A healthy lifestyle. You could easily think that this goal is something you work towards, achieve, check off your list and move on. Wrong. Healthy lifestyles take maintenance. It really is more of an ongoing process rather than a check-list item. Everyone has changes or improvements they can make. Sometimes we don’t even realize that our choices are hindering our progress.

Today we’re focusing on detoxing our lives – to create the lifestyle we want. One way to bolster positive energy and improve our size is by eliminating things that work against us, like sugar. Although sugar comes in many forms and tastes great, it also is a contributor to some aspects of our life that we’d like to change.

 

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Sugar can cause insulin resistance, diabetes, and weight gain

Insulin in our body drives glucose into cells from the bloodstream. Elevated blood glucose levels are toxic. The body cannot deal with the excessive amounts properly so the pancreas begins to create insulin to help remove it from the bloodstream. Increased insulin in the blood stream causes your body to become insulin resistant – the pancreas stops doing it’s job properly – and now you’ve got a huge contributing factor of type II diabetes. Insulin also signals the body to store fat – and that’s definitely not something we want.

 

Sugar can contribute to depression, anxiety,chronic fatigue, irritability, and mood swings

You’ve heard of a sugar high – when we consume sugar it leads to a spike in our blood sugar and feel-good serotonin levels in the brain. When the sugar withdraws, we experience the “low” creating  that craving/bingeing cycle in our bodies and minds. The more sugar we eat, the more highs and lows, and that’s fuel to the fire when it comes to depression, mood swings, and chronic fatigue.

 

Here are some simple guidelines to help you in your sugar detox efforts:

 

  • Eliminate traditional sweets like cookies, candy, ice cream, etc.
  • Say no to sugary condiments including; jams, ketchup, barbecue sauce, syrup.
  • Skip processed breads (loaf bread, crackers, chips, etc.)
  • Eliminate dried fruit and foods with added sugar.
  • Skip the soda and drink water instead.

You can pick and choose those you’d like to implement first, or just jump in and apply them all. It isn’t  always easy to establish new dietary rules. So here are a few ideas that you can use to ward off the sugar cravings:

  • Eat no more than two servings of fruit a day – try fresh vegetables instead.
  • Eat two snack per day, so you’re not hungry and can avoid that need to satisfy the munchies.
  • Increase your healthy fat intake – nuts, eggs, avocados, etc.

Remember even a small step towards a healthier lifestyle is a positive one!