Five Reasons You Could Benefit from a Sugar Detox
Are you ready to learn the not so sweet truth about sugar? Well, buckle up! It's a bumpy (and surprising) ride.
As a Health Coach, I get asked by many of you what's the one thing I should be looking out for when it comes to the food I put in my body. My answer is always SUGAR. Here is why.
Sugar is SO sneaky, and when I say sugar, I mean large food conglomerates. The US Food Industry creates food with the purpose of it being addicting. In fact, they have jobs at Kraft Food and other big corporations where someone's sole purpose is to make food addictive, so we keep coming back. They do this by adding sugar or high-fructose corn syrup into everything, even the salty and savory stuff we wouldn't normally associate with sugar.
These processed foods and sugar send our hormones and blood sugar into a vicious cycle. Climbing high, then crashing, causing you to go back to the pantry for more, which in turn makes us consume more.
They've gotten so sneaky that there are now 60+ words for sugar that hide in our food supply. The worst part is our government will not protect us.
Did you know that in the UK, for example, their government has banned tons of food additives from being in their food supply? So food companies such as Kraft, Walmart, or McDonald's have to make two different types of the same product. For example, two kinds of Doritos, one with the yellow 5, blue 1, red 40 that goes to the US and one without going to the UK. Vani Hart, also known as the Food Babe, is a huge food advocate, and you can read more about that here.
So, where does this leave us?
We need to be our own advocates and read our food labels. We need to educate ourselves and those around us on the long-term danger of regularly consuming added or refined sugar. The good news is the tools are available to us.
So what happens to your body when you can detox off of added or refined sugar?
You will reduce inflammation in your body.
Reducing inflammation is a big one. Think of sugar = inflammation. Inflammation can show up in your body in many ways; it can be apparent inflammation like bloating or puffiness. Or, it can show up in our body through chronic pain. Inflammation is supposed to be our body’s natural defense. But by having a diet high in sugar, we weaken those defenses. When your body isn’t able to heal and stays in a state of inflammation over time, chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and digestive issues can start to form.
You’ll have more energy.
Consuming sugar affects our blood sugar levels, which in turn affects our energy levels. When we eat sugar, our body reacts by producing insulin to metabolize the sugar in our blood. Essentially, this is where sugar crashes come from. This not only leaves us feeling tired for the day; it also causes more sugar cravings. Our body is looking for that next spike to bring us back up, and then the cycle continues. By eliminating sugar, you choose to jump off this crazy rollercoaster ride.
You’ll have clearer skin.
Your skin is an elimination organ, so it's safe to say if something is going on with your skin, then it's a good indication that something is going on inside your body. Too much sugar in your diet can cause skin problems such as rosacea, acne, and aging. Consuming too much sugar also attacks the collagen and elastin in your skin, causing you to age faster! Say goodbye to all those crazy creams and skin routines; give up sugar.
Your immune system will thank you.
Sugar weakens our immune system, so you’re at greater risk of coming down with something. Now more than ever, we need our immune systems to be operating at full speed, so if you’re looking for ways to give that ole immune system a boost, start by looking at the foods you are putting into your body.
You’ll likely lose weight.
Who doesn’t like to hear that! While everyone is different, the science behind weight loss and removing sugar from your body makes sense. Sugar is an empty calorie and causes your blood sugar to spike. These two things are directly related to weight gain. When you eat sugar, your body releases insulin into your blood. Insulin is the fat-storing hormone. Essentially, its job is to tell the body to convert the sugar into energy to be used later. That energy is stored in the form of fat! So, eliminating sugar from your diet is a great way to shed a few pounds!
The bottom line
Yes, sugar is bad for you, and the main takeaway is that it's in so much more food than we realize we are consuming. Educating yourself on that is the first step. As you begin to cook and eat throughout your day, pay attention to your food labels. Do you know what all the ingredients are? Can you pronounce them? Are they one of the 60+ words out there for sugar?
While a completely sugar-free diet is not realistic for many people 100% of the time, doing a 21-day sugar detox is sometimes all your body needs. By taking that time to detox, you will reset your body naturally and also reset your tastebuds. Many of the foods you ate before will be too sweet, and it will completely transform your relationship with sugar.
That's why I've created a 21 Day Sugar Elimination Challenge kicking off Monday, February 8th, 2021. For more information, follow this link: 21 Day Sugar Elimination Challenge.