Sugar Detox

herbantherapy
herbantherapy Posts: 453 ✭✭✭✭

Has anyone detoxed from sugar? My biggest take away as I cut refined sugar and alcohol from my diet are LESS (or at least less intense) hot flashes! So worth it! On the other hand my insomnia has kicked into full gear and those late night sugar cravings are keeping me awake. Last night I made about 1.5 cups of whipping cream (no sugar added) and sprinkled cinnamon over it. Killed the craving!

How do you cope with removing sugar from your life? And how do maintain when the husband brings home Oreos?? 😳

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Comments

  • Karin
    Karin Posts: 272 ✭✭✭

    Good on you for wanting to kick the sugar habit!!!

    I found the best way to do it was cold turkey - and I kept repeating the mantra "sugar is poison" to myself . Cinnamon is great for reducing sugar cravings, so you did the right thing there :) Any time you get a sugar craving, kill it with fat lol. Also, look at other reasons you may be craving sugar - are you low in some minerals or vitamins? Take a good high-nutrient vitamin and mineral fermula, and make sure your diet is super nutrient-dense. Also, cut out any grains, even high fibre ones, as they will break down to sugar and continue to feed your body's craving.

    Hope this helps - good luck :)

  • tla.cls.mt
    tla.cls.mt Posts: 19 ✭✭✭

    I found drinking more water, eating fruit (low glycemic index fruit), increasing my protein intact helps. A well balanced healthy diet helps.

    I agree with finding out of you have any nutritional deficiencies. I know I crave sugar when my magnesium level is low.

    Stress can also be a trigger. I’ve found healthy ways to manage stress.

  • shllnzl
    shllnzl Posts: 1,820 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Your gut bacteria are craving the sugar as well. I suggest taking some probiotics to populate your digestive tract with bacteria that will help you crave the healthier foods. I have mostly cut my sugar habit and sweeten my tea and coffee with stevia. I have also significantly reduced my intake of white flour and other starches.

  • herbantherapy
    herbantherapy Posts: 453 ✭✭✭✭

    Excellent suggestions everyone! I do not eat grains and generally only CRAVE sugar when my moon time comes. Definitely eating fat when I want sugar helps!

  • birderrose
    birderrose Posts: 9 ✭✭✭

    I can go all day eating well, but when evening comes I want a dish of ice cream or some chocolate. I'm watching TV and little voices in my head says " there's chocolate in the freezer, don't you want to go get one" or " a dish of vanilla ice cream with some elderberry syrup on it sure would taste good right now". I usually cave to the little voices.

  • herbantherapy
    herbantherapy Posts: 453 ✭✭✭✭

    @birderrose yes! I can relate. For me it was really about asking my husband to not ask if I wanted a bowl of ice cream. Of course I DO! But he he didn’t ask it would ok most days if he ate it and I did not. Using the whip cream as an alternative really helps too.

  • Miya
    Miya Posts: 8 ✭✭✭

    I’ve detoxed from sugar a few times but I always seem to get back on it 😜. I found for me that fruit tasted much sweeter than it did before so that satisfied me. Also have you thought about using honey or maple syrup as an alternative?

  • angelaclay509@gmail.com
    angelaclay509@gmail.com Posts: 49 ✭✭✭

    It is all a process slow and steady and celebrating your wins. I found this helpful to kick the cravings when they were intense... drum roll... Dark chocolate really is good for you. In addition to improving mood and keeping blood pressure and cholesterol in check, dark chocolate is a detox plus in your daily diet. Yes, you can eat a couple of ounces of dark chocolate every day – as long as it’s 72% dark or higher. I learned that from a midwife, MD and herbalist doctor. It really does help.

  • circleoflifeunlimited
    circleoflifeunlimited Posts: 57 ✭✭✭

    This is very important for optimal health. It is hard. Two years ago I stopped eating all sugars and carbs (went keto) and it really shifted a lot of good things for me. I use a bit of stevia now and then. When I bake for my grandkids or bake a birthday cake for someone I use stevia and lakanto. You can make amazing desserts and keep it low glycemic.

    Even though I have been eating organic food for over 40 years, I was eating too many carbs. Grains too. I ended up with celiac and that is when I made major changes. I am no longer showing auto-immune markers, but am still sensitive. I feel that I have learned to eat better, so it is ok. My adult children are even paying attention to what I've shared with them and are making changes!

    I know it is hard, food is addictive. I felt like I was starving for two months when I initially made these changes.

    Kathryn

  • shllnzl
    shllnzl Posts: 1,820 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I learned that craving sugar around your moon time is your body seeking vitamin K that is related to blood clotting. That is why I always had to have my chocolate around that time.

  • ines871
    ines871 Posts: 1,283 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Haven't watched that class, yet. Why?

    As a formerly-Healthy European I have Volunteer-taught nutrition for decades. - After continuous mountains of American-made STRESS (two I disclosed in the forum), Hematology disclosed 5x normal candida, & then leaky gut.(yikes!) Had some fool talk me into doing the SKd which after 13+ months drove me crazy as I missed all the Healthy veggies & fruits. Thus returned to my former daily "Whole plant Juice ketosis" works the best: No hunger, No cravings, No need to cook which I don't like anyway, More time, weight stays Optimum for my icesk8 passion, & more.

    Additionally I've worked as a mental-Health coach helping everyone else Transform their distresses, into what they want... - So is there a problem you ask? - Yes. Saddled with unhealthy stress from >too many simultaneous contexts<, that sooner than later it all goes to heck. - Well good ! stress should be relegated to Heck, if you know what I mean, lol

    Now why even post in here? - Hopeful someone else is enjoying Whole-plant Juice ketosis, & together we can help us Stay the course...

  • ines871
    ines871 Posts: 1,283 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Have you tried this short 2 minute video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbaoO9an-EI

    Avocado smoothie: (cleanse Intestinal tract) 1/2 avocado +1/2 cucumber +juice of 1 lemon +1 C almond milk (unsweet) +stevia

    Liver & Intestinal cleansing shake: (use organic, use the peal) 1 cucumber +1 apple +1 beet raw (about 3 inch) + juice of 2 lemon +1 lime + 2 Tbs Unrefined Coconut oil. optional: X-Virgin Olive oil .

  • ines871
    ines871 Posts: 1,283 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Written better: Liver & Intestinal cleansing shake:

    1 Organic cucumber (chopped)

    1 Apple with peeling on it (chopped)

    1 Red Raw Beet about 3” across, sliced about 1” thick, scrubbed really well (chopped)

    Juice of 2 Lemons

    Juice of 1 Lime

    2 Tbs Unrefined Coconut oil. --- optional: X-Virgin Olive oil .

    Purified Water – just a little bit (if needed)

    Blend all ingredients really, really well.

  • ines871
    ines871 Posts: 1,283 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Maybe some people are not familiar with 'Ketosis'...

    You could just ignore the BHB Ad, & get Basically how it works:


  • herbantherapy
    herbantherapy Posts: 453 ✭✭✭✭

    @rainbow I have tried a few avocado cleansing juices. I love using avocado in a smoothie and on my eggs and in my soups. All the Avocados in All the Ways! Thanks got sharing this recipe😊

  • ines871
    ines871 Posts: 1,283 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Would someone please explain how to turn what is called "mp3" into a movie?

    There's a black screen with people talking... but no picture shows up. Am I doing it wrong?

    Sorry, but I don't understand those 'Social-media' contraptions. - Whenever they mention Twitter etc. am completely Lost.

    I too would like to proceed, if only I knew how... Thank you.

  • shllnzl
    shllnzl Posts: 1,820 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @rainbow Sorry, but mp3 files are audio only. It is the mp4 file extension that plays video.

  • ines871
    ines871 Posts: 1,283 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @shllnzl Thanks for explaining that. - Ok back to 'class'.

    Oh almost forgot: https://community.thegrownetwork.com/discussion/841969/3-videos-in-1st-class-not-clickable#latest , In case we can't get VIDEOS to load, can we just keep guessing at the answers until we hit the Right one, to pass the course ? lol

  • DawnTreader
    DawnTreader Posts: 6 ✭✭✭

    I have cut most sugar out of my diet. I figured out that I had Candida overgrowth (which can cause those persistent cravings) and Adult onset Diabetes is a major threat in my family and I refuse to deal with it! I have sort of adapted the keto approach. I have increased my protein . I tend to use raw coconut butter, avocados, eggs (hard boiled), and a variety of unsweetened nut butters. I make a green smoothie type drink at least every other day and eat lots of greens and cruciferous vegetables. If I am craving sugar, most of the time a teaspoonful of coconut butter helps curb the desire. This is where will power comes in! I feel SO much better without have sugar regularly that I tend to easily avoid it now. The only sugar I miss the most is that in my black tea which was the last sugary thing I grudgingly gave up. I substitute with stevia. I was extremely diligent for 3 months or so to try to balance out my body taking some supplements as well. It is unrealistic to be legalistic about not having sugar, so on occasions I will have a small treat, but a worthwhile one to make it worth it!

  • ines871
    ines871 Posts: 1,283 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited August 2019

    Hi @DawnTreader - re your "coconut, avocados, eggs (hard boiled). I make a green smoothie type drink at least every other day, and eat lots of greens & cruciferous vegetables." - Good for you ! ... Ditto, I do the same. -

    Also, (to prevent choking). Excellent for my Sweetie who can mostly intake Thick-liquids. Am interested in this "Sugar Detox" class, mainly to hopefully get more ideas for him,

    as he's a Sugar-addict ONLY with his Cokes (which jesting or not I call "the black death"), lol. - Then he stares at me, lol

  • herbantherapy
    herbantherapy Posts: 453 ✭✭✭✭

    The sugar detox challenge with Marjorie Wildcraft was fun and informative! Even for those who have been foregoing the sugar for a while she has some great tips!

  • kbmbillups1
    kbmbillups1 Posts: 1,390 ✭✭✭✭✭

    7 years ago I stopped buying soda. One day I said that's it and have never bought anymore. I used to buy a 12 pack for each person in my family every week. Since then we've stopped eating all added sugar unless I make cookies or something like that. I've had to cut the amount of sugar in my cookies b/c it's so sweet to us now. I bought a Berkey water filter a couple years ago and found that my family drinks a lot more water. When we go out now my kids say the water tastes like butt! Funny how your tastes change!

    Lately I've been making this Chocolate Pudding Pie. It doesn't have added sugar but it is sweetened with dates. There are a cup of chocolate chips in it as well to firm up the pie. It has curbed our cravings for chocolate and other treats.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuKdabicQlY&fbclid=IwAR1q1XMAvwjbEpR_GLoYv0TKFzZxjh5kzCU2notiXsISjEBcrskxOwzgrNI

  • hmsadmin
    hmsadmin Posts: 123 admin

    I have a cyclical sort of relationship with sugar detox and keto in general. I don't think any one way of eating is best all the time, and we probably do better going through phases as our hunter gatherer ancestors would have too. But even when not being strict about the carbs I limit my sugars to a little honey in my tea, a bit of fruit, or an occasional chocolate indulgence.

    Dark chocolate and a handfull of pecans or almonds are always my go-to for sugar cravings, that or I'll drink a glass of water then wait 30 mins to see if my body was actually just thirsty!

  • Karyn Pennington
    Karyn Pennington Posts: 71 ✭✭✭

    I can go for weeks (i.e., Lent, prepping for my son's wedding) without sugar, but I always seem to go back. I've done "programs" and want to do the one here, but . . . Frankly, I'm just not ready.

    My biggest problem is I BELIEVE dark chocolate is good for me, Moderation, I know . . . but what's that?!? Many desserts don't faze me, but a gooey chocolate chip cookie or dark chocolate covered raisins (or cherries, or blueberries, or pomegranates, etc.) or dark chocolate covered caramels with sea salt? Who can say no to that! Not me!

    It took me 5 years to completely give up Coke (as in cola) and I certainly have less sugar (and not too many grains), but stress and just that darn healthy dark chocolate, keep calling to me.

  • dipat2005
    dipat2005 Posts: 1,290 ✭✭✭✭✭

    In 2011 I changed the way I eat drastically and have tried various lower glycemic sugars. I had given up soda because the citric acid bothered me a great deal. I have tried erythritol, honey (didn't help the gut), demerara raw sugar ( good for molasses cookies) and finally organic cane sugar. I bake with it mostly. I love dark chocolate (the over 70% kind). I am interested in Marjorie's class on sugar for the tips.

  • herbantherapy
    herbantherapy Posts: 453 ✭✭✭✭

    @Dianne Petersen Marjorie’s class is awesome! And she doesn’t overwhelm you or give you so much to do/take in at once. If you get a chance I definitely recommend taking it.

  • amyjacobson6
    amyjacobson6 Posts: 17 ✭✭✭

    Sugar is extremely addictive and our western diet does not make it easy on us! Thank you everyone for sharing your ideas to help curb this addiction and it helps knowing that there is not one way to do it. I will definitely check out Marjorie's class!

  • AnnSocolofsky
    AnnSocolofsky Posts: 3 ✭✭✭

    I am working on the sugar challenge from this site and it has excellent suggestions on how to manage sugar cravings. One of the things that works for me is to find a distraction. When I want sugar, I find something fun to do that will direct my attention somewhere else. I learned to avoid any locations that have candy because they can trigger craving. I avoid candy displays, especially ones for Halloween. It helps that I don't have a TV so I don't have to deal with advertisements. I also write on my calendar every day that I am successful (something like "ALL DAY- AVOIDED SUGAR!!") in capital letters to give myself positive feedback. I think it is important to praise yourself for every success, no matter how small, because that is a great victory in retraining the body and mind to a healthier life.

  • maimover
    maimover Posts: 359 ✭✭✭

    I gave up sugar last spring (back to it again) to help with joint pain. It really did help and I lost about 50 pounds...