Want to lose weight and stay at bay from any slightest chances of diabetes? Well, then, a sugar diet will be your best friend. Many nutritionists stress people to lessen or, better, totally avoid sugar in their daily food consumption.
Also, as per a study, sugar, when consumed in more than the necessary quantity, can lead to severe health disorders, including obesity.
A sugar diet means simply replacing added sugars with more proteins and fibre. Yes, it is as easy as it sounds. But, moreover, there are way more perks to preferring this sugar diet.
If you are in doubt, download the HealthifyMe app. It has a built-in food tracker with an ocean of food data that helps you understand what you consume and how it affects your health.
In addition, the app enables you to make informed choices about food, whether at home or eating outside food. You get notifications reminding you to eat on time and drink the right amount of water, which will help you keep track of your health goal. You also get access to exciting recipes and coach consultation that keeps you on track when switching to a healthier lifestyle.
Overview: Prominence of Sugar Diet in the Current Lifestyle
Many of us may have a sweet tooth and would love to munch on something sweet now and then. However, if one intakes too many added sugars, their body may face a spike in the glucose level. Glucose, which is crucial for the human body in giving energy, comes from the food we intake.
Glucose is necessary, but what if the body has no control over producing limited quantities of glucose or works improperly in supplying that glucose to the cells?
In that case, there comes a situation of spiked-up glucose levels which pose potential harm to a human’s body. Studies say that over time, this can lead to catching some disorders like diabetes, heart disease, obesity and also kidney failure.
A HealthifyPRO 2.0 plan can help you to understand the relationship between your metabolic health and blood glucose levels. Irregular food habits, too much junk food, eating late, skipping breakfast, and such practices stress our health. It reflects varying blood glucose levels, a root cause of many lifestyle diseases.
Refrain from taking the term Sugar diet literally. It is a way of eating that implies a healthy plating method. Once you make the substitution, the HealthifyPRO CGM BIOS picks up the recording as it studies your blood glucose levels. With more fibre, good fats, complex carbs and protein, you will minimise the spikes, and your blood glucose levels will return to normal range.
A sugar diet, also famous as Sugar Busters, ensures one stays on the right track for their health. The easiest and most effective way to lose weight in less time is by reducing the sugar quantities from our food intake. It means nurturing a healthy lifestyle in a person by limiting sugars in their food consumption to manifest controlled glucose levels in the body.
Why Cut Out Sugar?
Cutting sugar from one’s diet is a massive leap towards well-being. Avoiding added sugars has excellent advantages, from staying full all day to having a limited chance of chronic illnesses.
According to a famous study, added sugars contain dextrose, honey, syrup, table sugar, and sucrose, all of which come from vegetable juices or concentrated fruits.
Packaged foods with added sugars are hazardous as they lead to weight gain, heart attacks and Type 2 diabetes. Thus, the need to cut out sugar arises.
For a more vivid understanding, look at the following reasons to cut out sugar:
Promotes Weight Management:
This study underlines the relationship between added sugars and obesity. Well, sugar levels in excess make the body gain more fat. Furthermore, the sugar cravings increase even after having a heavy meal. Thus, overeating will ultimately lead to weight gain.
Cutting down sugars, including added ones, will have a huge impact on glucose production thereby burning unnecessary fat. Moreover, replacing sugar-containing foods with those rich in essential nutrient sources like fibre makes them feel full throughout their day.
Promotes Dental Well-being:
Tooth decay has stronger and closer connections with sugars. Many of us, especially kids, suffer from toothaches, cavities, etc., just because of excess sugar consumption.
A study mentions that intaking added sugar in excess quantities will lead to dental caries. It is because sugar is sticky; if ingested, it will get glued to our teeth.
And as a natural mechanism, our teeth produce certain acids to remove the stuck-up sugars. However, too much of those acids will damage a tooth.
All-in-all, for those who want to smile with their perfect white teeth, it is best to go with foods that are low in sugar. It can help them keep their dental caries and other such issues low.
Keeps Heart Healthy
The heart is a vital organ of the human body. It works all the time, pumps up the blood necessary to circulate various nutrients to our body, and keeps us alive.
As per this particular study, cardiovascular disease has a great connection with the consumption of added sugars. One might think that this is associated only with people with diabetes. However, anyone can have heart disease due to excess consumption of added sugars.
So, today, switch to the Healthify lifestyle with the sugar diet. Incorporating healthy, nutritious foods and staying away from excess calories/sugars leads to a healthy heart.
Blood Sugar Regulation
The pancreas produces a hormone known as insulin. This hormone has various functions, and circulating glucose to the cells is a critical function among those.
So, it helps the cells intake this glucose, and then they gain the energy necessary for us to stay active all day. So, the pancreas helps the glucose, which is nothing but sugar, get consumed.
Upon consumption of excess sugars, our pancreas pumps in more insulin to maintain a balance. But unfortunately, over time, the cells won’t be as effective in keeping the glucose insulin balance, thereby, leading to insulin resistance. All this will finally result in Type 2 diabetes.
Aids in Skin Health
Did you know that insulin is a hormone that is best friends with androgen and sebum? So, both those androgen hormones and sebum lead to significant skin disorders, and acne is one among those. .
Excess consumption of added sugars leads to an increase in insulin production which can trigger testosterone and sebum levels. Testosterone is a hormone that affects puberty, mood, hair growth and ovulation in women.
At the same time, sebum supplies our skin with the necessary oils to keep it from dehydration. However, when these both increase, issues like acne, dryness, dandruff, etc arise.
8 Tips for Cutting Out Sugar
Go with Spices
Spices can make any person jolt up with an electric and intensifying taste. Consume spicy foods whenever you want to go with sugars. It will make you feel thirsty but also makes you feel full.
No Liquid Sugars
When we say liquid sugars, we mean those soft drinks, packaged fruit juices with added sugars. These drinks are more likely to make your body release more insulin, triggering all side effects. So, stay as far as you can be from these drinks. Instead, replace them with lassi, coconut water, herbal tea etc.
Have a Quick Eye on the Product Labels
Next time you go shopping, scrutinise the product and all those nutritional details. Go through its label and understand the number of preservatives and added sugars it has. It can give you a heads-up regarding the product that you choose to consume.
Stay Prickly with Artificial Sugars
Added sugars and artificial sugars are both the same in most aspects. But, in both cases, they lack natural sugars, as their name suggests.
Now, anything that isn’t natural can affect our body negatively. It’s simple science. So, beware of those artificial sugars that get added to your foods.
Go with Healthy Fats
Fats regulate our appetite. To explain it more clearly, more fats in our body can keep us less hungry. Although, it’s essential to eat only healthy fats.
A gram of fat has a whopping nine calories in it, but when it comes to the same quantity of sugar, it has only four calories. Thus eating healthy fats can lead to staying less hungry for more time. However, it is important to keep track on the amount of fats being incorporated into your diet.
Preferring Fruits Over Simple Candies and Sugary Foods
Besides giving us nutrients necessary for well-being, fruits have this natural sweetener. Moreover, fruits have natural sugars that are helpful in keeping glucose under control.
Time to Have a Good Nap
Sleep deprivation can cause more and more health disorders in people than they can imagine. And the body with less sleep releases hormones like leptin and ghrelin, the appetite hormones. As a result, you crave sugar to compensate for the lack of energy.
Stay Hydrated
One thing that you must remember is that dehydration and sugar cravings are interrelated. Those who feel thirsty also prefer something sweet. Thus, whenever you crave something sweet, get a glass of water which will rehydrate you as well as make you feel full.
Foods to Avoid in Sugar Diet
- All processed and refined foods.
- Fruits that are dried
- Deep-fried food items like french fries, hot wings, etc.
- Meat with higher fat parts.
- Sweetened breakfast cereals.
- Artificial Sweetened Liquids, like soda
- Baked food
- White Flour
- Candies of all kinds.
- Dairy products with full-fats
- White carbs
- Trans fat
- Fruit juices with added sugar
Benefits of a Sugar Diet
- It helps in regulating blood sugar levels.
- Reduces skin conditions
- Lowers the risk of high blood pressure
- Keeps heart diseases at bay
- Ensures a healthy and fit body
- Lessens cravings for more food
- Maintains good oral health
- Promotes the well-being of the liver
- Regulates mood swings and decreases anxiety and depression
- Replacing sugar with other nutrients promotes overall well-being.
The HealthifyMe Note
Those who choose to cut sugar from their diet are already nearer to a healthy lifestyle. In addition, there are many beneficial perks when one decides to go for a sugar diet. It keeps you fitter and more agile. You lose weight naturally.
Risks and Considerations
Below are some drawbacks that come with choosing a sugar diet:
Drawbacks
Feeling Low and Dull:
Be that as it may, some of us need small amounts of sugar daily. Dopamine, is a happy hormone. So, with no sugar, this hormone may be in fewer quantities resulting in a depressive mood.
Messed-Up Sleep Cycles:
Every nutrient we take impacts our body, making it release certain hormones or mess with them. In our case, no sugar can make it hard for a few people to sleep initially, messing up their sleep patterns.
Manifestation of Anxiousness:
When there is no sleep and a slight depression, anxiety comes into the limelight out of the blue. Also, similar feelings like restlessness, nervousness and getting annoyed can prevail.
More Cravings for Foods:
When no sugar is in our diet, our heart craves more sugar than usual. Moreover, it also wants to crave similar foods like baked foods, processed snacks, etc. However, with right guidance by a qualified nutritionist, one can overcome these cravings.
Cognitive Disorders:
When cognitive issues arise, a person faces difficulty remembering, concentrating or even doing their day-to-day tasks. It can be simply due to the changes in the food lifestyle.
Permissible Foods With Rich Fibre
- Vegetables- Brussels Sprouts, Collard Greens, Eggplant, Swiss Chard, Potatoes, etc.
- Whole Grains- Barley, Quinoa, Buckwheat, Oatmeal, etc.
- Legumes- Peas, Black Beans, Baked Beans, Lentils, etc.
- Nuts- Hazelnuts, Almonds, Chestnuts, etc.
- Fruits- Raspberries, Apples, Strawberries, Oranges, Bananas, etc.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
- Salmon
- Walnuts
- Soybean Oil
- Flaxseed Oil
- Canola Oil
- Flaxseed
- Chia Seeds
Healthy Carbs
- Fruits- Banana, Apple, Pineapple, etc.
- Whole Grains- Popcorn, Oatmeal, Cracked Wheat, Barley, Brown Rice, Buck Wheat, etc.
- Low-fat Dairy Products- Milk, Cottage Cheese, Yogurt, Fat-free Cream Cheese.
- Legumes- Kidney Beans, Navy Beans, Lentils, Peas, Pinto Beans, Soy Beans, etc.
Conclusion
Opting for no sugar in our day-to-day life can majorly constitute our overall well-being. So many of us fall prey to diabetes, heart illness, kidney failures and many other issues.
Choosing a sugar diet can essentially make us stronger and healthier. In addition, it keeps us safe from disorders associated with high sugar consumption.
The intake of added sugars works like a chain of dominoes. First is excess sugar, followed by increased glucose levels more than necessary; next is obesity and metabolic distress.
With HealthifyMe Pro 2.0, the CGM records your blood sugar levels in your body in real time. Moreover, you will know which food items give you more sugar and which do not.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q. How do you do the sugar diet?
A. We can reduce our daily consumption of sugar quantities. But, first, one can opt for replacing sugary foods with other alternatives. To do so, one can go with swapping the need to drink artificially sweetened drinks with water, eat food with seasoning, and stay away from processed foods. Additionally, one can choose to eat fruits that are low in sugar.
Q. Is a high-sugar diet good?
A. Overdoing anything can backfire. Thus, one must avoid significantly added sugars in their diet. Instead, they can still have natural sugars in limited quantities or as their doctor suggests. Staying away from sugar can deprive one of the hormones like dopamine and endorphin, which bring happiness.
Q. What can you not eat on a sugar diet?
A. People who are undergoing a sugar diet must consider some foods they should avoid to keep their sugar diet going. Now, a few foods they shouldn’t eat are processed foods, baked items, bread, pasta, artificial sugary foods, soda, breakfast cereals, and dairy products. Also, it is essential to stay away from deep-fried foods.
Q. How much sugar is OK in a day?
A. As per the Harvard study, one can consume sugar below 100 calories daily. And 24 grams of sugar approximately can contain that many calories. So we urge people to use only six teaspoons of overall sugars in their daily diet, and no more than that, to stay healthy and fit.
Q. Which fruit has the most sugar?
A. Mostly fruits like pomegranates, berries, oranges, and cherries are also famous for their sugar quantities. Yet, a ripe mango beats them all with a lot of sugar. A whopping 23 calories will be present in approximately 1 cup of mango.
Q. What is the 7 Day sugar challenge?
A. As the name suggests, one avoids sugar in their diet for a whole week, i.e., seven days. Now, in these seven days, people will opt to go with alternatives to sugar or stay away from it. Mostly, those who want to decline their spiked blood sugar levels immediately choose this challenge.
Q. What happens if you stop eating sugar for 14 days?
A. Stopping to eat sugar for 14 days could bring significant and drastic changes in a person. For starters, they will feel fewer cravings for sweets. And they will stay energetic all day. Moreover, they will have clear skin, regulated blood pressure levels, and healthy weight loss.
Q. Will cutting sugar reduce belly fat?
A. Indeed, yes! By cutting sugar, one can reduce belly fat. It will help in lowering the production of glucose in our bodies. Thus, in that scenario, the body tries to use the stored glucose in our fats. Ultimately, it will result in burning fats, including stubborn belly fat.
Q. How long does it take to detox from sugar?
A. There are contradictory theories, and no single approach can say the exact duration for detoxing from sugar. However, a 7-day challenge is preferable. Moreover, some nutritionists even suggest people avoid sugar for 14 days and even 21 days to get detoxed from sugar.
