If you think you are addicted to sugar, eliminating sugar from your diet for five weeks could help get rid of your addiction. Although the first week can be difficult, don't give in. Resisting sugar will get easier as the weeks go by. By the fifth week, your sugar cravings will have completely disappeared. Avoiding sugar can help you stabilize your energy levels so you don't suffer from an energy crash in the middle of the morning or afternoon or feel like binge eating while watching TV at night. Consult your doctor before modifying your diet to ensure it is safe for you.
Eliminate Added Sugar
Notice the foods and beverages you add sugar to, such as coffee, tea, breakfast cereals, oatmeal or yogurt. Do not use any sweeteners during your five-week sugar-free diet. Throw away any sugar you have at home, whether it is regular table sugar, brown sugar, raw sugar, honey or maple syrup. All of these sweeteners contain the same amount of calories and sugar, without providing any important nutrients for your body. If you enjoy baking your own muffins, cookies or cakes, find sugar-free versions of your recipes or experiment with replacing the sugar with fruit purees. The natural sweetness of fruits is enough once you get rid of your sweet tooth.
Avoid Processed Foods
Processed foods and beverages are the No. 1 source of sugar for most people. Read ingredient lists and avoid foods containing any kind of sugars during your five-week sugar-free diet. Do not buy soft drinks, candies, muffins, breakfast cereals, ice cream, flavored oatmeal, candies and snack foods, whether they are sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup, honey, glucose, dextrose, maltodextrin, fruit juice concentrate or cane juice. Get rid of any food containing added sugar in your cupboards, fridge and freezer to prevent you from giving in if you have a sugar craving. For extra support, convince the people living with you to get on board with you on your sugar-free challenge.
Buy Ingredients
Avoiding sugar may require you to do more food preparation because most convenience and fast foods contain added sugar. During your five-week diet, buy ingredients instead of processed foods. For example, instead of buying processed breakfast cereals, buy plain steel-cut oats and serve them with plain yogurt, fresh fruits and unseasoned nuts. For your lunches and dinners, simply combine fresh vegetables with a serving of protein, alongside a serving of fresh fruit, plain yogurt or milk. For example, you could have a salad of leafy greens with salmon and avocado served with strawberries and plain yogurt for lunch. Dinner could be a stir-fry of chicken or beef with broccoli, bell pepper and cauliflower. Treat yourself with a homemade smoothie made with milk, blueberries and peaches.
Benefits
Challenging you to avoid sugar for five weeks is a good way to reset your body and eliminate your sugar cravings, while losing weight, stabilizing your blood sugar levels, improving your triglycerides and lowering your blood pressure. After your five-week sugar elimination diet, you will find that you are satisfied with smaller servings of sweets and desserts. You may even start to prefer low-sugar foods, such as extra dark chocolate, fresh fruits and plain yogurt. If you feel like your sweet tooth is coming back or you notice that your sugar intake is creeping up, go back on the five-week sugar challenge protocol to get back on track.
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