This week, the AENpeeps are participating in the 7 Day IF Detox to help reduce sugar cravings, decrease bloating and clean out their liver. I always recommend utilizing the 7 Day IF Detox before jumping in to the Complete IF Bundle protocols in order to aid in decreasing sugar cravings and to make the transition to AEN Nutrient Timing and Intermittent Fasting easier.
Pssst. Want to join in on the Detox? Head over HERE to get started!
But why is detoxing your body from sugar so important? And how do you actually go about it? Today, I'm sharing the deets you need to know about sugar and detoxification.
First, Why Detox From Sugar?
High levels of sugar in various forms can lead to a whole host of concerns. One of the chief concerns is sugar's unique ability to make proteins in your cells become "sticky" and damaged and advance the overall aging of your body. This process is called advanced glycation end-products and you can check out the deets of how this occurs HERE.
Another concern with sugar is with one specific type of sugar called fructose. Fructose can not be broken down and used as energy in your body in the same way as glucose. Fructose must first go to your liver to be processed. Because the liver is required to break it down, the liver can also get overloaded with the amount of fructose sugars it needs to process. This high intake of fructose sugar overloading the liver has been found to lead to issues such as fatty liver and insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is a major problem in the U.S., particularly if you're trying to lose weight or if you suffer from PCOS. Something else that is unique to fructose is it's ability to increase major heart disease risk factors such as triglycerides.
And fructose alone isn't the only sugar that has been found to do this. Glucose stimulates your body to release insulin which activates the conversion of neutral free fatty acids into triglycerides (one of the major heart disease risk factors).
Now the question comes into play... how do we effectively reduce our intake of sugar without simultaneously spiking our sugar cravings?
2 Simple Steps
1. Cut It Out
The more sugar you eat, the more sugar your body will crave. This is a simple cause and effect action due to the hormone insulin. Insulin is secreted in response largely to carbohydrates (sugar and starches). When insulin is released, it stores available fat and sugars that would otherwise be used for energy. This dip in available energy for your body triggers hunger and sugar cravings to compensate for this energy loss from storage.
By removing simple sugars that cause some of the biggest spikes in the release of insulin, you (ironically) remove cravings and decrease the release of insulin. This simultaneously boosts fat burning by allowing your fat cells to be released and used as fuel.
2. Eat Satiating Foods
The other main factor (outside of insulin) that effects sugar cravings is hunger. Increased feelings of hunger typically lead to increased carbohydrate and sugar cravings. I mean, think about it. If you haven't eaten enough or you're feeling particularly hungry, the types of food you may crave are things like pasta, bread, cookies, chips, crackers, sweets or protein bars. In order to ensure you can reduce your sugar intake and detox your body from sugar, you need to eat foods that keep you satiated.
When you're feeling hungry, it's typically due to two situations:
1. You haven't eaten enough.
2. You haven't eaten enough of the right things.
As we already noted with the first tip, increased release of insulin leads to increased feelings of hunger. And increased hunger can lead to increased sugar cravings. On the flip side, protein and fat both lead to the release of the appetite suppressing hormones peptide YY and cholecystokinin (CCK). These two macronutrients of protein and fat act to turn off hunger, stabilize your blood glucose levels, reduce the insulin response and leave you satisfied for 4-5 hours at a time... when you've eaten enough of them.
That's why the meals in the Complete Intermittent Fasting Bundle focus on high quality protein and fat sources to help reduce the insulin response and sugar cravings. Foods like the Turmeric Pineapple Smoothie, Chia Brekky Bowl, Pumpkin Chili Goodness, Spanish Meatballs, Keto Coffee and Greek Socca Pizza have all been designed with this goal in mind. Filling your plate with meals like this will help your body and physiology forget all about those sugar cravings!
Fill your meal plan with 100+ fat burning, satiating recipes to help you achieve your weight loss and wellness goal with the Complete Intermittent Fasting Bundle! Head over HERE to get started!
Your Nutritionist,
Autumn
Autumn Elle Nutrition
DISCLAIMER: The author is not a doctor. The advice given in this article is from the author's own research and implementation and should not replace medical advice. Always consult your doctor and nutritionist before making any changes to your lifestyle/diet.