The Powerful Impact of a 10-Day Sugar Detox

Every few years, another food ingredient is targeted for contributing to our country’s health problems. Fat, carbohydrates, gluten, antibiotics, and now sugar. While each of the crusades against unhealthy food elements has had its footing in legitimate fact and concern, it’s hard to separate constructive information from general fads. There are of course healthy fats, helpful carbohydrates, and good gluten. And it’s definitely best that antibiotics stay out of our meats. But what about sugar?

The Sugar/Fat Link

Researchers recently uncovered a link between unhealthy levels of blood fats, called triglycerides, lower “good” HDL cholesterol, and high sugar intake. In fact, a study published in the Journal for the American Medical Association states that people with the highest added sugar intake consistently tested with the highest triglyceride levels and the lowest HDL cholesterol levels. This is startling, considering that such levels establish strong risk factors for heart disease. To prove the point further, the people in the study who ate the lowest amount of added sugar had the lowest triglyceride levels and the highest HDL levels, and thus the lowest risk for heart disease.

Which Sugars Are Safe?

The above study focused on added sugars, like the sugars added to cookies, sodas, and even unsuspecting foods like instant oatmeal and certain yogurts. These added sugars spell out trouble. Healthy, naturally occurring sugars like those found in fruits, veggies, and milk, on the other hand, are positive additions to your diet and very much needed by the body to break down food molecules like carbs, proteins, and fats.

What’s the 10-Day Sugar Detox?

Cutting back on processed sugar for only 10 days will present dramatic results like decreased triglyceride levels, improved HDL cholesterol levels, normalized blood sugar levels. You’ll notice boosted energy levels once the lethargy of too much sugar is able to finally clear your system. Less doesn’t have to mean none, either. You can still eat some sugar, and natural sugars are indeed healthy! But cutting back on processed sugars can improve your health in less than two weeks. How’s that for turn-around time?