I’m not just cutting out white sugar. A detox is about retraining your body, so I am avoiding all foods that contain sugar, even natural sugars, and all foods that are sweet. So many foods contain sugar, so the list of food to avoid is pretty long. There are plenty of programs online that include and exclude different foods, but I am basing mine on a book called the 21 Day Detox, because it gives a good plan of what to do and includes lots of useful recipes.
Here are the food rules that I will be following for the next 21 days:
Food I will not be eating:
Potatoes
All fruits – (except lemon and lime)
Grains – Barley, Beans, Buckwheat, Flour, Lentils, Oats, Quinoa, Rice and Spelt
All dairy
Alcohol
Soy Sauce
Artificial Sweeteners
All meat and fish
All vegetables (Squash, sweet potato and beetroot I will only have a maximum of half a cup a day)
Lemon and Lime
Nuts and Seeds
Coconut Milk and Oil
Olive Oil
Water, Herbal Teas
I will be drinking 'Bulletproof Coffee' everyday (more on that another day)
It does seem extreme! I don’t believe that people should eat this way long term, but the sugar fast is about taking a body that is addicted to sugar and going cold turkey. After the fast, I will slowly be introducing healthy foods back into my diet and allowing limited treats. I also want to take time during the next 21 days to really think about our whole families eating habits, and consider the changes we could make.
I have heard that there can be negative effects of doing a sugar fast, particularly in the first week, including;
- Headaches
- Flu or cold symptoms
- More emotionally sensitive or irritable
- Lethargic or low energy
- Gas or bloating
- Body odour or bad breath
- Skin breakouts
- Sporadic sleep
- Old memories and emotions resurfacing
- Mucus drainage (I really don’t want to know what this is!)
What a fun list of withdrawal symptoms to look forward to. Think about it for a minute though...our bodies are so addicted to sugar that when we give it up, we have to go through a withdrawal process. Crazy.
Honestly, I mostly worried about breakfasts. We tend to eat a lot of granola, porridge, baked oatmeal and toast. I like eggs, but I really don’t want to eat them every day. So, I am searching around on Pinterest and trying to find as many ideas as possible. Anyone have any suggestions??