Your Joints Will Hurt Less Once You Remove Added Sugar From Your Diet
Removing sugar from your diet could put the spring back in your step, thanks to a reduction in inflammation. According to Healthline, sugar promotes inflammation in several ways. It leads to excess production of advanced glycation end products , inflammatory compounds that form when fat or protein combine with sugar in the bloodstream. Sugar also increases intestinal permeability, raises LDL cholesterol, and leads to increases in body fat all of which have been linked to chronic, low-grade inflammation. In turn, chronic inflammation is believed to underlie or exacerbate a number of health conditions, including certain types of arthritis.
Joint diseases can be either inflammatory or noninflammatory . Although osteoarthritis, the most prevalent form of arthritis, is generally considered noninflammatory, a paper published in Therapeutic Advances in Musculoskeletal Disease in 2013 pointed out that inflammation does in fact play an important role in osteoarthritis.
The Arthritis Foundation noted that nearly one in three Americans between the ages of 18 and 64 have arthritis. If you’re one of them, know that cutting out sugar could reduce symptoms such as pain and stiffness.
Youll Have Better Breath
Has your partner ever complained of your bad breath? Maybe youve even noticed your own bad breath from time to time. If so, youll want to stop eating sugar. Sugar causes the bacteria in your mouth that is responsible for bad breath. When you consider this, your sweet tooth isnt so sweet especially not for your honey. Cut back on sugar if you want more kisses and a better love life!
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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Your Skin May Clear Up If You Quit Sugar
According to a paper published in 2014 in The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, between 12 and 22 percent of women and 3 percent of men continue to experience acne into adulthood. If you’ve been dealing with breakouts through your 20s, 30s, and beyond, cutting out added sugar could be the solution you’ve been searching for.
One explanation for the link between sugar and acne, as proposed in a 2008 study published in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, is that eating sugar causes a spike in blood sugar, which requires the body to release insulin. Insulin encourages the release of androgens , a known cause of acne. Insulin may also trigger the production of other substances that stimulate the body to produce more pore-clogging sebum .
This connection between sugar and acne has been noted in a number of studies, including a paper published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in 2014. The researchers found that individuals with no or mild acne ate significantly less added sugar and total sugar than those with moderate to severe acne.
Ways To Replace Sugar And Enjoy Your Meal
Add protein to your diet
What can stop you from grabbing the sugar foods? Maybe something that makes you feel filled can reduce your sweet cravings. Try adding healthy protein sources with a needed portion. You can take the foods that are less in carbs and high in proteins for a tasty sugar free meal. Unsweetened yogurt, tofu, eggs and nuts are the best source of protein.
2. Include natural sugars
Next way to make your sugar free diet healthy is to add natural sugars. You have fruits, maple syrup, coconut water and dates. Always, you must look for the substitutes are jaggery, honey. These ingredients can be part of your dessert recipes.
3. Add spices
As it is a sugar free diet you find less substitutes. You can sprinkle the spices to your meals as a replacement of sugars. Some of the spices are cardamom, nutmeg, vanilla, cinnamon. Spices also give you the large amount of nutrients and energy that compensates for your non sugar diet.
4. Focus on whole foods
The one who is on no sugar diet must eat whole foods to make it all healthy. Processed foods again show the negative effects like inflammation, obesity and many other health complications. Eating whole foods in small amounts for each meal can help you with controlling your cravings. This is a healthy and amazing way to make your sugar free meals tasty as well.
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How To Measure Added Sugars
Sugars are listed under the Total Carbohydrates heading on nutrition labels. Until recently, you might have had to guess if those were added sugars. But the FDA now requires labels to list exactly how much of that sugar is added. Some smaller companies have until 2021 to comply. Total calorie count is also important to good health. Too many calories are bad for you whether from sugar or anywhere else.
You May Feel More Fatigued And Irritable
When you stop eating carbs altogether, your blood sugar levels will drop so low to the extent that your body releases two stress hormones epinephrine and cortisol. These hormones heighten your flight and fight state. You start feeling fatigued all the time, you become irritable, and starvation kicks in. When you go for some time without eating carbs, your body tries to find an alternative fuel source, and it turns to protein, which is required for muscle repair and growth. In the long run, it will harm your health. For this reason, health experts recommend cutting back on carbs rather than stopping it altogether. Just stick to the complex carbs and void simple carbs.
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Things That Happened When I Stopped Eating Sugar
“When I started reading food labels, I was truly shocked.”
This article was written by Larell Scardelli and provided by our partners at Rodales Organic Life.
There are two types of sugar in this world: the good and the bad. You’ll find the good kind in fruits as fructose and in dairy products as lactose. While there’s a significant amount of sugar in these foods, they’re also rich in fiber and contain vitamins that are important for a healthy diet. The bad kind of sugar is refined sugar, which appears in desserts, condiments, soda, and processed foods. “Its known as sucrose, says dietitian Rachel Link, and it derives from processing cane sugar.
Eight months ago, I cut refined sugarthe bad typeout of my diet. My holistic doctor suggested quitting might help me get a handle on the unexplained lethargy, acne, and headaches I was experiencing. It wasn’t easy, but I managed to go from more than 70 grams of refined sugar a day to eating less than 20. Id constantly consult a list of foods to avoid that was secured to my refrigerator door . Holidays are a true test of willpower, and going out to eat is considered a cheat, because you cant know whats in food if youre not cooking it. Here’s how my life changed.
Week 5 And Beyond: Maintaining Your Low
By now, youll probably find that your relationship with sugar is a lot healthier than it was when you startedyoure more of a friendly acquaintance than an obsessive stalker. From a psychological standpoint, you realize you dont need sugar anymore, says Dr. Smith. You also understand the affect sugar once had on your body, because you feel so reinvigorated in week five.
Going forward, its okay to have some sugar here and there, but to think of it as a treat, rather than a mainstay of your diet. Portion control is very important, and you want to stay away from added sugars, he advises. But after five weeks, you should have no problem making smart decisions.
Celebratory unicorn lattes for everyone!
Originally published April 11, 2017 updated August 10, 2018.
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Youll Have Healthier Teeth
A 2013 study published in International Scholarly Research Notices: Dentistry explains how sugar is linked to cavities and tooth decay. To preserve your teeth and prevent bigger problems like root canals, youll want to do your best to stop eating sugar. Always floss and brush your teeth, at least twice a day. Your teeth will love you for it!
Stop eating sugar and youll lower your risk of heart disease dramatically, because too much sugar in your diet heightens your risk of high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes three primary risk factors for heart disease and cardiovascular decline.
What Happens When U Quit Sugar
Its during this early sugar withdrawal stage that both mental and physical symptoms have been reported including depression, anxiety, brain fog and cravings, alongside headaches, fatigue and dizziness.
What happens if you stop sugar completely?
Stop eating sugar and youll lower your risk of heart disease dramatically, because too much sugar in your diet heightens your risk of high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes three primary risk factors for heart disease and cardiovascular decline.
What are the benefits of quitting sugar? Here are the Biggest Benefits to Quitting Sugar
How much sugar is OK in a day? According to AHA guidelines, most men should consume no more than 150 discretionary calories of sugar per day. This is equivalent to 38 g or 9 teaspoons of sugar. Women should use no more than 100 discretionary calories on sugar per day. This is around 25 g or 6 tsp of sugar.
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You May Be Irritable After Giving Up Sugar But Your Mental Health Will Improve In The Long Run
In the short term, cutting out sugar may leave you feeling lousy and not much fun to be around. According to Medical News Today, individuals going through acute sugar withdrawal may experience irritability, anxiety, and depression. These negative feelings should subside fairly quickly as the brain adjusts to life without sugar.
Despite initial discomfort, quitting sugar may be one of the best things you can do for your mental health. Healthline noted that consuming too many simple sugars can increase your risk for depression and mood disorders. Sugar promotes inflammation within the body, and inflammation may be an underlying cause of some forms of depression.
In fact, the link between sugar and depression is so compelling that researchers have begun to experiment with the use of diabetes drugs to treat depression. In one 2016 study published in Psychiatry Research, participants with depression were given pioglitazone, a medication that makes the body more sensitive to the effects of insulin, for 12 weeks. The medication improved their ability to regulate blood sugar, and this in turn led to improvements in their depression symptoms.
Your Immune System Becomes Stronger
Your immune system will be able to function much better once sugar is out of the diet. According to a study conducted in 1973, sugar causes our white blood cells to stop doing their job of consuming bad bacteria.
A more interesting bit of information from that same study is the fact that starches did not have the same effect on the white blood cells. In light of that fact, it would also be safe to assume that grains and pseudo-grains do not either.
For an immune system to function at its strongest level possible, the ideal situation is to eliminate all added and processed sugar. While this can be extremely hard to do, especially since sugar goes by so many names these days, every little bit helps.
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You’ll Get More Zs After Giving Up Sugar
If you decide to remove added sugar from your diet, your sleep will likely improve. That’s because sugar can negatively affect sleep in a variety of ways . Those who eat more sugar tend to be more restless at night and have more shallow sleep. Sugar is a rapidly absorbed form of energy, so a big serving of dessert shortly before bed primes the body for action and can leave you feeling wired when your head hits the pillow.
Sugar during the day may also drive us to eat later at night to counteract the inevitable sugar crash, and eating close to bedtime disrupts sleep. Metabolizing sugar also requires the body to use magnesium, a mineral that’s also critical for good sleep . It’s probably no coincidence that the average American consumes way too much sugar and doesn’t get enough sleep.
Although cutting out sugar can improve both the quality and quantity of sleep you get each night, there’s often an adjustment period as your body gets accustomed to the dietary change. Healthline noted, “Some people experience changes in their sleep when detoxing from sugar. You might find it hard to fall asleep or stay asleep through the night.”
A Closer Look At Sugar Addiction
Generally speaking, many people get addicted to sugar when their diet is loaded with processed sugar.
Typically, current eating patterns in America exceed the recommended daily amount.
Sugar addiction starts from intense cravings that continue regularly.
These sugar cravings tend to cause you to eat too much sugar, which then causes even more cravings, and hence creates a vicious cycle.
Sugar cravings are about much more than just simply consuming more sugar than what is recommended the complete guide to what causes sugar cravings breaks it down even further with details on everything you need to know about your cravings.
In the sections below, we explain what happens when you quit sugar and how kicking your sugar addiction can help you lead a healthier lifestyle.
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The Effects Of Sugar On Your Body
If the start of your day consists of going to your nearest coffee shop and grabbing a powdered doughnut and an extra sweet coffee, chances are your daily sugar intake could be high. On average, Americans consume 270 calories of added sugars per day, according to the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. To put that into perspective, this is about 17 teaspoons of sugar dailythe maximum daily added sugar intake should be no more than 9 teaspoons and 6 teaspoons for men and women, respectively.
Too much sugar in your diet can influence your likelihood of obesity and type 2 diabetes, and even heart disease. But this does not mean you cannot have sugar at all. The American Heart Association says it is better to add a small amount of sugar to improve the taste of foods, such as whole-grain cereal, rather than opting for foods that are already highly sweetened.
However, if youre looking to cut sugar out of your diet, either completely or temporarily, it can lead to noticeable changes in your body and with your mood.
We spoke with health experts who weigh in on how not eating sugar can lead to several improvements.
You Wont Get Sick As Often
When you eat too much sugar, you wreak havoc on your immune system. But, when you stop eating sugar, your immune system is able to function in the way it was designed. The chronic inflammation linked to high sugar consumption lowers your immune response, making you more susceptible to colds and flus throughout the year.
When you stop eating sugar, youre likely to find youre far healthier and less likely to catch a cold or flu bug. One reason for this has to do with your white blood cells. For up to 5 hours after youve eaten a bunch of sugar, those cells are 50% less able to fight off bad bacteria.
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No Sugar For A Month Long Term Effects
This was a few years ago and the weight has stayed off permanently. In fact, over the next few months, he lost a little more and hes now a stone lighter than when he started cutting back on sugar.
He does have a few sugar treats from time to time, but hes never gone back to the high sugar intake he used to live on.
Quitting sugar or at least drastically reducing your intake is so worth it. You owe it to your body to eat better!
You May Have Better Sex
For men, eating sugar causes an insulin spike that drives pathways that reduce sex drive and function, explains , MD, medical director at Cleveland Clinics Center for Functional Medicine in Ohio and the founder of the UltraWellness Center in Lenox, Massachusetts. Sugar also wreaks havoc female sex hormones, says Dr. Hyman, the author of several books including the 10-Day Detox Diet. This affects more than just sex life and desire, he adds. It can cause women to lose hair on their head, and grow it on their faces as well as develop acne and irregular periods. Reversing these effects are among the benefits of cutting out sugar.
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