HOW THE SUGAR DEMON OPERATES
EVERYONE KNOWS SOMEONE WHO, AFTER THE END OF A MEAL, SEARCHES HIGH AND LOW FOR
SOMETHING SWEET — anything! Heck, one might even settle for a stale, years-old, foil-stuck mint
— anything that is going to stop the sugar demon’s sugar fits is up for grabs!
UNDOUBTEDLY, DISTANCING YOURSELF
FROM SUGAR is not easy!
The insidious effects that sugar has on
you make it extremely difficult to crush the
sugar rush.
But no matter how addicted you may be
(most of us are, incidentally), you can beat this
guy! You can distance yourself. You don’t need
to let him take you down. I have seen successes
time and time again where folks do indeed
outsmart, say, a donut! How do you know if
you’re addicted to sugar? You may be thinking
… “Yeah, that’s not me. I’m not addicted to
anything.”
Are you sure? Here’s the telltale sign: If eating
sugar makes all of your symptoms magically
disappear for a while (as “sugar tooth”
symptoms do), or you struggle to go for long
periods of time without sugar, you’re probably
addicted.
The good news: With a little sleuthing
and some white-knuckling, you can slay this
addiction in no time.
What’s So Bad About Sugar, Anyway?
Sugar Hit #1: It Breaks Us Down
First off, sugar ages the body. If you want to
know how to look fresh and age defying, don’t
create unhealthy cells. Think of a banana when
it ages — it oxidizes and turns brown. That’s
what sugar does to the body! It oxidizes us,
breaks us down, and ages all of the structures
and functions of the body.
Eating sugar causes you to have dull,
wrinkled skin because of the glycation that
occurs. The sugar in your bloodstream attaches
to proteins to form harmful molecules.
The more sugar you eat, the more harmful
molecules are created. These molecules then
“KNOW THIS:
When your body gets
totally healthy and
you ditch the foods
that cause blood sugar
swings, inflammation,
and gut damage,
YOU EVENTUALLY
BEGIN TO LOSE
WEIGHT NATURALLY.”
— Dr. Kellyann Petrucci
damage your collagen, which is what keeps
your skin firm and resilient. When this
damage happens, you get saggy, dry, and
wrinkled skin. Another look destroyer? Acne.
Although many foods have been pointed to as
foods that may cause acne, studies indicate
that only a few actually contribute to acne.
Too much sugar, harmful fats, and cow’s milk
have all been shown to raise the chances of
developing acne.
Sugar Hit #2: It Causes
Inflammation
Sugar is like charred glass in your vessels.
It causes a lot of inflammation, which is the
backstory behind just about every disease.
Inflammation also makes you tired, achy,
and old. No thanks!
Sugar Hit #3: It Creates Blood
Sugar Issues
Sugar creates all kinds of blood sugar
issues, making you moody, sick, and fat. You
probably know by now that diabetes and
prediabetic issues have reached pandemic
levels. The effects are pretty nasty, but if
you are dealing with those issues already,
detoxing your body of sugar is sending you
off on the right foot! Sugar creates tons of
additional negative effects. The bottom line:
Sugar gunks up your body; it creates a toxic
environment. Cells hate this. They don’t
thrive in a sugar-gunked environment. Nor do
you or should you.
Remember this: Where there is waste in the
body, there is weight. Where there is weight,
there is disease. To outsmart the sugar demon,
have confidence that you’ve got this one! Just
remember to be aware of what’s going on with
your body during this time.
© 2013 BEST OF ORGANIC
YOU ARE TURNING OFF THE “SUGAR FAUCET.” When you do this, you may feel a little crazy, a bit
uneasy. In anywhere from four to seven days, you may feel strangely off-kilter. Your body doesn’t
differentiate between the sugar in a candy bar, a bowl of whole-wheat pasta, and brown rice. Once
you chew the food and its sugar moves into your digestive system, your body identifies it as sugar.
So even if you thought you were previously eating “healthy,” you were likely consuming more sugar
than you needed, and believe me, your body will react when that source of sugar is removed.
YOU MAY FEEL :
Exhausted
You might feel a bit low on
energy, and that’s completely
normal. You’ll need to challenge yourself to be patient
during this time; try not to
rely on caffeine or fruit to
help you through the afternoon slumps. If you need to,
ease off the intensity of your
workouts. Take a nap if you
can, and try to get to bed an
hour earlier so your body
can rest and adapt. Your
body is beginning its transition from using sugar as fuel
to burning fat. Ultimately,
using fat for energy to burn
fat is far more effective.
“Carb Flu-ish”
It’s not uncommon,
especially if you’ve typically eaten a diet high in
processed carbohydrates
and fast food, to feel like
you’re getting a cold during
this time. This is more evidence of your body making
the transition from sugar to
fat (that is, it’s transitioning
from using sugar as fuel to
burn fat to using fat as fuel
to burn fat), so don’t be
alarmed if you feel tired,
foggy-headed, or get the
sniffles. Those are signs
(and they’re temporary!)
that your primal sugarcrushing diet is working the
way it’s supposed to.
Moody
Feeling short-tempered
or moody for no reason?
There’s a reason … your
brain is throwing a hissy fit
because it misses the foods
you’re not giving it: an evening glass of wine, cheese,
and cookies. Be patient.
This will all pass in a few
days — don’t give in to your
cravings or your unpleasant mood, or you’ll never
make it past your reliance
on these sugary, grain-laden
foods. The moodiness is
related to blood sugar regulation. Eating quality foods
will eventually regulate your
blood sugar and have you
smiling again.
Other Side Effects
While you’re making this
transition, you might experience other odd symptoms
that are brought on by your
body adapting to the new
diet and healing from the
effects of the old one. Digestive distress, allergies, or
acne/blemishes might pop
up. And they may get a little
worse before they get better. But they will get better
... soon! Remember that this
is your body healing — it’s
just throwing a small temper tantrum while it does.
After your body has its
temper tantrum, you won’t
believe your eyes. The
inches go, the years are
wiped away, and you feel
totally energized! It’s all
worth the effort!
© 2013 BEST OF ORGANIC