nw j s=f ìëì · sugar detox 101 1. 5 great reasons to cut the sugar from your diet 2. what sugar...

S U G A R D E T O X

1 0 1

H o w T o C u t T h e S u g a r H a b i t i n L e s s T h a n A W e e k

S OMM E R P O Q U E T T E

G r e e n a n d C l e a n M o m . o r g

1 © SLP Connections, LLC | GreenandCleanMom.org

Sugar Detox 101

1. 5 Great Reasons To Cut The Sugar From Your Diet

2. What Sugar and Cocaine Have In Common And Why It’s Important To Your Health

3. 3 Easy Ways To Cut Back On Sugar Consumption

4. Are You Ready For A Sugar Detox?

5. How To Cut The Sugar Habit in Less Than A Week

6. Before You Detox - Be Prepared For These Sugar Detox Symptoms

7. 3 Tips For Alleviating Sugar Detox Side Effects

8. Why Going Cold Turkey May Not Be A Good Idea When Sugar Detoxing

9. Don’t Think Sugar is bad for you? You Will After Going Into a Full Blown Sugar Detox

10. How To Deal With Temptation After Your Sugar Detox

Disclaimer: Always talk with a medical professional when stopping or starting a new food or

diet. This eBook is intended to give you tips based on personal experience and research. This is

not medical advice I am not a doctor.


5 Great Reasons to Cut the Sugar from Your Diet

There’s been a lot of talk in the media about the evils of sugar consumption. Sugar is hidden in

all sorts of foods including bread and salad dressing. Add to that our love for things like cookies

and ice cream and it’s no wonder our sugar consumption is skyrocketing. Unfortunately, all this

added sugar is doing a lot of damage to our health and it’s making us gain weight in record

numbers.

It’s time to cut added sugar from our diet. Here are five reasons why you should do a sugar

detox and do what you can to avoid consuming sugar as much as possible.

Consuming Sugar Spikes Your Insulin

As soon as your body starts to digest sugar, your insulin spikes up. Insulin is the hormone that

is in charge of keeping blood sugar levels from rising too high and converting extra sugar into fat

for storage.

It’s a delicate process and consuming sugar in large quantities will cause your insulin to spike

and deal with more than it is designed to handle. Over time it becomes less and less effective

this is when things start to negatively affect your health.

Consuming Sugar Makes You Gain Weight

Because of the insulin and because sugar adds a lot of calories to food, it can make you gain

weight and you don’t have to be eating a lot of candy and cakes for that to happen.

Since the late seventies, when health authorities advised consumers to watch and lower their fat

intake, the food industry has provided us with all sorts of low fat and fat free food options. To

make these low fat foods taste ok, they had to add a lot of sugar.

Take a look at regular and low fat or fat free salad dressing. The lower fat options have a lot

more carbs and in particular, sugar. You may not taste it, but it’s there. Since sugar is much

more quickly digested than fat, you’re hungry sooner after consuming a low fat meal and you

eat again. The end result is weight gain.

Consuming Sugar Increases Your Risk For Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome

With all that increased sugar and weight gain comes a higher risk for diabetes and a condition

called metabolic syndrome. Metabolic Syndrome is a group of symptoms and behaviors that put

you at a much higher risk of developing heart disease and Type II diabetes.

Thankfully both conditions are reversible and the first step toward better health is to cut out the

sugar.


Sugar Doesn’t Have A Lot of Nutritional Value And It Makes You Hungrier

Last but not least, it's important to remember that aside from a little boost of energy, sugar

doesn’t provide a lot of nutritional value to your body. If you want something sweet, you’re much

better off grabbing a piece of fruit than a cookie. At least with a piece of fruit you’re getting some

vitamins and fiber with your sugar fix.

If you want or need to lose weight, the first thing you should cut out is sugar. It causes spikes in

your blood sugar, that then make your body produce a large amount of insulin to pull the sugar

out of your system (and convert it to body fat). The sad little side effect of that process is that

your blood sugar goes on a roller coaster ride that will leave you hungry and craving more

sugary treats.


What Sugar and Cocaine Have In Common and

Why It’s Important to Your Health

Here’s a scary fact. When scientists took MRI images of the brains of people consuming sugar

and highly addictive drugs like cocaine, the same pleasure centers in the brain started lighting

up. Sounds pretty, scary, doesn’t it? But what does it actually mean to your brain and your

overall health?

Sugar is truly addictive. That means that it will alter your brain chemistry and over time you start

to crave more and more sugar. The urge for your next sweet fix comes more frequently and you

need to consume it in larger quantities and like any other drug, it comes with some pretty scary

side effects. Not being able to fit into your favorite pair of jeans because of your cookie addiction

is going to be the least of your problems.

Yes, there will be weight gain, but with it, and particularly because this weight gain is brought on

by consuming too much sugar, you’ll increase your risk of developing Type II Diabetes, heart

disease, high blood pressure and with it, an increased risk of stroke. Add to that the extra stress

the added weight puts on your joints and tendons and how much harder it is to get enough

oxygen pumping through your body, it’s no wonder you feel crappy as you put on weight. All

these various health conditions are referred to as metabolic syndrome and it’s just one of the

things you can look forward to as you continue to feed your sugar addiction.

But like with a cocaine addiction, harming your body and compromising your health doesn’t

really matter all that much when you’re faced with a box of donuts. That’s a serious problem.

Then, as with any highly addictive drug, there will be unpleasant withdrawal symptoms as you

start to wean your body off of sugar. Don’t believe me? Give it a try.

Cut out all added sugar for a couple of days. No more soda, no more sugar in your coffee, no

candy, no cookies, no donuts. That’s just the beginning. You’ll also want to avoid all foods with

added sugars like bread, most salad dressings, ketchup etc. Cut all those foods out and don’t

eat anything without checking the label for added sugars. See how you feel after a few hours.

It will start with a little headache and then the headaches will begin. You’ll start craving

something sweet. We’re talking serious cravings. Next, that little headache will start to grow into

a full blown pounding head along with joint aches. You may also experience some nausea and

don’t be surprised to experience mood swings, too. Some people will even have flu like

symptoms and start to shake a day into their sugar detox.

Doesn't that sound a lot like the withdrawal symptoms of a “serious” drug addiction? That’s

because sugar addiction is just that. A serious addiction.


3 Easy Ways to Cut Back On Sugar Consumption

The average American consumes about 160 pounds of refined sugar every year. Think about

that for a minute. That’s a lot of sugar. Just two hundred years ago we only used about 20

pounds of sugar per person per year.

We know all this sugar isn’t good for us. It’s rotting our teeth, giving us Type II Diabetes, and

contributing to the obesity epidemic in the western world. The bad thing is that added sugar has

found its way into all sorts of foods we consume on a daily basis and it isn’t just the sugary

breakfast cereal or the ice cream that is the culprit. There’s sugar in our salad dressings, our

frozen dinners, and pasta sauce to give you just a few examples.

What can we do to cut back on the amount of sugar we consume on a daily basis? Let’s start by

cutting out some of the big offenders.

Cut The Soda and Other Sugary Drinks

Let’s start with something easy that will also have a huge impact. Stop drinking soda and other

sugary drinks. That includes seemingly innocent things like the sweet tea you’re enjoying or the

fancy coffee drink but, it could also be your favorite juice beverage. Look at the labels and figure

out how many teaspoons of sugar you’re drinking each day. Then cut them out. Stick to water,

black coffee and herbal tea for a few days. It’s not an easy transition, but it will be well worth it in

the end.

Stop Indulging In Sugar Laden Treats

Next it’s time to give up your favorite sugary treats. Enjoy a bowl of oatmeal or scramble up

some eggs instead of pouring a bowl of sweet cereal. Skip the muffin, cake, cookies and candy.

Instead reach for a piece of fruit or cut up some fresh veggies.

Find sugar free or low-sugar replacements for your favorite treats. Fix a sandwich if you’re

hungry in the afternoon instead of raiding the cookie jar. Or grab some cheese and crackers. Do

your best to train your brain and taste buds to not crave sweet treats all day long.

Stick To Real Food

Last but not least, work on reducing the added sugars that sneak into your diet via all sorts of

convenience foods. Anything that’s labeled low fat, fat free or gluten free is worth avoiding since

the fat is usually replaced by lots of sugar and salt to make it palatable. Your best bet is to stick

to real food. Stick with single ingredients and cook your meals from scratch. This allows you to

control what’s going into the food you eat - including the sugar.


Are You Ready For A Sugar Detox?

There’s been a lot of talk about how bad sugar is for your health and that you should to go

through a sugar detox. But are you ready for it? If you’re consuming quite a bit of sugar each

day (and who isn’t?), this isn’t going to be easy. Keep reading to make sure you know what

you’re in for, so you’ll be prepared. That alone will help you tough it out and make it through

your sugar detox days.

It Takes Willpower

It’s going to take some willpower to make it through a sugar detox. You’re going to want that

candy bar or donut. Are you ready to not give in and make it through a few days of sugar

cravings? The key is to keep in mind that it will get easier as time goes by and that you’re doing

this for an important reason - to improve your health, lose weight, look better, feel better and

reduce your risk of developing Type II Diabetes. Keep reminding yourself that you can do this

and that it will be worth it in the end. If you want it bad enough, you will find the willpower to

make it through your sugar detox. Of course, keeping all sugar treats out of the house will help

with temptation as well.

It’s Not Going To Be Pleasant

This isn’t going to be easy and it isn’t going to be pleasant. In addition to craving your favorite

sugary treats, you’ll likely experience headaches and possibly nausea, joint pain and dizziness.

Knowing this ahead of time will keep you from being shocked and surprised when these detox

side effects start to pop up.

It helps to start your sugar detox on a Friday. You can make it through your work day before the

headaches start and then have all weekend to detox. By the time Monday rolls around you

should be through the worst of it. Just keep yourself busy or spend a good amount of time

sleeping as you make it through to the other side.

The Side Effects Will Be Temporary And You’ll Come Out Of It Feeling Much Better

Speaking of that, keep reminding yourself that this is only temporary. Make yourself tough it out

one more hour. Go watch a movie, call a friend or go for a walk. Distract yourself and before you

know it the hour will be over. Keep it up hour after hour and you’ll get through your sugar detox

before you know it. Remember that this is only a temporary feeling. I promise that you’ll feel

much better after a few hours. The health benefits of freeing yourself from your sugar addiction

are well worth the making it through the unpleasant side effects of a sugar detox.


How to Cut the Sugar Habit in Less Than a Week

You know all that added sugar you’re consuming isn’t good for you. How would you like to stop

eating it and change your diet in less than a week? Best of all, how would you like to stop

craving candy and sweets and eat healthy, real food instead? You can do it by following this

simple step by step plan. Each day you’ll focus on something different and before the week is

over you’ll have broken that sugar habit. Let’s start.

Day One - Keep Track Of Your Daily Sugar Intake

For the first day, simply keep track of how much sugar you’re consuming. Write down everything

you eat and drink and start adding up how many grams of sugar you’re consuming. Add it all up

at the end of the day.

Now the gram amount probably won’t mean much to you. Grab your calculator and use this

formula to figure out how many teaspoons of sugar you’ve had. Each teaspoon of sugar has

about 4 g of sugar in it. So take your total grams and divide them by 4. How many teaspoons of

sugar have you had today? If you need a visual aide, grab the sugar jar and measure it out into

a bowl. If you’re anything like the average American, it will be quite a lot of sugar. Seeing the

amount in front of you will help you make it through the next five days and work hard at cutting

back on the sugar you consume.

Day Two - Cut The Sugar From Your Favorite Beverages

There’s a lot of sugar hiding in your favorite drinks. Today I want you to focus on cutting it out of

everything you drink. That means no more soda, no sugar or fancy creamer in your coffee, no

sugar or honey in your tea and no fruit juices. Pay attention to everything you drink and if it has

sugar, skip it. Stick to water, club soda, black coffee (with milk or cream) and unsweetened tea.

Keep up this habit of sugar free drinks throughout the rest of the week.

Day Three - Change Your Breakfast

Today we’ll change up breakfast. Instead of grabbing a bowl of sugary cereal, a breakfast bar or

a donut, go for something without sugar. Fry up some eggs, or fix a bowl of oatmeal sweetened

with stevia or a little dry fruit. Unsweetened yogurt is another great choice. Find a couple of

sugar free breakfast treats you like and start having them from here on out instead of your

sugary breakfast options.

Day Four - Skip The Sweet Treats and Snacks

It’s time to give up your favorite sweet treats, snacks and desserts. That also means no more

cookies, candy or ice cream. Yes, this is going to be hard, but you can do it. Instead focus on


eating real food and bigger portions during your main meals. Without the blood sugar spikes

and dips that your favorite sugary treats cause, you’ll find you won’t be as hungry in between

meals. The first few days will be hard, but it will get easier.

Day Five - Find Healthy Replacements For Your Favorite Treats

When you really crave a little something sweet or feel like you must have some sort of dessert

choose a natural option. Have a piece of fruit instead of cake or turn frozen banana slices,

cream, and vanilla extract into mock ice cream in the blender. Fruit smoothies are also naturally

delicious, sweet treats that don’t have any added sugar.

Find a few things you enjoy. If you’re craving chocolate, grab a bar of dark chocolate with little

added sugar and allow yourself one or two squares a day. Moderation is key with these healthy

sweet treats.

Day Six - Watch For Hidden Sugars

Last but not least start watching out for hidden sugars. Start getting into the habit of reading

labels and avoiding things like low fat salad dressing and ketchup because those things have a

bunch of added sugar. Words like glucose, fructose, and high fructose corn syrup - pretty much

anything ending in -ose will alert you to added sugar sources. Cook what you can from scratch

to have control over what goes into your food. Follow this advice and you’ll be free of that sugar

habit in less than a week.


Before You Detox - Be Prepared For These Sugar

Detox Symptoms

When you decide to cut the sugar out of your diet, you may go through quite the withdrawal.

Before you jump in cold turkey, let’s take a look at some of the detox symptoms you can expect

over the coming days. When you know what’s coming, that it’s normal and most importantly that

it will only last for a few days, it is much easier to make it through this tough transition period of

detoxing from your sugar habit.

Intense Cravings

The first thing you’ll notice is that you start to crave sugary treats. It starts out with you thinking

that a cookie would be nice. Then the cravings get worse until you’re ready to do just about

anything for a sweet treat. Your best bet is to get anything sweet out of the house before you

start to crave and cave.

Mood Swings and Tiredness

Don’t be surprised to go from “I can do this” to “no way” in a matter of minutes. Mood swings,

crankiness and even feelings like all you want to do is nap are not uncommon as your body

starts to detox from the sugar.

Distract yourself. Call a friend, watch a movie, or go take nap. Do whatever it takes to make it

through these few days of sugar detox. Remember that no matter how crappy you feel, this

won’t last long.

Headaches

Sugar has quite the effect on the brain, as does detoxing from it. It’s not uncommon to have a

headache as your body gets used to running without the sugar. Drink plenty of water throughout

the day. Some black coffee or an aspirin will help as well.

If you are getting nauseous in addition to having the headache, try drinking some unsweetened

peppermint tea.

Joint and Body Aches

Some people experience flu-like symptoms including joint and body aches. It’s your body going

through the sugar withdrawal. Try drinking some warm chicken broth or take a hot bath in

Epsom salt. The symptoms could be caused by an electrolyte imbalance and both of those will

help. Some people swear by drinking some pickle juice to get rid of the aches.


Shakes and Chills

Last but not least you could experiences shakes and chills. It may feel like a fever or you’re

coming down with some nasty bug, but again, it’s just sugar withdrawal symptoms. Crawl in the

bed and sleep through the worst of it if you can. By the time you wake up you’ll be through most

of it.

Above all, don’t let these symptoms scare you away from giving a sugar detox a try. Chances

are you won’t experience all of these and many symptoms won’t be very severe. Above all keep

in mind that this will only last for a few days and you’ll come out of it without the sugar cravings

and with a chance for a much healthier diet and lifestyle.


3 Tips for Alleviating Sugar Detox Side Effects

Cutting all the added sugar out of your diet is much better for your health, but while your body

adjusts to your new diet; you can experience some unpleasant sugar detox side effects. They

may include headaches, body aches, nausea and of course cravings for anything sweet. They

key is not to give in and have a piece of candy. Instead try these three tips to help you make it

through the relatively short detox period.

Drink Lots of Water

First and foremost make sure you drink plenty of water. Not only will staying hydrated help

alleviate many of the detox symptoms I mentioned, it will also keep you full.

Feel a headache coming on? Get a glass of water. Want a cookie or donut? Get a glass of

water. One of my favorite strategies when I don’t think I can make it without another sweet treat

or when the plate of danishes in the breakroom are calling my name is to pour myself a big

glass of water, drink it slowly and then make myself wait 15 minutes. By then the craving has

usually passed, or at the very least, I’m so full with water that I can pass on the sugary stuff.

Supplement With A Good Multi Vitamin

Vitamin C, B vitamins, and Zinc are all known to help with cravings. Taking a good multi vitamin

may be just the thing to help reduce detox side effects and make it through the few not so

pleasant days of getting used to consuming a lot less sugar. In addition, you can talk to your

medical care provider about supplementing with a few of these micronutrients in higher doses.

Don’t do this without medical supervision or the advice of your doctor though.

Stay Busy

Last but not least, I need you to realize that a lot of the cravings and not feeling well is in your

head. The more you focus on negative side effects of detoxing from sugar, the worse they will

get. The best way to avoid this is to stay busy.

While I don’t recommend doing a sugar detox when you’re at work, particularly during a busy or

stressful time, staying busy is a good idea. Make some plans to head out with friends, go for a

walk, reorganize your closet, or just settle in for a Netflix marathon. What you do doesn’t matter

as long as you stay busy and keep your mind of the sugar detox symptoms.


Why Going Cold Turkey May Not Be A Good Idea

When Sugar Detoxing

Some people do great going cold turkey when it comes to sugar. They cut it all out of their diet,

deal with the nasty side effects of sugar detoxing or a few days and move on. But that doesn’t

work for everyone. For some of us the side effects are just too severe, or going cold turkey just

doesn’t appeal to us. In those cases a more gradual approach may do the trick.

Frankly, it doesn’t matter if you cut all the sugar out at once or slowly wean yourself off the stuff.

What matters is how you eat a few weeks from now. What matters is making healthy changes to

your diet that you can stick with for the long term.

If you’ve tried a sugar detox and just couldn’t make it through those days of detoxing, or if the

whole idea scares you, go with a more gradual approach. Start by taking a good look at what

you’re eating and drinking any given day. Where do you consume the most sugar?

If you’re drinking a lot of soda, start there. Cut back to no more than one serving of sugary soda

a day and replace the rest with water, herbal tea and black coffee. If you’re drinking coffee with

a lot of sugar and cream, work on getting yourself used to less and then no sugar in your coffee.

Next, work on the food. Write down what you eat for a few days and you’ll see some patterns

emerge. Where do the sweet treats pop up? Is it the sugar filled breakfast cereal or muffin in the

morning? Is it the bag of cookies to get you through your afternoon? Or is it the chocolate and

ice cream late night snack?

Find out when and where you consume a lot of sugar. Then make a plan to break that habit. For

example you could fix cheese toast, eggs, or oatmeal with a little stevia instead of pancakes and

syrup or sweet cereal for breakfast. If you need a little “pick-me-up” in the afternoon, grab a

piece of fruit or makes up some trail mix with various nuts and a few dried cranberries. If

evening snacking is your vice, eat a big dinner and then see if you can make it with just a cup of

herbal tea until bedtime. If not, grab some raw veggies and dip or an apple as your evening

snack. It will be a lot better for you than that bowl of ice cream.

Keep making gradual changes that you can live with until you’ve cut most of the added sugar

from your diet.


Don’t Think Sugar is bad for you? You Will After

Going into a Full Blown Sugar Detox

We’ve been talking a lot lately about the addictive properties of sugar and why it often takes a

sugar detox to get it out of your system. If you still don’t believe me that this addiction to sugar,

ice cream and soda is real, do yourself a favor and just cut out all added sugar for 48 hours.

Here’s what’s going to happen. You’re doing fine and think you’re just about ready to prove me

wrong about this sugar addiction. Sure, a bowl of cereal would be nice and that cup of coffee

tastes better with flavored creamer, but you’re doing just fine without it.

Then those sugar cravings start to get a little stronger and you’re feeling a headache come on.

This is getting a little uncomfortable but manageable. Maybe there is such a thing as sugar

detox, but you’re sure you’re only having a mild case of it and will get through this in no time.

A few more hours pass and things start to get a lot harder. You’re starting to feel the real detox

side effects including body and joint aches, chills, nausea and that headache is getting a lot

worse. It’s hard to focus on anything. That’s when it hits you that there may be something to this

whole sugar addiction thing.

Here’s the thing; consuming that much sugar isn’t natural for us. A hundred years ago, we

consumed a small fraction of the sugar we eat today. Our food wasn’t as sweet and sugar was a

rare treat. Today, it creeps into everything we eat including a lot of foods we don’t think of as

sweet like bread and salad dressing for example.

Sugar used to be an occasional treat. People would eat ripe fruit or use it to make jelly or the

occasional cake. The human body could handle the occasional bit of sugar just fine. What it

can’t handle well is the 160+ pounds of sugar the average American now consumes.

We’re addicted to the sweet stuff and average consumption is still going up. And as it goes up

we see more cases of obesity, Type II Diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. And each of those

bring with them a bunch of other health conditions. Sugar is making us fat and sick and since it’s

so addictive, it’s hard to quit it. The only way is to realize and truly understand just how bad it is

for you. That will give you the willpower to break free from your sugar addiction, say no to that

cookie and opt for a healthier choice instead.


How to Deal With Temptation After Your Sugar

Detox

Congratulations. You’ve made it through your sugar detox and are on your way to a lifetime of

eating healthy, wholesome foods. A lot of your sugar cravings are gone, but it’s easy to fall back

into old behavior patterns and get yourself in hot water when it comes to sugar.

Let’s talk about what you can do to deal with temptation in the weeks, months, and years to

come. Yes, there will always be sugary treats around. They’ll be offered to you and you may

even grab a bite or a sip unthinkingly. What you need are a few tools to help you get through

those times without going on a sugar binge.

Expect The Temptation

The first key is to not let down your guard. Temptation is all around us from that box of donuts

left in in the breakroom to the offered piece of homemade pie. While you can keep it out of your

house, be mentally prepared for temptation at work, when you go out to eat, and particularly

when you’re over at someone else's house.

Don’t Head Out Hungry

This is why it helps to not leave the house hungry. Believe me; it’s much easier to turn down

that donut at the office meeting if you’ve already had a couple of eggs for breakfast. When

you’re already hungry, your willpower may slip.

Carry An Emergency Snack

For those cases when you do find yourself hungry and tempted, carry an emergency snack in

your purse, car, or briefcase. Make some homemade trail mix, or just grab a piece of fruit to

take with you. A bottle of water to go along with your snack is also a good idea. Think back on

your scouting days and be prepared.

Forgive Yourself And Vow To Do Better

No matter how well you prepare yourself and how strong your willpower is, chances are you’ll

slip up here and there. It happens. Maybe you’re grabbing a cookie without thinking and don’t

realize that you’re eating sugar until it’s almost gone. Or maybe there simply isn’t a polite way to

turn down your grandma’s homemade banana pudding that she made just for you because she

knew you were visiting. There will be slip ups and there will be times when quite frankly it is

worth the cheat. Don’t beat yourself up over it. Forgive yourself and move on.


A little sugar here and there won’t kill you. It’s the 160+ pounds per year that does. Don’t use

that as an excuse to slip back into old habits. Use it as an excuse to forgive yourself, move on,

and eat well the rest of the time. Your body will thank you for it.

nw j s=f ìëì · sugar detox 101 1. 5 great reasons to cut the sugar from your diet 2. what sugar...

Documents