In modern times companies add sugar to almost everything and there is a sugar addiction issue affecting our health. The first step to detoxing from sugar and beginning a sugar cleanse. Beginning to read labels is the way to initiate a change in purchasing behavior.
You will want to check labels on all foods, even those you assume would have low sugar, like fruit juices, salsa, breads, nut butters, and yogurt. Some foods we think are healthy are actually full of sugar. Foods that are labeled as “fat-free” often have sugars added in order to make them more tolerable.
Sugar is an addictive substance and when companies add sugar to their products, you become addicted and then they are able to sell more product. The sugar epidemic is causing obesity, type 2 diabetes, brain fog, and chronic health issues including heart disease and cancer. A sugar detox can break the cycle of cravings and addiction and can reset the body by balancing the blood sugar.
How to do a sugar detox
- Begin by selecting a five-day period in which you can do a sugar detox, and you can extend this up to seven days. It can be helpful to plan ahead to make sure you don’t have any dinner plans or holidays within the timeframe as this can be a tough time to turn down foods and offers. This is a time to nourish the body and offer it a break from the almost constant processing of sugar.
- It is important to drink a lot of water and stay hydrated during the cleanse.
- Stay away from all added sugars in foods. This means eliminating sugar, stevia, coconut sugar, and anything in foods that contains ingredients with the ending -ose (sucrose, fructose, dextrose, maltose, rice syrup, barley malt and more). If you do not know an ingredient look it up on the internet before buying the product.
- Say no to all sugary drinks including soda, kombucha, and sweetened fruit juices.
- Avoid natural sugars like honey, syrup, and dates. These should be removed for the detox but can be added into the diet after because they are naturally occurring sugars and are healthier than food products.
- Artificial sweeteners should be avoided at all times because they are unnatural and can cause adverse reactions within the body.
Benefits of a sugar detox
There are many benefits to cleansing from sugar. Clearer thinking is one of the benefits, because sugar can cause brain fog and when we eliminate sugar from the diet the brain has a break and can become clearer and more focused.
You may also experience more energy in the body. During the first few days of a cleanse, you may experience an increase of tiredness or drowsiness, but this should pass within the first couple days and you should notice an increase of sustained energy soon. You may also experience better sleep towards the end of your sugar cleanse.
After the cleanse, you will have significantly less craving for sugar. Eating sweet and sugary foods will taste significantly sweeter and you will probably find yourself eating less sugar than you normally would before becoming satiated.
Some people also experience weight loss when giving up sugar. People who eat a lot of sugar or drink sugary sodas can experience great benefit in giving up these high-sugar habits. Brain fog should be reduced and you should find it is easier to focus on tasks.
Sticking with your sugar detox for 5-7 days will ensure that you will feel results and be encouraged rather than discouraged. Healing from sugar addiction is not easy, but significant changes in cravings can occur in about a week, which is a short time period to see such results.
