Tips for Quitting Sugar Intake
Sugar is just as addictive as cocaine. The more you eat it, the more you crave it! Not only is sugar horrible for your teeth because it provides easily digestible energy for bad bacteria in your body, but it has absolutely no added value to your nutritional system. It can play a role in causing liver disease, diabetes, cancer, and obesity. You may have heard sugars being referred to as “empty calories”… and whoever told you that was correct! They have no proteins, essential fats, vitamins or minerals. The bottom line is that sugar is the single wickedest ingredient you can put in your system. One of the worst parts is that it plays a huge role in the modern diet, making it incredibly difficult to cut out of your life. However… It is not impossible to do. Here are some tips that will help you cut sugar out of your diet once and for all:
Define what sugar is. You will want to signify what exactly you are quitting. Because sugar is everywhere, you will need to set some ground rules. Are ridding yourself of candy, baked goods (anything packaged, really), and anything white, such as milk and other processed cards? Sugar comes in many forms, which is why it is imperative to set limits for what you are and are not cutting out of your diet. Creating these guidelines will help you with your expectations of a sugar free diet.
Get rid of the temptation. Give yourself a line of defense: if it’s not there, there’s no temptation! Open up your cupboards and throw it all away, especially the quick, easy, and super convenient meals that happen to be practically exploding with sugar. Thoughts such as “my husband/kids will be mad or go hungry” are simply excuses that will not help you reach your goal to cut sugar from your diet. Look at the big picture, you are helping them begin a journey of better health, too.
Give yourself a few weeks. Although it can vary from person to person, it normally takes about 2-3 weeks to get the sugar out of your system. Think of it as detoxing from a drug! Drinking a lot of water will help, too. Yes, you’ve had a long day and think to yourself “I deserve a treat”, just hang in there, it gets better! There are sugar-free treats you can add to your diet to fill the void. Things like dark chocolate, apples with almond butter, fresh barriers, and peanut butter are all incredible delicious and won’t tear apart your body like sugar will! You can do it!
