Don't Go Cold Turkey Because our bodies are so used to sweet stuff, going sugar-free very abruptly can lead to withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, anxiety, and mood swings, said Kohn.
Be prepared for these symptoms and be prepared to go cold turkey. Drop your sugar intake at once. The Ohio University Medical Center determined that a sugar detox will take between 3-10 days.
When people drastically reduce their sugar intake, they may experience withdrawal symptoms, such as headaches, cravings, and mood changes. These should go away within a few days or weeks.
Reducing sugar intake has clear health benefits, including reduced calorie intake, which can help with weight loss, and improved dental health. But people sometimes report experiencing negative side effects when they try to eat less sugar. Headaches, fatigue or mood changes, which are , are among the symptoms.
Cutting out added sugars can help minimize existing inflammation, as well as preventing new inflammation. This improves overall immune function, so the body can effectively fight off pathogens, reducing your susceptibility to illness.
There are massive health benefits from cutting back on your sugar intake, one of which is losing stubborn belly fat, says Brenda Rea, MD, DrPH, PT, RD, a family and preventive medicine physician at Loma Linda University Health.
Cut added sugar and you could lower calories and body weight, which could improve your cholesterol. But it's not just the weight loss. Even at the same weight as others, people who got less than 20% of their calories from added sugars tended to have lower triglycerides.
Fruit can provide several essential nutrients, including fiber, antioxidants, and other healthful compounds that help protect the body from disease. Including whole fruits in a no-sugar diet can still be healthful.
Don't Go Cold Turkey
"It's better to ease yourself off it slowly by taking one step at a time, so your body has time to adjust," Kohn said. Another reason to not be in a rush: slower changes tend to last, said Avena, especially when it comes to quitting sugar.
Dr. Nigma Talib, a naturopath who works with celebrities, has popularized the term “Sugar Face” to describe the effects that excess sugar has on the skin. Supposedly, she can look at someone's face and determine if they have a sweet tooth by the appearance and the location of their blemishes and wrinkles.
Day 3 is the beginning of some of the hardest days for most folks! Your best bet: Realize that you are likely not experiencing a real cold or flu but the effects of detoxing from sugar. Be careful not to rush off to the doctor; just know that this reaction is common and will subside within a few days.
Eating too much sugar is associated with larger fat deposits around the heart and in the abdomen, which are risky for health.
Detoxing from sugar can help you lose weight quickly. “We had over 80 testers from all over the country, and they lost anywhere between 5 to 20 pounds during the 31 days, depending on their weight or sugar addiction,” Alpert said. “Many also noticed that a lot of the weight was lost from their midsection.
These inflammatory responses, which result from short-term damage, typically let up after two or three days.
After giving up sugar for two weeks, I lost a small, but noticeable amount of weight. Considering I didn't change any other aspect of my diet I was really surprised by this. What's more, the weight loss made me feel healthier and that is always a good thing as it can help to improve your health in other ways.
The American Academy of Dermatology emphasizes that a diet high in sugar can accelerate aging; although quitting sugar may not reverse signs of aging that have already manifested, it can slow their progression.