Americans, as you most likely know, have been dealing with being overweight and obese for a long time. And, although fat and foods like butter have been the one to blame in the past, studies in the last few decades have shown that the real culprit behind the obesity epidemic is sugar -more specifically, refined carbs and added sugar.
Both can harm our bodies in many ways, with excessive sugar consumption linked to heart and liver disease, type 2 diabetes, anxiety, and depression. Even worse, according to estimates, 85% of America’s adults will be either overweight or obese by 2030, which should concern us.
It’s not like we can just take sugar out of the equation. Sugar is present in almost everything we eat, and we’re very addicted to it. It’s almost like cocaine without the being-a-drug part. We consume seriously high amounts of sugar per year and it’s starting to take a toll on our health. The signs of excessive sugar consumption are right in front of our eyes – we only need to open them up widely to see.
If you’re having uncontrolled pizza, chocolate or ice cream cravings, you can blame sugar for it. Dr. Nicole Avena from the Icahn School of Medicine suggests that chocolate, pizza, and ice-cream (she likes to call them the biggest “offenders”) share some things in common – rapid absorption rate, concentrated dose, etc. According to Dr. Avena, feeling bloated and hungry all the time and stuffing yourself with refined and processed foods when you’re not really hungry are the biggest symptoms of sugar addiction.
If this is the case, you should know that you’re addicted to sugar and you need help. Quitting sugar is not exactly easy, but doctors recommend treating unhealthy eating patterns just like any addiction – quitting them abruptly. If you need to stop, we’re going to give you a 2-week sugar detox plan that can help.
14-Day Sugar Detox Plan
First and foremost, let us remind you that it won’t be easy. Quitting sugar is a challenging process that will take time, so make sure you’re prepared. Fixing your diet, however, is the way to go if you want to stop problems from escalating further.
The first 3-4 days will be the hardest, then you’ll gradually get used to it. If the cravings occupy your mind, remember why you’ve started. The road to recovery is long and thorny, but it will be worth it in the end.
Week 1
Days 1-4
During the first 4 days, you need to get rid of dairy, grains, and fruit altogether.
Breakfast
- Turkey sausage
- 3 scrambled eggs (or omelet)
- Black coffee - no sugar
Snack
- 1 oz. of almonds, cashews, walnuts or other nuts. Additionally, you can have celery sticks with some almond butter
- Water
Lunch
- Spinach, broccoli, cauliflower or squash – you can eat as much as you want
- Tea (no sugar)
- 6-8 oz. lean meat
Snack
- 3 hard-boiled eggs with nothing more than salt and pepper or cucumbers with hummus
- Water
Dinner
- Repeat the program from lunch – you can have any lean meat you want, including turkey, chicken or fish
On the 4th day, you can add some potatoes for dinner, as well as a bit of dairy and an apple into the diet.
Days 5-7
The last few days of the first week are reserved for re-adding certain foods into the diet, mainly dairy products and fruits.
Breakfast
- You can eat the same breakfast as before, but this time with a bit of cheese or Greek yogurt.
Snack
- Celery sticks (or cucumbers) with hummus. Alternatively, you can boil 3 eggs and eat them with salt and a bit of pepper
- Water
Lunch
- 6-8 oz. lean meat – we recommend turkey or chicken
- A big portion of veggies – you can have broccoli, squash, green beans, cauliflower or spinach
- A cup of tea with no sugar
Snack
- Celery sticks with hummus (or 3 hard-boiled eggs with salt and pepper)
- Water
Dinner
- 6-8 oz. lean meat (turkey, fish, chicken)
- A big portion of veggies – follow the course from lunch
- Water
Week 2
After the first week passes, you should already be feeling more confident and the results will be noticeable. You can start adding foods back to your diet, although slowly and gradually. Start by adding starchy veggies to your plate and some dairy products as well.
Days 8-14
Breakfast
- A cup of oatmeal with some berries
- 3 eggs (hard-boiled)
- Black coffee (no sugar)
Snack
- 1 oz. of walnuts, peanuts, cashews or almonds
- Water
Lunch
- 6-8 oz. lean meat (chicken, turkey, fish)
- A full plate of veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, squash, spinach, green beans)
- A cup of tea (no sugar)
Snack
- Carrots, cucumbers or celery sticks with hummus. Alternatively, 3 boiled eggs with only salt and pepper
- Water
Dinner
- 6-8 oz. lean meat (chicken, turkey, fish)
- A full plate of veggies (what you had for lunch)
- 1 sweet potato with some butter or a cup of quinoa with some brown rice
- Water
During the second week, you can reintroduce starchy vegetables such as potatoes for lunch and dinner and some clean carbs as well.
How to Succeed
Adopting new healthy habits takes time, but you can succeed if you’re truly committed. Stop seeing food as a reward – athletes see it like that because it’s only fuel for their bodies. Food is nourishment for our body and shouldn’t harm it. This 2-week sugar detox plan will help you adopt healthy eating habits and stop the sugar overload.
Stick to the plan and keep in mind that you can do anything if you set your mind on it. Once you complete the program, you’ll be feeling, not to mention looking, much better.