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This year for Lent, I’m not giving up something arbitrary.

I’m giving up added sugars and alcohol.

[I’ve done Lent-style challenges before, but this one feels different. This one is VERY gut-driven — because after everything I’ve learned about the microbiome, these two things are two of the biggest disruptors I still let linger in my own routine.]

I want to walk you through exactly why I’m doing this, what the research says, and — because I know this question is coming — what “giving up sugars” actually means in my real life.

Because it’s not as simple as “stop eating candy.” But it’s also not as a strict diet, “no sauces, fruit, ect.”

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Why I’m Giving Up Sugars and Alcohol for Lent [And What That Actually Means for Your Gut]

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Why Give Up Sugars

Let’s start with the basics: ALL sugar is not evil.

Natural sugars found in whole fruits, vegetables, and dairy behave very differently in the body than the sugars manufacturers add to processed foods and beverages.

When you consume excess added sugar, it disrupts the balance of your gut microbiome in ways that compound quickly.

A 2022 review published in Gastrointestinal Disorders found that a diet high in added sugars is directly linked to gut dysbiosis — a state where harmful bacteria begin to outnumber beneficial ones — along with abnormal short-chain fatty acid synthesis, altered intestinal barrier integrity, and chronic inflammation. [source]

That last one matters for anyone dealing with leaky gut, IBS, SIBO, or any other condition where the intestinal lining is already compromised.

Sugar feeds an already inflammatory environment.

Research published in the European Journal of Nutrition found associations between sugar-sweetened beverage intake and shifts in gut microbiota composition, including a higher Firmicutes:Bacteroidetes ratio — an imbalance commonly linked to gut dysbiosis — suggesting that what you drink matters, not just what you eat. [source]

And if you think the damage is limited to the gut itself, think again.

A 2021 study published in Translational Psychiatry found that excessive sugar consumption disrupts the gut microbiome in ways that impair hippocampal-dependent memory function. The gut-brain axis runs both directions. What you eat shapes your gut, and your gut shapes your brain. [source]

There’s also the inflammation angle.

A review from the University of Helsinki’s Human Microbiome Research Program highlighted how a Western diet rich in added sugars specifically disrupts the balance between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory gut bacteria, setting the stage for chronic low-grade inflammation. [source]

For women dealing with bloating, inconsistent digestion, skin breakouts, or hormone disruption, this is the root-cause conversation we should be having.

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Why Give Up Alcohol

I want to be honest here: this one is far easier for me personally.

In fact, I haven’t had a sip of alcohol since before Christmas. So, I figured, might as well keep it going.

However, I WILL tell you that this one might prove a little harder since I’m traveling a lot + have a Gala coming up.

I’m giving it up because the research is clear enough that I can’t keep ignoring it and then turn around and tell you gut health is my top priority.

A large-scale population study from the FINRISK 2002 cohort — one of the largest of its kind, with over 4,500 participants and more than 17 years of follow-up — found that alcohol consumption is associated with lower microbial diversity, a shift toward a pro-inflammatory gut microbiome profile, and increased gut permeability. The researchers concluded that this shift toward endotoxemia (bacterial toxins leaking into the bloodstream) is a key mechanism by which alcohol contributes to liver disease and systemic inflammation. [source]

Here’s what that looks like in practical terms: alcohol reduces the abundance of beneficial bacteria like Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, while promoting the growth of potentially pathogenic bacteria like Enterobacteriaceae and Proteobacteria.

Research published in Alcohol Research: Current Reviews documented this pattern consistently across human and animal studies. [source]

And it’s not just heavy drinking.

The microbiome is sensitive. Even moderate and regular consumption shifts the gut environment in ways that work against the healing you’re trying to accomplish.

If you’ve been doing everything “right” — the probiotics, the bone broth, the anti-inflammatory foods — and still not seeing the results you expect, alcohol may be one of the pieces quietly undoing your progress.

It increases intestinal hyperpermeability, contributes to endotoxemia, and drives systemic inflammation.

For anyone trying to heal their gut, continuing to drink while pursuing recovery is a bit like mopping the floor with the tap still running.

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What It Means to Give Up Sugars

Okay. This is the section I know you actually need.

Because “no sugar” sounds incredibly hard…..until you realize that I’m not doing this as an ultra-strict experiment.

Here’s the breakdown.

I’m NOT giving up things like:

• honey
• fruit
• maple syrup
• even monkfruit

No, I’m NOT giving up these things.

Nor am I worried about the occasional sugar in a pasta sauce, should I have that.

Here is what I am giving up:

• Most processed foods that contain sugar
• Cookies (even my homemade ones)
• Cakes (even my mom’s delicious ones)
• Ice cream (that always goes with the cake)
• Candies (that sneak in here and there; yes, I’m even looking at you, Smart Sweets)

And because this falls during Expo West, THIS ONE will be a HUGE challenge.

How to spot sugar on a label:

Depending on the extent to which you want to take this, sugar is basically everywhere. HERE are 192 sources of sugar and alternate names for it.

I should make note that in the depths of my gut healing journey, I did avoid most of those for a long time.

What about natural sweeteners?

For the purposes of this Lent challenge, I’m not eliminating honey, maple syrup, or monk fruit from my routine. [Beside, look at all of these benefits to the Manukora honey I consume]

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One More Thing

I want to name something out loud: this is not about perfection.

I’m not going to fall apart if I’m at a dinner party and the only salad dressing available has a little sugar in it. Lent, for me, is about intention. It’s about doing something consistently, with purpose, for a defined period of time.

If you want to join me in this, great. If even one piece of this gives you a framework for understanding your gut better, that’s the win.

I’ll see you on the other side of 40 days.

P.S. My brother is a devout Catholic (I am not), and he told me this: Technically since every Sunday is a feast day in the church calendar, fasting and abstinence are not required. Therefore, I guess if I wanted that Cassava cookie that badly, Sunday would be the day! 🙂

If you liked this article, you might also enjoy:

1. 2-Ingredient No Sugar Cinnamon Sugar
2. Bloat Free Meal Plan
3. Minimalist Meal Plan (Simple Meal Ideas While Gut Healing)

Xox,

SKH

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