How to Know if You Need a Sugar Detox

Did you know that the average Canadian eats 55 grams of added sugar every day?  That’s a quarter of a cup!  At least it’s lower than our neighbours to the south, who consume a whopping 88 grams per day!  I wonder if many of us really know what it feels like to NOT have all that added sugar flowing through our bloodstream every day?  I didn’t, until recently.  Or at least I’d forgotten what it felt like.   Now that I’ve done a couple of sugar detoxes (it somehow keeps creeping back into my diet), I know that when my body isn’t all jacked up on sugar, I feel more energy, focus and concentration; more balanced moods, my workouts are better and I sleep like a log.   Here are some of the telltale signs that you’ve got a sugar addiction.


How to Know if you Need a Sugar Detox:

  1. Your energy crashes in the afternoon.  If you feel like you’re falling asleep at your desk at 2pm and head for the coffee maker or cookie jar for a quick fix, you are likely experiencing the sugar low that is inevitable when you start your day with coffee and a high carb breakfast.
  2. You get “hangry”.   When your blood sugar dips too low before meals, you’ll feel irritable and jittery.  This happens when your blood sugar gets too high, insulin kicks in a little too hard and sends your blood sugar crashing to the bottom.
  3. You crave simple carbohydrates.  Simple carbs are the white foods such as white bread, pasta, white rice, desserts and alcohol.  These digest quickly and turn into sugars that can enter your bloodstream and feed your sugar craving.
  4. You are prone to yeast or other fungal infections.  The natural yeast (Candida) that lives in your body feeds on sugar.  If you eat too much sugar, it allows yeast to get out of control and crowd out the healthy bacteria in your gut that normally keeps it in check.   And when that yeast consumes all the sugar in your bloodstream, it will send out signals that you need more. Yeast infections are one of the manifestations, but jock itch, nail fungus, and acne can all be symptoms of too much Candida in your body.
  5. You get every cold and flu that goes around.  When your healthy gut bacteria is crowded out by Candida, they can’t help your body fight the bad bacteria that enters it.  Sugar depresses the immune system.  So if you are picking up infections really easily, you may need to check your sugar intake.

Animal studies suggest that sugar is more addictive and rewarding than cocaine.  If you are showing some of the signs of addiction (you keep a stash that you eat when others aren’t around, you eat sugary foods when you didn’t intend to, you eat sugary foods until you don’t feel well), it might be time to start a sugar detox.  If you don’t have one that you follow or need help, watch this video to learn more about mine:

  • Categories: New

    Leave a Reply