Taryn Kemp didn’t have a sweet tooth—she had a sugar strategy. “I wasn’t eating cupcakes all day,” she laughs.
“But once I started reading labels, I realized sugar was sneaking into everything.” Bloom Nutrition Superfood Greens Powder, Digestive Enzymes with Probiotics and Prebiotics, Gut Health
Granola. Salad dressing. Even her go-to hummus had cane sugar. And while she wasn’t trying to quit sugar completely, she wanted to understand how to reduce her dependence on it without overhauling her whole life.
So she tried a challenge: one week, no added sugars. Not even maple syrup or honey. “It was tough for the first two days,” she admits. “But I quickly realized how much better I felt.”
Her plan was simple: cook most meals at home, use whole ingredients, and let naturally sweet foods like carrots, bell peppers, and roasted tomatoes shine.
Breakfast became steel-cut oats with cinnamon and almonds. Lunch was usually a grain bowl with tahini-lemon dressing. Dinner? Stir-fries, hearty soups, or roasted veggies with beans or fish.
What surprised her was how quickly her cravings shifted. “Fruit tasted sweeter. I didn’t miss dessert as much,” she says.
More than a plan, it became a mindset. She no longer feared sugar—but she respected it. “Now I treat sweet things like a treat, not a habit,” Taryn explains. “And my energy levels? Way more stable.”
