10-Day Sugar Challenge
On May 9, 2014, Katie Couric and Laurie David produced a film titled Fed Up- It’s Time to Get Real About Food, which aimed to help Americans understand the dangers of the food we ingest on a daily basis. While the documentary made significant waves, Couric generated even more buzz with her 10-Day Sugar Challenge that stemmed from the eye-opening truths her movie discovered.
The Documentary Fed Up chronicles the lies we’ve been told about food and exercise for the past 30 years and explores the future America will face if its people don’t demand accountability and responsibility from the food industry. More than 93 million Americans have been affected by overweight and obesity issues in the United States, with 9 million of those Americans aging between 6 and 19 years old.
School lunches, food commercials, and a subsidized agricultural sector have all led to horrifying standards in our food industry. Out of the 600,000 types of food on our shelves, 80% have artificial or added sugars, which leads to individual Americans consuming an average of 130 pounds of sugar each year. These statistics are just a few of the staggering facts found in Fed Up’s investigation into America’s food industry. You can check out Netflix to watch the documentary or visit their website to schedule a screening.
The Challenge
In the wake of the release of Fed Up, Executive Producer Couric began the 10-Day Sugar Challenge where she challenged her friends, her viewers, and herself to abstain from sugar for 10 days. The rules are simple:
- No soda pop or sweetened beverages (juice and diet soda included)
- No artificial sugar or sugar substitutes (We’re lookin’ at you Splenda!)
- No foods with added sugars (think cookies, flavored yogurts, pasta sauces, even bread)
During the 10 days, you are challenged to ingest only natural sugars, such as fruits, and find healthy alternatives to your normal sugar-infested food routine. The 10-day challenge highlights sugar's addictive qualities—your brain reacts to sugar the same way it reacts to hard drugs—and opens your eyes to how much hidden sugar you're unknowingly consuming.
Starting the 10-Day Sugar Challenge is a great way to make some seriously healthy changes in your life. Reducing daily sugar helps boost your energy, improves your sleep patterns, and keeps your mind sharp throughout the whole day. The 10-Day Sugar Challenge is a real test for even the healthiest of eaters. View Couric’s and Dan Harris’s journey for some motivation!
Fed Up has great insight regarding the tight grip the food industry has on America's government and citizens, while Couric’s 10-day challenge is a great way to go sugar-free for better overall health. So if you're looking to rid your life of sugar, be it 10 days or 10 months, download our cookbook for healthy recipes to help you conquer your challenge today!
