Can A “Sugar Detox” Prevent A Heart Attack?
One of the greatest threats to your health is sugar. According to the World Health Organization, an arm of the United Nations, the average adult should have no more than 6 teaspoons of sugar a day. That’s about 25 grams of sugar, or what’s in a typical can of soda. But the latest surveys show the average person eats about 18 teaspoons (75 grams) of sugar every day.
Even if you stay away from sweets like cookies, cakes, and doughnuts, there are “hidden” sugars in processed food that you’d never know. For example, sugar is often added to frozen pizza, soup, and even mayonnaise.
The concern is more than just preventing weight gain. A Harvard Nurses’ Health Study found that people who eat more than the recommended amount of sugar nearly doubled their risk of heart disease. They also tend to look older because sugar triggers body chemicals that accelerate aging of your skin.
If you want to reduce the risk of heart problems, lose weight, feel better, and even look younger, here is some shocking news: You need to go off sugar completely. Not forever, just a temporary “detox” to cleanse your body so it doesn’t have cravings that make you eat more sugar. That’s the advice from two doctors who wrote the highly rated book “The Sugar Detox” that has a two-part plan…
STEP #1: Go off sugar completely – for 3 days
The first goal is to reset your body’s ability to even taste natural sugars that are in foods like apples. Consult your doctor before changing your diet, especially if you have hypoglycemia or diabetes. But if you don’t have a blood sugar problem, cut out the following for three whole days: foods or drinks with added sugar (read the label on everything)… starches (pasta, bread, crackers, cereal, potatoes, and rice)… fruit (except a lemon or lime to flavor water or cooking)… dairy (milk, cream, yogurt, and cheese)… and also cut out artificial sweeteners and alcohol.
Here’s what you should eat: protein (lean red meat, chicken, fish, tofu, and eggs)… vegetables (such as broccoli, lettuce, asparagus but not starchy veggies like corn, beets, or squash)… nuts (peanuts, walnuts, almonds, and cashews)… and lots of water. During this time you may feel tired and might even get a headache as sugar exits your body kicking and screaming.
STEP #2: Reintroduce certain foods into your diet – over 4 weeks
Week 1: Continue to eat healthy foods and not anything with added sugar, but also eat up to an apple a day… up to one serving of dairyper day (8 oz milk, 1 oz cheese, 5 oz plain yogurt, or 1/2 cup cottage cheese)… one serving of whole grain crackers per day… and you can also drink wine if you like.
Week 2: Add back more natural sugars by increasing fruit and dairy in your diet. In addition to an apple each day, have a half cup of berries, and two servings of dairy each day. You’ll start to notice how sweet fruit is, and you can also add a small sweet potato each day.
Weeks 3 and 4: Start eating grains again, but make sure they’re “whole grains” and not carbohydrates like white pasta, white bread, and white rice that have fiber stripped off and are easily converted to sugar by your body.
You should now have more energy and feel better too! And if you still have a sweet tooth, the book says 1 oz of dark chocolate daily is fine. |
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