Early morning. As I type this out it is 424 am. Sleep has actually come quite easier since I have undertaken the sugar fast. I know that this is no coincidence. On last week’s podcast, my friend Nicole Rodriguez and I discussed disrupters and how they can affect our sleep. We spoke specifically of alcohol, but I believe this applies to sugar as well. When we add substances in, they keep us from fully engaging in meaningful sleep. I found a Harvard study that examines this more in depth. There are so many exogenous substances that can affect our sleep.

Another thing I have noticed 2 weeks in is how my pain has significantly improved. If anyone is paying attention to my social media, a few weeks ago I talked of several injuries that have been hampering me. It is with extreme caution and reservation that I say this, but I find my injuries improving significantly… especially over the last 4 or 5 days.

In yet another Harvard study, I found the following excerpt…

Consuming too much added sugar can raise blood pressure and increase chronic inflammation, both of which are pathological pathways to heart disease. Excess consumption of sugar, especially in sugary beverages, also contributes to weight gain by tricking your body into turning off its appetite-control system because liquid calories are not as satisfying as calories from solid foods. This is why it is easier for people to add more calories to their regular diet when consuming sugary beverages.

“The effects of added sugar intake — higher blood pressure, inflammation, weight gain, diabetes, and fatty liver disease — are all linked to an increased risk for heart attack and stroke,” says Dr. Hu.

I think it’s pretty well understood that too much sugar is detrimental to our health. However, I do not think I understood the magnitude of how heavily it can affect us until I undertook this fast. I find it very refreshing that I have kept my normal routine of sleep, exercise, and core diet besides the added sugar and finding these incredible improvements in my life just after a short time.

I may talk about this in more detail tomorrow, but I also find a lot of self justification in that I continue to consume red meat. There are lots of claims out there saying that red meat causes significant inflammation. Well, from an anecdotal experience, I can tell you that red meat has never been my problem.

Like my friend Brian Alexander says, “Don’t blame meat for what sugar did.”