A new challenge: 30 days without pasta
I decided to overcome another challenge: thirty days without pasta, piadina, pizza.
But why?
According to research from Harvard’s School of Public Health, carbohydrates strongly influence blood sugar and energy levels, which helps explain some of the changes you may notice after 30 days without pasta
Harvard School of Public Health – Carbohydrates and blood sugar
Well, I want to test how dependent we are on this food. In practice, almost every evening I prepare piadina and almost always pasta for lunch.
I usually only eat organic and whole wheat pasta. However, it is a lot of starches and carbohydrates. I eat it almost every day for lunch and often, in the case of soups, the remainder for dinner. Often it is more than two hundred grams of pasta.
My weight at the beginning of the challenge was slightly higher than the recommended one: 79kg. The recommended weight for my height and age is 77kg.
I am not doing it to lose weight but to realize how dependent we are on sugar (which I do not consume at all) and in particular that derived from carbohydrates and what effects this challenge will have on me.
My third day without pasta and piadina: fame, lucidity and chocolate dreams
For three days I have completely eliminated pasta and piadina (which I prepare almost every evening) from my diet. It is a personal thirty-day ‘challenge’. The result? I have a great reputation! And yet I eat a lot, but I no longer feel sleepy immediately after meals. And then… I started daydreaming about chocolate, sweets and even cigarettes. Strange, right?
Hungrier but more lucid!
Without pasta, meals never seem enough. Even if I eat vegetables, legumes, oats, dried fruit and potatoes, the feeling of satiety lasts less than before. But there is one detail that struck me: after lunch I no longer have that sense of torpor that made me want the sofa. No post-prandial nap then. My head is more alert, my energy seems better distributed. Maybe pasta was more heavy than I thought?
Forbidden dreams of sugar and cigarettes!
One thing I didn’t expect was the return of cravings I hadn’t felt in years. I suddenly have a craving for chocolate and sweets. Basically every morning for breakfast I prepare oat milk (freshly extracted from the flakes) with a spoonful of cocoa and yet I daydream about chocolate nougat and pastries. Is the link between carbohydrates and addictions stronger than we imagine? Maybe the body seeks fast sugars in another way. Or maybe it’s just the brain that is looking for a new balance.
Resist or adapt?
Three days is too little to draw conclusions, but enough to understand that the body rebels against changes. Hunger can be managed, clarity is an advantage, but sudden cravings test discipline. I continue my experiment and want to see what happens over the weeks. In the meantime, if you have ever tried to drastically reduce carbohydrates, I would like to know how it went for you. Have you also dreamed of chocolate and sugar? Write it to me in the comments.
