Sugar has been called the “white death” for many years. The fact is that sugar is added to almost everything we eat and drink.
And what is in excess is usually not good for our body.
Years of research have shown that excessive consumption of sugar can lead to many health problems. To avoid these health problems you need to sugar detox.
So, here in this article let’s know more about how to detox from sugar. See this below…
Contents
What Is Detox From Sugar?
A sugar detox is simply a temporary cessation of white sugar, due to which the glucose level in our body rises to the required level, and the body stops having such a huge desire to consume sweets.
A sugar detox is not recommended for people who want to lose just a few pounds. This program is for those who want to take care of their health and feel better.
Sugar detox isn’t the easiest thing to do. This is a change that requires attention, effort, and control and, in addition, may be associated with unpleasant side effects. However, all this does not change the fact that it is really worth it.
Effects Of Sugar On The Body
We love sugar because it brings a small but tangible pleasure. It does not contain any vitamins and microelements, but it causes the release of endorphins into the blood.
Among the consequences of sugar consumption are the appearance of excess weight, suppression of the immune system, disruption of the gastrointestinal tract, the occurrence of tooth decay, and deterioration of the skin.
Sugar even interferes with emotional processes: it affects mood variability and increases the feeling of hunger.
Elevated Blood Glucose
Unfortunately, these changes are sudden and difficult to stabilize. Here is an article with information about the norm of blood sugar levels.
Increased Risk Of Diabetes
Too much sugar in the diet causes both obesity and diabetes. This is not something new in the medical world, but the information has been confirmed many times.
Deterioration of the Immune System
Sugar is tasty not only for humans but for bacteria and fungi. Therefore, if there is a lot of it in the diet, microorganisms receive a nutrient medium and thrive.
Bad Effects On the Skin
Dermatologists have been emphasizing the negative effects of a high-sugar diet on the skin for years. The more we love sweets – especially processed ones, the faster we age.
This is because certain sugar particles combine with proteins in our body, and these newly formed cells weaken the skin’s elasticity.
Weight Gain
Determine why you like sweets and understand what makes you fat. Added sugar is not the only cause of being overweight. It happens that the problems lie in genetics, the hormonal background, in a sedentary lifestyle.
And even an excessive love of sweets can have several reasons: lack of energy, stress that you want to eat, negative emotions, or even a love for the sweet taste.
In some cases, you may need the help of not only a nutritionist but also a psychologist. But it is the risk of gaining excess weight that is the main argument among opponents of added sugar intake.
Poor Oral Hygiene
The development of dental caries is a direct consequence of sugar intake and poor oral hygiene.
Why You Should Do a Sugar Detox?
Sugar is 8 times more addictive than cocaine – this is a very shocking fact. In fact, people are slowly killing themselves without realizing it.
We figure out how to get rid of a dangerous sugar addiction forever.
There are many downsides to added sugar. This is the growth of bacteria, excess weight, and hormonal imbalance.
Sugar provokes various metabolic and hormonal disorders that have a negative effect on the nervous system and brain.
Excess sugar has a bad effect on the work of the digestive tract, affecting the activity of enzymes. This is one of the sugar detox symptoms.
Excess sugar in the diet causes the development of one of the most dangerous diseases – diabetes. An increase in blood sugar leads to a decrease in the level of “good” cholesterol and the development of arterial hypertension.
As a result, a person develops the coronary disease, which can be asymptomatic for a long time and lead to the development of hypertension, unstable angina pectoris, strokes, threatening arrhythmias, and heart disease.
Tips To Do Sugar Detox
Unfortunately, there is no way to deal with a truly physiological addiction, other than complete rejection. Cut back on sweets drastically: all forms of sugar, all pastries, and all artificial sweeteners.
Also give up everything that contains trans fats or hydrogenated fats, as well as monosodium glutamate – for this, you should avoid any processed foods. See below for some sugar detox tips to quit sugar intake.
Avoid Sugary Drinks
Liquid forms of sugar are much worse than solid foods with sugar or flour. Imagine sugary drinks taking sugar straight to your liver.
The feeling of fullness does not occur, so during the day you eat more and more, and you want more and more sugar and carbohydrates.
Sugary beverages such as soda, sweetened tea or coffee, all juices (except green vegetable juice), and sports drinks are the largest source of sugar calories. Remember that half a liter of soda contains 15 teaspoons of added sugars.
Include More Protein In Your Diet
Try to eat protein at every meal, especially for breakfast – this is the key to balanced blood sugar and insulin, as well as to reduce sugar cravings. Eat nuts, seeds, eggs, and fish.
If you have not given up animal products, then choose high-quality poultry or meat from animals fed on plant foods and grown without the use of antibiotics and hormones.
Eat the Right Carbs
It is permissible to use an unlimited amount of only non-starchy vegetables, such as greens, cabbage (cauliflower, leafy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, etc.), asparagus, green beans, onions, zucchini, tomatoes, dill, eggplant, cucumbers, carrots, peppers, etc. Only potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkins and beets should be excluded.
Eat Healthy Fat
The cause of excess weight is not fat, but sugar. Fat causes satiety and is essential for nourishing cells and helps to blood sugar levels stable.
Include healthy fats along with protein at every meal and snack, such as nuts and seeds (which also contain protein), olive oil, coconut oil, avocados, and foods with omega-3 fatty acids.
Prepare For Emergencies
It is important to prepare for situations when blood sugar levels drop, and at this time you are in places that are not conducive to healthy eating, such as at the airport or office.
Be sure to think over your diet of sugar detox in advance and stock up on healthy snacks: almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, berries, and vegetables.
Give Up Sugar Gradually
If you are already addicted to sugar habit, then it will be difficult to stop using it. We do not recommend doing this abruptly, as the body will be in a state of severe stress.
This, in turn, can cause headaches and mood swings. We recommend giving up sweets gradually so that your results are long-term.
Get Enough Sleep
Lack of sleep provokes craving sugar and carbohydrates, as it affects appetite hormones. When a person does not get enough sleep, he does not have enough energy, so he consumes more easily digestible sugar.
Sleep is the best way to fight to overeat. You can literally fight your carb cravings—and your extra weight along with it—by sleeping.
Eat Healthy Sugar-free Desserts
Fruits and berries. Raw and home-processed fruit salads, berry smoothies, fresh berries in summer, and seasonally frozen in winter; organic dried fruits. Chips are made from fruits and vegetables, dried in a dehydrator or in the oven.
A very important point: fruits should not be eaten immediately after another meal, you need to wait 1-2 hours, otherwise fermentation will begin and, as a result, you will feel unwell.
Natural dark chocolate also belongs to healthy desserts, but it must contain at least 70% cocoa content and no sugar.
Handmade sweet treat from organic ingredients.
Pastila from natural fruits, antioxidant-rich berries, or juices. Prepared with a dehydrator or conventional oven.
Foods Allowed In Sugar Detox
Anyone who wants to adopt a sugar-free diet is first faced with the following question: what can I eat and what are sugar-free foods? A low-sugar detox diet is by no means as restrictive as it seems.
Because the problem of sugar in many dishes solves itself if you cook them yourself and don’t buy them ready-made at the supermarket or order them from a restaurant.
The basis of a sugar-free diet is fresh, natural nutrient dense foods, which should be on your shopping list regularly.
Within these food groups, you will find many sugar-free and low-sugar foods:
- Fresh fruit and vegetables (depending on the season).
- Legumes (peas, beans, lentils, etc.)
- Whole grains (bread, whole foods pasta, rice, etc.)
- Nuts and seeds (almonds, chia seeds, sunflower seeds)
- Fish, meat, and eggs (unprocessed and without ready-to-use marinades)
- Natural dairy products such as cheese or plain yogurt without sugar
- Oils and fats (butter, coconut oil, olive oil, etc.)
- Fresh or dried herbs (chives, parsley)
- Sweet Potato
- Mineral water, unsweetened coffee or tea, light drinks without calories
- Sugar-free candies with natural sugars
- Mushrooms
- Unsweetened coconut milk
Fruits Low in Sugar
While fruits are undoubtedly healthy, the sugar (fructose) they contain is in no way healthier than traditional household sugar.
Because even refined sugar (sucrose) is made up of about half fructose. To limit your sugar consumption, you must therefore choose fruits containing little fructose.
- Avocado
- Lemon
- Gooseberry
- Grapefruit
- Blackberry
- Gooseberry
- Watermelon
- Strawberry
- Raspberry
- Orange
Foods Prohibited In Sugar Detox
We have told you how to recognize hidden sugar in food. So that you don’t fall into other less obvious sugar traps than sweets, we’ve put together a list of foods you should avoid on a sugar detox diet.
Here are the high-sugar foods you should avoid on a sugar-free diet:
Sugary Drinks
These include soft drinks, energy drinks, iced tea, chocolate, instant coffee, and cappuccino. Fruit juices, fruit juice concentrates, fruit nectars, and smoothies.
Ready-to-eat Foods and Products
These include, for example, jam, hazelnut spread, pancakes, and sweet cornflakes.
Sugary Foods
Gummy bears, chocolate, cookies, ice cream, muffins, and cakes are usually made mostly of sugar. And even a seemingly small snack like a granola bar can quickly become a sugar trap.
Dried Fruits
Dates, figs, apple rings, or dried apricots are real sugary foods. The reason why dried fruits contain much more sugar than fresh fruits is simple: when fruits are dried, they lose a large amount of water, which concentrates the sugar content.
Ready-to-use Sauces
It is better to refrain from consuming ketchup and other ready-to-use sauces.
Ready-to-use Dressings
Ready-to-use dressings or yogurt dressings from the supermarket are very practical when you need to prepare a quick salad contain added sugar.
Highly Processed Industrial Foods
These include fast food, packet soups, and ready meals from the frozen aisle.
Benefits Of Detox From Sugar
The benefits of refusing to use refined sugars and products containing it are…
(1) Effective prevention of diabetes
(2) Body weight control is facilitated – sweet food saturates for a short time, hunger occurs 30-40 minutes after eating a cake, and if you choose lean meat with a portion of vegetable salad, which has 3-4 times fewer calories, appetite will appear in 2-3 hours
(3) The risk of developing hypertension is reduced, and the vessels remain elastic longer, which facilitates the work of the heart and the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the brain
(4) People who prevent sugar cravings stay physically active longer and maintain clarity of thought
(5) In adolescence, the number of rashes on the skin decreases, and in adulthood, the complexion improves, and wrinkles appear later.
Side Effects Of Detox From Sugar
It happens that people who decide to give up sugar and go through such a detox give up after two or three weeks, or even earlier.
Usually, the cause is the unpleasant side effects of sugar withdrawal, which can be intermittent or permanent. Here are some of them:
Headache
At first, the body may not be able to cope with the absence of what it used to be. This can lead to metabolic disorders and associated headaches.
Fatigue
Drowsiness, distraction, and a desire to sleep more than before are typical symptoms of sugar withdrawal.
Irritability
Sugar has many downsides, but there’s no denying that it’s simply delicious. Some people openly admit that, for example, chocolate is like a drug for them.
Therefore, its cancellation can cause similar symptoms – excitability, irritation, and even convulsions.
Sleep Problems
This is a natural symptom. If there are changes in your body, it will be difficult for you to calm down and fall asleep.
It is worth remembering that these symptoms only occur at the beginning of the journey without sugar. If you are not afraid of side effects, after about 3 weeks, they will gradually disappear.
Conclusion
If you cleanse and want to lose weight to improve your health, you can stop eating sugar in its pure form.
Most often we add it to tea, coffee, and fruit salads. But gourmets are advised to enjoy the natural taste of good tea and coffee.
