Giving up the sweet stuff is a preventative measure for your health and the health of your loved ones, and it will make lasting, noticeable changes in your current health. Once you ditch sugar, you’ll quickly notice:
- less digestive issues
- more energy
- fewer cravings
- a healthier sleep cycle
- a faster metabolism
- weight stabilization
- mood stabilization
- general health improvement.
Ridding your diet of sugar is the first step.
You’ll notice endless benefits to the overall health of your body and mind, and it won’t take long for insulin levels to balance and cravings to come to a complete halt! Let’s discuss where you might be consuming sugars and how to remove them from your diet for good so you can maintain that nutrient-dense, maximized lifestyle you’ve worked so hard to achieve.
4 Sources of Sugar You Consume Regularly
Condiments
Once you’ve transformed to a nutrient-dense, low-to-no-sugar diet you will become educated that most store-bought condiments are filled with sugars that are harmful to your body. Ketchup is a killer on the list of high-sugar products. This condiment is sweetened with many sugars like fructose, glucose, dextrose, or artificial sweeteners like saccharin. It can be easily replaced with organic or low-sugar ketchup that is typically sweetened with natural fruit juice.
Other commonplace household condiments like mayonnaise are especially high in sugar. You can simply make this delicious dressing at home, which cuts out the sugars involved with the highly processed store-bought option. Perhaps you use simple salt and pepper on your meals for tasting.
To the layperson, this seems as elementary as it comes in terms of condiments. However, some salts also contain sugars. This is shocking! Even stevia, which is a natural sweetener, has been recently shown (in the case of some brands) to contain some sugars!
Fruit
Of course, fruits are generally a good substitute for highly processed, store-bought snacks, especially among individuals who are looking to clean up unhealthy eating patterns. However, not all fruits are created equally.
It’s important for individuals consuming a low to no-sugar diet to understand the glycemic index in fruits. You see, certain fruits contain a high glycemic index while other fruits contain a low glycemic load. This is important because fruits like pineapple or mangoes, which have a high glycemic index, can deeply affect individuals with blood sugar issues. These types of fruits are damaging to cell membranes and can spike insulin levels.
Do these types of fruits cause obesity? Of course not. However, individuals looking to detox or looking to get rid of infections should avoid these fruits because of their glycemic index. Fruits like blueberries or raspberries, which contain a low glycemic load are a better option as they will keep insulin levels balanced and won’t damage cell membranes. Choose fruits with a low glycemic load and eat them earlier in the day to ensure balance in insulin levels and reduce your risk of inflammation.
Healthy Drinks and Juice
Markets and health food stores cram their shelves with “healthy drinks” and new-age juices that appeal to the eye. However, these drinks contain just as much sugar as commercial store-bought drinks. For example, the amount of cane or coconut sugar in some popular Kombucha drinks is enough to throw off insulin levels, which naturally leads to cravings.
Other drinks like cold-pressed juices or organic store-bought juices also contain “natural” sugar like cane sugar or agave, which has the same effect on your body. High levels of “natural” sugars in healthy drinks like these have the same capability of spiking your insulin levels, so it’s best to avoid them altogether. Instead, try lemon-infused water, or cucumber mint-infused water, or if you’re looking for a treat try a refreshing drink sweetened with all-natural stevia. Sparkling Raspberry Lemonade is always a hit!
Unhealthy Drinks
The drinks we’ll discuss here are harmful to your health, will send your insulin levels skyrocketing, and put you at risk for serious diseases like diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. Drinks like Rockstar or Redbull are a complete anomaly. The energy provided comes from caffeine and sugar of course, and will cause adrenal fatigue, insulin imbalance, inflammation, and serious risk for disease. It’s safe to say that these products should be completely avoided, as they are poison to your body.
Other less aggressive unhealthy drinks, like store-bought fruit juices, are also culprits on the sugar list. Just because “fruit” is featured in the label, doesn’t mean this product is nutritious. Commercial fruit juices contain many different types of sugars like glucose, fructose, and corn syrup. These juices should also be completely avoided.
Removing sugar from one’s diet certainly isn’t easy. The only way to really lick the sugar habit is cold turkey, so it can be a challenging first two weeks for many individuals. However, after you’ve surpassed those initial stages of detox, your body will feel better than ever and cravings will completely subside. Keep these hidden sources of sugar as a reference to understand where sugar might be hiding out and sabotaging your clean routine.