Along with carbohydrates and fats, sugar is also guilty for your surplus kilograms. Moderate intake of sugar is not a threat to the human body, but people are often unaware that they are consuming high amounts of sugar through numberless products sold in stores such as sodas, cereals, drinks, salad dressings, yogurts and candies, etc. These foods often lead to excessive sugar amounts in your body. Furthermore, another sugar source is simple carbohydrates. They are found in foods such as honey, raisins, pure fruit juices, mangoes and bananas.
Usually, we consider these foods as healthy, but the body makes a quick use of the simple carbohydrates for energy, thus causing an increase in blood sugar levels which has negative consequences for the health. What’s more, excessive amounts of sugar create problems in the body’s nutritional intake. Symptoms of overconsumption of sugar can be hyperactivity and consequent fatigue, yeast infections, depressive moods, headaches, colds or sinus problems, sleepiness, disorientation, etc. Also, chronic sugar overload can increase the risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease and even breast cancer.
When we consume high amounts of sugar, the body converts the needed amount into energy, whereas it stores the remaining part as body fat. Further on, added sugars do not have the same effect on metabolism such as the natural ones. Instead, they arrive in the bowel and can cause bowel bacteria which raise blood sugar levels in return. This sugar is also converted to fat. When a person is addicted to sugar, the body continues to store unnecessary sugar to fat in the the hips, waist, thighs and the face.
It is close to impossible to stop sugar addiction if you do not quit it altogether. When people try to eliminate sugar from their nutrition, they experience withdrawal symptoms such as sadness, headaches, queasiness, fatigue and cravings. When someone is addicted to sugar, this happens after a meal has been digested. The body experiences cravings for sugar and the body is telling your brain that it is hungry again. In such cases, the person who is addicted to sugar will reach for something sweet. As soon as you satiate your craving with that cookie, the sadness, headaches and other feelings disappear and you will feel instantly better. It is important to know that if you want to give up sugar, you have to abstain from it altogether. Moderation often times fails. If you think that you can cope with the discomfort of the withdrawal symptoms for few days, you can stop the addiction and the most important thing- you will be healthier.
3 DAY SUGAR DETOXIFICATION
Day 1
Breakfast: 1 cup of steel cut oats with berries and seeds or almonds, or 3 scrambled eggs
Mid morning snack: small bowl of nuts
Lunch: Chicken poached breast with a bowl of lightly cooked butternut squash, beets, carrots, parsnips, turnips, beans and almonds
Dinner: Broiled fish and a bowl of green beans, or salmon with stir-fried broccoli and mushrooms
Day 2
Breakfast: 1 cup of steel cut oats with seeds, almonds or berries, or 3 scrambled eggs with spinach
Mid morning snack: small bowl of nuts
Lunch: Grilled zucchini with red and yellow peppers and a dressing of lemon, vinegar and thyme, or a shredded green and red cabbage salad with shredded carrots, drizzled with an olive oil, lemon juice and salt dressing, garnished with chopped parsley
Dinner: Steamed green vegetables of your choice with a vegetable casserole and bean soup, or baked cod with fried bok choy and roasted Brussels sprouts and turnips
Day 3:
Breakfast: 1 cup of steel cut oats with berries, seeds, almonds, or 3 fried eggs with shrimp and a sautéed kale, radish and walnut salad
Mid morning snack: small bowl of nuts
Lunch: Pan roasted chicken thighs with sage, lemon and rosemary, or oven roasted chicken with onion, thyme and black olives.
Dinner: Mushroom heads with a broth of garlic, onion, carrots, celery, thyme and bay leaves, or penne pasta with a mushroom, basil and tomato meat sauce
SUGAR DETOXIFICATION DRINKS
If you eliminate sweetened drinks from your nutrition, you stop the addiction. Moreover, replace the sugared fruit juices with detoxification waters and healthy hot mixtures that will boost you and you won’t feel deprived of your liquid intake.
Detox water: slice or chop one of these fruits: grapefruits, blueberries, strawberries or oranges, also some fresh rosemary or mint and put them in a medium- size mason jar of filtered water. Store it and drink it every day.
Tea: Unsweetened herbal or green tea, 3 times per day
Coffee: only 1 cup of unsweetened black coffee daily
IMPORTANT TO KNOW:
- Avoid honey, agave nectar, maple syrup and all kinds of artificial sweeteners, since when you are exposed to even small amounts of sugar, you will want more.
- Be prepared to fight the cravings!
- Replace fast-carbohydrate foods, such as white bread and fruit juices with slow-carbohydrate foods such as whole grains. They will prevent the sugar overload and constant cravings, thus regulating the release of sugar in your bloodstream.
- Always cook with extra-virgin olive oil.
- Consume 2 ounces of nuts and seeds daily, as well as flaxseeds and walnuts.
- Eat 1 larger bowl of cooked green vegetables every day since you have to intake enough nutrients when you are fighting an addiction.
- Consume green salad every day and choose a healthy dressing.
- Eat at least ½ cup of beans, chickpeas and lentils, per day. Beans tend to reduce the sugar cravings.
- Do not forget to drink a lot of water.
When you have successfully completed this three-day detoxification program, your depression, fatigue and headaches will disappear and you will see that it is possible to live without a daily sugar “fix”! The next step that you need to take is to talk to a nutritionist or a doctor in order to figure out a longer diet plan so that you can keep the sugar addiction at bay, and begin including healthier forms of sugar such as fruits, dry fruits and numerous low-sugar desserts.
Source: yourstylishlife.com
