Sugar Detox Plan to Reset Your Body & Mind

Here’s a bitter truth about sugar: It is killing us slowly. And we aren’t even aware of the unacceptable amounts of sugar we are consuming daily! A sugar detox is, therefore, necessary not just for people wanting to lose weight but for everyone desiring better health.

A lot of people ask me to share tips about health after I lost a substantial amount of weight recently. When I talk about reducing sugar intake, almost everyone claims they do not take much sugar anyway. However, a closer look at their diets then reveals shocking amounts of sugar they actually consume.

Sugar is present in almost everything we eat, but not every source is bad for us. In this post, I am going to talk about which forms are good, which ones to eliminate completely, and hows and whys of a sugar detox plan.

On our support group on Facebook, Health Me Health You, we regularly conduct detox challenges to promote better health. Join our group for health motivation and support.

How much sugar can you have per day?

If you feel unhealthy but think you are consuming less sugar, you’re probably wrong. While on a detox you obviously wouldn’t be consuming any amount of sugar, but it’s also important to know how much sugar you should be having even otherwise.

Sugar is added under such a variety of different pseudonyms that it is impossible to keep track of the amount you are eating. Things like packaged bread, condiments, chips, sauces, and salad dressings have alarming amounts of sugar.

The World Health Organization strongly recommends that all adults and children must reduce their sugar intake to less than 10% of total calories consumed. A further reduction of sugar intake to less than 5% of total calories would likely have additional health benefits.

This refers to free sugars, added to foods by the manufacturer, the cook, or the consumer, as well as sugars that are naturally present in honey, syrups, and fruit juices. It does not include intrinsic sugars in fruits and vegetables. The sugar that naturally occurs in milk is also excluded from that 5%. You can continue having these as these do not have any adverse effect on health.

In Stanford’s Introduction to Food and Health, Maya Adams talks extensively about this. She explains: “For the average adult, consuming a 2000 calorie per day diet reducing their sugar intake to 5% would mean that ideally, no more than 100 calories per day should come from free sugars. Since free sugars offer 4 calories of energy per gram this would translate into approximately 25 grams of free sugar, about 6 teaspoons. Six teaspoons seem like a generous allocation when you picture spooning it out of a sugar bowl. But when you begin to look at the nutrition labels of most packaged foods, the numbers begin to add up incredibly quickly.”

For example, a one-half cup serving of organic granola can contain 16 grams or 4 teaspoons of sugar. If one half of a cup of regular sweetened yogurt is added to that cereal for breakfast, this can add another four teaspoons of sugar and you’ve already exceeded your recommended sugar intake by two full teaspoons before leaving the house.

Introduction to Food and Health by Stanford University

Benefits of a Sugar Detox

Why should you do a sugar detox? Here are some of the benefits of leaving sugar to consider:

• Weight loss
• No bloating: Artificial sweeteners are infamous for causing your stomach to bloat
• Better energy: Sugar causes a spike and then brings in lethargy. With no added sugar, you enjoy stable energy levels all day.
• No cravings: Sugar leads to more cravings for sugar and junk food. Eliminate sugar and say goodbye to those cravings!
• Better skin: I love this benefit the most!
• No damage to teeth: All those colas and sweets are contributing to tooth decay, you know that right?
• BONUS – You save money: Not just money spent on sugary waste and processed food but medical bills as well!

What happens during and after the detox?

While you can do a 3-day or 10-day sugar detox, I recommend going for a 21 days detox. Now, 21 is not a magical number. It’s proven that this period is good enough to form a habit. Your body gets completely cleansed as does your mind. The detox will help you reset your taste buds, and thus help you opt for healthier eating options.

Someone on our group asked me “what will happen after the detox?”. This is a natural question with multiple intents: Can I go back to eating my favorite cheesecake on the 22nd day? Will I gain back all the weight I lost during the detox? Will my system be in shock if I eat “normally” after the detox?

To answer these, let’s understand the phases of a sugar detox plan. Dr. Mark Hyman in his book, The Blood Sugar Solution 10-Day Detox Diet explains what exactly happens during and after the detox:

Phase 1: This is the preparation phase, which begins two days before the detox. Here, you get rid of all the sugar in your fridge and kitchen. (Now, if you are smart, you won’t get rid of it by eating it all ;))

Phase 2: The actual detox period where you will initially feel cranky and irritable. But slowly, as you experience higher energy levels, you will get used to the idea.

Phase 3: The transition phase. By now, your body and mind will be loving the idea of leaving sugar. After detox, you can slowly (very slowly) add back some forms (but chances are you wouldn’t feel like adding back those useless calories).

What can I eat on a sugar detox?

During a sugar detox, it is recommended to go for a high carbs diet so that you feel full. But wait! Before you start thinking about rice and chapatti, understand that I am talking about the right carbs here. This means non-starchy veggies (like cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli), fruits nuts, and seeds. Also, make your diet rich with quality proteins and healthy fats. A day before the detox, stock up your fridge and pantry with these:

• Pineapple
• Kiwi
• Avocado
• Mango
• Cantaloupe/Musk Melon
• Sweet Potato
• Artichoke
• Asparagus
• Cauliflower
• Cabbage
• Broccoli
• Eggplant
• Kale
• Lettuce
• Bell peppers
• Celery
• Papaya
• Sweet peas
• Lime
• Hearts of Palm
• Mushroom
• Onion
• Tomato
• Radishes
• Spinach
• Zucchini (See zucchini noodles recipe)

What NOT to eat during a sugar detox?

You need to avoid all forms of sugar and not just the word “sugar”. According To Dr. Hyman, there are 257 forms of sugar hidden behind names you’d never recognize like xanthan gum, maltodextrin. Watch out for aliases like cane juice, honey, maple syrup, cane syrup, etc.

• Chips, cookies, cakes, chocolates, fried food, and processed food.
• Tea and coffee with sugar and sweeteners. (You can have black coffee and sugarless tea)
• Condiments such as salad dressing, ketchup, BBQ sauce have up to 33 teaspoons of sugar in a bottle! That’s 1 teaspoon in every tablespoon of sugar.
• Preservatives, colorings, additives
• Processed and packaged food
• Flavored milk and yogurt
• Alcohol: It is sugar in different form plus it impairs impulse control causing you to eat more

Measure your success:

Before starting a 21-day detox, take note of your weight, waist size, BMI, Blood pressure. There will be a marked improvement in your health based on all of these parameters. 

Are you ready to energize your body and mind? You’re just 21 days away from better health!