Friday 13 March 2015

A 10-Day Sugar Detox

For some of you sugar is consumed in small amounts, in others it comes in the form of chocolate but for most without even knowing it, sugar is consumed on a daily sometimes hourly basis!  That’s a lot of sugar!

I’m not just talking about the white grainy stuff; I’m talking about hidden sugar as well.  People don’t realize how much hidden sugar is consumed on a daily basis without even knowing it.  It’s in our energy drinks, “healthy cereals”, children’s snacks, smoothies, salads and much more.  You’re probably thinking “wear is all of this sugar coming from and how is it so easily consumed?”  Well it is in our sauces, juices, fibrous cereals, dairy product, non-dairy products, salad dressings and the list goes on and on.


If you really want to know how much sugar is in the food you eat, just look at the back on the Nutrition Facts of each processed or packaged food item.  It will tell you how much fat and calories you are consuming per teaspoon, tablespoon, cup or even gram.  But what people don’t always look at is the sugar content and the ingredients. Yes, this unfortunately is being over looked and people actually need to pay more attention to this section, this is wear all of the hidden sugars and harmful ingredients can reside in our food.

So you ask “where is all of this sugar hoopla coming from?”  Well, about a year ago I decided to watch a documentary called “Fed Up”.  This documentary focuses on how sugar has become some of the leading cause in childhood obesity and leading health issues in adults.  After watching the documentary it became quite an eye opener for me, in how much sugar we consume as a society, how easily it is passed down through the generations and marketed to our children.  I decided to learn more and picked up a book written by Mark Hyman, MD who was one of the doctors who helped produce the documentary.  His book is called “The blood sugar solution, 10-Day Detox Diet”.


I read the whole book and fell in love with DR. Hyman’s work and decided I would try the detox diet.  My first attempt didn't go so well, I wound up getting sick the first day, but not due to the diet mind you.  So time went by and I got busy and kept thinking about picking it back up and I just kept giving myself excuses not to do it.  So toward the end of February I decided to take it on and make sure to follow the diet as best possible. 
For the whole 10 days I didn’t consume a gram of processed or un-natural sugar.  I didn’t cheat once as I was determined to make it through to the end.  The last 3 days were hard as I became quite tired, but that was due to my fault as I decided to do it during a very busy week.  While I was on the detox, I did notice the following changes:
1.     I slept more soundly.  No waking up in the middle of the night or tossing and turning.

2.     My cravings went away after a couple of days.  They resurfaced again half way through as I was not balancing out my diet enough.  This was due to my error in poor planning.

3.     Bladder control.  This may be too much information, but I found I didn’t need to run to the bathroom as much, and my IBS symptoms had been reduced dramatically.

4.     Vegetables are my friend.  I realized you can never eat too many vegetables, as they were one of my staples in my diet.

5.     My mind was clearer.  I found that I was better at problem solving, thinking better under pressure and I didn’t feel a fog of confusion or delay in thought.

6.     I felt lighter.  I felt less sluggish and I didn’t feel weighted down or fatigued.  I was tired yes, but it was not anything debilitating to the point before the diet, where I would need to take a nap right away.

7.     No bloating.  Suffering from IBS can be quite unpleasant at times, so this was a plus for me.  Even with the constant consumption of vegetables, this was never a problem the whole time I was on the detox.

As you can see, there were definitely some plus sides to the diet and I’m glad I did it.  This has helped me with many health issues and I am now more conscious of the products I take into my body.  If you have any questions about this detox or health related concerns, I would suggest talking with your family physician or local nutritionist first before starting the diet.  And of course do your research, this may not be the right detox for you right now, read up on the information given and find out for yourself J

The links to Dr. Mark Hyman’s website and the Fed Up website are below:

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