Detox Completely and Get the Sugar Out!

We all know that sugary diets cause weight gain and obesity, but did you know that sugar can also cause depression, headaches, fluid retention, hormonal imbalances, hypertension and bacterial fermentation in the colon?

Sugar is also shown to elevate triglycerides, increase the risk for coronary heart conditions, cause kidney damage and hypoglycemia.

With so many negative health effects linked to sugar consumption, you may be thinking about limiting or even cutting it out of your diet altogether.

What can you expect if you do that? Whenever you make drastic changes in your diet, be prepared for detox reactions you might experience.

Most packaged foods contain sugar. It’s very rare you won’t find plenty of preservatives in processed foods as well.

High-fructose corn syrup is most commonly used and is often found in drinks like soda and juice. Dextrose is used in many packaged foods, including many frozen items, and is also derived from corn syrup.

The only way to help you steer clear of these sugary dangers is to read the labels carefully. When you want to detox your body, it’s recommended that you remove all simple carbohydrates, alcohol, honey and sugar from your diet, for best results.

Even fruit has different levels of sugar and should be avoided if possible during a serious detox of your body. The sugar in fruit is called “fructose.”

Fructose is broken down by the body slowly and is converted into Sucrose and Glycogen. Fructose is often recommended for, people with diabetes mellitus or hypoglycemia, because it has a very low "Glycemic Index," compared to cane sugar."

You may still want to avoid sugar in any form during your detox and so, here is a chart outlining the various levels of sugar in common fruit sources:

Fruits Lowest in Sugar

• Small Amounts of Lemon or Lime
• Rhubarb
• Raspberries
• Blackberries
• Cranberries

Fruits Low to Medium in Sugar

• Strawberries
• Casaba Melon
• Papaya
• Watermelon
• Peaches
• Nectarines
• Blueberries
• Cantaloupes
• Honeydew melons
• Apples
• Guavas
• Pineapple Guavas (Feijoa)
• Strawberry Guavas
• Apricots
• Grapefruit

Fruits Fairly High in Sugar

• Plums
• Oranges
• Kiwifruit
• Pears
• Pineapple

Fruits Very High in Sugar

• Tangerines
• Cherries
• Grapes
• Pomegranates
• Mangos
• Figs
• Bananas
• Dried Fruit
• Dates
• Raisins
• Dried apricots
• Prunes

Simple carbohydrates raise your glucose levels too quickly and cause a spike in energy levels.

Sugar found in fruit, cake, candy and other sugar-sweetened items are typical of this type of simple carbohydrates. If you are use to a diet high in sugar, your body has probably become dependent on them and you’ll need to replace these foods with healthier ones.

Your blood sugar levels can be stabilized and your cravings can be reduced by choosing a diet filled with whole grains, vegetables, lean meats, chicken, fish and eggs.

A high-fiber diet will also help you keep glucose levels steady, instead of a sudden plummet in blood sugar.

The physical “craving” for sugar will dissipate within three to four weeks after you completely remove it from your diet.

Some of the symptoms you may experience are lightheadedness, headaches or a lack of energy during the first week of the diet. As your body removes the toxins, the physical cravings will be easier to overcome.

You may experience mood disorders while your body is cleansing itself of these toxins.

Most people don’t understand that sugar is an addictive substance and produces “highs” in the body when the blood glucose levels are elevated.

Many people have become use to this high and the temporary energy it brings. They’ll probably find it difficult to avoid using sugar as a crutch to improve their mood.

Since the body's largest organ is the skin, detoxification can sometimes become seen in the form of rashes, itching, pimples or other skin irritations, during the first few days of eliminating sugar from your diet.

Drinking plenty of fresh, clean, chemical free water will help your body detox quickly.

A mixture of bentonite clay and aloe vera can help soothe skin eruptions caused by detoxing.

Since detoxing is a process, these symptoms will subside as the cleansing continues and should not be a concern or worry, since they will disappear.