Clean inputs create clean outputs. Remove sugar and processed foods and your energy, mood, and discipline stabilize.
What this rule means
- No added sugar and no ultra processed snacks or desserts.
- No liquid sugar: soda, juice, sweetened coffee or tea.
- No refined junk disguised as health food: bars, candies, bakery items, most cereals, most store sauces.
Why it works
- Fewer blood sugar spikes means steadier focus and fewer cravings.
- Better body composition and recovery from training.
- Clearer skin, calmer digestion, and better sleep for many people.
- Fewer decisions about snacks frees attention for work that matters.
What to remove
- Obvious sugar: candy, chocolate bars, pastries, donuts, cookies, ice cream.
- Liquid sugar: soda, energy drinks, sweetened lattes, juice.
- Refined flour and seed oil combos: chips, crackers, most packaged snacks.
- Hidden sugar: flavored yogurt, granola, bottled dressings, many sauces.
What to keep
- Proteins: eggs, lean ground beef, steak, chicken, turkey, fish, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese.
- Vegetables and fruit: potatoes, rice or oats if you tolerate them well, leafy greens, berries, apples.
- Fats: olive oil, butter if tolerated, avocado, nuts.
- Seasonings: salt, pepper, garlic, herbs, mustard, vinegar, lemon.
Read labels in 10 seconds
- Ingredients short and recognizable wins.
- Added sugar grams per serving: aim for zero.
- Words that signal sugar: sucrose, glucose, fructose, corn syrup, dextrose, maltodextrin, honey, agave, maple syrup.
- If a snack has more than 5 ingredients and includes sugar or seed oils, skip it.
A simple plate template
- Half plate vegetables or fruit.
- Palm or two of protein.
- Thumb or two of quality fat.
- Smart carbs only around training or long active days.
Swap matrix
- Soda to sparkling water with lemon.
- Candy to fruit and a handful of nuts.
- Bakery breakfast to 3 eggs with fruit or Greek yogurt with whey.
- Chips to cheese with carrots or jerky with an apple.
- Sweet sauces to olive oil, vinegar, mustard, salsa.
Batch cook plan in 60 minutes
- Brown lean ground beef with onions and spices.
- Bake chicken thighs or breasts.
- Roast a sheet pan of mixed vegetables and potatoes.
- Cook a pot of rice or oats if you use them.
- Box into single servings so decisions are done.
Craving playbook
- Drink water and wait ten minutes.
- Eat a protein first snack: cottage cheese, eggs, jerky.
- Change rooms and do a 90 second chore.
- If cravings hit at night, brush teeth after dinner and make herbal tea.
Social and travel strategy
- Decide before you go: protein plus vegetables, skip the sweet drinks and desserts.
- Order first and keep it simple.
- Carry a default option when traveling: canned fish, nuts, protein powder, fruit.
Budget help
- Buy family packs of eggs, chicken thighs, lean ground beef.
- Use frozen vegetables and berries.
- Choose canned fish and dry beans.
- Repeat meals. Variety can come from spices, not sugar.
Metrics that matter
- Days with zero added sugar.
- Number of home cooked simple meals per day.
- Protein grams per day.
- Cravings per day and time to pass.
- Sleep and morning clarity scores from 1 to 5.
Common traps and fixes
- “Healthy” bars and cereals: if it tastes like dessert, it probably is. Eat real food.
- Coffee creep: black or with a splash of milk only. No syrups or creamers.
- Weekend drift: keep the same breakfast and bring a protein option to gatherings.
- All or nothing crash: if you slip once, reset at the next meal, not tomorrow.
A 14 day reset
- Days 1 to 2: remove sweets and junk from the house. Shop proteins, vegetables, fruit.
- Days 3 to 4: batch cook twice and follow the plate template.
- Days 5 to 6: zero liquid sugar. Track added sugar grams and keep at zero.
- Day 7: eat out once using the social strategy.
- Days 8 to 10: add a protein first breakfast daily.
- Days 11 to 13: replace night snacks with herbal tea and reading.
- Day 14: review metrics and list three benefits you noticed.
Commitment statement
“I eat real food and skip sugar. I keep my inputs simple so my energy stays steady and my work stays strong.”
