Some Interesting Facts About Sugar Addiction
- Sugar directly affects the neurological receptors that reside in the brain, which can make one addicted to it.
- Sugar when exceeds it minimum intake levels, can give you similar addiction effects as nicotine, alcohol and amphetamine.
- People addicted to sugar mostly prefer having something sweet compared to normal food, even when they feel hungry.
- Long term addiction to sugar can lead to disorders like diabetes type 2 and obesity.
- Sugar addiction can also result into occasional binging as you would crave for the sweet items more and more.
- When the sugar addicts suddenly stop having sugar instantly, it might result in health problems like tremors, shakes, diarrhea, teeth chattering, low mood, anxiety, depression, etc.
- Even when you stop sugar, its dependency might trigger you for few weeks when you see peep into the refrigerator, pass across an ice-cream parlor or vending machine, etc., which makes it difficult for you to quit sugar.
Sugar Addiction – A Widely Spread Health Problem
Do you feel the need of something sweet every time you wake up in the morning, when you feel hungry, or even when you are stressed! Make a note, you are addicted to sugar. Just as people get addicted to alcohol, tea, coffee, chocolates, smoking, etc. people also can get addicted to sugar that can be harmful the health.
Yes, sugar addiction is noticed in 7 out of 10 people, which has made it a widely spread health problem with age no bar. The addition of sugar gives you a heavy diet that is high in glycemic, which makes the processing of carbohydrates difficult. As a result, the individual suffers from health disorders like obesity, diabetes, heart diseases, cancer, etc. It also has an effect on the nervous system that can lead to depression or dementia. The addiction to sugar also damages the taste buds, as a result, the original flavor of the naturally sweet fruits is lost. Hence, if you feel you are getting addicted to sugar, and are looking a way out of it, sugar detox is something you can work on.
Sugar Detox – A New Solution To Sugar Addiction
Sugar detox is a new way to break the cycle of addiction of carbohydrates and sugar that your body craves for. The sugar detox process resets the food intake system from the brain and the body, due to which the body doesn’t carve for sugar, without any kind of strict dieting. The process of sugar detox replaces the sugary ingredients in your diet with other preferences that are low in fats and carbs. Eliminating hidden sugar from your meals like fructose, sorbitol, maltose, xylitol, syrups, evaporated cane juice, etc. is also included in the process of sugar detox.
The sugar detox process can show effective results in merely few days, weeks or months as per the plan you adopt, along with double confidence level. Hence, with the process of sugar detox, you can reduce your addiction towards sugar in a natural way gifting yourself good health.
Tips For Starting A Sugar Detox Program
No matter whatever number of days you select for the sugar detox program, you need to be firm of following it. While following the program, having a piece of cheese pizza, or even two scoops of ice cream would lead to increase in its crave that might hinder your program.
Here are some effective tips for initiating with the sugar detox program.
1. Choose The Correct Time Period
The time period you select for starting with the sugar detox program plays a crucial role in the process. The days you select for adopting the sugar detox program should exclude parties, dinner plans, picnics, social functions, etc. All these might hinder your confidence level on working on the detox program with lavishing recipes in front of you. One should also not be afraid of some minor health effects like a headache or crankiness while working on the program as they are common and would reduce as the days pass. Hence, look for a proper period and be ready for minor side effects of the sugar detox program.
2. Make A List Of Ingredients To Be Avoided
This is another crucial stage of the sugar detox program. Make a list of the ingredients that are rich in carbohydrates and cut it off from your diet. For this, avoid items like wheat, alcohol, grains, fruits and dairy products, etc. while you are on sugar detox program. Instead, you can replace all these ingredients with tomato soups, some salads, some vegetables, nuts, avocados, eggs, meat, chicken, broccoli, etc. You can also have some ingredients that contain a good portion of fats to fight against sugar cravings, however, they should be in a limited quantity.
3. Add Some Ingredients After Some Days
Yes, you are reading correctly. After few days of sugar detox program, you can add some healthy natural sugar ingredients like an apple on one day, a dairy product the next day, etc. Adding a good portion of fruits, healthy grains, dairy items, dark chocolate, wine, etc. to your diet in a limited quantity would be helpful in making your sugar detox program a big success. This stage would help you in the recalibration of your palate.
4. Say No To All Sources Of Sugar
Sugar detox doesn’t only mean no sugar. It means a blunt no to all the four sources of sugar, even the artificial sweeteners, flour products, etc. All these ingredients increase your cravings for sugar, reduce the metabolism as well as increases the storage of fats. Along with all these, you should also avoid ingredients that come in packing or labeled food, canned items, etc. Instead, look for food items that are real, whole and fresh.
5. Avoid Sugar In The Form Of Liquid
Sugar contents in liquid are quite dangerous than the solid ones as they directly get in touch with your liver. The liquid sugar ingredients would not allow the fats stored in the liver to get absorbed, resulting to increase in belly fat. The intake of liquid sugar content would increase the urge to eat more and the crave for sugar would also increase. Hence, it is necessary to avoid liquid sugar contents like juices, soda, sports drink, tea, coffee, etc. Thus, if you are following any sugar detox program, say NO to the liquid sugar contents.
6. Increase The Intake Of Protein
While you are on any sugar detox program, power up with food items that are rich in protein. Make sure your breakfast is quite rich in proteins to have a healthy beginning of the day. This would help in balancing the blood sugar levels, insulin and would cut off your sugar cravings. For this, you can add some eggs, nuts, seeds, grass fed meat, chicken, etc. in your meal. Proteins would help to provide you with a well-balanced sugar detox program.
7. Go For Right Carbs In Unlimited Quantity
Yes, this might shock you, but it is true. The selection of right carbs even in an unlimited quantity would be helpful for you while you are on any sugar detox program. The ingredients which would help you in gaining a good portion of carbs are vegetables. This list includes veggies that come with non-starch form like green leafy veggies, broccoli, kale, cauliflower, collards, green beans, asparagus, onions, mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, fennel, artichokes, etc. Some ingredients to avoid completely are sweet potatoes, beets, potatoes, winter squash, etc. Hence, in this way, you would be able to lose weight by eating veggies in an unlimited quantity.
8. Prepare Yourself For Any Kind Of Emergencies
While you are following the sugar detox program, you must also be prepared for the frequent food cravings or emergencies that would disturb you. This happens as the blood sugar level decreases in your body. When the food emergencies attack you, the food stores at various locations, fast food cafes, dessert shops, etc. would surely grab your attention and your feet would begin toward them. To avoid this, you can help yourself with emergency food items like snacks with proteins, coconut butter nuts, walnuts, almonds, salmon jerky, pumpkin seeds, some wild salmons, unsweetened wild blueberries, etc. This would satisfy your food cravings in a healthy way.
9. Look After Your Stress Levels
Stress levels affect your hormones to a great extent. It disturbs them, which may lead to increase in your hunger due to which your belly becomes the storage of fats, or also leads to diabetes, mostly type 2. To avoid the damage caused due to stress, one can practice deep breathing that activates the vagus nerve. The activation of this nerve would increase the metabolism of fats from storage to burning which helps in controlling the stress levels. Hence, during the period of sugar detox, if you feel stressed, go for deep breathing to the count of 5, rather than relying on sugar contents like chocolates, desserts, alcohol, etc.
10. Avoid Inflammatory Food Ingredients
The major effects of inflammation are visualized on blood sugar imbalances, pre-diabetes, insulin resistance, diabetes type 2, etc. This happens due to ingredients rich in inflammation like flour, sugar and other trans fats that are hidden. Common among them are ingredients like dairy and gluten. Avoiding ingredients like gluten and dairy while you are on sugar detox program, would provide you with a new flow of energy, relief from frequent craving, and other symptoms of sugar detox.
11. Sleep Well
Sleeping hours also hold a vital role in the sugar detox program. When you sleep less, your body craves for sugar and carb as less sleep affects your appetite hormones. Less hours of sleeping would lead to growth of the hunger hormones, and would also decrease the number of hormones that suppress appetite. This leads to increase in the craving of refined carbs and sugars. When you sleep less, you require more energy that leads to intake of contents rich in absorbed sugar. Hence, sleep for adequate hours, 8 is recommended, that would help you in fighting against cravings and would also manage your body weight.
Hence, by focusing on the sugar detox program with firm determination would help you obtain your goals and provide you with a relief from sugar cravings.
How To Plan Your Meals For An Accurate Sugar Detox Diet?
Looking for an accurate sugar detox diet! Here are some well-practiced sugar detox diet guidelines that would help you getting desired results.
1. Breakfast – An Important Beginning Of The Day
Breakfast is an important meal of the day. Hence, it should be full of required nutrients as well as supportive to the sugar detox diet plan. Do you include honey in your breakfast! This is a secret ingredient of sugar. Instead, go for some ingredients that are unsweetened like oatmeal, wheat cereal, fruits, whole grain oats, seeds, berries, etc.
2. Lunch – The Second Meal Of The Day
Lunch works as a fuel to the body. Having ingredients that would provide you with a good amount of protein is a great way to boost required nutrients in the body with good metabolism. For this, you can include veggies in your lunch, or have some grilled chicken tofu, fish, vegetable salad, beans, greens, seeds, legumes, etc.
3. 3 P.M. Snack – Mid-Time Snack
This time period of the day holds an important role in the sugar detox diet plan. This is the time when your circadian rhythm begins to drop, which leads to fatigue to many. During this phase, you can help yourself with some items that are low in calories like nuts or veggies to fill your tummy. The list includes items like watermelon, brown rice, black eyed peas, red kidney beans, soups, etc.
4 . Dinner – The Last Meal Of The Day
While you are avoiding sugar, you can still include items like whole wheat carbs in your dinner. Your last meal should be easy to digest as after dinner all you would be doing is moving to bed. Hence, you can have ingredients like whole wheat pasta, sweet potatoes, couscous, steamed green veggies, mushrooms, etc. for your dinner. Try to be vegetarian during dinners for having light meals.
5. Dessert Time
There are many houses that have a habit of having desserts after dinner. However, when it comes to sugar detox diet plan, the definition of dessert slightly changes from something sweet to something healthy and sugar-free. For desserts, fruits are highly recommended as they contain the lowest amount of natural sugar in them, as well as they also contain fiber and antioxidants. They would not only provide you with a full tummy but will also be helpful in weight loss.
Hence, sugar detox is the best way to reduce yours crave for sugar and remove the addiction factor in a healthy way. All you need to do is go with the best period and utmost determination for the best sugar detox program. There are various programs available to select from according to the availability of fix days, kilos to be reduced, etc.
So, get the best sugar detox program and get rid of those extra sugar levels from your body for a healthy and well-balanced life.