Cheree Sheldon, Nutritionist for the Sugar Detox 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge, provides some information about what to expect when reducing your sugar intake.
Everyone will experience dietary change differently, but depending on your current sugar intake and how drastically you reduce it, you may have side effects such as headaches, skin breakouts, or bowel changes (excess sugar for some people can be a laxative, so reducing this may clog you up until your body can regulate itself again).
The best advice I have is to cut things out slowly and permanently. Too many times I have seen people go cold turkey, experience horrible withdrawals, and give in to cravings, never to try again…
Every lifestyle change you decide to make for the benefit of your health should be slow, steady, and LONG LASTING!
- Set yourself a limit everyday and stick to it. If you normally add 3 teaspoons of sugar to your tea, reduce it to 2 for a week, then reduce it to one, then 1/2, until you can enjoy your tea naturally.
- Make SMART goals when it comes to changes. Is your goal achievable, realistic, do you have support?
- Tell your family, friends and colleagues what you are planning and get them on board. Make changes with your family, and with a buddy at work, so you can support each other…
- If you feel like you are having enormous cravings for sugar that even with the alternatives they won’t go away, then speak to a naturopath and get some nutritional support to help balance out your blood sugars while you make dietary changes.
- Another MASSIVE problem I have witnessed is unconscious eating and emotional eating. If you feel like this is you, then I urge you to speak to a counsellor or find someone who is experienced in food psychology to work through these issues. A good hypnotherapist may help as well.
- Try the healthy eating, low sugar recipes from the Sugar Detox 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge to enable you to still enjoy sweet treats and meals but slowly reduce your overall intake.
Cheree Sheldon, Nutritionist
