As a Nutritionist, I see tremendous value in an occasional sugar detox to help reset, refresh and renew.
Perhaps you just celebrated a birthday, got back from vacation or finished up the holidays. Whatever your reason might be, the case can occasionally be made to set up some time for a "clean slate".
In fact, this is why thousands of men and women around the world have used (and LOVED) my 7 Day Detox Program.
When we take the time to cut out sugar, it can help us kickstart our weight loss or wellness journey while also feel more in control of our hunger and cravings.
Too much sugar can tend to cause issues such as:
unstable blood sugar levels
mood swings
weight gain
anxiety (especially if you're sensitive to blood sugar crashes)
low energy levels
So if you're feeling like your body could use a break from the sweet stuff and experience a bit of a reset, then you're in the right place.
Today I'm sharing a simple 3 day meal plan (plus important tips) to help you remove added sugars and get your weight loss or wellness journey started on the right foot.
Tip 1. Know Your Sugars
Technically all carbohydrates break down into sugar. When we're doing a sugar detox, we're not looking to cut out all carbs. Instead, it's important to hone in on the sugars that make the biggest difference toward cravings and blood sugar levels.
Not sure which sugars you need to watch out for and which are okay? Checkout my free Sugar Detox Food List HERE.
Tip 2. Eat Enough Protein
Sugar cravings often stem from not eating enough protein. Most people are shocked when they realize how their lifelong sugar cravings nearly vanish after one day of eating enough high quality protein.
For a lot of people, aiming for about 30 grams of complete protein per meal is a good place to start. Checkout the best sources of protein to help reduce sugar cravings with my blog post HERE.
Tip 3. Drink Water (And Possibly Electrolytes)
If you're used to having quite a bit of added sugars in your diet, then it's very possible you'll experience a headache the first day or two of removing added sugars. Drinking enough water and possibly including electrolytes is one easy way to help combat these symptoms.
I like to aim for at least half my body weight in ounces of water per day. For example, if you weigh 130 pounds, then you could aim for about 75 oz. of water. Although you might need more depending on the day, how much sleep you got and how much you exercised.
Great sources of electrolytes can include a heavy pinch of a high quality sea salt or unflavored LMNT electrolytes.
Tip 4. Know Your Artificial (And Natural) Sweeteners
With a sugar detox, the goal is to help reduce sugar cravings. Most zero sugar sweeteners are still going to be highly sweet and therefore could still trigger sugar cravings in some.
As a Nutritionist, I recommend avoiding artificial sweeteners in general, regardless of whether you're currently following a sugar detox or not. The studies are a bit unclear on the health impacts of artificial sweeteners, but researchers have been finding that they can tend to lead to an imbalance of the gut microbiome and possibly unstable blood sugar levels.(1)
Natural zero sugar sweeteners (like monk fruit and stevia) are great to use in small amounts, but it can be helpful to completely remove these as well during the sugar detox protocol.
Once taste buds have been reset and sugar cravings are lower, small amounts of these natural zero sugar sweeteners can be added back in.
In fact, I personally love monk fruit sweetener and use it in my zero sugar protein powder for a hint of sweetness. It makes an absolutely DELICIOUS protein waffle!😋
But you can also use our unflavored zero sugar protein powder for zero monk fruit during the sugar detox.
Tip 5. Make Tasty Meals
Avoiding sugar is almost effortless when you're making meals that actually taste good.
If you're bored of your meals or if you're not adding flavor to your food, then your body will want to seek excitement from other avenues ~ cue intense sugar cravings.
Today I'm sharing a 3 day zero added sugar meal plan that focuses on yummy, simple recipes to help fuel your body while also making sure your taste buds get a thrill, too.
Below you'll find the full 3 day meal plan with links to each recipe.
But if you're looking for more step-by-step guidance, additional recipes and an added focus on supporting the liver during the sugar detox, you can checkout my 7 Day Detox Program HERE.
Day 1
Breakfast ~ High Protein Green Smoothie (note: use unflavored protein powder to make this sugar detox approved)
Lunch ~ Summery Caprese Salad
Dinner ~ Cauliflower Rice Burrito Bowl
Day 2
Breakfast ~ Blueberry Cottage Cheese Brekky Bowl
Lunch ~ Turmeric Detox Scramble
Dinner ~ Spicy Bone Broth Chili
Day 3
Breakfast ~ Golden Milk Smoothie
Lunch ~ Curry Salad Wrap
Dinner ~ Pumpkin Sausage "Pasta" (note: remove white wine to make this sugar detox approved)
Need some DELISH and science-backed recipes to help support your sugar detox?
Grab the 7 Day Detox that thousands of men and women around the WORLD are obsessed with!
Simple (and delish) recipes, science-backed nutrition tips, food lists and MORE!
Head over HERE to grab your copy and get started today!
❤️ Autumn
Autumn Elle Nutrition
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