To gain new experience.

And to do something good for yourself.

I have divided the challenge into different levels of difficulty so that everyone can take part. But more on that later.

First of all, I would like to tell you why I am starting this challenge.

Through my fitness blog I have dealt a lot with nutrition in recent years and have come to the conclusion that avoiding sugar and wheat has a positive effect on my health, my appearance and my performance

Above all, these (audio) books on the topic impressed and convinced me:

Based on the findings from these books and many good blog articles (for example on Marathonfitness.de or HealthyHabits.de), I have been consuming relatively little sugar and wheat for a good year now.

With the current challenge, I would also like to reach a new level and completely avoid wheat and sugar during Lent.

But one after the other.

Why do without wheat and sugar?

Sugar and wheat have fallen into disrepute in recent years.

The two foods are said to be unhealthy. Yes, one even reads that they can be addictive and cause diseases.

But which of these is really true?

Unfortunately more than we usually want to be true …

Why you should go without wheat

And not just in the baked goods department.If you take a careful look around the supermarket and are there If you also read the labels of the products, you will soon notice one thing: Wheat is omnipresent.

The problem with this: It is no longer a natural product, but highly bred common wheat that meets the industrial needs (high yield, low costs, easy handling, versatility in processing) more than our human needs. p>

What problems are attributed to the high consumption of this industrial wheat?

• Gluten intolerance (celiac disease)
  A food intolerance in which your intestine declares the adhesive protein gluten (which is also found in wheat) to be a no-go. Since it is not always clear whether it is celiac disease or “just” a sensitivity, those affected often suffer from it for years before they are actually diagnosed and, for example, experience relief from a gluten-free diet.
• Wheat sensitivity and allergies
  Have been on the rise since the common use of industrial wheat. Abdominal pain, fatigue, headaches, etc. are the result. In the case of an allergic reaction, the symptoms can be even more aggressive and range up to reddening of the skin, nausea, shortness of breath, palpitations, etc.
• Skin diseases
  Psoriasis and neurodermatitis are suspected that a gluten-rich diet, especially wheat, promotes the disease.
• Bowel diseases
  Inflammatory bowel diseases have been occurring more frequently for around half a century. The history of industrial wheat also began at this time. It is therefore only a matter of time before medicine creates a direct link. Research is still ongoing into factors such as genetics, hygiene and nutrition.
• Psychological changes
  Hard to believe but true: The occurrence of schizophrenia can also be associated with increased intestinal permeability and corresponding inflammatory reactions stand. In autism, too, an improvement could be achieved with a gluten-free diet.

Isn’t that reason enough to drastically cut down on wheat consumption?

Why it makes sense to avoid sugar

And organizations like the WHO are usually quite conservative with their limit values. So you can assume that less is better for you.The per capita consumption of household sugar in Austria and Germany is around 100 grams per day. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that no more than 10% of the daily calorie requirement is covered with sugar. That’s about 50 grams of sugar for women and 65 grams for men. You can calculate your exact calorie requirement here.

We don’t need pure sugar at all – we adequately cover our carbohydrate needs with grain, potatoes, fruit, vegetables, legumes, etc.

But on average we eat at least twice as much sugar as is good for us.

This leads to a whole host of problems and diseases:

• We become addicted
  Sugar is addicting. When it is consumed, the body’s own opioids are released in the brain, which have a similar effect to drugs and trigger a firework of nerve impulses in our reward center in the brain, which we in turn find extremely pleasant. In addition, different hormone levels such as dopamine and serotonin increase. Super casual in the short term, long-term: risk of addiction!
• Hard worker pancreas
  If our body wants to metabolize sugar, the pancreas has to secrete insulin. A constant intake of sugar leads to an increased insulin level, which in turn favors inflammation in the body and slows down the fat metabolism (already stored fat can no longer be broken down as well). A chronically high insulin level is also a free ticket to “diabetes” type 2 diabetes mellitus
• The thing about the scales
  Increased sugar consumption has also been linked to global body mass gains. The figures for Austria from the last Nutrition Report 2012 show that 40 percent of adults are overweight, 12% are obese. Sugar literally plays an important role.
• Dental health
  Tooth decay is on the rise because the bacteria that cause tooth decay convert the sugar into acid that can damage tooth enamel.
• A sour aftertaste
  If you consume a lot of sugar (plus some animal products and a lot of wheat) you have a good chance that your acid-base balance is messed up and you slide into acidosis. Your blood pH is then chronically in the acidic range, which can have a detrimental effect on your health and performance.
• The monster in the intestine
  Our intestine is an incredibly complex organ that fulfills extremely important functions for our body. However, this is not done by the intestine alone, but by the many and millions of intestinal inhabitants: our intestinal flora. High sugar consumption can destroy this intestinal balance and favor “monsters” like the Candida fungus. This mushroom loves sugar and craves it too. A vicious circle begins.
• The list is long
  Unfortunately, it doesn’t end here. Depression, ADHD, and much more are now associated with increased sugar consumption.

Process of the Anti-Weicker Challenge

The challenge starts on February 10, 2016 and runs through March 26, 2016 (Holy Saturday).

There are three levels of difficulty. As a little relief, it is allowed to take Cheatdays from you. Those are days when you can eat what you want. So if you are invited to a wedding, for example, or you are planning a trip, or if your willpower is weakening, play the Cheatday and start again.

Important: Never take 2 cheat days in a row, otherwise you will quickly lose your momentum and the challenge would be aborted.

The difficulty levels:

• Rookie (for beginners)
  • Sugar
    You ignore sweets. No chocolate, no gummy bears, etc. Sweetening food and drinks is ok.
  • Wheat
    You completely do without all the nibble stuff (chips, pretzel sticks, etc.) that includes wheat flour. You will be amazed where you can find this everywhere. So read the nutritional information carefully!
  • 4 Cheatdays
• Advanced (for advanced users)
  • Sugar
    Like a rookie, but there is also the fact that you completely forego sweetened drinks. So water, mineral water (without any additives), unsweetened teas (also no honey), unsweetened coffee (also no candisin), directly pressed fruit juice (without added sugar and without added sugar substitutes) are allowed.
  • Wheat
    Like a rookie including renouncing all wheat-containing baked goods such as rolls, bread, etc.
  • 3 Cheatdays
• Pro (for professionals)
  • Sugar
    You completely do without sugar and all sugar substitutes. So: No sweets, no sweetened drinks, no pastries, no jam (jam), so simply nothing that contains sugar (honey, agave syrup, etc.). Dried fruits and of course fresh fruit are allowed. They contain enough sweetness to cope with the lack of sugar.
  • Wheat
    You completely do without wheat, wheat flour and all products made from it. Whole wheat products too.
  • 2 cheat days

Assess your level at the beginning of the challenge.

It should be a challenge for you, but not seem impossible to you.

Every step you take in this challenge is one towards a balanced diet.

Growing together, learning from one another

I created an event on Facebook so that everyone who wants to take part in the challenge has the opportunity to exchange ideas with one another.

Is there anything to be won?

Perseverance should be rewarded. A copy of the book Drug Sugar & Wheat: A Plea for a Life without Fat and Sick Makers * by Ulli Zika and Johanna Sillipp will be raffled among all participants in the Challenge event on Facebook. (The cash transfer and the judges’ decision are final).Sure.

The winner will be announced in the feed of the Facebook event after the challenge has ended. The book will then be sent.

Tips for implementation

In the next few weeks I will keep posting tips to make it easier for you to avoid sugar and wheat.

There will also be a guest contribution by an author of the books presented above, which I am particularly looking forward to.

To get started, the following tips will help you:

• Shopping consciously!
  When shopping, pay attention to the content to know about food. You do this by reading the nutritional information on the label. And be careful: Sugar is not always just about sugar, it also means glucose syrup, fructose syrup, maltose syrup, invert sugar syrup, dextrose, maltodextrin, natural fruit sweetness, etc. Don’t be fooled and also stay away from sweeteners (aspartame, acesulfame, etc.)! You can find even more tips for healthy shopping here.
• Drink lots of water!
  This will help you avoid cravings for sweets.
• Build up new, healthy habits!
  This will help you to regain old routines like sweetened coffee with cake bypass. You can get tips here.
• Get enough sleep!
  If you haven’t had enough sleep, the chances are that you will get cravings for sweets. You can find more information about this and tips to avoid the unbridled appetite for sweets here.
• Eat enough protein-rich foods!
  You can find more information on this in my blog article about a balanced diet. This increases your feeling of satiety.
• Go for lots of vegetables and fruit!
  You can satisfy your cravings for sweets with the right foods. Over time you will get used to reaching for apples instead of gummy bears when you feel like sweets.
• Choose your level correctly!
  It could be difficult if you want to start straight away with the pro level, although wheat and sugar are currently the mainstay of your diet. Feel your way up slowly and you will have fewer or no problems with withdrawal symptoms such as headache or fatigue.

The point is not to stop eating sugar and wheat for the rest of your life.

The challenge is about questioning your eating habits, leaving your comfort zone and developing new eating habits with real foods.

I wish you every success in the Anti-Weicker Challenge!

Conclusion

You are doing your health a favor with the Anti-Weicker Challenge.

You will avoid two of the most dangerous fat and sick people of our time and learn to go shopping more consciously.

And there is also something to be won.

What you should do now if you want to be there:

• Go to Facebook and take part in the event for the Anti-Weicker Challenge (or leave a comment here under the post that you are participating and which level you will complete)
• Check in the next few days which level suits you and make a decision.
• In between, post your experiences and successes on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter with the hashtag #antiweicker.
• Get tips on 4yourfitness.com over the next few weeks and months – articles that will help you persevere.

I wish you great success.