We’re not going to sugar coat it—literally or figuratively. If you’ve been hitting the sugar bowl pretty heavily, it may prove a tough ingredient to cut out of your diet. But rest assured that quitting sugar won’t kill you. In fact, the benefits of quitting sugar will far outweigh the momentary “pains” of the detox phase. If you’ve considered cutting out sugar from your diet, then we have plans to help you along the way. Read on to learn more about why you should quit sugar, some tricks to overcome sugar cravings, and how quitting sugar benefits your whole body.
What Are The Benefits Of Quitting Sugar
Before we get into the many benefits of quitting sugar, let’s take a look at why we like sugar so much. What is it about that sweet, sweet goodness that keeps us coming back more time and time again? First off, we develop a taste for sugar in our infancy. And hey, old habits die hard, right? But beyond that, it’s really what happens in our brains that makes quitting sugar such a difficult task. Consuming sugar releases the feel-good hormones—dopamine and serotonin—in our brains, which gives us a hit of “happiness.” This feeling is fleeting, but our brains don’t care how long the feelings last, or that we’re left to battle an energy crash, or deal with increased inflammation, a weakened immune system, headaches, and fatigue after a sugar splurge. It may feel like a betrayal, but our brain is just doing its job. It wants more of that happiness high, and if another candy bar is what brings it, sobeit.
But hold up. Our brains don’t always know what’s best! It’s up to us to train our bodies and minds to crave and consume what will make us feel good and function well long-term and avoid what doesn’t. Quitting sugar is one of the best ways to do that.
Fair warning, after you eliminate sugar for a few days, you might start to question, “is quitting sugar actually healthy for me?” We get it. As you’re coming down off that sweet high, your body will likely experience a dip in those feel-good hormones, which can lead to some irritability, brain fog, and even some gastrointestinal upset. But if you push through, the benefits of quitting sugar will have a significant and positive impact on your health, and you can do it!
Once those first several sugar-free days are over, you’re likely to start noticing some of the benefits of quitting sugar in your own body. But how about after a month? Check-in with all these areas after quitting or significantly lessening your sugar intake and see just how many awesome benefits you’re reaping.
LEARN MORE: The Xyngular Guide To Weight Loss
Benefits of Quitting Sugar
- Increased and longer-lasting energy—Because added sugar is a simple carbohydrate, it gets into your bloodstream quickly and delivers that delightful sugar rush...and then the crash that inevitably follows. One of the benefits of quitting sugar (and replacing it with more fiber and protein!) is steadier blood sugar levels and more sustained, regular energy.
- Improved sleep quality—Cutting out refined sugars will reduce the number of times you wake up in the night, allowing you to enjoy more restorative and healthful sleep at night.
- Younger looking, clearer skin—Studies have shown that high levels of blood sugar can thwart natural collagen repair processes (think less plump, more sag) and cause increased inflammation (read: acne!) in the skin. Reduce sugar, reduce bad skin.
- Increased gut health—When your gut’s microbiome is inflamed with too much sugar, your immune system has to work harder, your digestive system reacts poorly on both ends of the spectrum, and you tend to feel bloated and uncomfortable. Create a happy gut with fewer sugars!
- Reduced inflammation in muscles and joints—Research has shown that inflammation from sugar is not restricted to your gut or skin. One key tip for improving arthritis and even muscle aches is to cut added sugar from your diet.
- Reduced risk of disease—A major benefit of quitting sugar is reducing the risk for things like heart disease and diabetes, both of which have been associated with consuming too much sugar.
- Healthy weight loss—When your body maintains proper insulin levels (which can’t happen if you’re consuming too many added sugars), your body stores fewer calories as fat, allowing you to reach healthy weight loss goals easier and more quickly.
- Reduced belly fat—Insulin is the body’s natural response to a flood of sugar in the body. But when there is too much insulin floating around in there due to constant sugar intake, the fat it produces tends to settle around your middle...the riskiest placement for body fat, as it is associated with cancer and heart trouble.
How Are Consuming Sugar And Weight Loss Connected?
There’s a general assumption that if you quit sugar, weight loss will follow. That is generally true, but sometimes people think they are cutting out sugar, but don’t realize they are still consuming more than their daily allotment. Unfortunately, added sugar is everywhere. But once you realize all the places added sugar is hiding in your diet, the relationship between consuming sugar and weight gain or weight loss becomes clear: cut sugar and you’re bound to lose weight.
But quitting sugar is not just as simple as making sure you’re not indulging in ice cream every night. You have to take a broader look at your pantry and diet to see how you can give yourself the best chance at cutting out the sneakier sugar sources. That processed sugar is lying in wait in almost every cracker, cereal, bread, granola bar, baked good, soda, juice, and coffee you come across. So while cutting out nightly dessert can do big things for your health, your best chance is to find those added sugars in everyday snacks and foods and then replace them with a healthier alternative.
Consider this: On average, Americans individually consume about 60 pounds of added sugar per year. That comes out to almost 20 teaspoons of sugar a day! (The American Heart Association recommends between 6-9 teaspoons, depending on gender—just so you know...) And those 20 teaspoons of sugar represent well over 300 calories that you could cut out or replace with healthy fats, protein, and fiber to help you lose weight and improve your overall health.
According to the Mayo Clinic, losing about 1 pound per week will mean cutting between 500-1000 calories from your daily diet. So, those 300+ sugar calories you’re cutting out will go a long way in creating the calorie deficit required to lose weight. To say nothing of how much better you’ll look, sleep, and feel after quitting sugar. But then imagine quitting sugar and adding in more foods like avocados, leafy greens, and fish to your diet—you may just be shocked at the pounds you shed.
DISCOVER: Six Reasons You’re Struggling To Loss Weight
Ways Sugar Is Making You Fat
It may feel like we’re beating a dead horse, but let us say it one more time: one of the great benefits of quitting sugar is that you’ll set yourself up for healthy weight loss as your body performs almost every one of its critical functions with greater ease. Sugar increases your insulin levels, which in turn tells your body to store fat. And the more sugar you eat, the more your body craves it. But if you're serious about losing weight, cutting out sugar is a great place to start. Try to limit your sugar intake to no more than 6 teaspoons per day. That's about all that your body can handle before it starts storing it as fat. And when you do indulge in something sweet, make sure it's worth it. Choose quality over quantity every time.
So, are you curious how many ways sugar is creeping into your diet and making you fat? It may feel like looking at your very own train wreck, but check out the list below to find out which foods are hiding sugar, and just how much you may be eating without realizing it.
Low-Fat Foods
Foods advertised as “low-fat” often make up for their lack of flavorful fat in high amounts of sugar. One low-fat yogurt serving can have as many as 11 teaspoons of sugar!
Condiments
The door of your fridge is a secret sugar haven. Ketchup, barbeque sauce, honey mustard…you name it, they all have that sweet, sweet sugar hiding inside. Slathering your chicken in BBQ sauce could mean adding upwards of 4 teaspoons of sugar per a 2T serving!
Granola
It may make you feel health conscious because of its whole grain content, but be aware that some granolas can offer up to 7 teaspoons of sugar in just half a cup of that crunchy goodness.
Flavored Coffees
This one shouldn’t surprise you but that delicious large flavored coffee you “need” to rev up for the day? It can contain 11 teaspoons of sugar which will likely leave you facing a caffeine AND sugar crash soon thereafter, defeating its original purpose and preventing you from reaching your weight loss goals.
Protein Bars
This is another vehicle for sugar that’s parading around as a health food item. They’re often packed with unnecessary calories coming straight from sugar. Read the label to make sure your favorite isn’t sneaking in around 5 teaspoons (or around 20 grams) of the white stuff along with your processed protein.
Bread
Even bread masquerading as healthy and whole grain can lend your sandwich an additional 2-3 teaspoons of sugar for lunch. That’s about half of the recommended daily dose of added sugar for women.
Smoothies
It’s easy to pack fresh fruit, veggies, and other goodness into a smoothie, but if your slushy snack is flavored with fruit juice or flavored syrups, then it’s also packed with sugar. Some smoothies even contain sherbert or ice cream. Stick to the fresh stuff, and throw in some healthy additions like chia seeds or Greek yogurt for an extra boost of protein.
Protein Drinks
Like their cousin the protein bar, protein drinks can be flavored with lots of sugar. While carbohydrates, fats, and proteins can help replenish your body’s energy stores after a workout, the sugar is unnecessary. Look for options without a lot of extra sugars when you want an easy post-workout refuel.
Salad Dressing
Eating a salad is healthy, right? Not if you’re dousing it in dressing. Whether you go for a classic vinaigrette, or something creamier, sugar is usually one of the main ingredients. You may not notice it on the label because it’s camouflaged as sugar syrups or modified cornstarch. You don’t have to eat your greens dry though. Vinegar-based dressings or homemade oil and lemon juice combinations are healthier low-sugar options.
Cold Cereal
Breakfast cereal is notorious for its sugar content. They even call certain varieties “sugar cereal.” But even the seemingly healthy types can be hiding extra sugar if you aren’t careful.
Applesauce
Eating applesauce is just like eating an apple, right? Nope. Many applesauce varieties also have added sugars. Buy unflavored and unsweetened applesauce if you want to eliminate extra sugars.
“No Sugar Added Foods”
This one is a bold-faced marketing trick! It’s a matter of semantics, really. While they may not be spooning the white stuff directly into these foods, they use fruit juice or other sweeteners, which, you guessed it, add sugar!
Alcohol Mixers
Your favorite margarita has 50-60 grams of sugar in each 12oz serving. No wonder it’s called “happy hour.” That’s enough sugar to make you feel good for a while. Cutting out sugar means steering clear of the fancy mixers, too.
Dried Fruit
Dried fruit seems pretty straightforward and healthy, but many add extra sugars to keep it sweet. Read the labels to find a variety that is fruit, and fruit alone.
Non-Dairy Milk
Whether you’re drinking non-dairy milk because of an intolerance, a preference, or because you’re trying to be health-conscious, go with the unsweetened variety to cut out extra sugars.
Keep in mind, this is just a small sampling of the myriad foods out there that seem healthy (Vitaminwater anyone?) or generally sugar-free (hello, canned soup!) but it’s these imposters that keep you from seeing just how much sugar is contributing to any number of health issues or weight gain you’re experiencing. Take inventory of your sugar consumption for just one day, and you might be surprised to find just how much of it is contributing to you not living up to your full health potential.
Sugar Cravings And Digestion
Have you ever snuck candy from a kid’s Halloween stash, or had a battle of wills with a chocolate Easter bunny? We’ve all been faced with the sudden urge to eat something sweet, and resisting sugar cravings can be tough. No matter how much you try to stay on the sugar-free straight and narrow, it can be tough to resist the urge to snack. It’s ok to give in to these cravings every now and then, but if you find you’re giving in more often than not, then you may want to employ a new resistance strategy. The fact is, weight gain isn’t the only problem that comes from eating too much sugar, and so the benefits of quitting sugar extend beyond weight loss, too.
It turns out, there’s a link between digestion and sugar cravings. Eating sugar causes blood sugar levels to spike as those treats are quickly broken down into glucose and absorbed into the bloodstream. This spike in blood sugar can cause a surge of energy, followed by a crash. And what do you crave when you're feeling low on energy? That's right, more sugar! So if you're not careful, you can end up in a vicious cycle of always needing a sugar fix.
There are a few things you can do to help break this cycle. First, try to eat regular meals and snacks throughout the day so that your blood sugar stays stable. Second, make sure you're getting enough fiber in your diet as fiber helps to slow down the absorption of sugars into the bloodstream. Third, try to limit your intake of sugary foods and drinks. And if you’re really looking for ways to keep your digestive system functioning properly, consider adding Xyngular Digestion Duo to your daily routine.
Digestion Duo contains two of our best products for maintaining a healthy gut—Xyngular Complete Collagen and Xyngular Complete Probiotic. Each of these is formulated to help support and improve digestion. When taken together, as part of the Digestion Duo, they work to help strengthen your gut and improve digestion. A happy and healthy gut can help you combat the negative effects of sugar consumption like sugar intolerance, gas, bloating, and more.*
Cheat: Overcome Unwanted Sugar Cravings And More
One of the common concerns about quitting sugar is wondering whether or not it’s going to leave you hungry and overwhelmed with unwanted sugar cravings. And you know what? We’re not gonna lie—the first few days could be rough, depending on your own sugar dependency. And you’re going to notice that quitting added sugar completely is going to be a serious undertaking upfront when you realize it’s basically EVERYWHERE.
BUT. Yes—there is thankfully a but. Scroll back up. Check out that list of the benefits of quitting sugar. Do you want better sleep? Better skin? Do you want your knees to feel better? To stave off diabetes and heart disease? Do you want to get sick less often? Do you want more energy for the important things in life? Do you want to lose weight and become a healthier, happier you?
We all know you answered with a resounding YES. So we’ll cut to the chase—while the benefits of quitting sugar are many, it won’t be a breeze. So Xyngular’s got your back on this one, too.
Making Xyngular Cheat a part of your quitting-sugar-and-losing-weight journey is an easy way to give you a leg up on beating back the cravings, the hunger, and the general sense of overwhelm when you think it’s just your willpower against the seemingly indomitable supremacy of sugar in your life.*
Cheat is a proven way to help you control appetite, lose weight, and reduce calorie absorption, with the use of the Japanese konnyaku root. You just take a couple of Cheat capsules with 8oz of water 30 minutes before each meal, or between meals to further control hunger and fight cravings the right way. When the konnyaku (or glucomannan) combines with water, it expands to form a gel substance that not only traps a portion of consumed food, preventing calories from being absorbed by your body but helps prevent hunger before you even sit down for a meal.*
In short, adding Cheat to your wellness plan as you work to quit sugar can:
- Reduce calorie absorption*
- Control hunger*
- Maintain healthy cholesterol*
- Neutralize free radicals*
- Curb appetite*
- Make your stomach feel full longer*
And when you look at it like that, it seems strange not to have Cheat on your side as you work to quit sugar and reap all the benefits of doing so!
GET CHEAT TODAY!
Reach out to your distributor or log into your Xyngular account to beat sugar with the help of Xyngular Cheat, and get a healthy gut with the Xyngular Digestion Duo.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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