We all have heard countless times that sugar is the biggest culprit. Yes, it’s true, on a daily basis sugar can be the cause for achy and tired muscles, mood swings, fatigue, migraines, and lethargy. On a long term basis sugar can be the reason for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, dementia, alzhimers, acne, and of course, obesity. We all have also heard of the countless social media driven sugar detox plans, some good, some not so clinically supported and rather a fad. Before you begin any detox, remember to ensure that you’ve discussed it over with your health professional, but more importantly that you have been explained the differences between certain nutrients and their effects on the body. For example,  not all carbs are bad and eliminating gluten does not always lead to weight loss. Similraly, an understanding of what sugar does and where it’s found in foods is crucial. So, back to a sugar detox, start by aiming for a two day sugar free lifestyle and by that I mean cutting out the obvious, soda, desserts, ice creams, candy, cakes, and fancy coffee beverages. When I say sugar free, I do not encourage you to consume any Splenda, equal, etc. These products will result in more weight gain and health issues later in life. Two days without sugar may not seem long at first but, will feel harder to deal with especially, if you are someone who loves their sugar laden  beverages and desserts. So, to cope with the withdrawl, add some high good fat and protein based foods that will help you stay on track. Examples, avocado,  nuts, low fat dairy. After the two days of obvious sugar restriction, make the next two days focused on hidden sugar restriction, meaning, eliminate the foods that sound healthy but are truly a sugar den. Example, flavored yogurt and water, juices, fruit bars,  protein bars that have more sugar than protein. Once you’ve successfully achieved that, now, start stabilizing your sugar habits, meaning, if you must intake some, ensure that per serving of the foods you consume it has no more than 12-15g of sugar each. Secondly, ensure that each of those foods have fiber, good fats, and proteins, example add some nut butter and fruits, the combo of fiber, proteins, and healthy fats will help slow the absorption of sugar thus preventing a sugar crash and more cravings. Once you’ve learned to intake sugar in moderation, you will see the wrinkles disappear,  the muscles strengthening,  aches and pains gone, mood is better, and overall you feel stronger. Please note, this is not a post on carb detox, just sugars.

Dr. SA ~ MedicinalNutrition Doctor, LLC