon. And, yes, while you might love your chocolate chip cookies, there’s no doubt that Lopez’s abs are enough incentive to kick the habit.
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