Cutting down added sugar intake is a great step towards leading a healthier lifestyle. Doing so isn’t that easy, however, the benefits are worth trying it, as added sugar has shown to have negative impacts on the system. Several pieces of evidence have linked a high added sugar intake diet with increased risk of various health conditions such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, PCOS and poor dental health.

Sugar detox is the perfect way to get away with sugar addiction. Do you know that sugar is 8 times more addictive than cocaine?  Sigh! The recommended sugar intake for normal adults as per the World Health Organization (WHO) is 6 teaspoons for adults, but most adults take more than 22 teaspoons or more, while children’s consume about 34 teaspoons of sugar per day. The fact is sugar is the epitome of sweet poison.

What Is Sugar Detox?

Sugar detox is a key plan that assists you to get over sugar cravings, change palate, maintain blood sugar levels, cut down the intake of processed food cravings, maintain lipid profile, trigger brain and muscle function. The foods allowed in a sugar detox diet taste good and keep you satiated both physically and emotionally, while also keeps a check on net sugar intake per day. However, all this requires strong determination and motivation which would help you to detoxify sugar out of our system. The perils of sugar addiction are sure to drive you towards achieving this.

Symptoms Of Cutting Down Sugar

Cutting down extra sugar from the diet may lead to physical and mental symptoms. The intensity of the symptoms depends on how much added sugar a person was taking in from sweetened foods and drinks. For some people, the symptoms may last from a few days to a couple of weeks. As the body gets accustomed to a low sugar diet the symptoms and cravings would be less intense.

Mental Symptoms

Depression: Some people may feel down when they cut sugar from the diet due to a decrease in dopamine secretion.

Anxiety: Nervousness, restlessness, irritability and feeling impatient than usual.

Disturb Sleep Patterns: Some people may find it difficult to get sound sleep when detoxifying sugar from the diet.

Also Read: Beat The Binge With These 5 Eating Rules

Cognitive Problems: Poor memory and hard to concentrate, forgetfulness and difficult to pay attention to work or school.

Cravings: Some person may also crave for non-sugary foods that are laden with carbs such as bread, pasta and potato chips.

Physical Symptoms

When giving up sugar you may observe that you are felling physically low. Some of physical withdrawal symptoms include:

Headaches

Dizziness

Nausea

Fatigue

Simple And Effective Tips For Cutting Down Added Sugar

One Day Sample Meal Plan: If you are a person who used to relish eating sugary foods like ice-cream, sweetened breakfast cereal, candy, cookies and sugary beverages, then it may take some time to reduce your dependence on added sugar. Apparently even making light modifications to cut down your sugar intake can tremendously improve your overall well-being.

Also Read: Molasses - A Sweetener That Is Much Healthier Than Sugar

Switch Sweetened Drinks To Water: Avoid taking sugary soda, fruit juices and energy drinks, instead replace them with plain water. If you want to enhance flavour, add a dash of mint leaves or lemon.

Begin Your Day With Low Sugar Foods: Fuel your system with protein and fibre rich foods such as omelette made with vegetables or a bowl of fresh berries and avocado, instead of going for sugary breakfast cereal or cakes.

Read Labels: You may miss out on a hidden source of added sugars in packaged foods and beverages. Thoroughly read labels of food products like sauce, oatmeal, breakfast cereals, energy bars to look out for added sugar.

Prefer Unsweetened Snacks: Your desired granola or energy bar may be laden with added sugar. So, choose from wholesome nutritious snacks like nuts, seeds, whole fruit, veggies or eggs to fuel your body with needed energy.

Pay Attention To Nutritious Diet: Augmenting the nutrient content of your complete diet pattern can help to promote overall well-being and also cut back on added sugar. Focus on wholesome, unprocessed food like veggies, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds, lean protein and eggs.

Get Enough Sleep: Good sleep pattern will help you make healthier food choices, beat stress, boost energy levels, and curbs unwanted hunger pangs.

Manage Stress: Keeping stress under control will make it much easier to limit sugar from the diet and curb cravings. Meditate, take a short walk, and listen to good music or practice yoga.

Stay Physically Active: Regular workouts will help you combat symptoms like fatigue, low energy level and stress-induced cravings that may develop when minimising added sugar.

Sample Diet Plan

Early Morning: Ginger Lemonade -1 cup without Sugar

Breakfast: Egg boiled -1 + 1 Slice Whole wheat bread + 5 Almonds + 1 Katori Cucumber

Mid-Morning: Milk-1 cup

Lunch: Chicken Salad/ Tofu Salad -1 bowl + Yoghurt -1 Katori

Mid-Evening: Green Tea -1 cup

Dinner: Carrot Pumpkin Soup 1 bowl + Boiled Moong Gram -1 katori

Conclusion:

Limiting sugar intake may come with uncomfortable symptoms. However, lowering added sugar can have positive health benefits and promote overall well-being. Making necessary modifications to the diet, exercise and sleep schedule can remarkably help a person combat unwanted cravings and develop a healthier lifestyle.