6 Ways to Detox From Sugar Addiction
Being a sweet person is a good thing. Eating sweets 24.7 is not.
Want to know the truth about sugar? The truth is our bodies are only able to process so much of it. Most of us are killing our bodies with sugar. The problem is, after a while, it becomes difficult to stop.
Sugar is almost as addicting as other drug, if not more.
For a long time, Americans were brainwashed to believe that fat was the biggest culprit. After all, if you eat fat, you get fat right? Wrong.
Turns out, processed sugar is the culprit. Sugar is found to be the root cause for most chronic disease in this country and the rest of the world. Everything from diabetes to depression and acne are somewhat sugar-related.
By this point, you’re probably thinking, “But I don’t consume that much sugar, I’m fine.”
Sugar is one of the sneakiest substances out there. You’d be flat out flabbergasted to see how much sugar ends up in your diet. In fact, the average American takes in about 152 pounds of sugar a year. That’s 22 teaspoons every single day! Children and teenagers are even more sugar obsessed because they consume on average 34 teaspoons a day!
Now that you understand the downsides to the sugar high, we can move on to how to stop the habit for good. Dr. Mark Hyman recently revealed some powerful suggestions to help combat the sugar blues. In his book, The Blood Sugar Solution, he lists several ideas to help kick the sugar habit for good.
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MAKE THE DECISION TO DETOX
They say the first step is admitting you have a problem and when it comes to sugar, the same saying holds truth. Until you admit that your sugar addiction has gotten out of control, you will remain a slave to the sweet powdery substance.
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GO COLD TURKEY
A recent study found that the most effective way to quit smoking is going cold turkey. The same holds true with sugar addiction. You must take the initiative to remove all processed sugars from your diet. The idea is to reset your body’s neurotransmitters and hormones by ridding it of the sugar cravings.
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STOP DRINKING YOUR CALORIES
Apple juice, lemonade and the occasional soda may seem completely harmless but these items are loaded in sugar. You basically are drinking all your calories this way. Furthermore, liquid sugar is more harmful to your body than solid foods. Sweet beverages are the biggest contribute to sugar calories in our diet. This means you need to drop the sweet drinks and opt for water instead.
Dr. Hymen states, “One can of soda a day increases a kid’s chance of being obese by 60% and a woman’s chance of type 2 diabetes by 80%.”
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START YOUR DAY WITH PROTEIN
Protein helps to abolish cravings and balance blood sugar and insulin levels. Start your day with a full balanced breakfast. Look up foods that are high in protein and add them to your diet. Starting your day with breakfast helps with curving cravings for the duration of the day.
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BE PREPARED FOR FOOD EMERGENCIES
When you feel a sugar slump, have a backup plan to boost your energy levels. Keep healthy snacks packed when your body tells you it needs something NOW. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you have no options but to go back to eating sugar. Some good snacks are turkey or salmon jerky, walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sardines, kale chips.
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GET PLENTY OF REST
Give your body proper amounts of sleep and nourishment. When you are restless, you are affecting your hormone levels. Even just reducing your sleep time by 2 hours is enough to increase hunger hormones, decrease appetite, and causes sugar and refined carb cravings. If you do not get enough sleep, your natural response if to give your body energy in the fastest way possible – sugar. Sleep is one of the best ways to combat sugar cravings in the morning.
Sugar is sweet but the havoc it can do to your body is far from it. Take action to change your approach to your diet. What do you think? If you or anyone you know is struggling with substance use disorder or mental illness, please call toll-free 1-800-777-9588.