You probably don’t need to be told that sugar can be bad for you.
An excess of refined sugar can lead to conditions like obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
And what’s worse is that sugar seems to be addictive. Mounting evidence tells us that sugar activates our opiate receptors and stimulates our brain’s reward centre. When we keep eating sugar, we continue to wire our brains to continue craving sugar.
The solution is a sugar detox. During a sugar detox, your body will learn to cope without sugar. This makes it much easier to resist sweet treats in the future.
Here are eight steps to detoxing from sugar.
1. Make a conscious decision to detox
Detoxing from sugar is hard. If you’re starting your detox half-heartedly, it can be difficult to push through when it gets tough.
So, make a conscious decision to detox. Read about the dangers of excess sugar – this will remind you why you’re doing it. Identify which symptoms of excess sugar you’re already dealing with: bloating, brain fog, weight gain, fatigue, depression, acne, sinus problems, and more.
When you feel tempted to pick up a tub of ice cream at the store, keep these symptoms in mind. You have a choice between ice cream and freedom from fatigue, illness, and mood problems. Make the right choice.
2. Identify where your sugar comes from
You might manage to quit adding extra sugar to your coffee, but that’s not the only place sugar comes from.
Sugar is so difficult to quit because it’s in so many different food items, including beverages, savoury items, and so-called “health” foods. Read the ingredients lists and keep in mind that there are many different names for sugar.
3. Eat enough protein and appropriate carbs
It’s more tempting to grab a sugary snack when you’re feeling sluggish or hungry.
So, make sure you eat enough non-sugary foods. A healthy balance of bioavailable protein and appropriate carbohydrates – carbohydrates from produce that’s local and seasonal – fuel your body.
Pastured eggs, wild-caught fish and grass-fed meat are all great sources of bioavailable protein.
The best source of carbohydrates are organic local and seasonal fruits and vegetables.
4. Embrace fat
Many people believe fat makes you fat. This isn’t the case. In fact, we need healthy fats to function properly.
Healthy fats include grass-fed butter, ghee, tallow, extra virgin olive oil, extra virgin coconut oil, pastured eggs, fatty wild-caught fish and grass-fed meat. Have fat at every meal to stay full and satiated.
5. Snack wisely
To avoid feeling peckish in between meals, it’s best to skip snacks altogether. Rather have filling, satiating meals that include a balance of healthy fats, carbs, and protein. Without filling meals, our sugar levels drop, which makes us feel hungry – usually for sugar!
However, if you must snack, choose snacks that have little to no sugar. Depending on your tastes, your healthy snacks can include soft-boiled eggs, beef jerky or biltong, full-fat yoghurt or kefir.
6. Reduce stress
Stress makes your body secrete cortisol. Known as the stress hormone, cortisol helps your body when it needs to enter flight or fight mode – but it can also wreak havoc on your digestive system, causing you to feel hungry when you’ve actually eaten enough.
Note when you’re trying to de-stress with food. Substitute the food with what your body really needs: a de-stressing activity. Using the box breathing method, doing a body scan, or listening to a guided meditation can help regulate your cortisol levels and soothe those cravings.
7. Get some rest
When we’re tired, our bodies look for a quick hit of energy. This often manifests as a sugar craving. Unfortunately, this can leave us feeling more tired and cranky in the long run!
To curb those cravings, make sure you get enough sleep. Aim for seven to nine hours of quality rest each night.
Struggling to get some shut-eye? Read our top tips on getting the best sleep of your life.
8. Speak with an expert
Out-of-control sugar cravings can be your body’s way of telling you that it needs attention. Severe cravings could be a symptom of a deeper underlying condition.
The good news is that you can heal your body by reducing stress, avoiding toxins, addressing deficiencies, clearing stagnancies and harmonising incoherences.
If you’re feeling hangry and need help figuring out how to detox from sugar, book a Discovery Call with one of our Health Coaches today.
