Mysty PfefferAre you ready for 10 biblical and scientific reasons sugar fasting improves health? We need solid evidence to embrace a new way of thinking, don’t we? I hope to share the value of placing excess sugar in its place with these principles!
#10 We Learn Self-control
According to research from the National Institute of health we see “short-term, selective food deprivation may indeed increase food cravings, long-term energy restriction seems to decrease food cravings, suggesting that food deprivation can also facilitate extinction of conditioned food craving responses.” (The Psychology of Food Cravings: the Role of Food Deprivation – PMC)
I see this as once the original dopamine/sugar stimulation is removed, and withdrawal (which we’ll address later) is resolved, we experience sweet relief and better self-control.
Biblically, Paul tells us in Galatians “self-control” is a fruit of the spirit alongside love and joy and peace!
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)
Food cravings never give us peace, only Jesus does. Giving in to them gives us short-term happiness but not lasting joy. The self-control we’re after is to enjoy small amounts at celebrations and holidays and not be consumed by it every day, every meal.
# 9 We Learn Submission
Christians understand submission because it gives them freedom. When we submitted our lives to Christ, we died to our old selfish ways and embraced full surrender of our lives to Christ.
In John 17:15-16 Jesus says, “ I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
Although it’s a process in the case of sugar addiction and our pleasure in it, we understand the world’s pleasures do not appeal to our redeemed hearts like it used to. Materialism is not important, people are. Status, the symbol of pride, sinks well below service. Food and drink are gifts from God and are used for fuel, not overindulgence.
Well we hope, anyway.
Several science-based studies support the spiritual view of faith and health. When we submit to God, we are placing our trust in Him for all things. Therefore, it makes sense when we understand God’s heart for our well-being. According to an American Psychological Association article summarizing linkages to physical health:
In healthy participants, there is a strong, consistent, prospective, and often graded reduction in risk of mortality in church/service attenders. This reduction is approximately 25% after adjustment for confounders. (Religion and spirituality. Linkages to physical health – PubMed)
# 8 Prioritizing Power
When there is order in my life, it flows better. How about you? There is power in prioritizing the things that matter the most. It’s a principle birthed inn our value system.
Health matters–so prioritizing power starts in the grocery store.
Sleep matters to health so we have the energy we need.
Energy matters so we have the ability to work and earn a living
God gave Israel an order of prioritizing how they approached their enemies, how to treat survivors, and how to use the trees for food and not cut them down.
No waste, no want.
It seems Australia and the UK see the same concept in one of their prospective studies, stating.
“Promoting healthy diet behaviors should be prioritized as a cost-effective preventive action that supports productivity and performance, in comparison with the costs of remediating treatment.”
Valuing Health and Performance: A Case for Prioritizing Nutrition – PMC
#7 Awareness
Awareness of a problem is the first step towards making a change. It’s not foolproof of sustaining the new pattern but it does make us consider new possibilities.
What does it look like when awareness happens in the bodily systems?
It usually looks different for each one of us. We’ll do one of two things:
- Ignore it and hope it goes away
- Run to the doctor and get 10 tests run to see what the problem is
According to research, “Self-awareness is important because it allows you to reflect on aspects of yourself. As you understand your abilities and tendencies, your self-awareness also allows you to think about how you interact with others and the world around you.
Self-aware people are able to manage their behaviors and adapt to situations. They can accurately evaluate what the situation requires and then modify their actions accordingly.” (Self-Awareness: Development, Types, and How to Improve Yours)
Biblically, it’s a matter of accurately evaluating God and his plans for our good. Psalm 19:8 “The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
Science is not so far from the Bible, is it? We become aware, we take action, we remember, we repeat. Understanding is good for both instances. After 40 days of sugar removal we’ll have more awareness.
#6 Preparation Skills
Preparing for a 40-day sugar fast takes planning, doesn’t it? It begins with awareness (not guilt) of where we consume hidden sugar each day. We’ve been deceived by sneaky manufacturers in the past, but no more!
God can and will retrain our minds and our taste buds as we reprogram both with His Word and support from one another.
1. We’ll begin by reading labels of things already in our pantry and learning about hidden sugar.
4 grams =1 teaspoon of sugar.
The words we’re looking for are “Added sugar”
2. Pray this verse several times a day to renew your mind and your tongue this week as you read labels. If you want, the following verses are good to keep too. Maybe write it on a post card and place it on your favorite box of goodies.
“The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.” (Proverbs 16:1)
All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the spirit. Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established.” (Proverbs 16:2-3)
How do these verses speak to you today?
#5 Sharper Cues
If you’re like me, you may be connecting stiff hands and foggy brain function to eating high sugar items. What about feeling really tired after a splurge of indulgence? If you have, you’re in good company!
Many Americans are suffering alongside you, myself included. Six years ago, I woke up one morning and the middle finger of my right hand was stuck to my palm. Quickly controlling my panic, I forced the digit to its normal position with my left hand. This happened a couple of more times that week and I suspected the “Trigger finger” was due to consuming excess sugar.
So, I decided to do a little experiment and cut out sugar and dairy for a while to see if I felt better. Imagine my surprise when it went away four short weeks later. I was left thinking about how chronic inflammation may be affecting my skin, bones, muscles, and blood vessels, too.
It was enough concern to convince me to do some- thing long-term. But I needed the Lord’s help to make it happen. I knew I wouldn’t be able to do it alone.
Do you feel the same way sometimes? God has a better plan for our lives and it’s not only easy, but, delicious. He provides everything we need in His gardens around the world to satisfy our sweet tooth.
Moreover, He provided His Son, Jesus, as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. We find freedom from sugar by digging deep into His Word of Truth and applying it to our lives. Which is exactly what I plan to do for the next 40 days.
Hebrews 4:12 says: “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
We’ll both have sharper cues to an underlying problem, physically and spiritually when we cut out all sugar and artificial sugar substitutes. For Christians, staying in the Bible for encouragement these next 40 days is key!
#4 Profitable
If you’re struggling to lose that last 20 pounds this is the “profitable” challenge for you! Biblically, profitable means what is spiritually giving you all you need to be content and walk in a manner worthy of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.
You and I have an advantage over the cravings of our flesh when we understand there is a better way. When a Christian’s frame of mind is rewired by biblical principles, we’re not:
- Bound by material things
- Looking for comfort in food
- Restless with confusion about what to eat and not eat
- Dependent on fast food for fuel
- Giving in to things that do not please God
- Acting out every whim of grumbling and complaining
- Tearing down someone else who is not doing what we “think” they should do
. . . And we can only understand these things fully when we read the Bible.
2 Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.”
With one word, what you are looking forward to most in this 40-Day Challenge?
#3 Persistence
Wins and losses teach us something important and that is persistence.
My clients have lost and gained weight so many times it does something to their mindset: They falsely believe they are failures.
They forget:
- The success of raising a stable, loving family
- Keeping a marriage together
- Showing up with all their talent for the job they hold.
All those skills and abilities took persistnence too!
According to Psychology Today research, persistence is seen as “grit, where specific brain regions associated with perseverance and long-term goal orientation are crucial for self-regulation and motivation. Genetic studies also suggest that traits related to grit, such as resilience, are influenced by both hereditary factors and environmental experiences.”
Biblically, Jesus gives us a beautiful example of persistence in his ministry, his love for people, his prayer life, his sacrifice, and his grace.
- He tells us to be:
- Persistent in prayer
- Persistent in pursuing Him and our loved ones
- Persistent sharing how much we love the peace we have in Him.
- Persistent despite our failures. . . keep trying, keep asking.
One example I love is in Luke 11 as He talks about the neighbor knocking on the door repeatedly at night for food:
Luke 11: 8 “I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs.”
God does that for me an you every single day and we don’t even realize it!
#2 Priceless Prize
The priceless prize of health is only second to knowing a peace that surpasses understanding. Isn’t it?
In his letter to the Philippian church, the apostle Paul says he forgets what lies behind and strains forward to what lies ahead.
“I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:14)
I appreciate you joining me for this momentous occasion. When you get through the next 40 days, you’ll look back and see how truly powerful prayer and fasting are to gain a priceless prize of:
- 1. A closer and deeper appreciation of our relationship with God
- 2. Freedom from being dominated by a substance
So, as we embark on this journey of freedom together my prayer for you involves sugar substitutes and alternatives.
Many of them are deceptive and can trick the dopamine receptors in the brain to think it’s getting sugar when it’s not. Does that affect other complex signals throughout the body?
You bet it does!
Addiction is still addiction, whether we substitute sugar with a sugar alternative or not.
I know there are questions that arise when we have this thing, we think we can’t live without…
And you are going to do this challenge your way, not my way.
But my prayer is you will at least give up all sugar and sugar substitutes for at least the first 10 days.
What happens in 10 days? The taste buds are replenishing themselves and the new ones are not exposed to sugar. Yes! The science says we renew our taste buds every 10 to 14 days.
Weaning off sugar is doable and we can still enjoy great food!
Thanks so much for joining, I’m in it with you!
#1 Master Cravings
Day one is here, don’t panic. If you’re not there mentally take this week to focus on a few things that matter the most:
- My “why” and your “why”. It may be:
- I don’t want to be a slave to any “thing”
- Less pain, stiffness, inflammation, holding onto excess water.
- Less cravings–yes! once removed and you get through withdrawal, cravings go away
- Feeling better, more energy, less brain fog
2. How to do it:
Know where the sugar is hiding: condiments, snacks, chips, soda, energy drinks, cereal, salad dressings, protein bars, crackers, etc.
Read labels: There are over 75 names for sugar! On the ingredients look for dextrose (anything with “ose” on the end of the word, xylitol, erythritol (alcohol sugars), dextrin.
- The term “added sugar” means there is refined sugar in the product. So there is a quick way.
- Find substitutes: Fresh fruit, Holi’s protein juice smoothies are great! Water with lemon, lime, cucumbers, or berries–it gives you necessary minerals for hydration.
- You know whole food is your best bet and God designed you to eat it!
But. . .. If you are really busy and need a list of go-to items; use a Chat gpt prompt like: Create for me a 40-day meal plan with no sugar, high fructose corn syrup, or artificial sweeteners. Or tell me what packaged food items they are in so I can avoid them.
Support! I am here for you to encourage you several times a week with science and scripture!
Don’t’ get overwhelmed, Scarlett, tomorrow is another day! But so is noon, and dinner if you forgot at breakfast and slipped!
It’s okay! The awareness of not wanting to be dominated by anything is powerful and so is the Bible in giving us real comfort.
We learn how to let go of the things of this world like sugar, status, and money.
Mathew 6:24 says we can’t serve two masters and the verses leading up to it remind us to not store up for ourselves treasures here on earth but in heaven:
“Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. ” Mathew 6:21
We can do this! We have ten biblical and scientific reasons sugar fasting improves health! Don’t forget I am here for you if you need coaching! There are low sugar recipes here, too!
