Today I’m sharing my review of Sarah Wilson’s I Quit Sugar 8-week detox program and cookbook.
Is quitting sugar one of your New Year’s resolutions? It’s not a bad idea! There is a growing body of (very scary) research that claims sugar contributes to cancer growth, inflammation in the body, a weakened immune system, obesity, mood swings, wrinkles (what?) and more health problems than you can shake a stick at. I’ve also read that sugar consumption depletes minerals and vitamins in the body. It’s a scary thought to think that sugar can make us sick because it’s so pervasive (and so delicious). Once I started paying attention, I was amazed at just how many foods sugar is added to! Like I needed any help squeezing more sugar into my diet…
I am a long time sugar addict and have an unhealthy history of bingeing on sweets when I’m stressed. I’ve gone so far as to eat baking chocolate because I’ve “needed” sugar so badly. There’s a noodles and cocoa thing that I’m not even ready to admit to yet. I come from a family of diabetics (probably not surprising), so I’ve been trying to kick the sugar habit for awhile. Last spring I bought Sarah Wilson’s I Quit Sugar 8 Week Detox Program and Cookbook and gave it a whirl. In case anyone else is interested, I thought I’d share my review of Sarah Wilson’s I Quit Sugar program.
I felt great doing the detox, even though it was very challenging at times (luckily I didn’t get too many of the sugar withdrawal problems). Cutting back the junk in the beginning was easy and rewarding, it was the quitting all sugar – even fruit – that was really difficult. Afterward completing the 8 weeks, my sweet tooth wasn’t so pushy and I wasn’t crawling out of my skin trying to get my sugar fix. It worked! Unfortunately, almost immediately after “quitting” sugar, tragedy struck and wow, did I fall off the wagon! At first it was just because we were eating sporadically, sometimes late at night when only Tim Horton’s was available to feed us. Then family would bring by donuts (one day, I quite literally ate four donuts for breakfast). At some point while we were in Southern Ontario dealing with our family crisis, my Mom and I found this amazing homemade pie shop and started swapping some of our meals for fresh peach pie (no regret there, I’m not going to lie).
The sudden dump of sugar into my system actually made me very ill and brought on some extremely unpleasant symptoms, but I didn’t care. I was stressed non-stop for months, and sugar was once again my crutch. This fall I decided that I needed to focus on my health, so I quit sugar again and started a very strict, low-carb, low-sugar diet. Because I already did Sarah’s sugar detox, though, it was so much easier this time around! My body wanted to re-calibrate. I’m on the road to leading a life of moderation: maybe having a sweet once in a while because it’s delicious, not because I’m wild-eyed and craving it.
I’m asked a lot about my struggle to quit sugar and I always recommend I Quit Sugar as a starting point because it’s such an excellent resource. The book is full of scientific info, Sarah’s personal journey, easy ingredient switches, recipes, and, of course, the structured 8-week “detox” to help the body re-calibrate and stop craving sweet.
I looked at so many books about quitting sugar before committing to her detox and there were certain things about her book that appealed to me, which is why I decided to write this review of Sarah Wilson’s I Quit Sugar. The book itself is a joy to read because it’s simple to understand and full of beautiful photos and adorable graphics.
What I really like about Sarah is that she’s uplifting and positive. She isn’t condescending or dismissive (I’m reading The Whole 30 right now, and something about the tone really rubs me the wrong way). Sarah doesn’t like “diets” – she just wants her readers to eat nutrient-dense foods and form a healthier relationship with food. She talks about wanting to decide when she eats sugar, not be force fed it by the companies who add it to packaged foods. That really stuck with me. Sarah tells you to be gentle to yourself while doing this detox and this attitude makes it seem so much more doable – and more enjoyable! Plus her recipes are delicious and she’s got this refreshing, don’t-stress-about-measuring approach that makes her recipes foolproof. Perhaps the biggest selling feature for me was her passion for cheese – oh my goodness, do I love cheese!
A Peek Inside the I Quit Sugar Complete 8-Week Detox Program and Cookbook
After sharing her personal story and some sugar facts, Sarah delves into the detox. Each week of the program is laid out in its own chapter:
Week One: Start to cut back (this was surprisingly easy and empowering!)
Week Two: Operation eat fat (this was a fun week)
Week Three: Quit! (this was a hard week – even fruit was forbidden)
Week Four: Face the demons (knowing I was half ice was all that got me through)
Week Five: Get creative, experiment…and detox (tips for staving off cravings were helpful)
Week Six: Add some sweetness back in (yay! she outlines which fruits have more/less fructose)
Week Seven: Recovering from relapses (lots of healthier alternatives for cravings that creep in)
Week Eight: Refining and moving forward (best advice: “don’t be an anti-sugar bore” – love that!)
Each chapter has facts, recipe suggestions, tools to succeed, and healthier alternatives. It seemed like a friend was cheering me on! Even if you’re not sold on the structured detox, each chapter has great tips and ideas for healthier substitutions. Plus, the recipes are really good and they make up half the book!
A Look at the I Quit Sugar Recipes
I find that healthy lunches and dinners are pretty easy to figure out, but the breakfasting, snacking and desserting is what trips me up. This book is great because although it has lunch and dinner ideas, it has a lot of breakfast, snack, and dessert substitutes that are easy to make. I will say though, that there’s a learning curve when it comes to baking with alternative flours and sweeteners. Although refined carbs are cut out, you can still enjoy pasta, oats, root vegetables, rice, etc., but that means no more cooking with refined white flours. I love baking and was surprised when things didn’t turn out as “pretty” as I’m accustomed to. The textures were completely different and difficult to get used to, but I still found a lot of fabulous new recipes. Before they were gobbled up, I managed to snap photos of a few things I tried.
Pumpkin Pie with Almond Flour Crust
This pumpkin pie was a hit with family, although I found its almond flour crust to be a little gritty. I think you just have to get used to the change in texture, but I’m committed to experimenting more with almond and coconut flours.
Brown Rice Syrup Frozen Raspberry Ripple
Although Sarah shares recipes for sweet treats, to be eaten now and again, she warns that any sweetener should be consumed in moderation. Difficult advice to follow when I got completely hooked on her popular raspberry ripple (pg. 186). The ingredients? Frozen raspberries, unsweetened coconut, coconut oil, unsalted butter, cocoa powder, and brown rice syrup. It’s a frozen treat and is an amazing ice cream substitute. I’m actually salivating a little as I type this.
Cheesy Biscuits Made with Coconut Flour
These are also a little gritty (that’s a common complaint of mine) and it’s the cheese that makes them really delicious, but they definitely fulfill a cheesy cracker or croissant craving in a flash. They taste best when they’re fresh out of the oven and still warm.
Zucchini Ricotta “Cheesecake”
This zucchini ricotta cake is so damn delicious! I have made this so many times and it’s my favorite recipe from the book so far. It’s a really tasty brunch meal, with my favorite herb: dill. It is sort of sweet, but savory, and is a snap to prepare.
Criticisms…?
If you’re a diabetic or pre-diabetic (or just concerned about diabetes, like I am), there are some things to note. Sarah’s focus is fructose so she suggests brown rice syrup as an alternative, but because it’s still pretty high on the glycemic index it’s not good for diabetics. It was a let down to bake a couple things for my diabetic Dad and learn that they weren’t a good substitute after all. Plus, Sarah suggests quite a bit of cheese, which has lactose (which increases blood glucose levels) and should be consumed in moderation by diabetics. I can’t really criticize her for these points though, because she explains, many times, that this diet is what works for her body and she encourages the reader to figure out what works for their body. It’s not meant to be a diabetic guide, but I will still hoping that the switches she recommends would be good for my diabetic family members. I’m still doing research on my own, to figure if I can adapt some of her recipes for diabetics.
Would I Buy This Book Again? Recommend it?
Definitely! Enthusiastically, wholeheartedly, YES! I re-read it often for a much-needed pep talk and there are still so many recipes I have to try that look delicious and are better for me. It’s a great resource for anyone looking to reduce their sugar intake, so I highly recommend it. While doing the detox, my cravings did subside and had I not immediately endured the most stressful few months of my life, my switch to living sugar-free might have stuck. Still, even though I fell off the wagon, getting back on this time around has been so much easier. I’m looking forward to the future and finally getting a handle on my sugar addiction. I hope this review of Sarah Wilson’s I Quit Sugar was helpful and inspires someone to pick up the book!
I just wanted to share my review of Sarah Wilson’s I Quit Sugar because I don’t buy books often. When I do, I like reading reviews, comparing content, and weighing my options first. The I Quit Sugar book stood out among a sea of sugar-free books and what’s better, Sarah has great resources on her website and a ton of inspiration on her Instagram account, so there’s always additional support for the quitting sugar journey. I’m actually thinking of buying her I Quit Sugar Cookbook as well, because it has 300+ recipes!
Quitting sugar has to be one of the hardest things to do…it is in EVERYTHING…things I never dreamed of until I started reading labels! I have been thinking of it for a few months, for health reasons and to eventually lose some weight, not sure I can do it though. I may check that book out of the library before investing in it. Thanks for the inspiration, Tanya.
I know! It's such a shock to see the weird foods they add sugar to. I didn't lose much weight during the detox (maybe 3-4 pounds?), but then, I was eating a lot of cheese! Now I'm doing a more structured low-carb, low sugar thing and the weight is melting off me. However, what I'm doing now isn't something that I could maintain – I could see myself eating the way Sarah eats after I reach a healthy weight, and maintaining that way, because her program is about a healthy lifestyle. Definitely check it out, I think you'll like it!
Oh boy, can I relate to this post! I have been under the treatment of an obesity specialist at my family doctor's office since August. The gist of her treatment is eliminating sugars and keeping blood sugar levels stable. I lost 30 pounds in 5 months.I find it both hard and easy at the same time. I had horrible withdrawl but it passed after a couple of days. Now I find most sweets too sweet. My hardest challenge is the advance planning. If I can get my act together and have all my meals planned out, it's easy. If i don't plan, it's hard.Isn't that interesting about the low-fat versus full fat sugar levels? I always knew about the hidden sugar issues but when ideally started to pay attention, it blew my mind how much sugar is in the foods I ate.
Congratulations on your weight loss!!! That is a huge accomplishment – you must feel so great about that achievement!You're so right about the advance planning. I've been trying to get in the habit of chopping up a few days worth of veggies ahead of time and have only just recently bought packets of dressing I can take with me when I eat out so I don't have a sugar-laden salad. It's so interesting about the low-fat/sugar thing. Having been off and on Weight Watchers (the old program) for 15 years, I was trained to eat the low fat options when buying anything. Those low cal/low fat options have buckets of sugar. It's been a process for me to unlearn some of the things I thought I knew about "eating right". And change my palette. It's always nice to know I'm not alone.I'm sending good vibes your way and hoping the rest of your weight loss journey is smooth!
I do feel great about it. We have a trip to the British Virgin Islands next month and had the pleasure tonight of trying on new beachh dresses (yeah they fit!) that were delivered today. I know what you mean about the "programming" as it relates to the low fat mindset. When I started this, I thought I ate a great diet. I cooked, rarely ate packaged foods, watched my fat intake, etc. little did I know that those fruit salads, granola and (sweeter) yogurt were loaded with sugar!
Thank you for reminding me of getting a fit and healthy this year, Tanya. I started quitting sugar early 2015 when my mom got diagnosed of Type 2 diabetes. I lost a few pounds. Buy later that year, I just forgot everything and went back to eating anything. True, sugar is indeed in everything. I'm trying to get back in to shape, quit refined sugar and rice. Also, Avocado and pomelo are great fruits that has less carbs, less sugar and has fantastic amounts of nutrients.
It's so difficult to stay on track. How is your Mom fairing with her diagnosis? Has she been able to change her diet enough to avoid medication? My Dad tried that but it's been a real struggle for him.I have never eaten a pomelo so I'll give that a taste, thanks for the recommendation! I try so hard to like avocado but I'm just not a fan. I really should give it another go…Sending you good vibes! Hope you find it easier to quit sugar and rice this year. It's really a process and I'm learning to be gentle with myself and try to find a balance. I don't want to be one of those people who is totally obsessed with what I eat.
Yes she has been religiously following her no sugar diet since last year and from 387 mg/dl blood glucose level, she was now able to maintain 100 to 120 mg/dl. She eat all natural, nothing processed, no refined sugar. I agree with avocado, I'm not a fan as well, but pomelo is a fantastic fruit. You should try it.
I'm so glad to hear your Mom has been so successful! She's done an amazing job – what an inspiration!I will definitely try pomelo – and give avocados another try 🙂
Thank you for your review, I ordered my book and it came yesterday. I am in the middle of my second Whole30, but I know I need to keep sugar out of my life forever. I love the book format, easy to read and beautiful, I look forward to trying her recipes. Thanks again!
So happy to hear my review was helpful! I've borrowed a lot of books about sugar, quitting sugar, diabetes, etc., but this was one of the few that I actually went out and bought because I liked it so much. Glad to hear you like it already, I hope you find the recipes tasty 🙂
Thank you for this review, I need a book like this to get me on track to reduce sugar in my diet. My partner and I watched That Sugar Movie (the Aussie edition) over Xmas and his realisation that eating 6 doghnuts in one sitting is not good! We are buying a blender so we can make our own juices and smoothies. And as soon as all the Xmas chocolate has been devoured Im not buying any more sweet stuff, biscuits, icecream, etc as its just a temptation when its in the house, if its not there we cant eat it!
You're so true about the temptation being there is you keep it in the house. I've pretty much stripped our house of sweets unless I get off my duff and make something, lol. You'll like this book because it's not super strict – I think that's what appealed to me. And her recipes are super tasty, you won't feel deprived of the sweet stuff at all.
Tanya, would you consider link to all your reduced-sugar recipes gathered together? Maybe place it at the top, or somewhere easy to find. Thanks for developing and testing (and tasting!) all of these recipes.
I'm so happy you're interested in these recipes! I have some more planned for the holidays – like a diabetic friendly cheesecake. I've tagged them all "giving up sugar" so if you click on the bottom of any reduced sugar post you'll see a list of tags. When you click on that one, they all pop up. Here's it is:http://danslelakehouse.com/search/label/Giving%20Up%20SugarBut you're right, I should definitely add a page in my top bar or somewhere so it's easier to find. Unless you're already ON a reduced sugar recipe, that tag doesn't help much. I'm going to work on re-organizing the blog a bit during the holidays, so I'll definitely make these easier to find – thanks for the nudge :)In a pinch, until I re-organize, there's a search bar under my photo on the right and if you type in "sugar-free" or "giving up sugar" it pulls the posts up – but not always in chronological order.
It will be great if you can put them together during your blog re-organizing. Until then, I will do the suggested searches. Striving to slowly improve my diet and these will be a huge help!
I quit sugar and flour both, four weeks ago because I am a food addict. That means just like an alcoholic I cannot have any sugar or sweetener ever. I must become an anti sugar bore I’m afraid. That doesn’t mean I force my anti sugar on others – not everybody is an addict. Some people can have sugar in moderation. Sadly I am not able. This must be forever and not only sweeteners but flours of any kind. There are a number of people like me, who must abstain from sugar totally because even allowing small amounts will derail them and lead to crazy eating behaviours.
Author
Thank you for sharing your story! And you raise such a good point that some people can handle moderation and others can’t. I know people who never ever crave sugar. I envy those people! It must be so difficult for you because sugar is EVERYWHERE. An alcoholic can avoid a bar and parties, but foods with sugar are so pervasive and companies sneak it into as many foods as they can. I wish you the best of luck on your journey.
Thank you so much for your review.I am waiting on my book to arrive and can’t wait to get started.
I had already ordered it before I saw your review, so I think I made the right choice.
Author
You’ll really enjoy it! The recipes are delicious 🙂