How to Get Sugar Out of Your Body
A lot of foods today contain sugar, and sugar addiction is becoming a real problem in society, leading to conditions such as obesity and diabetes. This is why it is important to break the vicious circle of sugar addiction, before it does serious damage to your health. However, getting rid of your sugar cravings is not the easiest of tasks. Scientists compare sugar addiction to alcohol and nicotine addiction and the withdrawal symptoms to those of going cold turkey on heroin. However, the symptoms only last between two to five days, after which the sugar should be out of your system and you shouldn't be craving it anymore.
Keep your blood sugar levels level. When your blood sugar drops, you feel hungry and if the levels drop extremely low, the body starts craving sugar. This is why starving yourself on diets only leads to binging on sugary things. This is the worst thing you could do, as you are skyrocketing your blood-sugar levels and it's the rapid changes in blood-sugar levels that lead to diabetes. Eat five to six times a day, but portion your meals small and sugar-free.
How to Lose 40 Pounds in 4 to 6 Weeks
Learn More
Eat a lot of protein. Foods high in protein, like meat, fish, eggs and dairy products have very low or nonexistent sugar levels. They also fill you up and are fuel for your brain. Include a lot of these foods in your meals and pair them up with vegetables.
Learn to recognize the bad carbs from the good carbs. Carbohydrates are the source of all sugar but they are important, because they are the main source of energy for the body. As a rule of thumb, white carbs contain more sugar and are digested by your body quicker, which means they don't give you a sense of fullness for a very long time after a meal. Instead of eating white carbs, reach for the brown versions of bread, pasta and rice.
How to Get a Sugar Rush
Learn More
Consume a lot of vitamin C. According to an article in Independent, this vitamin not only levels out the blood sugar levels in your body, but it even reduces it 2. With that, vitamin C becomes a very good fighter of negative sugar effects.
Mind your drinks. You may be consuming a huge amount of sugar with your beverages and don't even realize it. Carbonated drinks and juices are generally all very rich in sugar. Substitute them with water or freshly squeezed juice. You should also reduce your caffeine intake, as it destabilizes blood-sugar levels. Drinks high in antioxidants, like green tea, will level things out.
Analyze what you eat. As sugar is practically everywhere, you are probably eating quite a bit of it with your meals. Go through the labels and see how much sugar is packed into the food you eat, and then find substitutes for those foods.
Related Articles
References
- Natural Health and Wellness; Get the Sugar Out; Christina Swigart.
- The Independent; Get Rid of That Sweet Tooth: How to Quit Sugar; 2008.
- Sugar, brown. FoodData Central. U.S. Department of Agriculture. Updated April 1, 2020.
- Mergenthaler P, Lindauer U, Dienel GA, Meisel A. Sugar for the brain: the role of glucose in physiological and pathological brain function. Trends Neurosci. 2013;36(10):587‐597. doi:10.1016/j.tins.2013.07.001
- Rippe JM, Angelopoulos TJ. Sugars, obesity, and cardiovascular disease: results from recent randomized control trials. Eur J Nutr. 2016;55(Suppl 2):45‐53. doi:10.1007/s00394-016-1257-2
- Allergy/intolerance to sugar. American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. Updated: 5/7/2019
- Jung CG, Yang EM, Lee JH, Kim SH, Park HS, Shin YS. Coca-Cola allergy identified as fructose-induced anaphylaxis. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2018;6(5):1787-1789.e1. doi:10.1016/j.jaip.2018.02.003
- Mahan LK, Chase M, Furukawa CT, et al. Sugar "allergy" and children's behavior. Ann Allergy. 1988;61(6):453‐458.
- Guidelines ask Americans to limit intake of added sugars. American Dental Association. January 07, 2016
- Gorshteyn, Ida. The Truth About Sugary Drinks and Your Smile. American Dental Association.
- Changes to the Nutrition Facts Label. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Updated March 12, 2020.
- Sugar, brown. USDA FoodKeeper App. Updated April 26, 2019
Writer Bio
Lucy Natek started writing in 2004. Her work has appeared in publications such as "Sketchbook," "Kismet," "In*tandem" and "Rahha" and on websites such as Dia, Fashion Students Online and Haus Digital. Natek holds a master's degree in political science and international relations from the University of Ljubljana.