Kick the Sugar Habit with Detox Program

Excerpt:

You probably don’t want to eat a banana while reading “I Quit Sugar,” a new cookbook and eight-week detox program by Australian journalist Sarah Wilson.

One banana is approximately 55 percent sugar, over half of which is fructose.

Fructose is bad news, according to Wilson.

It makes us eat more, she says in her 2013 book from Clarkson Potter Publishers. It converts directly to fat and has been connected with various cancers. And fructose also makes us sick by doing such damage as inhibiting the immune system, messing with fertility, and causing things like indigestion and malabsorption.

Wilson makes the innocent banana, which seemed like a smart food choice, now feel like a hand grenade.

“I’m responsible for so much guilt in the world,” says Wilson, who adds that agave syrup is another ticking time bomb.

“People get really surprised about that,” she says, adding that a “strong marketing push” has made people believe that agave syrup is better than table sugar. But, Wilson, who writes about her sugar-free life on the blog www.sarahwilson.com, says, agave is 70 percent to 90 percent fructose.

Read more from Delaware Online

Easy Detox Diet Tips Anyone Can Do Starting Today

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A true detox diet can seem daunting. The sacrifice of cutting out sugar, caffeine, alcohol and refined carbohydrates can seem overwhelming. Sometimes it helps to take small steps before jumping into a detox with both feet. Here are a few easy detox diet tips anyone can do starting today.

Switch coffee to green tea

Even though coffee may have benefits if consumed in small enough quantities, during a detox, it’s important to cut it out. Coffee is very acidic and can increase existing inflammation in the body. Combine this with cream and sugar and you’ve got an inflammatory bombshell that will inhibit weight loss, not to mention chronic pain relief. Green tea, on the other hand, will give you a little caffeine boost, but is much more alkalize, preventing inflammation.

Get more tips at Get Fit Chicago

Real People: The 21-Day Sugar Detox

Excerpt:

It’s in everything. This is something I knew, but recently had to accept when I started the 21-Day Sugar Detox with Mr. K last weekend. I’m not sure what the push was that actually made us go through with it, but it happened. We went to Sam’s Club and loaded up on water, veggies, meat, and almonds. Oh, and coconut oil. And it was on.

No noodles and pasta. No bread. No fruit. No soda. No fun. 

We started it not really knowing what we were doing. We hadn’t bought the book. We didn’t have more than a list of good foods and bad foods to go off of and a few recipes we had pulled from Pinterest. We were flying semi-blind. 

We started on a Saturday so we could cook everything and really give it a full out “go” as far as following the game plan was concerned. We pretty much stuck to the following: eggs, bacon, spinach, almonds, mushrooms, onions, and water. That was for the first couple day. We were pretty strict. In the book there are different levels. I took the quiz and we were level 1 which is the strictest. It says you can have a few “extra” things like a Granny Smith Apple once a day, but no more than that. 

Read about the full experience over at Little Miss Martha

Your Sugar Detox Plan

Excerpt:

You judiciously avoid baked goods, sweeten your coffee with Splenda and steer clear of high-fructose corn syrup. But believe it or not, you may still be addicted to sugar. "I was a sugar addict," recalls Sarah Wilson, a journalist, health coach, and author of the book, I Quit Sugar: Your Complete 8-Week Detox Program & Cookbook. "I hid behind the so-called 'healthy sugars' like honey, dark chocolate and fruit. Which made things harder in some ways, because first I had to face my denial." 

There is a compelling case to be made against the sweet stuff. Sugar has been linked to myriad negative health outcomes, including diabetes, heart disease, autoimmune diseases and more. And sugar is sneaky, lurking where we least expect it—even in seemingly healthy foods. "Our modern food system is set up around sugar, and seductively so," Sarah notes. "A granola bar can contain more sugar than a block of chocolate; everyday barbecue sauce, more than chocolate topping." After developing numerous health problems–from mood disorders to insomnia to Graves disease—Sarah decided to nix sugar from her diet in a last-ditch effort to reclaim her health. She drastically pared back the amount of sugars, both added and natural, in her diet. Fruit, honey, agave syrup—all of these foods were off-limits.

Read more from Hannibel Courier-Post

The Blood Sugar Solution 10-Day Detox Diet: Activate Your Body's Natural Ability to Burn Fat and Lose Weight Fast

Excerpt:

Dr. Hyman's revolutionary weight-loss program, based on the #1 New York Times bestseller The Blood Sugar Solution, supercharged for immediate results!

The key to losing weight and keeping it off is maintaining low insulin levels. Based on Dr. Hyman's groundbreaking Blood Sugar Solution program, THE BLOOD SUGAR SOLUTION 10-DAY DETOX DIET presents strategies for reducing insulin levels and producing fast and sustained weight loss. Dr. Hyman explains how to: activate your natural ability to burn fat--especially belly fat; reduce inflammation; reprogram your metabolism; shut off your fat-storing genes; de-bug your digestive system; create effortless appetite control; and soothe the stress to shed the pounds. 

With practical tools designed to achieve optimum wellness, including meal plans, recipes, and shopping lists, as well as step-by-step, easy-to-follow advice on green living, supplements, medication, exercise, and more, THE BLOOD SUGAR SOLUTION 10-DAY DETOX DIET is the fastest way to lose weight, prevent disease, and feel your best.

Read more from Amazon.com

Bill Clinton Gave Up Vegan Diet and Sugar on the Advice of Weight-Loss Expert

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Dr. Mark Hyman is a nationally recognized weight loss expert who is a frequent guest on the Dr. Oz Show, but has quietly been the dietitian for Bill and Hillary Clinton for the past 10 years.

Hyman has worked with the Clintons since 2004, when the former president underwent his first heart bypass surgery. Since then, Bill Clinton has lost 30 pounds and dramatically improved his heart health, thanks to Dr. Mark's sugar detox program.

Interestingly, one of the first things Hyman recently did was to get Clinton, 67, off his vegan diet. "It's hard being a vegan to eat enough good, quality protein and not have too much starch," Hyman told the NYTimes. "I know a lot of fat vegans."

'Sugar Is More Addictive Than Cocaine'

Read more from Examiner.com

Breaking the Sugar Habit: 4 Simple Strategies

Excerpt:
One of the most common issues my clients reveal to me is this: “I am a sugar addict.”

Why is it so challenging to curb our sugar-use? The answer may be found by taking a closer look at our biology.

Our Biology
In a 2007 study (1), researchers found that given the choice between sugar-water and cocaine, rats chose sugar water every time. It doesn’t matter whether this sugar is natural, like an apple, or artificial, like saccharin. Astonishingly, when researchers increased the concentration of cocaine, the rats still chose more sugar-water.

What conclusion can we draw from this?

We are hypersensitive to sugar.

Read more from Clean Program

Weekly Challenge: 7-Day Detox Plan

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Mim Beim shares how to recharge your system with her express detox meal plan.

Detoxing can do more than make your eyes sparkle and your skin glow – it can boost energy levels, improve digestion and help shift a few unwanted kilos too.

While it may look like a fad diet – no grains, no alcohol, no milk, no sugar (and no fun) – a detox is far from a quick fix for weight loss. The purpose of any detox plan is to take the load off the organs that detoxify the body – the liver, kidneys and bowel – while at the same time supporting and improving their performance. If you want to fast track your health, give your body a break, or just want to detox diet for a short time, follow this safe and do-able seven-day program.

Read more from The Herald Sun

Interview and Giveaway: The 21-Day Sugar Detox

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The biggest difference between The 21-Day Sugar Detox and Practical Paleo is that The 21-Day Sugar Detox is not inherently a Paleo nutrition program. Our current population has such an immense range of people eating what they think is healthy, but of course I’d disagree with most of them. With my experience and education as a holistic nutritionist, I recognize the real need to bridge the gap between what they are doing and a better way to do things.

I designed The 21-Day Sugar Detox to be more approachable than Paleo sometimes is for those people who are coming from eating lots of grains and refined foods. I don’t think people should just jump in; as I like to say, don’t be a hero. For example, The 21-Day Sugar Detox has 3 levels and level 1 includes gluten-free grains—it is a limited portion: things like rice, quinoa, and beans, which, of course is not included if you want to eat Paleo. But, if you are somebody who is eating Twinkies, drinking soda, and eating Hungry Man dinners filled with preservatives, then changing to a half a cup of brown rice in a day is an extremely important switch to make.

Read more from Chris Kresser

The 28-Day, No Alcohol, Gluten-Free, Headache, Dizzy, Colon Cleansing, No Caffeine, Anti-Inflammatory, No Soy, Detox

Excerpt:
I’m in Starbucks and up to my nostrils in latte froth. I’ve signed up for the Danville-based 28 Days to Health Weight Loss and Performance Cleanse, and Brandi Geiger, the program’s bubbly detox leader, is sitting across from me, sipping herbal tea and telling me what my life will taste like for the next month. “No gluten, no dairy, no caffeine, no soy, no sugar, no processed foods, and no alcohol,” says Geiger. “They’re inflammatory foods. Our bodies don’t have the enzymes to break them down and absorb the proteins ... So, are you excited?”

I’m not so much excited as horrified. I like the idea of cleansing my body, but frankly, what am I going to eat for the next four weeks? To appreciate the real scope of cruelty here, it should be noted that I love a buttery croissant for breakfast, I have a penchant for thickly grated parmesan, I drink too much red wine, and I harbor a fondness for Lunardi’s cheesecake. This is going to be the mother of all diets. “It’s not a diet,” says Geiger, who has a master’s degree in exercise science and a background in nutrition. “It’s a lifestyle change. The purpose of this program is not to starve you. You learn about nutrition, the pH of foods, the glycemic index, and how different foods affect your body. It’s about empowering people to take control of their health.”

Read more from Diablo Magazine

3 Things My Detox Taught Me About Blogging

Excerpt:
First few days were difficult but not unexpected; after that came the harder battle. How do I resist all those tempting offers of happy hours with girlfriends and dining out with my boyfriend? I didn’t miss the food, but I’d torture myself thinking about the ‘idea’ of it – the experiences around food. Kinda like when we torture ourselves thinking about the time we don’t have to blog or work on our media kit. You might have to trade in that precious happy hour time to work on that next blog post or finally update that media kit. To get what you want, you have to prioritize and commit to it above everything else.

Read more from IFB

The Sugar Detox Diet

Excerpt:
I have a serious sugar problem and I will explain that more in another post in a few days.  I really need to break both the sugar addiction and the snacking habit that lead to the sugar addiction.  The Maker’s Diet beings with a VERY strict 14 day phase 1 intended to break sugar and wheat addictions and balance the hormones in the body.   We are following the food restrictions, except for the addition of pork.  (Again, something I’ll address in another post).  So for the first 14 days of October we are eating meat, chicken, fish, eggs, most vegetables, berries (no other fruit), healthy fats, a few nuts, and lentils.  No sugar, no wheat, no beans, and no caffeine.  Its pretty extreme. (Raw cow’s milk is allowed, but we are skipping that due to food allergies. We will probably have a little bit of goat’s milk cheese during phase 1).

Read more from For This Season

Hooked On The White Stuff? It’s Time to Sugar Detox

Excerpt:
When life gets hard help is often at hand in the form of chocolate and other sweet treats.
But the mantra “stressed is desserts spelt backwards” takes on a whole new meaning with the news that when we turn to sugar to alleviate stress we are actually making things a whole lot worse.

In fact consuming too much of the sweet stuff not only causes us to feel more wired and worked up, it can also contribute to obesity, diabetes and heart problems.

The problem with sugar is it gives us a natural high by ­stimulating the brain to release the feel-good chemical serotonin.

But the sugar in your system also turns to glucose in the bloodstream causing the body to convert it into energy in the form of insulin. This in turn lowers your blood sugar level which can result in you feeling shaky, faint and crucially craving more sugar.

Read more at The Daily Mirror