The adverse health effects of sugar are well documented in the medical community, despite the misgivings by the sugar industry and the validity of the many studies that link excess sugar to diabetes, obesity and other metabolic related diseases. Even with all this information, we are still consuming even more sugar than we were ten years ago. In 2005 the average American consumed 100lbs of sugar per year. Ten years later Americans are consuming an average of 150lbs of sugar per year. To put that in perspective, go to your gym and try and pick up a 150lb dumbbell without hurting yourself.
Why do we consume something in excess that is so harmful to us? The answer is complicated, but our brains release the hormone dopamine in our blood when we consume sugar. Dopamine is the hormone that makes us feel good. So, when we eat food with sugar, we immediately get a positive response from our brain that permeates through the entire body. Dopamine makes us feel good, so we want to repeat that feeling, hence the sugar cravings when we try to eliminate it from our diet.
Sugar detoxification can be very challenging. If you’re addicted to sugar, giving it up cold turkey can be disconcerting. Everyone’s body reacts differently to sugar detoxification. The following are symptoms of sugar detoxification. If you have ever experienced any of these symptoms, you know they do not last very long but are difficult to overcome.
- Muscle aches and pains
- Chills or sweats
- Strange dreams
- Gas and bloating
Some people suggest that there are 7 stages to sugar withdrawal that you have to go through in order to crack the sugar addiction. The fact is that your brain responds to sugar cravings and withdrawals the same way it does to cocaine. The first 5 days of a sugar detox are the most difficult. In our bodies, we all have fungus which needs sugar to survive and reproduce. Without sugar, the bad fungus dies and enables our body to heal. So, when we get an upset stomach from eating too much processed sugar, we are creating a perfect environment for the bad fungus to not only survive but to thrive in our bodies.
Below are a few ways to survive your sugar withdrawal:
- Slowly taper off your sugar intake instead of going cold turkey.
- Drink plenty of water -- Make a habit of drinking at least 8 oz before every meal.
- Exercise regularly-- Physical activity will stimulate your immune system naturally.
- Eat healthy, whole foods rather than processed food products.
- Set goals for yourself and think positively.
We all love and need sugar for our bodies, but we don’t need to consume it in excess, especially having 25% of our diet coming from sugar, which is the sugar industry’s recommended daily allowance. 10% of our diet should consist of non-processed sugar.
What this means for you, the consumer, is you have to really read labels and eat foods with naturally occurring sugar. When you go food shopping, shop on the outside aisles and not on the inside. The healthier options are on the outsides of the aisles. Increase your water and vegetable consumption. Make your own juice and stop buying juice from the stores.
Once you detox, you reset your palate and body in how sugar tastes and how your body responds to sugar. After I completed my first 30-day detox and then ate food that had added sugar, it tasted like I was eating raw sugar by itself. Yuck!!! So I stopped and I no longer have sugar cravings. You are responsible for taking care of your health and cannot expect the government or the food industry to police itself because they are all in it to make money at our detriment. If you don’t buy it, they will stop making it because the Food Industry isn’t in the business of losing money.
Teach yourself and your family that eating healthy, clean foods with the right amount of natural sugar is going to provide you with the best health benefits.