Sweet On The Sweet Stuff
You drink a flavored latte. One moment youre wired the next, youre making a beeline to the couch. What gives? Youve just downed too much sugar. Your body goes on a physical and emotional roller coaster after having too much of the sweet stuff. The minute you put a sweet in your mouth, you get a surge of dopamine, a feel-good hormone with addictive properties, says Amanda Bontempo, RD, a nutritionist at NYU Langones Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center. But the high doesnt last.
Increase Your Protein & Fat Intake
Eat right for your breakfast it has a significant influence on the rest of your day. Having protein in your meals gives you lasting energy and reduces your cravings for sugary food. Eggs, peanut butter, beans, legumes, protein smoothies, fatty fish, and nuts are all high in protein.
An increase in healthy fat intake also helps in sugar detox. Healthy fats include avocado, unsweetened coconut products, grass-fed butter or ghee , nuts, and seeds. Aim for 1-2 tablespoons of healthy fat with each meal.
Here’s How You Can Have All
I want you to take a moment and imagine what it would feel like if you no longer had the complaints and nagging issues that brought you here today.
How great it would be to
- Put on your clothing without wrestling yourself into them
- Lose weight without restrictive dieting or eating weird superfoods
- Sleep soundly through the night and wake up with energy to tackle your day
- Lose the puffiness from your face and body that makes you dread getting your picture taken
- Have the energy to complete your home and work to-do lists as well as unexpected things that pop up
- Eat a meal without running to the bathroom or fighting back embarrassing gas in the middle of a meeting
- Ditch the belly bloat that looks like you’re pregnant
- Easily pass on dessert or just eat one GF cookie — GASP!
- End the cycle of trying crazy diets that make you miserable and discover the right real foods to eat
Their successes are both powerful and inspiring, right?
So if youre tired of spinning your wheels and dont want to end up in the same spot a year from now, its time to make a different choice.
Its time to literally CHOOSE YOU over sugar.
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Benefits Of Sugar Detox
This 10 Benefits of Sugar Detox article includes a Sugar Detox Meal Planner, 20 recipes and more!
Cutting out sugar can help in a myriad of ways. Below we will share all the benefits of quitting sugar, and show you just how easy it can be!
We all know that sugar is bad for us, but did you know that consuming too much sugar can also have a big impact on your mood and energy?
Sugar is a source of empty calories, meaning it doesnt provide any nutritional value. And when we eat too much sugar, it can cause us to gain weight and feel tired.
Quitting sugar can provide you with a wide range of positive changes in your life, such as increased energy, mood improvement, better sleep, improved mental clarity, and more!
How Chiropractic Can Help
While going through this process it is important to remember to support your detoxification pathways through chiropractic adjustments and proper supplementation as well. Making sure your nervous system is functioning properly so that your body can effectively heal and rid this junk from your body is crucial to how quickly and well you heal and maintain this detoxification process.
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Eat More Complex Carbs
Theres no need to completely lower or cut out carbohydrates even if youre watching sweets. It is the refined, simple carbohydrates like pasta, bread, and sugar can spike and crash your blood sugar.
On the other hand, starchy vegetables like sweet potato and winter squashes provide you with a nutrient-dense source of carbohydrates. Sprinkling a baked sweet potato with cinnamon tastes like a treat, but provides you with stable blood sugar from the complex carbs and the cinnamon.
So, choose complex carbs like sweet potato and butternut squash when youre detoxing from sugar. Dont forget to eat your veggies, too.
And, dont miss my guide on how to freeze sweet potatoes.
Reduce Inflammation From Food Sensitivities
Inflammation has been shown to cause unhealthy blood sugar levels and lead to insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes. But illness or injury are not to blame for most inflammation food sensitivities are. The most common problem foods are gluten and dairy, so just for these first ten days, kick them out of your diet as well.
You may not even realize you have a problem with one or both of these until a few days later, when you suddenly have a great deal more energy and far fewer symptoms such as bloating, gas, headaches and nausea. Doing a sugar detox may seem a little extreme to some and reasonable but incredibly difficult to others. But research supports the idea that we all need to get sugar and flour out of our diets for good.
With this 10-step plan you can quit sugar much more easily than you think, I promise. The first few days are the hardest, but if you follow all of these steps, youll start feeling amazing in no time.
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What Is A Sugar Detox
A sugar detox is when you abstain from eating sugar, specifically added sugar, for at least a week and up to a month in order to reduce sugar intake, curb sugar cravings, and improve overall health.
There are no hard or fast rules when it comes to sugar detoxes, but your focus should be on cutting out added sugars from your diet: that means paying attention to nutritional facts and avoiding sugary sodas, most desserts, processed foods, and even some condiments like ketchup, which can include four grams of sugar per tablespoon.
“There’s now lots of emerging research that too much sugar can lead to heart disease and cancer and inflammation,” says Lisa Young, RDN, an adjunct professor in the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies at New York University. “So while you might not see the results of cutting out added sugar tomorrow, over time, it’s a very big positive for your health.”
In fact, a 2017 study estimated if Americans cut their added sugar intake by 20% for 20 years, about 20 fewer people per 100,000 would develop type 2 diabetes, and 10 fewer per 100,000 would develop heart disease. These effects increased the more added sugar was cut.
Note: Due to the lack of clinical studies examining sugar detoxes, there is no clear recommendation for how long you should detox whether that be 7, 21, or 30 days. Instead, Young suggests you start your sugar detox by aiming for a minimum of one or two weeks without eating added sugar.
How Long Should You Detox From Sugar
This will depend on your personal goals. Just need a reset after too much indulgence? 5 days is fine.
However, if like mine, your relationship with sugar has become a habit or physical addiction, 30 days is a good start. Many people find that it takes about a month to break a habit, however, other research suggests it may take much longer. Furthermore, to break a habit, one must replace it with another behavior.
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How To Detox From Sugar
Cutting out sugar is one of the best things you can do for your health. You’ll not only get leaner, but also lower your risk of developing chronic diseases. On top of that, your energy levels will go through the roof.
According to a June 2019 research paper featured in Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, the so-called sugar rush is just a myth. Scientists have found that high-carb foods don’t improve mood, alertness or energy. On the contrary, they increase fatigue and decrease alertness within 30 to 60 minutes after consumption. These findings indicate that you don’t need sugar to stay focused and energized.
First of all, decide whether you want to go cold turkey or give up sugary foods and beverages gradually. Regardless of what you choose, be prepared to clean up your diet and find new ways to satisfy your sweet tooth. A full body detox or body cleanse isn’t the answer. The key is to change your eating habits.
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health warns about the dangers of detox diets, also known as flushes or cleanses. Fasting, juicing, liquid diets and colon cleansing are just a few examples. These so-called “detox” strategies lack scientific evidence and can do more harm than good. Additionally, many detox supplements and cleansing products available on the market carry potential side effects.
Furthermore, sugar addiction isn’t real. You might have heard that sugar is more addictive than illegal drugs, but that’s just another myth.
What Is Sugar Exactly
Sugar comes in many different forms. Four of the most common are:
- Fructose
- High fructose corn syrup
- Glucose
Fructose is a natural sugar found in fruits and veggies but consuming too much can still be bad for your health. It would be hard to over consume fructose from eating fruits and vegetables alone, but it is often used as an added sugar in processed foods. The only organ in your body that can break down fructose is the liver. It turns fructose into triglycerides , free radicals , and uric acid .
Sucrose is white table sugar. This is the stuff that many Americans sprinkle on cereal and what is added to baked goods, ice cream, and most processed foods. Sucrose is composed of a mixture of glucose and fructose. The glucose gets sent to your bloodstream, causing a spike in blood sugar, while the fructose is sent to your liver to be metabolized.
High fructose corn syrup is made from cornstarch. Like sucrose, its about 50% fructose and 50% glucose. Theres debate whether its worse for you than sucrose, but theres yet to be enough evidence to support any conclusion. Regardless, HFCS isnt healthier than table sugar and certainly isnt a good substitute.
Glucose is your bodys primary source of energy. You dont need to consume glucose by eating the right foods, your body creates glucose for you. Having too much glucose in your system causes your blood sugar to rise, possibly to unhealthy levels. Having too little in your blood can also be unhealthy.
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Why Do We Care About Detoxing From Sugar
The American diet is notorious for being high in sugar consumption, equal to an average of over 1 pound per week. That high sugar intake has been associated with heart disease and obesity.
Even if you arent following that 1-pound-a-week sugar consumption diet, there are other ways you can affect your body with more sugar than intended. Some diets even advocate weekly cheat days to make it easier for you to stick to the diet. The idea is that you can stick it out and eat clean six days a week, and then go crazy on day seven.
Heres why thats a bad idea: Your body takes a few days to recover from eating too much sugar, and by the time its back to full power, its nearly time for you to cheat again.
Your brain function could dip as your blood sugar levels crash, and you could have background inflammation for most of the week. You may lose weight, but youll never end up feeling like an energetic and clear-headed person whos totally on top of their game.
That said, total restriction isnt the answer eitherand when a sugar binge happens, planned or unplanned, you shouldnt feel bad about it. Delicious food is one of the great pleasures in life. Plus, letting loose now and then reminds you how bad excess sugar can make you feel, and strengthen your commitment to a more healthful diet.
Get A Good Nights Rest On November 1st
Wonky blood sugar coupled with caffeine from any chocolate you might have consumed during a candy free-for-all can mess with your sleep on October 31st. Plan to get your ZZZs back on track the night after so you can wake up feeling refreshed and like Halloween never happened on November 2nd. Plan to go to bed at your regular time on November 1st and aim for at least eight hours of shut-eye. Also, check out our detox post to help with a sugar detox.
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Have An Afternoon Tea
Drink a cup of dandelion root tea with your afternoon cucumber and almond snack. Trust me, this one is important. Dandelion can help improve digestion, and being properly hydrated is linked to everything from a healthy metabolism to energy and good skin health. If dandelion isnt your thing, go for green tea for an antioxidant and metabolic boost.
Sugar Detox Plan: What To Eat During A Sugar Detox
Certain phenomena happen so predictably that they have become ordained laws of nature. For example, we know gravity will always bring things back down to Earth, and the Sun will rise each and every morning. Similarly, eating a lot of sugar will make us crave even more sugaror that’s at least how it seems.
Science backs up this seemingly inevitable sugar-craving cycle. Studies show that we can become biologically addicted to sugar, just as we would other substances like drugs or alcohol, which might explain why statistics on sugar consumption are so staggering. A report from the University of California San Francisco explains that the recommended daily sugar consumption is no more than six teaspoons, or 25 grams. However, the average American consumes 19.5 teaspoons or 82 grams, per day. It’s scary stuff.
Ready for a meal plan that will help you ditch sugar from your diet? Read on to learn what to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner during a sugar detox.
Meet the Expert
- Lauren O’Connor is a Registered Dietician, the author of Healthy Cooking for One Cookbook, and the owner of Nutri-Savvy.
- Darby Jackson is a certified holistic health coach, personal trainer, and the founder of Darby Jackson Well-Being.
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A Candy Hangover Is Real
Just ask any elementary school teacher. Adults feel the effects even more. Consuming large amounts of sugar in a short amount of time can cause rapid changes in blood glucose levels. This can lead to headaches, nausea, dizziness, fuzzy thinking, general malaise, and dreaded mood swings.
Here are five simple things you can do to help ease your candy hangover.
How Do You Do A Sugar Detox
In the simplest terms, a sugar detox cleanses your body of excess sugar. There are different ways to do this, but the most effective one is to quit cold turkey and go completely sugar-free for a few days. Then you can gradually introduce natural, healthy sugar , back into your diet.
Why would you want to do this? Because, unfortunately, the negative effects sugar has on your body and mind are countless.
Before we get into the details of detoxing from sugar, lets go over the different kinds of sugar and how they can affect your health.
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No Its Not Your Fault And You Are Not Weak Either
The bitter truth about sugar addiction
Have you ever tried to reduce your sugar intake but simply couldnt?
Not only you are not alone, but according to science, there may be a simple reason for this. Studies have found plenty of evidence that point us towards a problem of sugar addiction. In fact, the research suggests that sugars can cause the same behavioral and neurochemical effects as cocaine, nicotine or alcohol.
So, it is very important to let any guilt go, and understand that sugars are a type of drug. Just like people face challenges with alcohol, cigarettes or even cant stop drinking coffee. In a nutshell, that is sugar bitter truth.
As a society, we have a problem with sugar addiction. And under the hood, behind the attractive packages, theres an ultra processed food with large amount of sugars that make us all addicted and sick.
Just to give you an example, one study found that Oreo cookies activate more neurons in the pleasure center of the brain than cocaine does!
So, sugar addiction is real. But, what can you do about it?
Sugar Detox Withdrawal Symptoms
Numerous studies have found that added sugars can produce changes in neurochemistry and behavior similar to those of other addictive drugs. When initially cutting out sugar after long-term use, one may experience withdrawal symptoms. Sugar detox symptoms should resolve within a few days, but may include:
- Headaches
- Nausea
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How To Ease Withdrawal Symptoms
- Bad breath
- Offensive body odor
- Sleep difficulties
These symptoms are actually a good sign. They mean your body and mind are eliminating stored toxins and are finding their way to balance once more. Those who consume the most caffeine, alcohol, and sugar, and those who have the most food allergies, will have the most difficulty with the detoxification initially. In any event, symptoms of withdrawal usually disappear after three or four days.