Sugar Detox: Does Alcohol Count?

When you decide to do a sugar cleanse or sugar detox, whether or not you also decide to eliminate alcoholic beverages is completely up to you. For most health goals, removing alcohol during a detox or cleanse is helpful. You are more likely to see benefits such as weight loss, improved skin tone, reduced bloating, balanced blood sugar and thus energy, lower anxiety, and better sleep.

Alcohol has a number of health benefits, but these are long-term benefits which are unlikely to be noticed during a cleanse or detox. Because alcohol turns into sugar very rapidly, removing it during a sugar cleanse or detox is a more authentic experience of what sugar-free feels like. However, sometimes keeping a glass of wine in your diet (or whatever your single serving drink of choice may be), helps you survive a sugar cleanse by giving you a sugar-crutch. This can be a useful way to try a sugar cleanse if your current diet is high in sugar and going cold-turkey 100% sugar-free sounds too ambitious.

Pro-tip: Did you know there is an herbal product that renders sweet flavor powerless? Literally, there is a tincture you can put on your tongue which blocks the sweet flavor. Imagine how that would take the steam out of your chocolate-binge-bound sails! The herb is Gymnema Sylvestre, and MediHerb by Standard Process makes the tincture. I’ve also used other brands. It’s a fabulous tool for the early days of your sugar cleanse, to help keep you on track. Contact my office if you’d like me to order some for you!

 Get started on your sugar cleanse with a helpful Sugar Cleanse: How-To.


About the Author:

Caitlin Gordon, M.S., L.Ac., C.M.F.P., is a functional medicine clinician, board-certified acupuncturist, and transformative health coach based in Boulder, Colorado. Owner of Amaluna Wellness, Caitlin treats patients online and in-person. She specializes in treating stress, anxiety, and depression without pharmaceuticals.

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