Quitting sugar. While the phrase itself can sound pretty scary and draconian, that’s not what we’re about at all!
In fact, our I Quit Sugar: 8-Week Program is aimed at gently easing you into the sugar-free life. By filling up on satiating veggies, fats and proteins (or Just Eating Real Food), we gradually help break your addiction so you can get back to your true appetite. Oh, and eat the odd cake without feeling the urge to binge!
Ready to (gently) kickstart your sugar-free life? These four steps are so simple to incorporate into your daily routine that you won’t even know you’re detoxing.
1. Just Eat Real Food.
As Sarah likes to say, “When you stop eating sugar you start eating whole, un-mucked with foods just like our grandparents did. When you quit sugar you’re quitting processed food. You cut out the crap and get real.”
It stands to reason then that the easiest change you can make is to JERF. Because so many packaged foods are full of hidden sugars, tiny tweaks like basing your meals around fresh produce, avoiding store-bought sauces and cooking your lunch can lead to big results.
2. Do fruit the right way.
Avoiding dried and juiced fruits is a small but significant step towards quitting sugar for good.
That’s because these foods are usually little more than hidden sugar bombs. In fact, one glass of fibre-stripped apple juice contains the same amount of sugar as a cup of Coke, while a handful of sultanas is full of fructose!
Stick to two to three pieces of whole fruit a day instead, for an easy way to reduce your daily sugar intake without even really trying.
3. Don’t drink your sugar.
If you’re partial to a glass of orange juice with your breakfast or a low-fat smoothie for an afternoon snack, you may want to reconsider your beverage choices.
Liquid sugar, even from an apparently healthy source, is notorious for overloading the liver. The liver stores excess fructose that it can’t break down in the form of triglycerides, which can lead to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and insulin resistance.
Stick with water whenever possible, and feel free to jazz things up if you’re struggling to make a direct substitute.
4. Rethink breakfast.
Supermarket cereals may promise to get your day off to a healthy start, but unless you read the fine print most are little more than dessert disguised as breakfast.
With many popular brands containing up to one-third sugar (the same amount as a slice of cake!), you may want to rethink your muesli-and-yoghurt approach to morning munchies and opt for something savoury instead.
Start with veggies (spinach, kale, mushrooms and tomatoes are all great), accompany them with a side of protein like eggs and add some fat. The Deconstructed Avocado Toast from the I Quit Sugar: Healthy Breakfast Cookbook ticks all these boxes, and is so delicious you won’t even miss those not-so-special frosted flakes.
We originally published this article in March 2016. We updated it in July 2016.
Are you ready to transform your life and quit sugar for good?
Join us on our next 8-Week Program, starting September 1!
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