Strategies for Sugar Detox
A sugar detox – eliminating added and hidden sugars from your diet is a robust and proactive move toward improving your overall health. Using a science-backed approach can arm you with a distinct understanding of the strategies you can put in place and the benefits attached.
The aim is to gradually reduce sugar intake incorporating nutritious healthy meals and striving for healthier lifestyle habits to achieve freedom from excess sugar. Sugar detox can be challenging so set yourself up for success. Be slow but consistent. If you remove all sources of sugar from your diet too fast, it can lead to physical and mental withdrawal symptoms like:
- Anxiety or irritability.
- Changes in sleep patterns.
- Depressed mood.
- Difficulty concentrating.
- Dizziness or light-headedness.
- Fatigue or nausea.
- Intense sugar cravings or cravings for other carbohydrates, like chips or pasta.
So, how do you do that?
Firstly, you must understand the need for a sugar detox.
If you think about it, we live in an obesogenic food environment. There are so many products derived from food that are loaded with sugar and other ingredients that interfere with health.
Consistently scientific studies show the association between excess sugar consumption and the increased risk of chronic diseases. Understanding that consuming too much sugar can also lead to insulin resistance a precursor to type 2 diabetes which can simply be avoided by removing excess sugar from your diet.
Knowledge is power, so educate yourself. There is a clear impact on health over time when consuming excess sugar. And over time, numerous health issues can arise including type 2 diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases to name a few.
Sugar is hidden in various places and familiarising yourself with food labels and recognising alternative names for sugar – sucrose, high-fructose, corn syrup, and agave nectar – will empower you to make informed choices.
Strategy 1 Set Realistic Goals – Like any changes you wish to make in life, your goals need to be realistic and attainable. Some things to consider when determining your sugar detox goals is your current health status, lifestyle, and dietary habits.
An example might be to gradually reduce the amount of soft drink you consume over a three-week period from what you currently consume 3 cans per day down to 1 can every second day.
Or swapping sugary snacks for fruit or cheese snacks over four weeks. Just consider what you consume now – and even better still, make a list of all the foods that are affecting your health and slowly eliminate them, swapping them for healthier options.
Now it’s your turn – set your goals.
Strategy 2 Plan Your Meals – all you need to do here, is to focus on whole foods – meat, fish, chicken, eggs etc, vegetables and fruit, and full-fat dairy. The most important component being protein.
Studies show that diets consisting of whole-foods positively impact on metabolic health. Meal planning doesn’t have to be complicated – just choose the healthy options to add to your shopping list and shop around the edges of the supermarket where you will find – fruit & vegetables, meat and dairy, and avoid the aisles that contain highly processed foods.
Strategy 3 Hydration – this is a great time to consider your water intake and increase it to help flush out toxins from your body. This also helps with easing cravings. The best way to approach this is to consume a large glass of water on waking, and one before each meal, and in between when thirsty and when you are more physically active. Aim for about 1.5 – 2 litres per day.
Strategy 3 Increase Protein – protein at every meal is known to help suppress your appetite and helps you feel fuller for longer and reduces cravings. Protein snacks like beef jerky and boiled eggs are a great swap for sugary treats.
Strategy 4 Choose Healthy Alternatives – if you have a sweet tooth fresh fruit and in particular berries can offer you natural sweetness, are lower in sugar than most other fruits, and full of antioxidants and essential nutrients. Go for blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries.
Strategy 5 Look for Hidden Sugars – Hidden sugars are found in many packaged foods. These can be savoury snacks, condiments, and sauces. The food label gives you information to help you choose a healthier alternative with less sugar. Or alternatively opt for homemade.
The Label what to look at. Always look at the 100g column and for sugar choose less than15 grams per 100 grams. Or, my go to is looking at the total carbohydrate at 5g or less per 100g – you can’t go wrong.
Strategy 5 Mindful Eating – It’s important to get in touch with your hunger and fullness cues. Mindful eating is a useful tool as it can help change the way you approach mealtimes and your relationship with food.
Mindful eating means taking the time to savour each bite, putting down your utensils between mouthfuls, chewing food slowly, and being present – no distractions while you eat.
Strategy 6 Regular Physical Activity – has a positive effect on your body and your metabolic health. Having a regular routine will help regulate blood sugar levels, promote a feeling of wellbeing, and give you more energy.
A combination of both cardiovascular exercise – walking, jogging, or swimming along with resistance training – body weight, free weights or machine weights all contribute to your health. Take in gradually if you haven’t exercised in a while building up to 2-3 60-minute sessions of cardio and 2-3 60-minute sessions of resistance training.
Strategy 7 Get Support – if you feel you are addicted to sugary foods, consider talking to a weight management consultant, engage the support from your family and friends and/or join an online community group with the focus on healthy eating.