Almost two decades ago, I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease and had to learn how to avoid eating gluten (this was well before items in the grocery store were labeled “gluten free”). That experience taught me something I wasn’t aware of: Almost every processed product in our grocery stores is filled with added sugars. Gluten free items contain even more sugar than their gluten filled counterparts.

Until that point, I had really only thought about dessert or junk foods as being “bad” for me and never really looked at nutrition labels at all. I was also a self-described sugar addict. For years I kept a few dark chocolate bars (I convinced myself that dark chocolate was healthier) in my kitchen cabinets and would eat a square or two each time I entered the kitchen. I never passed on dessert (I had some every night) and anytime I was at a grocery store register, I added a piece of candy from the rack nearby to my purchase. I never saw a problem with my behavior because I was always quite thin. People used to say, “You’re so lucky that you can eat anything!”. Well, I learned that is not true. Sugar is bad news and in 2024, I learned that if I wanted to feel my best, I was going to have to break my habit.

After COVID hit, the mask mandate ended and I returned to work as a teacher. Over the next two years, I officially caught COVID three times (according to my test results). I also caught something which looked and felt exactly like COVID (even though I didn’t test positive for it) three more times, so that’s six bouts of illness over a two year period. Each round of the virus included horrible sweats, high fevers and a loss of appetite. I lost an average of ten pounds (mostly water weight) with each bout as well. I was exhausted and frustrated because I always thought I took good care of myself. I work out six days a week and I cook most of my own meals with healthy, fresh foods. I saw doctor after doctor and no one could tell me why my immune system was so weak or how to improve my situation. After many tests which provided some clues but no concrete diagnosis, one doctor told me that it seemed I just had a “wonky” immune system and there was really nothing I could do about it. Though the COVID issue was obviously new for me (and the world), a weak immune system was unfortunately something with which I was already familiar. I’m that person that can’t be around anyone who’s sick because I’ll catch what s/he has. I always thought I was just “built” that way. But, after two years of basically having flu-like symptoms six times, I was determined to get some answers and hopefully fix what was wrong.

I decided to look into functional medicine. Functional medicine differs from traditional Western medicine in that it looks at the body as a whole. For example, if you see a functional medicine doctor for headaches, s/he will not just look at your head. The doctor will consider your entire system and possibly even your genetics to determine the cause of your issue.

Functional medicine is usually not covered by insurance and is very expensive, but an acupuncturist I met told me that a functional medicine practice was opening near my home and that some of the cost would be covered by insurance. I gave the office a call immediately.

During that first visit (which lasted over an hour!) I spoke with my doctor about my health history, my family’s health history and my issues with my “wonky” immune system. She was patient, informative and kind. She told me that based on what I had shared she was going to run some tests, but it was clear that I would need to cut all sugar out of my diet for three months, as sugar is an inflammatory and based her assessments during my visit, I was dealing with chronic inflammation (which was what I had been told by many other doctors, but they never recommended dietary changes to correct the issue). My doctor also suspected I had a fungal infection caused by an overgrowth of the yeast Candida, which can lead to leaky gut. After looking at my blood work, it turned out she was right. Sugar feeds Candida. It was just another reason the sugar had to go. (I will be adding a post on Candida soon, and will update this post with a link.)

As I was so sick of being sick, I told the doctor I was all in. My first appointment was on July 28th and I was in the office again on July 30th to speak with the dietitian, so funnily enough, the three month mark for my sugar detox would end on October 31st, Halloween! Spoiler alert: When Halloween arrived I did not have even one piece of candy my kids brought home from trick-or-treating. The cravings for sugar just weren’t there anymore.

I was told by the office dietitian that I would be experiencing intense sugar cravings as I detoxed and she also went over what I could and could not eat. All sugars were out – both natural and refined for three months, then I could reintroduce foods that are naturally sweet. That meant no fruit except for citrus, half a green apple and half a cup of fresh strawberries a day and no starchy veggies (bye, bye sweet potatoes!) for three whole months.

I left the office determined and I have to say that motivation was powerful. I followed the diet I was given to the letter. However, after about four days, my mood drastically changed. I was irritable, depressed and literally crying every day. On the third or fourth day, I reached out to my doctor via an office app, as it was the weekend and no one was in the office to take my call. The app sent me an automatic response that the doctor would get back to me during business hours. So, I did the next “best” thing: I Googled my symptoms.

It turns out that detoxing from sugar is extremely rough on us. People who consume sugar on a regular basis will experience mood changes due to a sugar detox, as the body is not getting the regular dopamine hit it usually gets from sugar. With this information, I strengthened my resolve to push through. After almost three weeks, the dark cloud lifted and I was getting back to normal, but I have to say, sticking to the diet was tough because sugar is EVERYWHERE!

Much like my experience as a first time gluten free shopper, I was now spending an exorbitant amount of time at the grocery store reading labels to see what I could eat that didn’t contain added sugar. Here’s what I learned:

• Stick to the perimeter of the grocery store. That’s where the whole foods are sold: Meat, dairy, fruits and vegetables. Most processed foods barely qualify as food, despite what the labels say.
• Stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s offer a lot of options for processed foods which are low in sugar, but you MUST read labels, as sugar hides in the craziest places. There’s sugar in ketchup, tomato sauce (see below for an easy homemade recipe, which beats any jarred sauce) some pickles and even bacon!
• Don’t shop when you are hungry. You really are just asking for trouble. If you can keep sugar out of the house, you’re less likely to eat it. Go shopping after you have eaten and only buy what you need. Which means you must…
• Meal plan. If you don’t plan your meals and snacks and hunger strikes, you will succumb to the urge to eat whatever is around and whatever is around usually isn’t good!
• If you have a sweet tooth, think of alternatives to traditional dessert. A cup of ripe strawberries or apple slices covered in almond butter are a way to “take the edge off”. I have to add that once you complete a sugar detox, those intense sugar cravings do subside. It sounds unbelievable, but it’s true.
• Learn to cook – Really cook, which means no microwave “cooking” or boxed meals. I know it’s time consuming. Most days I feel like all I do after work is laundry, house keeping and cooking, but good food takes time to make. If your health and the health of your family is truly a priority, you will make it one. Tip: I do enjoy cooking especially when I have the time to really get into it, but what really helps make any household task more enjoyable is putting on some music, an audio book or a podcast while your completing it.
• Food shop frequently. I’m seriously at the grocery store every day. Keep in mind that I have two boys and a husband so the food just goes, but fresh food doesn’t store well. It has to be eaten right away, which means another trip to the store. Just accept it and deal.
• When you want to add sweetness to a shake or salad, use a chopped date or dried unsweetened cranberries (sold at Trader Joe’s). That little bit does make a difference and you’re not overloading your system with added sugars.
• When baking, I try not to use sugar at all. If anything, I use the tiniest bit of natural/pure maple syrup or a little bit of local raw honey. I’m so used to this that I don’t miss the refined sugar. If you’re not there yet, at least cut the sugar called for in any recipe by half. You won’t miss it! Also, almond flour (if you can eat almonds) is lower in sugar that any white (wheat/rice/potato/etc.) flour.

Below, I have listed some items that I think would be a great addition to a no/low sugar household, which all also happen to be gluten free:

Cereal:

• Three Wishes – All of flavors are delicious and it’s higher in protein and lower in sugar than most commercial cereals.

Condiments:

• Primal Kitchen makes a great line of condiments including ketchup, barbecue, buffalo and steak sauce, all of which are unsweetened or only sweetened with dates or orange juice. The sugar content is either zero or very low. Get 10% off of Primal Kitchen products with this code: CHERRY10

Nut Butters/Preserves:

• Trader Joe’s Organic Reduced Sugar Strawberry Preserves
• Trader Joe’s Organic Peanut Butter (zero sugar)
• Trader Joe’s RAW Almond Butter (zero sugar) – This is delicious!

Protein Powders: 

• Truvani – Unflavored pea protein powder (zero sugar/sugar alcohols)
• It’s Just! – Egg white protein powder (zero sugar/sugar alcohols)

Snacks:

• Hippeas is a chickpea based snack line of cheese puffs and chips which are all very low in sugar.
• Sweet Loren’s GF frozen cookie dough comes in a lower sugar version (6 grams in each cookie vs 10 in the regular version) and they are sweet beyond. 

After my three month sugar detox ended, I felt amazing and my inflammation was way down. I saw this with my own eyes because before the detox if I got a bug bite or scratch, my skin would swell up and get really red. It would stay red for a long time, sometimes days. After the detox, I was playing with my dog and she inadvertently scratched my leg. It was as if nothing happened. No redness at all!

It’s been a year now since my detox and I no longer store chocolate in my kitchen, no longer have dessert every night and really pay attention to my sugar intake. I am not completely sugar free and will indulge in a dessert now and then, but I don’t overindulge. In addition to my health improving, I did lose a few pounds as well. Overall, it has been such a positive change. I am well aware that change is hard and it’s hard to give up/cut down on sweets, but it’s also hard to be sick. Choose your hard! I’ll take my health over a cookie any day of the week!

Remember, you’re not “giving up” sugar, you’re taking control of your health!

Simple Basic Homemade Sauce Recipe (for about 6-7 servings of sauce as a pasta topping):

• 1 box of Pomi strained tomatoes (buy at any supermarket)
• 3-4 cloves of garlic
• 1-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• basil and oregano to taste (about 1 teaspoon of each if dried, or you can opt for fresh, which tastes even better!)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons of red wine (not cooking wine!)
  • Note: The wine adds .2 grams of sugar to the sauce. I keep a small jar or two (in recycled glass containers) of inexpensive red wine in my freezer, so I can always make a quick pot of sauce if need be.)

Directions:

1. Using a garlic press, add garlic to a medium sized pot along with 1-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and cook for about a minute on medium to low heat. When the garlic becomes fragrant, which takes about a minute, it’s ready. If it starts to turn brown, you’re burning it!
2. Add in your box Pomi strained tomatoes, your herbs/spices and your red wine and simmer for about 20 minutes.
3. Serve over pasta or use on pizza crust.

Easy-peasy and delicious! And no unnecessary sugars!

Note: This article was updated with some associate links on 9/28/2025. I take the use of associate links seriously and only recommends products I use and like.