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Have you heard of doing a sugar detox? The idea is to abstain from any added sugar for a certain period of time. Some people will stick it out for a week, but a month is better. It will give your body and your mind time to adjust to living without the addictive white stuff. Because that’s the reason we call it a detox. Refined sugar activates the same pleasure centers in our brains that cocaine and similar drugs do. No wonder kicking that soda and cookie habit is so hard.
How Long Should Your Sugar Detox Be?
Any active effort to cut out any and all added sugar will benefit you. If the idea of living without your favorite sugary treats for an entire month seems like it’s too much, give a week a try. Otherwise, thirty days is a good choice. It’s long enough to give your body time to adjust and change. It’s a great starting place to break the sugar habit and tamper your sugar addiction.
Start and see how you feel. Commit to a certain time period and go from there. The longer you can stay away from refined and added sugar, the better for your overall health. You can always go longer after you reach your goal or re-introduce a limited amount of added sugar and see how you feel.
What Can You Expect During Your Sugar Detox
If you are consuming a fair amount of sugar right now – and most of us do – be ready for headaches. Your brain is relying on this easy-to-use fuel and will balk at the switch. The good news is that the headaches are temporary. You can (mostly) avoid them by cutting down on your sugar consumption in the days and weeks leading up to your challenge. Otherwise, drink plenty of water and wait it out. A Tylenol or aspirin works wonders as well to get you through those first few days.
Along with the headache, don’t be surprised if you find yourself agitated and short-tempered. Those are more side effects of your body getting used to a switch in fuel. As a result your blood sugar may drop for a while. It’s okay. Your body is designed to deal with multiple sources of fuel. Sugar just happens to be the quickest and easiest, which is why it is burnt first. As long as we continue to provide our body with a steady supply of it, it will stick to burning it instead of fat for example.
Remember, all these side effects are temporary. Stick it out and you’ll be rewarded with a new sense of well-being and mental clarity.
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