How to kick your sugar habit in just 3 days

The sugar industry hasn’t done us any favors when it comes to keeping our health on track.

New revelations indicate that the Sugar Research Foundation actively manipulated studies that would have linked sugar intake with heart disease more than 50 years ago.

This was at a time when the probable causes of heart disease and metabolic dynamics of the body were first emerging. And it now appears that if researchers had let data run its course — unimpeded by sugar industry efforts — we wouldn’t have had to sit through several decades of false information about how eating fat makes us fat and harms our hearts.

But now, there’s no doubt that the mountains of sweet treats and oceans of soda our society consumes results in vast metabolic dysfunction. It ends up putting a terrible strain on the pancreas, liver, and ultimately, cardiovascular health.

So knowing how dangerous sugar can be, why do we find it so hard to resist a donut or to order a glass of water instead of sweet tea?

It’s actually pretty simple. Our brains and bodies aren’t equipped to handle refined sugar — a substance which showed up fairly recently within our human history. And you’d better believe it was a big hit right from the start, because refined sugar stimulates your brain to create natural opioid hormones. And they make you feel good. Really good.

But that’s just the start of the process that gets us hooked on sugar.

As pediatric neuroendocrinologist Robert H. Lustig explained in The Atlantic, when you eat sugar, your brain’s pleasure center receives a dopamine signal, giving you the sensation of pleasure. But over time, with prolonged exposure, the pleasure signal gets weaker. And to obtain that same level of satisfaction, you tend to consume more to get the same effect.

So eventually, your brain gets carried away in a pleasure loop, requiring more and more of the substance that triggers those feel-good hormones. And once you’re immersed in that powerful cycle of desire and reward, it easily overpowers self-control.

That’s addiction. Simple as that. In one study, researchers showed that sugar cravings can actually be more powerful than a craving for cocaine.

That’s a stunning wake-up call, because unlike cocaine, a steady stream of daily sugar consumption is not only acceptable in our society, it’s widely encouraged. Take, for instance, how sugar-filled cakes are used to celebrate happy occasions.

Jumping off the sugar loop for good

Breaking free of a sugar addiction can be frustrating. But it’s far easier when you have a plan and some guidance from a metabolic expert, like one of NYC’s best, Dr. Fred Pescatore.

In his Metabolic Repair Protocol, Dr. Pescatore maps out a three-day strategy designed to curb sugar addiction.

He says: “Purging sugar from your life can be done in three days — just 72 hours! Here’s how:

“Day One: Cut the crud. These 24 hours are all about avoiding the obvious — cookies, cake, ice cream, soda, etc. Gather every guilty pleasure treat, and toss them out of the house! Out of sight, out of mind.

“Day Two: Unrefine your diet. Get rid of all the processed, refined, and simple carbohydrates in your pantry — white rice, white flour, sugar, corn syrup, and fruit juice. (Did you know apple juice has more grams of sugar than a fully-leaded soda?) Whole grains, like quinoa, brown rice, and millet, are typically ok, unless you’re trying to lose weight and lower your blood sugar. If that’s your goal, I’d limit the whole grains.

“Day Three: Ditch the imposters. Many seemingly safe foods actually hide sugar, corn syrup, and refined carbohydrates. Look for the obvious: Anything on the label that ends in ‘-ose’ or ‘-ol’).”

Some of the most common, sneaky, sugar-filled imposters include:

  • Honey
  • Concentrated fruit juice
  • Barley malt
  • Maple syrup
  • Rice syrup
  • Cane sugar
  • Fructose

And even fruit should be considered off limits — for the moment anyway. That’s because fruits are largely made up of sugar and water. And while they contain vitamins and healthy fiber, Dr. Pescatore recommends avoiding all sources of sugar during this three-day purge. When you’re back on track, fruits will be able to make their way back into your diet.

Artificial sweeteners are just as bad as the real thing

If you’re ready to get started on your three-day sugar wash out, Dr. Pescatore has one more word of warning: Artificial sweeteners have to get the boot, too — permanently.

And he doesn’t mince words: “These toxins contribute to a vicious cycle: they don’t give you the reward your taste buds are looking for, so you keep searching for sugary foods to curb the craving, which leads to eating more, which leads to obesity.”

Take a minute to consider these key warnings from Dr. Pescatore about the dangers of artificial sweeteners:

  • Artificial sweetener use is linked to a two-fold increase in diabetes risk
  • Research shows that these phony sweeteners may reduce good bacteria in the intestines by half
  • They also increase intestinal pH levels and contribute to weight gain
  • Some artificial sweeteners include aspartame which has been associated with higher rates of strokes, heart attacks, and vascular disorders.
  • Another study linked them to anemia, male infertility, brain lesions, kidney disorders, and miscarriages.

You can find more invaluable tips for kicking your sugar habit, as well as preventing and reversing type 2 diabetes, in Dr. Pescatore’s Metabolic Repair Protocol. To learn more, or to enroll today, just click here.

 

SOURCES

https://consumer.healthday.com/diabetes-information-10/sugar-health-news-644/report-industry-hid-decades-old-study-showing-sugar-s-unhealthy-effects-728729.html
Report: Industry Hid Decades-Old Study Showing Sugar’s Unhealthy Effects
HealthDay News
November 21, 2017

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/02/the-most-unhappy-of-pleasures-this-is-your-brain-on-sugar/253341/
The Most Unhappy of Pleasures: This Is Your Brain on Sugar
The Atlantic
Robert H. Lustig
February 21, 2012