It's bad for our health and our waistline, but if cutting sugar from our diets was easy, we'd all be doing it.
Research shows American adults take in two to three times the amount of the recommended daily sugar intake, with sugary drinks pinned as the main culprit.
Dr. Mark Hyman from the Cleveland Clinic, consistently ranked one of the best hospitals in the U.S., says sugar is addicting and not only contributes to obesity and diabetes, but can also affect everything from mood to skin.
Cutting sugar can help reduce fatigue, anxiety and stress, acid reflux, migraines and more, experts say.
Dr. Hyman says a 10-day detox from sugar is the key to getting addictions under control. He recommends the following steps:
- Commit to the decision to cut out sugar for 10 days. It will reset your brain and body.
- Quit cold turkey and cut out all forms of sugar, including white flour, MSG and prepackaged foods.
- Avoid sugary drinks, including juices and sweetened teas and coffees. Vegetable juices are okay.
- Add protein, like eggs, nuts, chicken, fish and grass-fed meats, to every meal.
- Eat non-starchy veggies: asparagus, green beans, onions, zucchini, tomatoes and more.
- Include good fats: nuts and seeds, avocado and fish.
- Manage stress to avoid sugar cravings.
- Cut out gluten and dairy to help with cravings.
- Sleep more. If a person gets fewer than eight hours of sleep, it can lead them to eat more.
Remember, this is not a lifetime of change. It's only for 10 days to get an addiction to sugar under control.
