This blog will serve as a guide for those looking to begin a sugar detox.
What's the Buzz About Sugar?
Sugar. We all love it. It’s in our candies, our drinks, our favorite desserts. But did you know too much sugar can be bad for you? Just like how too much of anything isn’t good, the same goes for sugar. At Grassroots Healthcare in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Dr. Melita Tate and her team have a special plan called the “21 Day Sugar Detox” to help people eat less sugar.
Why Should We Care About Sugar?
It’s Everywhere! Sugar isn’t just in sweet things. It’s hidden in many foods we eat every day. Sometimes, we don’t even know we’re eating it!
Health Troubles: Eating too much sugar can make us feel tired, gain weight, and even get sick more often. It’s like putting the wrong fuel in a car. The car won’t run well, right? Our bodies are the same.
What's a Sugar Detox?
Imagine giving your body a mini-vacation from sugar. That’s what a sugar detox is. For 21 days, you eat foods without sugar. Sounds tough? Maybe at first. But the cool part? After 21 days, many people feel better, think clearer, and even lose weight!
Why 21 Days?
Three weeks might seem like a long time. But think about it. It’s just three weekends. Dr. Tate believes that in 21 days, our bodies can “reset.” It’s like restarting a computer. After the restart, the computer works better. Our bodies can work better too!
Hi, I’m Dr. Melita Tate with Grassroots Healthcare, and today we’re going to talk about one of my most prescribed interventions in the office, and that is the sugar detox. We do a 21-day sugar detox here, which may sound brutal, but for patients struggling with discipline and making good food choices, sometimes 21 days are enough for them to feel like they can do it. By the end of the 21 days, if they stick to the Sugar Detox, they will be in control of their food choices.
A sugar detox is basically the elimination of all sugars and processed foods. For the purpose of this detox, we even take out fruit sugars to get the body reacquainted with the natural sweetness of fruit. It’s kind of like how smoking can affect your taste. After a while, you lose your taste for what is sweet because you’re so used to the chemicals in processed sugars.
One of the reasons to do a sugar detox is that we see a lot of insulin resistance with sugar. This affects our leptin, which is the hunger-satiety hormone. When leptin can’t detect a big difference in your insulin levels because your insulin levels are staying high all the time, you don’t get that feeling of fullness, and you end up being hungry all the time, driven by sugar cravings.
Sugar causes inflammation in the body. Patients who come off sugar often see a significant drop in their inflammatory markers along with cholesterol. We used to be taught that fats were the cause of high cholesterol, but sugars can make a big difference in your cholesterol levels. Inflammation contributes to aging and can increase the risk of cancers.
Quitting sugar has several benefits, including increased energy, better mood, improved gut microbiome, weight loss, better concentration, improved blood sugar, and reduced cravings. However, you have to be prepared for withdrawal symptoms, such as cravings, headaches, and fatigue, which can be temporary. Drinking more water is essential during a sugar detox, as it helps dilute toxins released from fat.
Stress can lead to a backslide, so be mindful of it. If you’re interested, reach out to us at Grassroots Healthcare at 918-878-7733. We’d be glad to make you an appointment. You can also check the food list for the Sugar Detox that I’ll tag below this video.
The Big Benefits of Saying Bye to Sugar:
Feeling Full: Ever eat a lot and still feel hungry? Sugar can trick our bodies into feeling hungry all the time. Without sugar, we can feel full and happy after meals.
Being Healthy: Too much sugar can make our bodies “inflamed.” This isn’t the same as when you get a cut, and it becomes red and puffy. It’s inside our bodies. This “inside inflammation” can make us sick. But without sugar, this goes down.
Stay Away, Bad Cells!: Did you know bad cells, like cancer, love sugar? There’s a test doctors do called a PET scan. It shows them where the bad cells are because they “light up” when they eat sugar. Less sugar means fewer “lit up” bad cells.
Happy Tummy, Happy You: Our stomachs have tiny helpers called “gut bacteria.” They help us digest food. But sugar can hurt them. Without sugar, we have more helpers. And guess what? These helpers make us feel happy!
Other Cool Stuff: People who do the sugar detox say they can think better, sleep better, and have more energy. It’s like getting superpowers!
Getting Ready for the Detox:
Before starting, it’s good to have a plan. Here are some steps:
Know Your Sugar: Look at what you eat. How much sugar is in it? You’ll be surprised!
Set Goals: Think about why you’re doing this. Maybe you want to feel better or have more energy. Keep that goal in mind.
Be Ready: The first few days might be hard. You might want sugar. But remember your goal. And guess what? It gets easier!
Drink Water: Our bodies love water. When we stop eating sugar, our bodies get rid of bad stuff. Water helps with this. So, drink up!
The 21 Day Sugar Detox Plan:
During the detox, it’s essential to know which foods to eat, limit, and avoid. Here’s a quick guide:
Eat Plenty: Foods like Beef, Chicken, Broccoli, Almond butter, and Water.
Limit: Foods like Corn, Green-tipped bananas, and Coconut juice.
Avoid: Foods like Bread, Rice, Milk, and Alcohol.
After the Detox:
Once the 21 days are over, you’ll feel different. You might not want to go back to eating lots of sugar. And that’s great! But if you do eat sugar again, that’s okay too. The important thing is to find a balance.
Want to Try It?
If this sounds cool to you, and you want to try it, Dr. Tate and her team are here to help. They have a list of foods to eat and avoid. They can answer questions and give advice. Just call Grassroots Healthcare at 918-878-7733.
Eating less sugar can be a game-changer. It’s like giving your body a fresh start. With the help of experts like Dr. Tate, you can make this change and feel the benefits. Remember, it’s not about being perfect. It’s about trying something new for a healthier you!
