I’m sure at one point, we’ve all thought we had a sugar addiction. I guess when you think about it, if you’re eating packaged foods (which is hard to avoid sometimes) you’re most likely eating added sugar. I’m definitely not going to sit here and be preachy about packaged foods because I eat them as much as the next person. That being said, I’d like to wean myself off.
Not just packaged foods though…sugar in general. My sweet tooth lately is out of control. It’s never really been that bad because usually I don’t buy sugary foods, but since becoming pregnant, I’ve kind of given myself a free pass. I still think having dessert once in a while or a treat at a party is totally fine….I mean, you only live once. But having chocolate everyday multiple times a day is maybe a bit much.
So, I want to get a hold of this situation. I researched around and found a little sugar detox program from Dr. Oz. Yep, good ol’ Dr. Oz. I know there are sugar detox books so maybe I’ll check those out…but hey if I cut out caffeine, I can cut out sugar right? 🙂
So, here’s Dr. Oz’s breakdown:
- Week 1: Detox– This week is about cutting back on sugar. For example, if you ate pretty sugary cereals in the morning, maybe buy one with less sugar and try that out. That’s not really my issue. My issue is straight up sugar….mostly in chocolate form. So, for this week I’m going to try and not eat any chocolate (or other sugary crap) during the day. If I’m having any, I may have some at night for dessert. Lately my desserts have been awesome by the way (and I think not too bad for you). I’ve been cutting up berries and banana and throwing some dark chocolate chips on top with a little whipped cream. Could be worse right? I did have ice cream last night though..oops (I blame my husband). Anyway, first things first, eliminate sweets during the day!
- Week 2: Eliminate Hidden Sugars– So, here’s where the packaged foods come into play. Dr. Oz suggests going through your cabinets and basically doing label research. Any label with these words listed, throw out!
Fructose
Maltose
Sorbitol
Evaporated Cane Juice
Syrups
Xylotol
Sugars ending in “ol” or “ose”
I don’t know if I’ll throw out all those things…I just feel so wasteful….but maybe I should. Rules are rules!
- Week 3: Use Alternative Sweeteners– Otherwise known as, natural sweeteners like Stevia or Agave nectar. I have no problem with this. I’ve used Agave before but heard people like Stevia better so maybe I’ll give it a shot. If you’re not familiar with either, Stevia is a non-caloric herb from Paraguay. You can definitely find it in health food stores and I’ve seen it more lately in regular grocery stores. Agave is also made from a plant (a cactus) in Mexico. Agave is higher in calories, but pretty sweet so you’d probably use less anyway. I see Agave now in regular grocery stores too.
- Week 4: Trick Your Taste-buds– Use more spices and herbs! This is something I should definitely do. I do love to add cinnamon to fruit or coffee…it makes such a big difference with no added calories. A great dessert is cutting up an apple, warming it up in the microwave and sprinkling cinnamon on top…tastes like apple pie I swear.
So those are Dr. Oz’s tricks. I think they’re probably pretty good. I’m not really interested in cutting out fruit from my diet because I like it and think it’s great for you…just processed sugars that are essentially unnecessarily (like cupcakes…I love cupcakes!).
Something else that I think helps me personally is continuing to workout. Feeling inspired and motivated to stay fit definitely has an impact on my diet. This is why I love Pinterest (motivating pics) and other workout blogs: motivation. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m also going to try and do more yoga which always has a positive effect on me and my diet. Prenatal yoga this afternoon!
Anyway, we’ll see how it goes! This weekend was definitely sugar filled: cupcakes, lemon bars, brownies, etc. So good but definitely too much. The day I got to Phoenix I had my mom take me to Yogurtland…then literally, 2 hours later…I went back for a second round. That’s ridiculous. But kind of awesome. More ridiculous though.
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How do you break a sugar habit?
I’ve cut way, way down on processed foods and added sugars, including “fake” sugars like splenda, stevia, etc. I still love a piece of dark chocolate now and then but for the most part, I don’t need or miss it. I have a sweet tooth but I satisfy it in other ways – if I want to indulge,I’ll make a real, fresh homemade chocolate chip cookie with real butter, real sugar, etc. And I’ll eat one and be happy to have my husband eat the rest of the batch. Or I’ll do like you said, bake an apple, toss with cinnamon but add a bit of pb on top to make it all melty and yummy. Or my newest fave – banana “fro yo” with a frozen banana in the food processor, some cocoa powder, a bit of pb and voila, all natural fro yo. GENIUS I tell ya. So bottom line – I still love something sweet after dinner most nights but I try to go for the least processed of all if I can help it.
Savory > sweet any day of the week!
I agree with Matt. Love savory over sweet! I’ve found when health coaching that if people can detox from sugar, they don’t miss it anymore after a week or two. Good luck! 🙂
I am currently on a 3 day detox and I haven’t had any additional sugar and i feel so much better. Hardest part is the coffee. Oh i miss it. So i learned drink more water, less coffee more fruits and vegetables.
Great post!
I battle with my sweet tooth constantly! I haven’t fully defeated it yet, but I’m determined. Thanks for the Oz tips, I just might have to try out the strategy…