Hey guys! I am SO excited to share this guest post with you:
8 Things to Expect On a Sugar Cleanse
My friend Darcy is a nutritional coach (among other things!). I asked if she’d like to share some of her insight with us over here, and lucky for us – SHE SAID YES! You can read more about her at the bottom of this post and find out how to join in one of her cleanses… but before we proceed, I want to add that not only have I sugar cleansed with this gal, but we have juiced cleansed as well.
We have even 21-day anti-inflammatory dieted together. She is an amazing resource and an exceptional cheerleader. Just when you think you can’t resist temptation one. more. time… there she is giving you the tools you need to reach your goal. I’ll link to all her resources at the end.
Maybe you are not ready for a sugar cleanse, but it took me years of brushing past the idea before I was ready. And honestly, it took partnering with Darcy to give me the courage to do it! Without further adieu… Darcy’s wisdom! And that part about pizza is a new one for me – NO WONDER I LOVE PIZZA SO MUCH…
Did you know that studies are now showing that sugar is 8x more addictive than cocaine…8x!!!! I agree…it totally is.
Ok, so we know candy, cookies, cake and donuts have sugar in them. But did you know that pizza is one of the most addictive foods by far due to the hidden sugar found in one slice. Most tomato sauces have can have more sugar than a few Oreos!
I believe in approaching things with as much planning and knowledge as I can so I am prepared (some call it controlling…whatever). So, I thought I’d share some things on what to expect when taking on a sugar cleanse.
1. Expect to have a headache. Yep, this is true. I get one EVERYTIME I give up sugar. In preparation for this, I try to plan my first 1-2 days of having a little less on my schedule so if I need to take some Advil and crawl into bed early, I can. I also pre-purchase my favorite tea to have on hand and maybe even some bubble bath so I can try to pamper myself a bit the first couple of days.
2. The cravings are real and they can be hard to overcome those first few days. Coming off of sugar is similar to a drug withdrawal. The body is truly craving it. So, see and understand what is going on and give yourself grace if you are crabbier than usual (and warn your family). Stay strong because this is one of the hardest parts and you don’t want to have to repeat it!
3. You will need to drink more water. Water is a great assister in flushing your body out. Your body is working hard during this time to get rid of this junk, help it out by drinking lots of water.
4. You will feel strong and in control of your cravings. After getting past the hardest few days, you will feel the shift. You will feel like you may never go back to sugar and you can handle any situation that has sugar options available because you simply are no longer tempted. This is a great time. Enjoy it. Your body is loving running clean and is rewarding you.
5. People (friends and family) that are not doing a sugar cleanse with you, may be critical of what you are doing or try to encourage you to ‘Fall off the Wagon’. Be prepared for this with a few kindly spoken assurances that you are feeling good and are just taking a break from sugar right now. Many times your friends and family are struggling with their own feelings of guilt regarding how they are eating and may feel threatened, judged or left out by what you are doing. I always try not to make a big deal out of it. If it’s a dessert function I’m going to, I bring fresh fruit and just say something like, ‘the fruit looked so great, I just couldn’t pass it up.’ Remember this is your thing, not theirs.
6. You will start sleeping better! The ways your body (from the inside out) starts changing and responding, once the sugar gets out, is truly amazing. You may start sleeping better, have more energy, blood pressure may come down, diabetes can go away and your skin can clear up. I have literally seen this in clients. The coloring in their face actually changes to a brighter shade!
7. Fruit and sweeter veggies (carrots, beets, sweet potatoes) start tasting amazing! When we get rid of all the added sugars and artificial sweeteners in our food, our body no longer craves those foods outrageously sweet. We start truly enjoying our food rather than being led to eat it to satisfy a craving.
8. Last, but not least, we start seeing that WE can have control over what we put into our mouths and bodies rather than SUGAR controlling us. We re-teach ourselves how to eat treats truly as treats…every now and then and not every single day. Our bodies were never meant to handle sugary foods in the large, everyday way that we frequently do.
It is not easy to ‘get off’ sugar, but it is so important to try. Know that you DO have the strength, the power, the self control, the resources and the will power to do this! Don’t ever stop trying to make you and better, healthier you.
You can visit her blog to find out more great tips and insight (she even shares video!) If you are curious and might be at a point where a sugar cleanse might be just what you need, check out her plans here. She runs the events through a Facebook group… she loads you up with recipes, you connect with others going through the same thing, and she is there to answer questions and give you the encouragement you need! Here is the link to all her programs… just scroll down a touch for the cleanse options!
*Originally published March 2016
