Sugar detox - Why does it make sense to give up sugar?

Have you ever thought about a sugar detox? Sugar is hidden in many foods. However, an excessive consumption of sugar can lead to obesity and secondary diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. A sugar detox is therefore an ideal way for you to live a fitter and healthier life in the long term. In this article you will learn all the important information you need for your sugar detox.

Did you know that your body doesn’t need any extra sugar to survive? Although our body needs glucose, our body can produce it itself from complex carbohydrates such as bread, potatoes and cereals. Your body needs this energy to maintain all vital functions, for example.

You still have a constant craving for something sweet? Then a sugar detox would be a great idea for you to reduce your cravings for chocolate, jelly babies and the like. In addition, your blood values improve, you can lose unnecessary weight and you are fitter in everyday life.

• In 2019 sugar consumption in the UK was at 29.8 kg per year.
• Overall current average intakes of free sugars are approximately twice the 5% recommendation.
  
• Sugar has no important nutrients such as vitamins
• Sugar is a flavour enhancer and is therefore contained in many processed products
• Sugar only provides short-term energy

1.When you eat sugary foods, your digestive enzymes break down the sugar molecules into glucose and then it enters into your blood.

2. Then the hormone insulin transfers the glucose from your blood into your cells.

3. In the cells, glucose provides you with energy and so, for example, energy is available to you for physical activities.

4. However, if you have too much glucose through food, excess energy is stored in the form of fat in your body.

5. Table sugar, which is contained in ready-made products and sweets, among other things, can be broken down very quickly in the gastrointestinal tract and transported into the blood.

6. The rapid absorption of sugar into the blood causes a rapid increase in blood sugar levels and a rapid increase in insulin levels. Unfortunately, your blood sugar level then drops again quickly. The result is a short saturation.

7. When you eat complex sugars, your blood sugar levels rise and fall more slowly. Complex sugar compounds are e.g. in potatoes and cereal products. Due to the slower rise and fall of the blood sugar level, complex sugar compounds keep you satiated longer than single sugars (glucose) and double sugars (table sugar).

What do you have to give up?

In the case of a sugar detox, you give up free sugar completely. Free sugar includes any sugar that the manufacturers add to the food. Honey, syrups and fruit juices also count as free sugar. You also have to refrain from sweetening your dishes yourself with, for example, household sugar during your sugar detox.

How much sugar is allowed?

The British Nutrition Foundations recommends that sugar makes up less than 10% of your total energy intake. This corresponds to about 50 g of free sugar per day. The WHO recommends no more than 25 g of free sugar a day. This corresponds to about 6 tablespoons.

How long does a sugar detox last?

During a sugar detox, you completely abstain from free sugar for about 3 weeks. This can be extremely difficult and nerve-racking for your body, especially in the first few days.

How do I feel during a sugar detox?

During a sugar detox, you completely abstain from free sugar for about 3 weeks. This can be extremely difficult and nerve-racking for your body, especially in the first few days. There is a lot of evidence that sugar can be addictive. When you consume sugar, similar processes occur in your body as when you smoke or drink alcohol. Your brain releases happiness hormones. Who does not know the saying “chocolate makes you happy”? When we are stressed or in a bad mood, we often like to resort to sweet foods. Therefore, the complete abandonment of free sugar can act similar to a drug withdrawal.

In the first days and weeks, you may feel dull and tired, have headaches and be irritable. But don’t worry, it’s worth pulling through! After about a week, you will feel more energetic and happier than before. If you consume less free sugar in the long term, it will have a positive effect on your health.

Start your sugar detox when you have time to cook fresh food regularly over the next few weeks.. Since there is sugar in many processed products, it makes sense to prepare as many of your meals as fresh as possible. By cooking fresh, you can be sure that there is no added sugar. Also, make sure you don’t have sugary foods at home, so that you can avoid the risk of getting cravings. During your sugar detox, pay close attention to the ingredients list on your food packaging, as sugar can be hidden behind different names.

When you have been on a sugar-free diet for about 3 weeks, you can slowly start to eat some sugar again. However, you should not exceed the WHO’s recommended amount of 25 g per day. Your taste buds are used to sugar. The more sugar you eat, the less sweet you find food. During sugar detox, the taste buds wean themselves off sweetness. When you start eating sporadic added sugars again, foods like chocolate will seem extremely sweet to you. Therefore, it will be easy for you to refrain from sweet products more often in the future. Now you can keep a very low sugar intake in the long term and feel fitter and better in your body!

Tip: Instead of chocolate or a piece of cake, look for other rewards in your everyday life. How about a visit to the cinema after a long day at work or a 15-minute yoga session?  Consciously take time for yourself. You will notice that you do not need the sugary foods in your everyday life. 

Sugar detox doesn’t mean that you can’t eat sugar at all. Foods that naturally contain sugar, such as dairy products and fruits, can be eaten in moderation if you are sugar-deprived. You can eat natural dairy products such as natural yoghurt and low-sugar fruit such as berries and watermelon with a clear conscience.

So that you are full for a long time and don’t quickly get cravings for sweet foods, high-fibre meals are ideal for your sugar detox. Pulses and vegetables are very good sources of fibre. In addition, you should cook fresh as often as possible, because most of the sugar is hidden in highly processed foods.

You have an extreme desire for something sweet during your detox? An ice-cold fruit tea with fresh berries can satisfy your desire for sweets.

Sugar is a very cheap ingredient, serves as a flavour enhancer and preservative. That’s why food manufacturers like to put sugar in their food. To make sure nothing goes wrong during your sugar detox, here is a list of foods where hidden sugar lurks:

Pay special attention to the list of ingredients for these foods, as free sugar is often hidden in them. In addition, all sweets such as chocolate, gummy bears and cakes are taboo during your sugar detox. Attention also applies to light products, as these contain less fat, but often sugar.

There is an enormous amount of sugar in these products. Smoothies and fruit juices often have more sugar than a cola. Although it is naturally occurring fructose, the amount of fruit contained in juices and smoothies, you would never manage to eat. Moreover, pureeing the fruit destroys the dietary fibres. That’s why smoothies and fruit juices saturate less and make your blood sugar level rise faster. Grapes are also very rich in sugar, which is why you should also try to avoid them. Also pay attention to fruit yoghurts. In a 200 g of fruit yoghurt, 8 cubes of sugar are hiding! As an alternative, you can eat natural yoghurt with fresh berries.

A sugar detox is definitely worth it for your health!  Excessive sugar consumption is harmful to your body and can lead to diseases such as diabetes and obesity. Sugar acts similarly like a drug in your body and triggersfeelings of happiness. Therefore, giving up sugar is extremely difficult for the first few days and weeks and can lead to side effects such as headaches and fatigue. Many foods in the supermarket contain sugar. Therefore, pay attention to the list of ingredients and cook with fresh food as often as possible.

Are you still worried about whether you will survive the sugar detox? Ask your family and friends if they want to join. Together, sugar detox is more fun and you can motivate each other!

Home-cooked meals with a high fibre content are great for sugar detox as they are filling for a long time. Pulses like kidney beans and chickpeas are good sources of fibre for your body. Carbohydrate-rich foods such as pasta, potatoes and cereal products provide you with the necessary energy for your day. The complex carbohydrates keep you in a good mood and full of energy all day long, without any sweet foods. Plenty of vegetables and protein sources such as unsweetened dairy products, fish and meat round out your diet and you won’t lack any nutrients. Since sugar contains no other nutrients besides energy, it is not a necessary part of your diet.

In the short term, a sugar abstinence acts similar to a drug withdrawal, because our brain is used to the daily consumption of sugar. The first few days and weeks it can be very hard to give up sugar, as you will keep getting cravings for sweet foods. Symptoms such as headache and irritability may appear. These disappear after about a week and you feel more alert, more fit and more balanced. In the long term, a low consumption of sugar is very healthy for your body. You are very likely to lose weight and, as a result, your risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and diabetes decreases.

For a perfect start, you can pay attention to how much sugar you consume throughout the day for a week. Check the ingredient lists and discover sugar traps such as your favourite fruit yoghurt in the refrigerator. Do you sweeten your coffee or tea with sugar? If you notice these sugar traps in your everyday life, the beginning of a sugar detox is much easier for you.

1. BNF (2021): British Nutrition Foundation: Sugar
2. HLA (2019): Sugar consumption per capita in the UK
3. NDR (2019): Low-Sugar Diet- How does it work?
4. NDR (2019): The biggest misconceptions about sugar
5. NDR (2020): Bye-bye sugar: A village community on withdrawal.
6. FETev (2020): Small FAQ to sugar