Sugar, sugar, and more sugar! It’s everywhere and in everything! According to the American Heart Association, the average American consumes up to 22 grams or more of sugar per day. Many people don’t even realize they are consuming so much sugar! It can be hidden in our foods using tricky words like syrup and words that end with “ose,” like fructose and glucose.
Needless to say, there is sugar in more foods than you realize. Iced teas and caramel lattes probably contain more sugar than you expect. “Healthy” foods such as yogurt, granola bars and protein bars tend to have tons of added sugar as well. Next time you’re at the store, check on the spaghetti sauce label and ketchup bottle. You might be surprised by what you’ll find!
With all this added sugar in the average American diet, it is no surprise that many people have sugar addictions. A neuroscientist used MRI scans to discover that sugar triggers the same part of the brain that is activated when drugs like cocaine are used. The bottom line is… sugar is addictive. (Like we didn’t know that! LOL)
Too much sugar intake can create many negative side effects on the body such as diabetes, insulin resistance, weight gain, moodiness, joint pain, headaches, heart disease and the list goes on and on. Which is why detoxing from sugar can help you do more than lose weight—it improves your overall health.
Sugar spikes your insulin levels, which contributes to that sleepy effect after going on a sugar binge. If weight gain and heart disease aren’t enough for you to decide to reduce your sugar intake, knowing that sugar can age you faster might. In this study, it was discovered that sugar can disrupt how your body makes anti-aging proteins, which can, in turn create premature aging.
The key to successfully breaking your sugar addiction is to plan out and prepare for a sugar detox. I hate to say it, but the best way to start a sugar detox is by going cold turkey. While this may sound extreme and can be rough at first, it really is the best option. Even eating a little bit of sugar makes it hard to stop the craving cycle. Once you have a little taste, it is easy to want and consume more and more. Cutting sugar out altogether skirts this dilemma and makes a hard and fast rule which isn’t as easy to wiggle your way around. 😉
Here are some sugar-free recipes to help you get started with that grocery list!
Avoid items like cereal, smoothies and flavored coffee creamers during breakfast, opting instead for a protein and veggie filled breakfast like the recipe below! It’s also a great recipe to make ahead and have ready to go in the fridge for busy days. The ingredients aren’t measured out—use all of them to your taste and feel free to get creative.
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For lunch, you have many options! You can try an oil and vinegar salad, gluten-free pasta with spinach and broccoli, or grilled chicken, roasted garlic cauliflower, and quinoa. Here is a yummy recipe suggestion:
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Dinner doesn’t normally incorporate sweeter foods, so thankfully you won’t have to change your diet too much. You can try something like homemade chicken and wild rice soup or shrimp scampi. Need a dinner idea?
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If you are craving sugar in between meals, don’t give in! Have a large drink of water and keep some healthy snacks available. I like keeping on hand celery or carrot sticks with nut butter or pepper slices with hummus. You can also bring some trail mix, seeds, nuts, and jerky with you.
Check out this recipe for no added processed sugar granola bars! The dates in this recipe are pretty sweet on their own so keep that in mind when making them. You can also find a protein bar recipe that is lower in natural sugar on my previous blog here.
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Also, if you are someone who normally adds sugar to tea or coffee, you can try some sugar substitutes.
Let me know how your sugar detox goes in the comments below! Hopefully this sugar fast helps you lessen cravings, making it easier to make healthy choices in the future.