Sugar Detox: Managing Sugar Detox Symptoms

Hair flying, arms straining, a battle of tug-o-war ensued between the I NEED it and the I WON’T let you have it sides of my brain. I could literally see it happening in my mind, two sides gripping the chocolate bar and pulling, screaming, tearing…meanwhile I’m thinking maybe a piece will break off and I can grab it!

As we’ve learned throughout this 7 day sugar detox, our energy levels both cause cravings and are greatly affected by sugar, so I wanted to share some information about what’s happening to our bodies and how to get through it!

Why Our Body Wants Sugar?

Your BRAIN is designed to be fueled by glucose and is one of the major calorie users of your body, so it’s not terribly surprising that we crave sugar.

Your body uses sugar in times of stress, whether it’s physical or mental. sugar detox symptoms

That’s why right after a workout it’s recommend you refuel with carbohydrates to restock your muscle glycogen and ensure your body uses that for fuel and not your muscles. The rest of the day however, your stress is likely coming from mental and emotional sources, so the sugar isn’t needed to keep your body going, but your brain doesn’t know the difference.

Knowing this we’re empowered to ensure we take care of our bodies, mentally, physically and emotionally.

The biggest thing you can do: sleep.

According to a 2010 study, healthy adults getting less than the recommended 8 hours of sleep a night had an increased appetite for higher carb foods and a greater risk for developing insulin resistance.

It makes complete sense that our body would crave sugar when we are sleep deprived. It feels stressed, it wants to recover, it asks for the most readily available form of energy which is a carbohydrate. Of course we could choose a sweet potato, but our brain is thinking quick hit and that means we remember all the processed sugar experiences and that’s what we grab. sugar detox symptoms

Stress, Sleep & Low Energy Cravings

During any detox (and especially a sugar one), one of the biggest complaints is lacking or low energy.

Fret not though because it’s only temporary!

It makes sense that as you remove all of the products which were over-stimulating your body, it will need a moment to readjust and essentially to find that new balance. Your body is now able to begin using FAT for ENERGY, instead of the readily available sugars. This process takes more energy, but it ultimate what will help you run on better fuel and have steady energy all day long.

You may have also dramatically cut down on your total carbohydrate intake! For athletes it becomes very important to spend time investing in the preparation of quality carbohydrates like:

sweet potatoes
squash
quinoa, oatmeal
all veggies
whole fruit
whole grains (or like me I prefer sourdough to say wheat bread)

Tips to Manage Low Energy

Here are a few more tips to help you manage the low energy, headaches and possible crankiness.

Take a picture of yourself feeling awful:
Seriously I want you {me} to remember how much it stinks to feel crappy. Anything that leaves you feeling this bad when you remove it CAN’T possibly be good for you. Use it as a reminder for those moments of weakness, or when you just want to check your progress.

Guzzle that Water:
Did your eyes just glaze over? You’ve heard that you need to drink enough water a million times, but most of you still aren’t! More water will help move the detox along and prevent cravings. I can’t say it enough, LOTS OF WATER. Always travel with a water bottle!

Learn to Chillax:
You may need to take a nap or back off your normal intensity for a few days. Maybe some meditation or a slow yoga class could help put you at ease, or maybe you just need a day to chill out. See the note above about how your body is readjusting to this new fueling system.

Get Moving:
Alternatively don’t just sit around for the entire week and be miserable, that’s never good! Get up, get outside, and let the endorphins give you a mood boost. Walks, hiking, maybe a bike ride – some movement to boost your move, and ultimate your energy as well.

Umm, poop:
I know, I know. It’s a little awkward. But the truth is – it just can’t be avoided, and you need to clear out your gut. So drinking some herbal teas that help with detox are one option. Once you have cleared your system and your going regularly cravings drop off dramatically.

Enjoy Carbohydrates:
Don’t take this opportunity to start eating dried fruit or 8,000 bananas. Instead, focus on getting some good high quality carbs as noted above and combine them with plenty of protein. Keep your body well nourished with good food to help fight off sugar cravings. For myself, I found that sourdough bread was extremely satisfying, meanwhile you might fall in love with potatoes all over again!

How Long Will Sugar Detox Symptoms Last?

The truth is, it depends on just how bad your diet really was and varies from person to person.

For most people, symptoms will start to show up on day 2-3 and be gone by day 5. However, if you’ve been a processed food queen or a fast food king and didn’t eat a well-balanced diet before the detox, it’s entirely possible you’ll feel like you have the flu for a good week. Remember: the end result is worth it!

Get more info on sugar detoxing to help you succeed.

Kickoff: Defining your why for success with kicking sugar
Day 1:Understanding sugar is an addictive substance
Day 2/3:How to handle emotional cravings
Day 4:Managing detox symptoms
Day 5/6: How to change when change is hard
Day 7:Running is not a free sugar card <<not if you want to run for life!
Confessions of a sugar free failure