Break free from Sugar in one Week

Sugar addiction is extremely common and one of the hardest dietary battles to overcome, but it can be done!  Once you’re hooked, cravings can be hard to resist, leading you down a slippery slope towards obesity and other health problems. Studies show that in some people and animals, the brain can react to sugar very much like it can to drugs and alcohol. That’s why when you initially cut added sugars from your diet, you might feel deprived for a few days.

How do you detox from sugars grip?

The main aspect to focus on during a sugar detox is keeping the body well fed, hydrated, and moving.  Sugar imbalances hormones, mood, energy, blood sugar and suppresses the immune system.  It’s well known that sugar feeds bad bacteria in our gut which can lead to leaky gut and a host of other complications.

You need to give yourself seven days.  It’s now time to crush that sugar habit for good.  Get started on this plan to beat your addiction and detox from sugar in just one week.

Sugar Detox Focus Plan:

1. Plan out you week. Writing down what you’ll be eating for each meal, plus some snacks, will not only help you with making a grocery list, but make the whole process easier.  This is not going to be a “cake-walk”–get it?  If you have a daily plan, you won’t find yourself hangry, wondering what to eat.
2. RULE #1: No ADDED SUGARS. This means cane sugar, stevia, coconut sugar, anything that ends with -ose in your packaged foods (sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup, barley malt, dextrose, maltose, rice syrup). Ditch all the juice soda, kombucha, lattes, alcohol, yes alcohol too.
3.  Hydrate, Hydrate, & Hydrate some more. Keeping the body properly hydrated encourages oxygen to flow freely throughout the body. This allows you to be more attentive, alert and focused. Water itself is a powerful detoxifier because it assists the kidneys and colon to eliminate waste. Drink 6-8 glasses (250mL) of water per day. Don’t drink water with meals because it dilutes stomach acid and leads to poor digestion. Add a squeeze of lemon into your water for added detox benefit.  Sip peppermint tea throughout the day and evening when a craving strikes.
4. As always, Color your plate. Eat your veggies and color your plate!  When you eat vegetables and fruits in a rainbow-bright assortment of colors, you are getting an abundance of antioxidants and phytonutrients that all have specific jobs to keep the body healthy.  Again, this detox is not about deprivation, so when you’re hungry, eat!  Just make vegetables the bulk of what you’re eating this week (and heck, always!) When you get a craving, have a small bowl of chopped strawberries (about 2-3) and a handful of blueberries. Fruits have naturally occurring sugars, but since it’s paired with other things like minerals, vitamins, fiber, and water.
5. Add more protein & healthy fat to your diet. Eating tons of sugar creates a cycle of low blood sugar & constant hunger.  The best way to break the cycle, besides eliminating sugar, is to eat meals that contain tons of lean protein and healthy fat (nuts, seeds, legumes, beans, meat, fish, poultry, eggs). Protein and fat are more difficult to digest, making you feel full for longer periods of time.
6. Get moving.  Nothing gives you more of a mental & physical boost of energy like getting up and going for a brisk walk or going to the gym for a heart pounding workout.  When you feel sluggish or like giving up.  Instead, get up and get moving.
7. Practice your self-care.  You’re doing a WONDERFUL thing for yourself, your body and mind will thank you.  Throughout this process, give yourself some kudos and get a massage or pedicure, unplug and meditate, treat yourself to a new journal and start writing down your intentions and goals for this new year and your new healthier body and mind.