Sugar is sweet, but there's a sour side, too. If you are overweight or trying to beat a disease, you should most probably blame it on sugar. Sounds silly, but sugar is the big evil. Sugar is a drug, a poison, and most people don't even realize how much sugar they are consuming.
Sugar is hidden everywhere, even in simple everyday foods like bread. Sot to mention "healthy foods" like peanut butter, salsa, cereal, yogurt, etc. Sspecially low-fat foods are loaded with sugar to enhance flavor.
Studies show that an average child consumes a whopping 32 teaspoons of sugar per day. That's 160 g of sugar, while the daily intake should stay under the 15g.
Facts About Sugar:
-sugar consumption is linked to:
insomnia
hair loss
dizziness
ADD/ ADHD
breakouts and skin irritation
allergies
manic depression
tooth decay
cardiovascular disease
hypertension
hypoglycemia
colon and pancreas cancer
cancer
obesity
metabolic syndrome
type 2 diabetes
asthma
arthritis
heart disease
high bad cholesterol levels
gallstones
endocrine issues
degenerative disease
-sugar is addictive just like any drug. It releases an opiate-like substance that activates the brain's reward system
-a 32oz/ 1Lt soda that you can get at any fast food or movie theater, contains 27 teaspoons of sugar. that's 135g!
-sugar causes vitamin B deficiency which is linked to: heart palpitations, chronic fatigue, paranoia, anxiety, insomnia, difficulty focusing, restlessness, indigestion, rashes, cravings of sugar...
-sugar has 0 nutritional value! it does not contain vitamins, minerals, enzymes, fats or fiber.
-sugar makes the digestive system acidic, which leaches vitamins and minerals from the body, particularly calcium from the bones and teeth. It also depletes potassium and magnesium, which are both essential for cardiac health.
-sugar suppresses the immune system and causes overproduction of digestive enzymes, which puts stress on the pancreas
-sugar impairs liver function, which leads to high blood pressure, skin issues and acne
-sugar inhibits blood flow and affects aging contributing to dental issues, increased wrinkles and dry, aged skin
Ok, I think you have enough. I hope that the above facts will motivate you this week to detox from sugar. In order to do so, you must remove all the sugar from your diet. This means NO:
syrups
fruit
fruit yogurts
cereal (except natural whole grain puffed cereal or oats)
processed foods like bread, crackers etc.
sauces containing sugar
marinades
dressings containing sugar
corn
potatoes
soda
candy and sweets
limit your dairy intake (plain yogurts, cream cheese, quark, cottage cheese etc) to 1 cup/ 250g per day
Keep in mind that removing sugar from your diet can cause withdrawal symptoms, like fatigue, depression, headaches and achy limbs. But don't worry, these symptoms will go away after a few days and are normal symptoms of any detox process.
Now you are wondering what you CAN eat, right?! I know the world without sugar seems so empty, but hey, there's a long list of foods you can enjoy:
any kind of lean protein: eggs, white meat, red meat, fish, deli meats (see nutrition values, some of these also contain sugar),...
veggies (dig in!)
nuts
healthy fats (YES, you CAN have chocolate! but it must be sugar-free and it must contain 85%+ cacao)
hummus
legumes
WHOLE natural grains: brown rice, oats, amaranth, cous cous, barley,...
cheese
pure stevia (even though i recommend going completely "sweetener-free" for the first 3 days)
What to eat post-workout:
1-2 scoops hydro whey or whey isolate with oats and water is a good post-workout meal that will replenish the glycogen stores and prevent muscle breakdown
The main recommendation is to eat as natural as possible and to pack on fiber. Read the food labels and as long as the food is natural, unprocessed and the label says 0g sugars, you can have it.
Keep in mind that even if the ingredient list doesn't list sugar, it can still be hidden under names like:
agave nectar
brown rice syrup
high-fructose corn syrup
dextrose
evaporated cane juice
glucose
lactose
malt syrup
molasses
sucrose
...
Please, do NOT use artificial sweeteners which will make the situation even worse. The only sweetener i recommend is PURE stevia (not Truvia). Must be 95+% stevia. After the sweet taste of the artificial sweetener the body expects an increase in sugar levels, but since this doesn't happen, your body starts to crave more sugar.
Don't forget to drink plenty of water!
Prepare mentally. It's not going to be easy, but it's going to be worth it. At the end of the week you should feel lighter, your stomach should be flatter, you should have more energy and the scale should move down for a couple of pounds. Your cravings will be gone!
You are welcome to post your thoughts and log your meals on my page in order to motivate the rest of the community. Together we can do it!
If you have any doubts or questions, post them down here in the comments. I'll answer all of them.
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