Are you curious as to how to detox from sugar?
Sugar happens to be one of the most addictive substances on the planet.
It is nearly in everything we eat, so it’s no surprise that it’s very difficult to steer clear of our sugar cravings.
It’s estimated Americans consume 22 teaspoons of sugar every-day! (source)
I myself have had my occasional candy bar/ice cream binge eating relapse.
Unfortunately, I like many other people did not understand WHY I was craving sugar so badly.
I found it quite annoying when people would just tell me you need to stop eating sugary foods and eat healthier. Well, DUH!
My question was always HOW!
Here, I will discuss with you WHY you are craving sugar, how to stop sugar craving, and teach you how to detox from sugar so you can start losing weight quickly!
Let’s tackle this!
First let’s discuss the reasons why you should detox from sugar.
Why Detox From Sugar?
1. Sugar Blocks Weight Loss Hormones
The main hormone that sugar interferes with is Leptin.
Leptin is made by your fat cells. Leptin’s primary job is to send messages to the brain to let it know “Ok, I’ve had enough food now.”
It also tells your body to get up and go exercise.
When you consume too much sugar, your brain never receives those messages.
Basically, it blocks your natural weight loss hormone from doing what it was intended to do.
2. Sugar Leaves You Feeling Unsatisfied
When you eat copious amounts of sugar, you’re left without any feeling of satiety.
Unlike whole grains, lean protein, and certain vegetables, which leave you with a feeling of fullness much quicker. Fewer calories are consumed, so there’s less of a chance of putting on weight.
3. Risk Dying From Cardiovascular Disease
One Particular study showed that people getting 17 to 21 percent of their daily intake from sugar risk a 38 percent higher chance of dying from cardiovascular disease compared to those who didn’t.
For those who had at least 21 percent daily intake from sugar, their chances of dying from cardiovascular disease DOUBLED! (source)
4. Risk Getting Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is increasing in the U.S.
What’s the culprit?
SUGAR!
High-fructose corn syrup hiding in sweets, drinks, and processed foods is primarily to blame.
A study done at Tuft University found that people who drink one sugar-sweetened beverage a day have a greater risk of developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease vs people who do not consume drinks with added sugar. (source)
Unfortunately, high-fructose corn syrup isn’t the only hidden sugar we have to worry about.
Here is a list of some the other names sugar might be hiding under:
- Anhydrous dextrose
- Brown sugar
- Confectioner’s powdered sugar
- Corn syrup
- Corn syrup solids
- Dextrose
- Fructose
- Invert sugar
- Lactose
- Maltose
- Malt syrup
- Molasses
- Sucrose
As you can see, it’s very easy to consume sugar without even realizing it!
5. Cause’s Leaky Gut and Other Metabolic Diseases
When talking about your gut health, sugar is your WORST enemy! Researchers believe that sugar changes the gut microbiota in such a way that it increases intestinal permeability.
What does this mean?
Glad you asked.
It means that the sugar is feeding the bad bacteria and yeast that damage the intestinal walls, hence the name leaky gut.
This can cause obesity and other metabolic diseases. (source)
6. Sugar Makes You Fat
In the 1960’s, sugar lobbyist’s paid Harvard researchers to lead the public to believe that naturally-occurring fats were the cause of obesity. This phony research has been since debunked and we are now aware that SUGAR is the cause of this.
Recently, I had a sugar relapse and fell off my normal routine. In my defense, I was working CRAZY hours and was averaging about 3 hours of sleep a night. Fun fact for you, SLEEP IS IMPORTANT!
Here is a list of some of the things I did to detox from sugar and kick it to the curb, and what you can do to prevent yourself from making some of the same mistakes I did.
How To Detox From Sugar!
1. Start Eating More of The Healthy Stuff
It’s a lot more difficult to fill up on junk food if you are filling yourself up on the good stuff.
So, start eating more fruits and vegetables. If you consume enough protein, you’d be surprised at how full you feel from a nutrient-dense meal filled with protein.
I can speak from personal experience that when I stuffed my face with more chicken and rice, I was definitely NOT craving the sweets quite as bad.
2. Get Enough Sleep
This is what caused my latest setback for my fitness goals. Sleep is VERY IMPORTANT when it comes to controlling sugar/food cravings.
Studies have shown that individuals that are sleep deprived are
more likely to crave junk food vs their fully rested counterparts.
It is estimated that 1 in 3 Americans do not get enough sleep (source). Don’t be the statistic, get your rest and you WILL kick sugar.
3. Get A Plan in Place
It’s easy to say you’re going kick sugar, while it’s a completely different story when it comes to following through with it. Having a plan in place is key to success.
I was not able to overcome my terrible cravings until I started PLANNING ahead of time.
I began making my lunch the night before, set a reminder on when I should go to sleep, and had a friend call me every day to make sure I was getting my butt to the gym with him regardless of how tired I was.
When I put all these things in place, I started to have success.
4. Switch to Stevia
I used to LOVE putting large amounts of sugar in my coffee (Yes, I’m a caffeine fiend). This is something I no longer do because I know it leads me to consume even more sugar throughout the day. Now I’ve replaced it with stevia.
Stevia is safe to consume, and it won’t cause any unwanted insulin spikes like some other zero-calorie sweeteners do.
5. Toss It Out
The easiest way to get blind-sided by your own unhealthy habits. If you don’t have it around, it’s a lot more difficult to consume it, am I right?
Just get rid of it, you’re better off without it. If you feel bad about throwing it away, then give it away to someone. Just make sure you GET IT OUT of the house!
Teaching yourself how to detox from sugar can be quite a battle. This is why its EXTREMELY important to have a healthy meal plan in place.