Lead to Yahoo Life x Today’s Sugar Detox Challenge Woman 5 to reduce daily sugar. Follow us as Camila Alves McConaughey and leading experts show us how to reduce sugar and form new habits every day this week. This is the first day of the 5-day sugar detox.
When the going gets tough, the hard going … to the gym, the running track or the meditation cushion. But for many of us, it is normal to react to stress using quick solutions that do not serve us in the long run. When you’re stuck at home during a pandemic, nothing less than eating sugared foods and drinks can provide the comfort you crave. It’s time to give your body a break from refined sugars.
Today is the first day of a 5-day challenge in partnership with the lifestyle guru Camila Alves McConaughey – wife of iconic actor Matthew McConaughey – and his website, Woman of Today, for Yahoo Life x Today’s 5-Day Sugar Detox Challenge Woman. It is a guided program that almost anyone can do at home. In the next five days, we will provide the incentive and knowledge you need to adopt healthier habits and become a “quitter” forever.
“[A sugar detox] it is important no matter what happens, but especially now, in these times in which we live. Your immune system needs to be very, very strong. So it’s very, very important to get that sugar out of your daily routine, ”says McConaughey.
The mother of three joined licensed nutritionist Maya Feller to challenge readers on the first day to take the bold first step: commit to stop sugar. Sure, the journey is a winding road, but once you’ve fixed on it, you’re on the right track.
Why should you commit to cutting sugar? Disease prevention, increased energy and better skin, to name a few …
“Many of us are feeling tired, bloated and stressed from everything that is going on around us,” says McConaughey. Sugar is a temporary solution as it activates the brain’s pleasure pathways. After a while, though, you feel the bang and need an even bigger blow. Feller adds: “It’s a very complicated cycle that happens because our bodies are saying, ‘Hey, give me more'”.
Like any drug, sugar becomes addictive – and it is a kind of epidemic in our country. How much added sugar do Americans consume? “The numbers are high. It’s something like over 34 percent of our total energy intake [for teens]. I think adults are over 40%. It is part of our day-to-day lives and it is so common, ”says Feller.
Here’s the good news: give up sweet things is absolutely doable and gets easier over time. Learn from Alexandra Sowa, MD, who is an accredited internal medicine physician specializing in metabolic health (and an external specialist who is not affiliated with Woman of Today). “In fact, it will really change your relationship with sugar,” Sowa told Yahoo Life. “There’s really a light at the end of the tunnel where you just don’t want the same [sugar-y] food again. “
Eliminating sugar can combat those disgusting short-term feelings, like bloating and collapse, very quickly – and permanently, if you really commit yourself – but the long-term effects of a sugar detox are even more profound.
“When you consume excessive amounts of added sugar, it actually increases the risk of all noncommunicable diseases, [such as] diabetes, cardiovascular disease, [and] hypertension, ”says Feller.
Sugar is also a major cause of inflammation. “We all know that if you have a high rate of inflammation in your body, your immune system starts to go down. That way, you would be more likely to feel unwell, to get sick, ”says McConaughey.
Feller agrees. “This is a time when we really want our immune system to be as strong as possible. And we know that when you add large amounts of sugar, it really changes the diversity of these bacteria in your gut, ”notes Feller. “What you really want are all the beneficial bacteria, instead of having the bacteria that don’t allow your body to express its best health.”
Feller adds that giving sugar to the boot can balance the intestinal microbiome, doing wonders for your energy and skin levels as well. “You can expect to see more luminous and glowing skin when you remove some of the sugar added to your daily eating pattern,” she says.
Another benefit? You won’t have those moments when you’re so hungry that you can bite someone’s head off with a bite! “You will have less of that ‘hunger’ feeling up and down,” says Feller in describing the combination of hunger and anger you feel after a sugar drop. “So, you can expect to have a little less of the ups and downs.”
In addition, you’ll be able to hear your hunger better when you’re not “filling the gap” with sweets like sugar-sweetened drinks, which make you think you’re satisfied. “You don’t know when you are hungry or satiated, and when you remove [sugar], so you’re like, ‘Wow. I actually feel great after this meal ‘or’ Oh, I feel like I could eat some more, ‘”she says.
How should you commit – gradually or immediately?
After committing to a sugar detox, the question is: how? Should you get rid of this highly addictive substance little by little or should you stop smoking? There is no answer: “It depends a lot on the person and the situation,” says Sowa.
“If your life is incredibly hectic and you say, ‘I’m going to do a 180-degree turn in the way I eat,’ you can go through difficult times and fail,” adds Sowa. “So for some people, if you intend to reduce sugar, instead of doing it all at once, you can start with a meal or cut something like sugary sodas or a sweet snack.”
The goal here is to teach you how to [adopt] good habits throughout life. One thing at a time, slowly, but safely, so … you can continue in the long run. Camila Alves McConaughey
Sowa says that others find it easier to make a big change at once. “They’re going to say, ‘you know what? I really feel like I have an addiction. If I don’t even surround myself with sugar choices, I won’t accept it, ”” Sowa points out. “So, I really emphasize taking an inventory of the circumstances of your life and what your goals are, and really starting there before deciding whether to dip your foot or do a drastic sugar detox.”
“So we talked about how we are going to do this detox: cold turkey or slow transition. Choose what works for you, ”says McConaughey. “But on the first day, what should we cut from our diet?”
Practical ways to start your sugar detox – and some temporary drawbacks you can expect in the beginning
“Take a look at where the added sugars are going into your individual daily routine,” says Feller. They can be processed foods, soft drinks, energy drinks, sweetened yogurts, dressings or even salad dressings. “Also, read the nutrition information label, [which shows] added sugar. Anything close to 20% is considered high, ”she says.
While you’re at it, look for sodium, says Sowa. “You’ll find that most packaged foods, even if it’s just a snack bar or a pre-packaged cookie, will have more salt than you need in an entire day.” She says the same applies to most drinks with sweet electrolytes. For this reason, dehydration is an amazing side effect of cutting out sugar. So, if abandoning processed foods is on your sugar detox plan, Sowa strongly encourages drinking at least 64 ounces of water a day.
Other side effects of sugar detox also vary from person to person, as does the amount of time it takes for these effects to reach you – this is not a unique challenge. “Typically, for most people who actually consume large amounts of added sugar, it can happen in 24 hours,” notes Feller. “You can feel … a decrease in your mood. You may experience some headaches similar to caffeine withdrawal. In terms of starting to feel the recovery and feeling good, some people report that even in 72 hours they are feeling a little better. “
Is a sugar detox right for you?
Of course, no matter how excited you are to start your sugar detox, remember to be smart. Sugar detox is not for everyone.
“People with a history of eating disorder or active eating disorder should avoid 100%,” says Feller. “In addition, people with any diagnosed medical condition should talk to their doctor or nutritionist” before starting a sugar detox.
Sowa adds that if you are – or think you might be – insulin resistant (frequent drops in sugar may indicate this), you should also see a doctor before starting a sugar detox. “If you’re starting to feel dizzy, if you’re starting to feel nauseous, if you have a fever or chills as a result of detoxification, that’s when you call your primary care doctor and what you’re doing,” adds Feller.
Above all, be kind to yourself and patient with the process. “It’s day to day, one step at a time and a lot of deep breaths,” encourages Feller. “The goal here is to teach how [adopt] good habits for life, ”agrees McConaughey. “One thing at a time, slowly, but safely, so … you can continue in the long run.”
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