Has anybody done the sugar detox diet?

Options
What did you eat?

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Options
    What did you eat?

    meat?
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited February 2018
    Options
    No, but I gave up added sugar for a month as an experiment when I started. I don't think it was that big a deal or particularly beneficial -- I think the benefits were from other things I did at the same time -- but it was useful for me to see that I could do it and it was no big thing, and probably helped some with other things I was doing then (cutting calories, cutting out snacking and emotional eating).

    Those detox things are poorly named -- sugar is not a toxin and you don't detox from it -- and I think also cut down on a variety of other foods, right?

    I didn't cut out sugar itself, I still ate fruit, veg, and dairy.

    Afterwards I found that whether I can moderate sweets and other foods I had trouble with in the past (like really good cheese) tends to have to do with eating it later in the day as a planned dessert, caring about my calorie limit, eating a good filling diet, and not snacking or emotional eating (which were typically my danger areas).

    What did I eat? Regular food. I mostly cook from scratch anyway, so I wasn't eating lots of products with added sugar with my regular meals, although it made me read labels carefully (which I always have done anyway, even when I'd eat with abandon) and adjust a few things.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Options
    I followed a diabetic diet which is moderate carb no sugar diet for years. Sugar is not toxic but diabetics have plenty of reasons to watch it.

    Eggs for breakfast. Try making an omelet with plenty of veggies.

    How about a curry on a bed of zoodles for lunch?

    Any protein for dinner (chicken/pork/beef/fish/tofu) with a salad on the side.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Options
    I replied on your other thread. Hope you figure out something sustainable, and satisfying soon. cheers
  • hellobarb
    hellobarb Posts: 15 Member
    Options
    I didn't do a detox per se, but I was dependent on sugar, so I decided to cut out sugar that didn't come from whole foods. I often caught myself filling up with cookies, and candy and a lot of sugar in my coffee, which didn't help me with weight loss. I was filling up my calorie budget with things that had no nutritional value. So, I had no dessert, no sugar in my coffee, and I even ate less maple syrup haha. But I was still getting it from fruit and starchy vegetables. It helped me depend less on it for sure because after about 2 months or so, I didn't even want most desserts and I went for berries if I craved something sweet instead of oreos. I'm only speaking for myself, but it also helped clear my skin.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Options
    It is virtually impossible to eat a no sugar diet. Our bodies convert all our food to sugar anyways so what’s the point?

    As a former diabetic I had to watch (not cut completely) digestible carbs like rice and potatoes as the body’s insulin response was virtually the same as sugar.

    And sugar doesn’t cause cancer.

    An absolute no sugar diet would cut nearly all fruits and vegetables from the diet. I love my fruits and vegetables with their fiber, variety, vitamins and anti-oxidants.
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,104 Member
    Options
    jgnatca wrote: »
    It is virtually impossible to eat a no sugar diet. Our bodies convert all our food to sugar anyways so what’s the point?

    As a former diabetic I had to watch (not cut completely) digestible carbs like rice and potatoes as the body’s insulin response was virtually the same as sugar.

    And sugar doesn’t cause cancer.

    An absolute no sugar diet would cut nearly all fruits and vegetables from the diet. I love my fruits and vegetables with their fiber, variety, vitamins and anti-oxidants.

    I don't think she is suggesting it causes cancer, it's a fundraising thing for Cancer Research UK - Sugar Free February (which isn't a sugar detox either it's just a challenge to cut out added sugars for 28 days for charity)
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited February 2018
    Options
    Thank you maybe I though that the no sugar diet was literally as little sugar as possible.

    There are all kinds of goofy sugar "detoxes" or challenges or so on, most of which are anti fruit, some of which do support eating as little sugar as possible. Personally, I think it's a good day if I can get in a lot of sugar from vegetables. ;-)

    If you struggle with overeating sugary foods, it's worth thinking about how to handle that. One option is to cut them out for a while and see if that helps you stop using them as a crutch or change your palate a bit, depending on your issues -- my palate was fine, and I never had a problem enjoying the sweetness in fruit and veg, but I DID find that cutting them out for a while can help if I fall back into a snacking or stress eating period.

    Others find that cutting sweets out entirely makes it harder -- you focus on not being able to have them -- and if this might be you I'd stress trying structure. Do you have an idea of how many meals you want, how many calories, what a healthy template for them is? (My own goal is generally to have protein and veg at all meals, and then I add other carbs and fat for taste and satisfaction and to round out the meal). Have you thought through your prior diet to understand where extra calories were coming from and why you were consuming them (usually it's just not thinking about it and eating whatever is available that seems good)? Now when you eat other than as planned, do you have a sense as to why?

    Anyway, if you try eating in a more structured way, you can plan ahead to have some kind of sweet treat regularly, maybe a small one daily or, if you prefer, something with more calories maybe twice a week or something like that. Then I think it can be easy to say "no more now, but I can have some tomorrow."

    Oh, as for the NO SUGAR AT ALL thing, anyone who says that is desirable -- that it's bad to eat fruit and veg and dairy because sugar -- you know they can be ignored.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited February 2018
    Options
    jgnatca wrote: »
    It is virtually impossible to eat a no sugar diet. Our bodies convert all our food to sugar anyways so what’s the point?

    As a former diabetic I had to watch (not cut completely) digestible carbs like rice and potatoes as the body’s insulin response was virtually the same as sugar.

    And sugar doesn’t cause cancer.

    An absolute no sugar diet would cut nearly all fruits and vegetables from the diet. I love my fruits and vegetables with their fiber, variety, vitamins and anti-oxidants.

    I don't think she is suggesting it causes cancer, it's a fundraising thing for Cancer Research UK - Sugar Free February (which isn't a sugar detox either it's just a challenge to cut out added sugars for 28 days for charity)

    Oh, heh, I misunderstand that too, in the same way jgnatca did.

    So it's only added sugar, not all like OP was thinking? Much more do-able if she wants to (and cutting out veg for a cancer charity would seem crazy).
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,104 Member
    Options
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    jgnatca wrote: »
    It is virtually impossible to eat a no sugar diet. Our bodies convert all our food to sugar anyways so what’s the point?

    As a former diabetic I had to watch (not cut completely) digestible carbs like rice and potatoes as the body’s insulin response was virtually the same as sugar.

    And sugar doesn’t cause cancer.

    An absolute no sugar diet would cut nearly all fruits and vegetables from the diet. I love my fruits and vegetables with their fiber, variety, vitamins and anti-oxidants.

    I don't think she is suggesting it causes cancer, it's a fundraising thing for Cancer Research UK - Sugar Free February (which isn't a sugar detox either it's just a challenge to cut out added sugars for 28 days for charity)

    Oh, heh, I misunderstand that too, in the same way jgnatca did.

    So it's only added sugar, not all like OP was thinking? Much more do-able if she wants to (and cutting out veg for a cancer charity would seem crazy).

    Correct.

    OP I think you need to read properly through the literature.
  • haleyrhart
    haleyrhart Posts: 26 Member
    Options
    I did! I did it to reevaluate my eating habits. I like to do these challenges every once in a while. This one helped me get my snacking, and soda under control. Its not forever and never should be attempted as a diet you stick with.