People who are looking for a reduction in their sugar intake must take care of their good health. Sugar detox helps to alleviate added sugar levels in your body. Removing excessive sugars from your body is necessary to make a healthier lifestyle. Doing this is not an easy task, but the benefits are worth it. The added amount of sugars in your body produces negative results. Some research studies evaluate the diseases associated with more sugar amounts like obesity, diabetes, heart diseases, and poor mental health. However, alleviating sugar levels may cause low sugar and energy level, reduced alertness and inactiveness, but cutting sugars from diet reduce the risk of chronic diseases and increases your energy. This article looks at reducing sugar intake and effective ways of treatment.
Dietary guidelines(2015-202) say that less than 10% of a person’s calories intake must come from added sugars.
The American Heart Association suggests that women should not consume more than 6 teaspoons of added sugar daily, and men should not consume more than 9 tablespoons daily.
Why does quitting sugar is so bad?
Eating sugar regularly alters your brain and your brain becomes tolerant to daily consumption and causing you to require more amount of it gradually. However, a number of studies show that sugar directly affects your brain’s reward system that is a survival system of humans and it becomes involved in this behavior. Food is a natural reward, and sweet food stimulates your brain’s reward system and prompts the brain to eat more.
According to a 2018 review, the most common foods associated with addictive symptoms are those that are high in added fats or sugars.
What are the symptoms of cutting added sugars from your diet?
Cutting off sugar from your diet can cause physical and mental health. The body reacts differently in every case of a person who is quitting sugar. It totally depends on the level of already added sugar amounts either in form of sweetened food or beverages. Adopting your body to less sugar intake can cause less intense symptoms and cravings for sugar. During stress situations, sugar cravings are intensified and your symptoms may feel worse at that time. Going for the sugar detox is the best possible way to minus the added sugar intake from your body.
1- Mental symptoms:
Removing added sugars from your diet results in mental and emotional symptoms. It includes:
Depressed mood: Some people feel down when they cut sugar intake from their diet and that happens due to decreased amount of dopamine levels.
Anxiety: Quitting sugars directly creates a situation of nervousness and irritability.
Changes in sleep patterns: Detoxing from sugar results in changed sleep patterns and becomes hard to sleep at night.
Cravings: Along with sugar cravings, you may find yourself craving other foods as paste or potato chips.
2- Physical symptoms:
While quitting sugar you may feel physically down situation. Possible symptoms may include.
- Light-headedness or dizziness
- Nausea
- Fatigue
The first day of reduced sugar might go without much fanfare. With the passage of time, sugar withdrawal side effects don’t take a long run. When you leave the sugar intake, your body misses that feel-good dopamine. The amount of sugar you consume will determine how long the symptoms will last.
Some tips for reducing sugar detox symptoms:
Here are few tips that can help you.
- Observe sugar intake from your diet.
- Look for ‘’added sugars’’ on food labels
- Learn your sugar triggers
- Be wary of artificial sweeteners
- Focus on the whole diet
- Choose unsweetened snacks
- Rethink desserts
- Swap sweetened drinks for water
- Focus on your whole diet
- Avoid candies, sweets, and baked foods
Click here to know about Food additives: Types, Repercussions, and control
How to withdraw yourself from sugar?
1-DIY herbal tea to reduce sugar cravings
2-Avoid sugary desserts:
All desserts do not provide nutritional value. They are just loaded with sugar that spikes the blood sugar level. If you want low sugar items then you can go for the following ones and they will satisfy your sweet tooth.
- Fresh fruit
- Yogurt with cinnamon
- Baked fruit with cream
- Dark chocolate (70% cocoa or higher)
3-Eat whole foods:
Whole foods do not undergo refining or preservation processes and totally lack additives and artificial substances. These foods include wheat, bean, pulses, legumes, and vegetables.
4-Limit sugary breakfast foods:
Some breakfast cereals contain more added sugar like pancakes, waffles, muffins, and jams.
Try low sugary breakfast instead of them.
- Oatmeal sweetened with fresh fruit
- Greek yogurt with fruits and nuts
- Egg scramble with cheese and veggies
- Avocado on whole wheat grain toast
5-Consider eating more protein:
A diet low in sugar is high in protein and fiber that reduces hunger pangs and promotes fullness. To control sugar cravings, you should stock up on protein-rich whole foods such as meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, nuts, and avocados.
6-Shift to natural zero-calorie sweeteners:
These sweeteners are available in the market and are totally free from sugar and calories. These zero-calories sweeteners show more promise than other artificial sweeteners. They include stevia, erythritol, monk fruit, and allulose.
Treatment:
Symptoms common for sugar detox sometimes include fluctuating blood sugar levels. When a person starts to intake sugar, the body cells integrate the sugar into the components and cells utilize them to gain energy. People can minimize the adverse sugar effects by maintaining their blood sugar levels. Eating a fiber-rich diet can reduce the high blood sugar level and decrease cravings.
Magnesium:
Magnesium serves as an important mineral and promotes body functions that include protein synthesis and blood sugar regulation.
National Institute of Health says that magnesium reduces symptoms of headaches and migraines. Rich sources of magnesium include:
- Peanuts
- Spinach
- Nuts and seeds
- Whole grains
- Beef
- Poultry
- Milk
However, following daily lifestyle tips can also reduce sugar symptoms.
- Take protein to control appetite
- Drink enough water to stay hydrated
- Do any physical activity regularly that release endorphins and regulate blood sugar levels