Who doesn’t like to treat themselves with a light sugary snack during an afternoon break, especially if it can uplift your energy levels? With the pre-occupied workaholic lifestyles that people lead today, it can be even more difficult to get rid of excess sugar, more so with the desktop jobs that leave no room to burn these accumulated calories of eating more sugar.
According to the NHS, the recommended intake of free sugar for the average adult is 30g per day. Failing to maintain this portion or exceeding it can mean detrimental consequences for your health in the form of obesity, diabetes, and several other chronic health issues. Adhering to a sugar detox meal plan is one of the best ways to get rid of sugar cravings. Besides this, there are also other ways to do away with your sugar addiction.
Read on to find out in detail about what excess sugar does to our body and different ways get rid of sugar addiction(1).
Why is it difficult to quit sugar?
Did you know that the word “Stressed” spelled backward is “Desserts”? From getting over a tough breakup to dealing with examination stress, sugar is an excellent soother of stress and anxiety. There is almost no problem in the world that a cup of sweet ice-cream cannot solve. However, the reason behind loving sugar and finding it difficult to quit lies in the Darwinian Theory of Evolution.
Primates and apes, our forefathers from a zillion years ago, survived entirely on sugary sweet fruits. The love for everything sweet and sugary is an age-old deep craving that is hard to let go for anyone.
The desire for sugar got engraved in our DNA, and we can do nothing but give into its satiation. But now it is high time to bid farewell to white sugar. It is ruinous for health and should be abandoned with immediate effect to prevent chronic health disorders like obesity, diabetes, slump in physiological functioning and more.
What Does Excess Sugar do to Your Body?
Consumption of sugary foods and desserts might feel amazingly decadent but what happens next as a consequence of the excessive use of sugar is almost scary. An addiction to sugar develops, and it becomes increasingly difficult to give up on sugar. Listed below are the health risks and concerns associated with the excessive consumption of sugar.
1. Obesity
Obesity is the most common impact of the excessive consumption of sugar. Presence of excess sugar paired with poor lifestyle habits results in the gaining of extra body weight. The excess sugar gets stored in the form of subcutaneous fat and visceral fat. This sugar causes obesity along with a rapid decline in health.
2. Diabetes
Consuming excess sugar results in a sharp increase in the level of glucose in the blood. The presence of excessive blood sugar increases insulin resistance and leads to diabetes. It is a deadly disease that can trigger multiple organ failure and decline of health. It is vital to quit sugar and get rid of sugar addiction for the prevention and cure of diabetes.
3. Increased risks of cardiac disorders
The excessive consumption of sugar causes obesity. Obesity results in the increase of the level of bad cholesterol which causes the deposition of plaque in the arteries and increases the risks of strokes and cardiac attacks. Diets that are high in sugar trigger an increase in the levels of triglycerides and blood pressure and cause arterial deposition, and cardiac inflammation.
4. Infertility and polycystic ovaries
One of the primary causes of the development of polycystic ovaries and infertility is the over-consumption of sugar. Insulin resistance and obesity developed by the excessive consumption of white sugar causes hormonal imbalance and thus leads to the formation of polycystic ovaries and causes irregularity of menstrual flow, development of facial hair and infertility.
5. Depression
Excessive consumption of white sugar gets linked to anxiety and depression. Reduce stress and anxiety by decreasing the level of intake of sugar. The feel-good hormones that get triggered with the consumption of desserts subside when the treat gets done and the feeling of depression and anxiety kicks in again. This recurrence of depression shows that sugar is nothing but a deadly drug that you can get addicted to, that needs to get removed from the diet for a healthy and hearty life.
6. Deficiency of energy
Foods that are rich in sugar are very unhealthy and almost always devoid of fibers, proteins, and healthy fatty acids. Consumption of such foods drains out the physical energy. Blood sugar crashes and sudden spikes in blood glucose levels induce fatigue and exhaustion. Eating sugar can cause NAFLD which is a health condition characterized by the excessive accumulation of unhealthy fats in the liver.
7. The occurrence of fatty liver disease
Increased intake of sugar is the primary cause of fatty liver disease. Consumption of vast amounts of white sugar overloads the liver and adversely interferes with hepatic functioning.
8. Other diseases
The other health risks and conditions associated with the excessive consumption of sugar and high blood sugar include increased risk of renal failure, dental disorders like cavities and pyorrhea, inflammatory diseases and rapid declination of cognition.
What is Sugar Detox and how does it help you reduce sugar cravings?
Sugar Detox is a strategy that has been developed to get rid of sugar addiction. Sugar detox strategy works wonders for health and well being. It cuts down entirely on the consumption of sugar and made you feel healthy and detoxified from deep within.
It helps in the following:-
- The resetting of the palate
- Aids in decreasing the levels of blood sugar
- Keep dessert cravings under control
- Improves the profile of blood lipids
- Boosts the health and strength of muscles
- Enhances cognitive functioning and more
The foods that form a part of the Sugar Detox meal plan are not only savory and satiating but also devoid of the toxic sugar. But you need a right amount of determination and commitment to stick to the diet and promote the detoxification of your physiological system.
The Benefits of Sugar Detox on Health
- Aids in the loss of excess body weight
- Reduce the level of blood glucose
- Prevent hypertension
- Improve the profile of blood lipids
- Cure anxiety and stress
- Help in the improvement of sleep
- Help with the enhancement of energy and vigor
- Help with fighting against cysts, infertility, diabetes, etc.
10 Noteworthy Ways to Detox Your Body of Sugar
Elucidated below are ten significant ways to detox your body of sugar:
1. Detox your kitchen
The sugar detox plan starts in the kitchen. Do a thorough cleaning of the kitchen shelves, cabinet and safety nooks and get rid of every container that contains sugar or sugary treats. This elementary cleaning is the first and most crucial step towards sugar detox. Donate the sugary foods and restock your kitchen with fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meat, eggs, fish, milk, yogurt, beans, nuts and more.
Also Read: Health Benefits of Berries
2. Keep a tab on what you are drinking
Fruit juices and sports beverages might sound healthy, but in reality, it is quite the contrary. Packaged vegetable juice, fruit juice, health drinks, and energy beverages get loaded with sugar. Cut down on the sugary drinks and replace them with homemade juice and smoothies, coconut water, buttermilk, etc. that do not contain any sugar.
3. Increase the protein content of every meal
It takes a longer time to digest protein content and as such incorporating more proteins into the diet helps in feeling full for a more extended period thus controlling hunger pangs and cravings. Opt for milk, eggs, and yogurt during breakfast and go for a handful of pistachios for a healthy snack. For lunch and dinner, chicken soup, fish, lentils, mushrooms, beans can do be just great.
4. Increase the intake of healthy carbs
Complex carbohydrates are good for health. For example, dietary fibrous content is a complex carbohydrate that is present in fruits, vegetables, seeds, grains, and nuts. The inclusion of foods rich in carbohydrates into the diet is highly beneficial for health. The consumption of complex carbohydrates helps to feel satiated, maintains the health of good intestinal bacteria, prevents the absorption of unhealthy fats and suppresses the appetite from giving in to hunger cravings or succumbing to sugar.
5. Don’t say no to Healthy Fats
Healthy fats are incredibly beneficial for health. A few examples of healthy fats include fish oil, olive oil, avocado, avocado oil, coconut oil, bran oil, chia seed oil, flaxseed oil, sunflower seed butter, peanut butter and more. Consumption of healthy fats helps in the prevention and cure of internal inflammation and does away with the gain in body weight that gets associated with intestinal inflammation.
Healthy fats help in feeling full and prevent sudden spikes in hunger. Please note that excessive consumption of healthy fats can cause obesity so keep the use of limited and stay away from unhealthy fats such as fake butter, margarine, animal fats, etc.
6. Opt for healthy snacks
Snacking is a hunger pang that is beyond all control but resorting to sugary foods, and oily junk for snacks is extremely unhealthy. Choose healthy snacks instead. Go for fresh fruits and vegetables, green tea, yogurt, oatmeal that are incredibly healthy, low in calories and devoid of sugar. Healthy snacking is an excellent way to get rid of sugar addiction by the sugar detox meal plan.
7. Do away with unnecessary stress
Stress is the root of diabetes and obesity. Mental pressure causes a person to binge on sugary foods and unhealthy junk. Instead of stressing on the issue and reaching out for desserts, try resolving the problems instead. Focus on the fact that a bar of sweet chocolate will not solve your troubles.
Try yoga and meditation to combat against unnecessary stress and anxiety. Get along and sound sleep at night, avoid chaotic schedules, cut down on the hours spent on television and computer and practice regular exercise and jogging. It will help to get rid of stress and anxiety and prevent binging on sugary treats and desserts.
8. Get a sound sleep of eight hours daily
Missing out on the daily dose of eight hours of sleep is linked with stress and obesity. It is a significant rule of the sugar detox diet plan to get a sound and sufficient sleep. Sleeping helps in the elimination of stress and anxiety and aids in the flushing out of toxins from the body. A sound and deep slumber of eight hours helps in the general improvement of health and keeps midnight hunger cravings at bay.
9. Do away with the sedentary lifestyle
Regular exercise is an essential part of the sugar detox plan. Start exercising to get rid of excess body fat, stress and anxiety and sudden spikes of hunger. Healthy exercises that can help in the improvement of physiological functioning include walking, jogging, running, free hand exercises, yoga, swimming, etc.
10. Avoid foods that you are allergic to
Avoid junk food that triggers allergic reactions in your body. Sensitive responses of the body to certain foods can cause sugar cravings and induce sugar addiction. Implement the sugar detox meal plan to shed the fat, get rid of the habit and feel healthy and gorgeous.
Foods that can Fight Sugar Cravings
- Fresh fruits and vegetables
- Granola bars
- Chia seeds
- Legumes
- Yogurt
- Eggs, fish and meat and more
Just as Rome wasn’t built in a day, nor can sugar cravings be gotten rid of in just a night. It will take more than a month to suppress the sugar urge. The bottom line is that fighting against sugar cravings is not easy. It takes determination and consistency to keep up with the sugar-free diet. But don’t give up and don’t dare to think of giving in.
There will be cheat days, perhaps once in a fortnight, or twice in a month, but don’t sink into anything more than a cupcake. Switch to healthy sweets like sweet and juicy fruits etc., and live a healthy life.
Recommended Read: Magical Zero Calorie Foods
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Are there any healthy desserts?
Fresh fruits like strawberries, apples, pears, etc. constitute as healthy desserts.
2. How long does it take for the sugar detox diet to work?
It takes about a month for the sugar detox diet to set in and bring about any improvement.
3. Is there a good way to curb appetite?
Appetite can be curbed by eating more proteins and fibrous food.
