Quitting Sugar Habit

We all are aware that sugar is really bad for our health and need all possible help and tips to refrain from indulging in sweetmeats. Broadly speaking there are two types of palettes, a sweet palette, and a spicy/salty palette. Both come with their share of health ups and downs. You must know in which category you fall.

Generally, people fall in the category of sweet palette, and many of them have to pay a heavy price in the long run because they become type 2 diabetic, sugar is also associated with obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and poor dental health. Experts suggest that it is always better to control your sugar cravings from an early age, and you have to train your brain on a daily basis to say ‘yes’ to salty and big ‘no’ to sweet. So it is necessary to incorporate a sugar detox plan into your life from a very young age.

No, the question is how to go about it and maintain that no-sugar lifestyle and start Quitting Sugar Habit?

Most of us think natural forms of sugar such as Jaggery (gud), honey, cane sugar, and brown sugar are natural, they come from sugar cane, fruits, from beehives. This is right about the source, but the amount of processing and refining that goes into the natural form, that by the time it reaches your mouth, it is nothing but refined sugar. Sugar with no fibre is absorbed by the bloodstream and causes instant blood sugar spikes, the same is good for refined flour products. To bring the rapid glucose spike down to normal the digestive system has to go overdrive, putting pressure on every organ of the body. Just imagine this happening multiple times a day, day on day, years on end. The body will crash at some point and the result is type 2 diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, poor dental health, and bone degeneration.

Sugar is touted as a substance that is okay to eat, as it is a multibillion-dollar industry worldwide. Every celebration is lauded and cherished with sweets. Hidden sugars are lurking in every single packet of processed or frozen food, and we do not even know that. Hidden sugars are in the bread you eat, the breakfast cereals, every processed food, and canned food. Who reads the labels at the shop or when you are eating out?

Most of the people find it so very hard to give up or quit sugar, and here is the science behind it:

Sugar causes its own cycle of chronic cravings. Sugar stimulates the reward center in your brain called the ‘Nucleus Accumbens to release the hormone ‘dopamine’ if you don’t know it is this hormone also known as the ‘happy hormone,’ that makes you feel good and actually really good. So the more sugar you eat, the more dopamine is released the happier you feel. It is the sugar high, it is addictive. And like all other addictions, your cravings will continue, till your health is affected hugely and there will be a red flag.

To get over your sugar craving, you will need to stay off all foods that contain sugar. Our bodies and neurological systems can be free of this addiction within a week or 10 days, and it is called Sugar Detox. Here are some tips:

• Get all sugar and flour products out of your home and office.
• Drink only unsweetened water, herbal teas, and fresh green juices without fruit or artificial sweeteners.
• Your breakfast should be a high-protein diet.
• Eat huge quantities of green leafy vegetables or any nonstarchy vegetables.
• Eat healthy fats- the best fats are nuts, seeds, olive oil, palm oil, avocados, nut butter (unsweetened), and Omega-3 fats from meat, eggs, and seafood.
• Keep healthy snacks around you at all times-low GI fruits (oranges, apples, plums, peaches, pears, apricots, grapefruit) raw nuts, unsweetened yoghurt, almond milk, and soya milk.
• Lower stress levels with breathing techniques, adequate sleep, power naps and most importantly daily exercises.
• Avoid foods that cause inflammation, most often it is caused by food sensitivities. Giving up dairy and gluten is a great add-on to your detox plan, just for 10 days, you will get rid of the bloat and may feel so good, that you will want to extend or kick them out permanently.

So go ahead and kick-start your detox. The first few days will be challenging, but stay focused-

• When you crave sugar, eat a low-GI fruit, it will satisfy your craving.
• Have protein and good fats with every meal, it steadys your blood sugar level.
• Your snacks should be a combination of protein, carbs, and fats.
• Stress raises your cortisol levels, which causes hunger and stimulates fat storage. De-stressing reverses the process.
• Exercise should include cardio and strength training to keep your sugar level steady.
• By day 7-you will begin to feel amazing, your bloat will vanish, your skin will appear hydrated and you will feel a burst of energy.

Remember you don’t lose your bone density overnight. You do not get fat with one piece of chocolate. It’s feeding your sugar cravings for a lifetime and your brain becomes addicted to the spike. Every month do a 7-10 sugar detox, before you know it, you will become aware of what you put into your body and make choices of healthy foods.

The truth is you can get rid of the addiction, those crippling cravings and get a better handle on your daily diet.

Waiting for your feedback on this blog.

Anil Malik

Mumbai, India

16^th January 2024