Living Well
21-Day Sugar Cleanse: 8 Ways It Can Improve Your Life
Nov 7, 2017If you want to switch to a healthier diet and lifestyle, a sugar cleanse is the right place to start. Banishing sugar from your diet comes with a plethora of health benefits. While some people like a 3-day or 7-day sugar detox to start with, we highly recommend a 21-day sugar cleanse. Especially if you are dealing with chronic diseases like diabetes type 2 and PCOS, this is the right time to go on a 21-day sugar cleanse to reclaim your health!
Look Forward To These 8 Benefits of a 21-Day Sugar Cleanse
Benefits of a 21-Day Sugar Cleanse
You Will Lose Weight
If you are cutting back on sugar for health reasons, weight loss may not be your primary goal. But you surely will lose weight when you remove all types of sugars from your diet! A study found that simply reducing the intake of sugar-sweetened beverages results in weight loss. So imagine what will happen when you cut out all sugars from your diet! You will notice that you start to lose weight around the waist, hips, and thighs. Apart from making you feel good, weight loss will also make you less vulnerable to chronic health conditions like diabetes type 2, PCOS (in women,) GERD, heart disease, hypertension and more.
Improve Hormonal Health In Women
Researchers have found that eating too much fructose and glucose can turn off the gene that regulates the levels of active testosterone and estrogen in the body. This can lead to hormonal imbalances. Cutting back on sugar and refined carbohydrates improves insulin sensitivity, which can help correct hormonal imbalances. As a result, giving up sugar will improve menstrual regularity, keep PMS at bay and also prevent bloating.
You Will have Better Focus and Concentration
A diet devoid of simple sugars improves your brain power. Primary studies reveal that refined sugars can influence brain structure and function via regulation of neurotrophins.
You Will Have More Energy
One of the best perks of a 21-day Sugar Cleanse is the surge in energy. When you break those sugar cravings and beat that sugar-caused fatigue, you will feel more active, energized and positive. Studies show that dietary sugars negatively affect orexin cells, which is why we feel tired, fatigued and sluggish after a sugar-rich meal.
Your Skin Will Be Better
If you have suffered from acne and pigmentation, your dermatologist has probably asked you to cut back on sugar. Studies find that a diet high in refined sugars and dairy influences hormonal and inflammatory factors to worsen acne, particularly in women. A sugar detox will help calm irritated skin and also improve your complexion.
Your Immunity Will Improve
Giving up on sugar boosts the immune system, making you less susceptible to infections. A study done in 1973 found that eliminating all added and processed sugar improves blood cell function.
Improved Gut Health
Your gut will thank you for cutting down on sugar, because it is detrimental to gut health. Bad gut bacteria feed on sugar. Hence, a diet high in sugars promotes inflammation, bloating, hyperacidity, and can lead to gut dysbiosis. A diet devoid of sugars greatly improves gut health and encourages a healthy gut microbiome.
Improved Liver Health
Sugar is toxic for the liver, especially the cheaper fructose. This carbohydrate in sucrose doesn’t get absorbed in the gut but goes directly to the liver. It can cause leptin resistance, heart disease, fatty liver, obesity, hepatic insulin resistance, slower metabolism, higher cholesterol, hypertension and even gout. Staying off sugar for 21 days can work wonders for your liver.
Final Thoughts: 21-Day Sugar Cleanse
The aim of a 21-day Sugar Cleanse is to remove all forms of sugar from your diet. This doesn’t just include raw sugar, but also sugars hidden in processed and packaged foods. You should also remove all natural sugars, sweeteners, processed foods, and even very sweet tropical fruits from your diet during this sugar detox.
For a 21-Day sugar cleanse, mental preparedness is vital to your success. Sugar is toxic and giving up all sugar and processed sweets will not be easy. The initial 72 hours are the toughest, as your body goes through sugar withdrawal symptoms. Don’t be surprised if you feel anxious, nauseous, very hungry, and have headaches. It gets easier from here on out, we promise! By day 4, your need for a sugar fix will seem less intense, and you can start re-training your taste buds as your old cravings fall away.
It’s important to note that this is not a lifestyle plan, and you don’t have to stick to it for life. This is a short-term cleanse that helps break the addictive cycle of sugar and carb cravings that robs us of our health. Once you’re through, you can reintroduce small quantities of natural sugars for a balanced, healthy diet.
Maneera is a health and fitness enthusiast who is also a firm believer in the power of dietary supplements. A health buff, she likes to help others improve their overall well-being by achieving the right balance between nutrition, exercise and mindfulness.
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References:
Reduction in consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with weight loss: the PREMIER trial – http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/89/5/1299.short
Too Much Sugar Turns Off Gene That Controls Effects Of Sex Steroids – https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071109171610.htm
A high-fat, refined sugar diet reduces hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor, neuronal plasticity, and learning – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12088740
Metabolism-Independent Sugar Sensing in Central Orexin Neurons – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2551664/
Does diet really affect acne? – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20361171
Role of sugars in human neutrophilic phagocytosis – http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/26/11/1180.abstract
Diet-Induced Dysbiosis of the Intestinal Microbiota and the Effects on Immunity and Disease – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3448089/
