The Benefits Of Sugar Detoxification
Clearer Thinking
If youve dealt with fatigue or adrenal issues, youll know that brain fog is a real thing and it sucks. By the end of the detox, my brain fog had cleared up a lot. Not totally, but gave me the motivation to do another detox.
More Energy
Energy has always been such a struggle for me, and was a big motivator for me to do this detox. The first few days, I felt more tired, sluggish, drowsy, but as the week went on, I felt more energetic and more clear-headed. The final day, I felt AMAZING! We were out an about all day and I never got that energy slump I normally would.
Better Sleep
I was skeptical on this because the first part of the week, I didnt notice much better sleep, but as the week went on, it definitely improved.
Less Cravings
If you crave sweets, youll notice this one big time. Your cravings just about disappear, its crazy! When you eat something that is sweet, it will taste so much sweeter and honestly, you might not like it anymore.
Lose Weight
This wasnt something I was hoping for personally, but I know that a lot of people experience weight loss when they give up sugar. I dont think that I was eating enough before to have made a big difference in my weight. But, a friend of mine gave up soda for Lent one year in high school and lost 15 lbs. from doing that alone.
Week : Your Energy Returns But Your Sugar Cravings Persist
In week two, most people talk about residual cravings, Dr. Smith explains. Theyre beyond the withdrawal symptoms, but theyre missing certain types of sugary substances.
To combat this, he says, make sure youre eating plenty of protein, healthy fats, and fiber with each meal, which will help you feel fuller, longer. Healthy snacks will also helplike the smoothie Karlie Kloss swears by when shes jonesing for dessert.
Monitor Your Alcohol Intake
Although it can be tempting to reward yourself for keeping away from the sweet stuff, alcohol is one of the worst sources of sugars.
It is extremely high in sugar, especially liqueurs and cocktails . Use soda water as your mixer instead of fizzy drinks.
Instead of setting unrealistic goals for yourself that you wont want to maintain, keep drinking alcohol but substitute every other glass for a glass of sparkling water. Not only is it cheaper, but your head will thank you in the morning.
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When Rats Were Given The Choice Between Water Sweetened With Saccharin And Intravenous Cocaine 94% Chose The Saccharin Water
One study out of France, presented at the 2007 annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, showed that when rats were given the choice between water sweetened with saccharin and intravenous cocaine, 94% chose the saccharin water. When the water was sweetened with sucrose , the same preference was observedthe rats overwhelmingly chose the sugar water. When the rats were offered larger doses of cocaine, it did not alter their preference for the saccharin or sugar water. Even rats addicted to cocaine, switched to sweetened water when given the choice. In other words, intense sweetness was more rewarding to the brain than cocaine.
The American Psychiatric Association defines addiction to include three stages: bingeing, withdrawal and craving. Until recently, the rats had only met two of the elements of addiction, bingeing and withdrawal. But recent experiments by Princeton University scientist, Professor Bart Hoebel, and his team showed craving and relapse as well. By showing that excess sugar led not only to bingeing and withdrawal, but to cravings for sweets as well, the final critical component of addiction fell into place and completed the picture of sugar as a highly addictive substance.
Increase The Amount Of Whole Unprocessed Fats In Your Diet
The sugar cravings many of us experience are due to the lack of enough healthy, whole fats in our diet. Dietary fat stabilizes blood sugar .. sweet cravings become overwhelming on dips in blood sugar.
I used to think that it was a lack of willpower that was preventing me from succeeding in getting my sugar cravings under control. As it turned out, it wasnt a lack of willpower at all. It was my low-fat diet that was the primary problem.
Once I switched from skim milk to whole milk , the whole yogurt from low-fat or fat-free yogurt, and butter from vegetable oil and butter substitutes, I noticed my sugar cravings rapidly diminished!
As part of this step, be sure to clear out of your pantry any item that features a reduced-fat or fat-free marketing line on the package.
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How Can I Wean Myself Off Of Sweets
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Sugar-containing foods mostly provide empty calories and offer few nutritional benefits. If you are concerned about your weight or want to prevent health problems, weaning off of sugar could help you lose inches and get healthier. Just like quitting smoking, cutting out sugar is easier said than done because of its addictive nature. When you consume sugar in cake, cookies, ice cream, sodas or yogurt, it activates the same brain regions as other addictive substances like cocaine.
Tip
Going cold turkey is the best approach to break the addiction and start improving your health.
Increase Healthy Fat Intake
Another great step to take in your sugar detox is to increase your intake of healthy fats. This change can help reduce your cravings for sugary foods. See my full list of ways to reduce sugar cravings.
Healthy fats include avocado, unsweetened coconut products, grass-fed butter or ghee , and nuts and seeds. Aim for 1-2 tablespoons of healthy fat with each meal.
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Suss Out Sugary Restaurant Food
They don’t call it sweet and sour pork for nothing. Many types of takeout or eat-in cuisine are smothered in sauces or coatings made with added sugar. Even the crust of takeout pizza is likely to pack hidden sugar, even though you may not taste it, says Avena. Glazes, condiments, and even pasta sauces are often loaded with sugar, the same sugar that is just as harmful in a prepackaged box of cookies, she adds. Read labels carefully: look for brown sugar, corn syrup, maltose, fructose, dextrose, molasses, agave, brown rice syrup, cane sugar, cane syrup, and evaporated cane juice, which are all just other ways to say “sugar.”
Breaking The Sugar Habit
The World Health Organization recommends limiting calories from added sugar to less than 10 percent of daily caloric total. About 71 percent of U.S. adults get more than 10 percent of their calories from added sugar, primarily from sugar-sweetened beverages, grain-based desserts, fruit drinks, dairy desserts, and candy. One in 10 Americans get a full 25 percent of their calories from added sugar.
How do we cut sugar from the diet? One way is to eliminate all sugars and flours, and sometimes even grains, which convert to sugars, all at once. This is initially difficult: People tend to experience withdrawal symptoms, such as cravings, headaches, and/or irritability, for the better part of a week when they cut sugar cold turkey. However, if they can get through them, the unpleasant symptoms typically disappear.
Another approach is Avenas Sugar Freedom Plan by Catherine Gordon, a five-phase program to gradually reduce and eliminate sugars and carbohydrates fueling addiction. It starts with a period of a few weeks of getting rid of sugary beverages, followed by periods of cutting sugar-rich junk foods, complex carbs that quickly turn into sugars, and hidden sugars, such as those found in salad dressings and marinades. Protein such as lean meats, nuts, seeds, eggs, and beans, and non-starchy vegetables should be emphasized, and a little whole fruit often can be eaten because the fiber offsets the effects of the natural fruit sugars.
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How To End Sugar Addiction For Good
Below are the four steps for ending a sugar addiction for the long haul. It is important to note that how long each step takes is completely up to you. There is no hard and fast schedule for completion.
The point is to continue to make progress even if one step takes a bit longer than the others. And, if you have a setback, that isnt the end of the world. You can continue to move forward. Progress, not perfection is the ultimate goal!
Watch Your Intake Of Simple Carbs
Refined carbohydrates, like white bread and pasta, can spike your blood sugar and cause cravings, just like sugar. Two good rules of thumb: avoid foods that are highly processed and replace refined grains with their whole-grain counterparts.
For example, choose brown rice instead of white rice, and swap your white bread and pasta for the whole-wheat versions. Whole grains take longer to digest than refined grains, so they dont cause such severe blood sugar swings. While you may eventually choose to go completely grain free, if you want to transition slowly, whole grains can be a good start.
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Eat Plenty Of Protein And Healthy Fats
Detoxing from sugar almost always causes some cravings. But you can keep your hunger pangs at bay by filling up on protein and good-for-you fats. Theyll balance your blood sugar, keep you feeling full for hours, and provide a slow release of energy. Good choices include lean meats, almonds, eggs, avocados, and fatty fish.
That Stubborn Belly Fat And More
Youre a woman of substance and you know looks arent your only quality. Youd love to look slimmer but youre more concerned that a high waist-to-hip ratio could put you at a higher risk for chronic illnesses like diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.
As if the stubborn belly fat wasnt enough, you have to deal with the likes of brain fog, fatigue, lethargy, hot flashes, night sweats, acne, dry skin, hair loss, mood swings, irritability, insomnia, anxiety, depression You feel out of breath just thinking about it.
You know you need to get a handle on your health because, once you miss this window of opportunity, you could be facing a downward spiral in your golden years .
Honest to God, youve tried everything under the sun and still havent figured out how. With work, family responsibilities, taking care of elderly parents and dealing with teenagers, young adults or grandkids you just cant find the time for yourself.
I get that. Ive listened to hundreds of women express their frustrations just like you. And I feel frustrated too. Why? Because I have successfully shrunk my once-expanding midlife belly and avoided most menopausal symptoms. And I just hate to see another woman like you go through this tumultuous time without the help that you need.
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What Is Sugar Withdrawal
A splitting sugar headache, fatigue, cramps and nausea are just a few of the debilitating symptoms that can occur when you decide to finally nix sugar from your diet. But why does this happen, and what causes it?
Years ago, sugar was just a small part of the diet, found mostly in natural sources like fruits and starches. In recent years, however, sugar intake has skyrocketed, with added sugars accounting for an estimated 14.1 percent of total energy intake according to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Its found just about everywhere, from ultra-processed foods to granola bars, cereals, yogurts and even tomato sauces.
Here are some more alarming statistics on sugar intake in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
- Americans should keep added sugar intake to less than 10 percent of calories.
- From 200510, men and women 20 and over consumed 13 percent of calories from added sugar.
- In 200508, average percent of daily calories from added sugar was 16 percent for boys and girls ages 219.
- Socioeconomic status is found to not affect added sugar intake by youths, however among adults, lower-income people consume more added sugar.
- Younger, less educated, less physically active adults who smoke and drink infrequently or lightly seem to consume the most added sugar among adults.
Also Beware Of Naturopaths
Some definitions: “dietitian” is the only term that is subject to professional requirements. Anyone can be a nutritionist. “Naturopath” is what nutritionists call themselves when they want to sound a bit more new-age than they already do. The middle term attracts the most scepticism, based on the presumption that just because your field isn’t professionally accredited, you do not know anything and you can’t process information. People make it about journalists quite a lot as well this presumption is mistaken.
That said, I interviewed lifestyle guru Carole Caplin once, and she asked me to do something the next day, and I said: “Unfortunately, tonight I’m going to get completely drunk, so I most probably won’t want to do Pilates/circuit training/zumba tomorrow.” She fixed me with a beady eye and said: “I try not to eat too much chocolate, but sometimes I go mad. The other day, I ate something like eight squares of Green & Black’s. And afterwards I felt terrible, I had a headache, the shivers, I couldn’t get out of bed. Whereas if I’d only had two squares, I’m sure my body would have coped with it.”
Here’s the thing: I’m not convinced that really happened. I think she was using chocolate as a metaphor for booze, in an attempt to find some joint language that we would both understand.
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Cold Turkey Vs Weaning Off Sugar
I get asked this question a lot. Which is better, assuming they are asking easier, weaning off sugar slowly or going cold turkey?
The answer is two-fold, maybe three.
The answer is it depends.
It depends on how big your habit is.
I would never suggest a person with a huge sugar habit go cold turkey. I would suggest tapering down for a few weeks first.
But for the most part, the above example aside, the only real way to get any semblance of control over sugar in your life is to go cold turkey for a time.
To stop ingesting sugar in any form, one day at a time, and see what happens.
Feel the feelings.
Live the actual withdrawals.
Try and remember them when you crave something sweet and relive them in your mind so you dont have to do in real life.
Your memory of withdrawals can save you from any actual withdrawals by not picking up that first cookie.
Get an intimate understanding of how the product is affecting YOUR body.
Do you believe in the old adage what goes up, must come down?
How is it possible that we feel SO lousy when we stop this stuff?
Seriously folks what is causing that?
Not that I want you to relapse all the time folks I dont.
What I do want you to do is to pay attention to what you feel like when, and if, you do get a little abstinence under your belt and then do relapse.
This is the barometer you should really be searching for and understanding. ^^
A real nice mellow buzz! That alls right with the world feeling. Its very real!
Ease Off The Table Sugar
If you’re used to adding sweetener to your food and drinks, give yourself time to ease out of the habit, suggests Kohn. Typically start your day with two spoons of sugar or honey in your tea or coffee? Cut back to one sugar for a week, then slash it to zero a week lateror sweeten it with a slice of orange or a little milk. Same thing with the sugar you put on top of French toast or cereal, or the maple syrup doused on your pancakes. Gradually reducing the amount will make it less noticeable that you’re cutting back, and you’ll be less craving-crazed for a sugar hit.
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Foods That Stop Sugar Cravings
I find that whenever I significantly cut sugar from my diet that everything changesfor the better. I physically and mentally feel better. My energy is high, I’m alert and that “fog” in my brain is lifted.
But getting there is tough, and fighting off the cravings is a constant battle. So, what should you eat when you’re in the process of eliminating sugar from your diet without diving head first into, you know, a giant bowl of ice cream? We went to the experts for their best suggestions on the foods to add to your diet that will ease you into a sugar-free existence with as little pain as possible, including David Zinczenko, author of Zero Sugar Diet.
Tips For Cutting Out Sugar Safely
Glucose is the primary and preferred source of fuel for the brain and body.
However, many people can benefit from reducing their added sugar intake by instead choosing fruits and vegetables, which provide vitamins, minerals, fiber, and naturally occurring sugar for energy. Including fibrous, complex carbohydrates can help deter cravings and minimize a sugar withdrawal.
People can increase their chances of success, reduce cravings, and minimize sugar withdrawal symptoms by using the following tips:
Avoid the following foods and drinks:
- Sugar-sweetened beverages: Sodas, fruit juices, and energy drinks are the leading sources of added sugars, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Drink water and unsweetened coffee or tea instead
- Candies and sweets: These food items contain high quantities of added sugar. Try replacing them with fresh fruit.
- Baked goods: Cakes, cookies, and even certain types of bread contain added sugars. Avoid these refined carbohydrates as much as possible.
- Low fat foods: Food advertised as low fat or fat free often contain added sugars to offset the missing fat.
Combat cravings by:
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