10 Day No Added Sugar Detox

Hey all! Im embarking on a 10 day no added sugar detox! It's time to reset, recharge, and rid my body of those unnecessary sugars. For the most part I avoid added sugars completely, however with the Holiday week/weekend just finishing up and many family parties I have consumed more than I normally do and so I thought it would be a good time to get back on track. I'm not a huge fan of the cleanses and detoxes. If we are eating healthy, real and whole foods, and taking care of our bodies then we will naturally detoxify our bodies, that's the role of our liver. However, I think the no added sugar one is a great idea because we easily consume so many more sugars than needed and we may not even realize it. Sugar is a sneaky little guy because it comes it so many different forms. I chose a ten day detox because like I mentioned before my sugar consumption is fairly low to begin with. If you have been trying to limit the amount of sugar you consume and get rid of added sugars in your diet then I think this is a great detox to begin with! There are many different types of sugar detoxes and they all vary in length and food consumptions. This is my version and I will be sharing with you what I will be doing. I am going to give you a little background about sugar, added sugars, what foods are allowed on the detox and what should be avoided. If you subscribe to the blog today I will be sending out one of my recipes everyday!

What is Sugar?

Sugar is naturally occuring found in fruits, vegetables, and meats. We do need some sugar in our diets. Carbohydrates, are the sugars, starches, and fibers that are naturally found in fruits, vegetables, dairy, and grains. They are one of the three macronutrients (carbs, fat, and protein) and sources of energy for our body. Sadly most sugar consumption (truly, over-consumption) is coming from added sugars found in basically all processed foods. Added sugars are harmful to our bodies and are a major contributor to many of the health problems we are now seeing today. Your glucose, or blood sugar, is made by the body when it breaks down carbohydrates. The pancreas then releases insulin into the blood, which helps regulate blood sugar levels, and transfer it into our cells. We don't want too high or too low levels of blood sugar, so it is important to keep these levels stabilized. Excess consumption of carbohydrates and sugars means that more insulin needs to be released in order to transfer the glucose to our blood stream and cells. This makes more work for the pancreas which eventually becomes damaging to our bodies. Other negative effects of too much sugar include: weight-gain and obesity (over time), headaches, brain-fog, reduced energy levels, acne, inflammation, and digestive issues.

Added Sugars:

Added sugars are the enemy as they come in many forms and have lots of different names (sneaky little guys). They are sugars that are not naturally occurring in the food but added to many processed foods for flavor, texture appearance, preservatives, and because we have so much sugar, its pretty cheap, and so why not just add it to everything, right?! (really though this irritates the crap out of me!!!).

Major Sources of Foods in the U.S. with Added Sugar:

• soft drinks, energy drinks, sports drinks, coffee drinks

• candy

• cakes

• cookies

• sweet rolls, pastries, and donuts

• fruit drinks and juices

• dairy, such as cheese, yogurt, milk, ice cream

• chocolate

• pasta sauces

• salad dressings

• spice blends

• peanut butter and nut butters

• bread

• cereal

• chips

• crackers

• frozen meals

(there are still so much more I'm probably missing)

It's important to know the different names of sugars and forms when you are grocery shopping and reading labels. Avoid anything on a label ending in 'ose' or with the word syrup, these are red flags (sugar!).

Most Commonly Used Added Sugars:

• anhydrous dextrose

• brown sugar

• confectioner's powdered sugar

• corn syrup

• corn syrup solids

• dextrose

• fructose

• high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS)

• honey

• invert sugar

• lactose

• malt syrup

• maltose

• maple syrup

• molasses

• nectars (e.g., peach nectar, pear nectar)

• pancake syrup

• raw sugar

• sucrose

• sugar

• white granulated sugar

• coconut sugar

• cane juice

• evaporated corn sweetener

• date syrup

• crystal dextrose

• glucose

• liquid fructose

• turbinado

• stevia

• palm sugar

• caramel

• brown rice syrup

• beet sugar

• sugar cane juice

• fruit nectar

• barley sugar

Other Foods to Avoid:

Along with all processed foods that contain added sugars I am going to share with you all a list of other foods that I will be avoiding on my detox. Some of these are fruits so yes the sugars they contain are technically natural however they are higher in sugar than some fruits so for the ten days I will be eliminating them from my diet. You can join with me if you'd like or choose to just avoid the added sugars.

• mangos

• peaches

• plums

• bananas

• apples (red)

• grapes (red or purple)

• cherries

• figs

• dates

• pineapple

• watermelon

• oranges

• honey

• maple syrup

• cheeses

• dairy products

• yogurt

• breads

• deli and processed meats

• alcohol

• kombucha

Foods to Consume:

• all vegetables

• qunioa

• brown rice

• leafy greens and lettuce

• organic meats and poultry

• grass-fed ghee

• grass-fed butter

• strawberries

• blackberries

• raspberries

• lemon

• limes

• grapefruit

• pasture-raised eggs

• avocado

• olive oil

• black coffee (or with almond milk or cashew milk)

• unsweetened iced tea

• water

What You Will Take Away from this Awesome 10 Day Experience:

If you are a sugar fiend or someone that just consumes a lot of sugar in your diet, then yes this will be challenging for you, thats why I believe 10 days is a good starting point. However, after I truly started to avoid added sugars pretty regularly (because come on we are human and have to treat ourselves every now and then, the point isn't to completely deprive you of all your favorite treats), I noticed so many changes to both my physical and mental health. I now have more energy through-out the day, rid myself of bloating and inflammation, noticed changes in my skin clearing up from little break outs, and overall am just a more happy and healthy human! I really hope this detox will also teach you the crazy and unnecessary amounts of added sugars that are in many of our diets. You will also learn what it truly means to be consuming real and whole foods, increase you water consumption, and maybe even gain more kitchen and cooking skills if that is something that you are lacking in or need more practice!