Cold Showers & No Sugar - My experiments and learnings

Change I - NO SUGAR

Right around October time last year, my wife showed me a video - What Happens If You Stop Eating Sugar for TWO Weeks. This video really changed my perspective about sugar consumption and its effects on our body.

I decided to stop eating sugar completely and as of today ( 01/20/23 ) its been about 10 weeks of no sugar. I did see a lot of the benefits which were originally mentioned in the video by Dr. Berg.

Experiment Protocol

• Stopped all the added sugars
• Stopped all sweet treats ( Indian sweets too ! )

Learnings / Experiences

So here are few benefits / changes which I have experienced personally -

1. Energy Equilibrium

I started feeling that I no more go through rise and drop energy cycles in the day. My energy levels are much more balanced throughout the day. I also see a significant reduction in the cravings to snack throughout the day.

2. Weight Loss

I lost about 4 pounds since I started my no sugar routine. I didn't change my diet , didn't add any exercise to my route.

Alright, thats all about NO SUGAR !

Change II - COLD SHOWERS

Second change I made was to start having cold showers everyday. This change was triggered by one of the YT shorts where Andrew Huberman spoke about how cold showers / cold exposures lead to a 2.5X times spike in dopamine which can last around 3-4 hours.

Well I was really experiencing fatigue in evenings during this time when I watched this clip. I really wanted to fix this as it was affecting my productivity in evenings. I decided to TRY cold showers !

Experiment Protocol

• 3-5 min cold shower in evening everyday

Learnings / Experiences

So here are few changes which I have experienced so far -

1. Instant Fatigue Relief

Everyday once I take cold shower, I have been feeling instant increase in my alertness and focus. I also see an uptick in my energy levels , helping me with reducing fatigue. Studies have shown that -

Deliberate cold exposure causes a significant release of epinephrine (aka adrenaline) and norepinephrine (aka noradrenaline) in the brain and body. These neuro-chemicals make us feel alert and can make us feel agitated and as if we need to move or vocalize during the cold exposure. Source

2. Significant Reduction In Stress

At times after having long day at work, cold shower does have a effect of reducing stress. At least this hasa been my experience. Studies have shown that -

While not true of every stress, cold exposure causes the prolonged release of dopamine. Dopamine is a powerful molecule capable of elevating mood, enhancing focus, attention, goal-directed behavior, etc. Even short bouts of cold exposure can cause a lasting increase in dopamine and sustained elevation of mood, energy, and focus. Source

References

• What Happens If You Stop Eating Sugar for TWO Weeks
• The Effect of Cold Showering on Health and Work: A Randomized Controlled Trial
• Adapted cold shower as a potential treatment for depression
• The Science & Use of Cold Exposure for Health & Performance
• 6 Reasons Why Cold Showers Are Good For You | 16 Studies

Disclaimer

This article is solely an articulation of my personal experience. I have tried to add few medical studies in reference section. Definitely check them out.