“Cleanses” have become super popular but not everyone understands what it is and why it is important. No, I’m not talking about cleansing something off the outside of your body. I’m talking about doing an inside job. So let’s explore what cleanses are all about.
... to rid of impurities; to remove toxins from the body. Body cleanses have been around for centuries. From the Egyptians to the Romans, people have always tried to rid their bodies of toxin build up. And today we live in a toxic soup from exposures to toxic cleaning products, toxic fabrics that touch our bodies all day long and even at night, toxic mattresses, toxic air, toxic "new car smells" (yes that is called off-gassing from chemicals used). And then there are all the toxins on food we eat, whether fresh or packaged.
But what does that have to do with doing a sugar cleanse?
Did you know that sugar is toxic to the body? Maybe it wouldn't be if we ate less of it, but presently we consume on average, 200# of sugar per person per year. Our ancestors consumed about 22 teaspoons per year which was fine for the body to deal with, but today we are overloaded with it to the point that our bodies respond to as a toxic substance. And therefore sets us up for "inflammation" which is now the root cause of nearly all chronic disease.
So how did we get so overloaded with sugar?
Back in the 60's the sugar industry was studying the effects of sugar on the body and noticed a link with heart disease, so of course stopped the study and pivoted over to high cholesterol and high fat being the culprit.
Because of this most major health organizations got on board promoting low fat diets including the healthcare system. And to help out the cause, the food industry then created a myriad of low-fat food options, which coincidently were also high carb which translates into high sugar once it breaks down in the body. So we started a grand experiment of the worst diet for health (high carb, low fat) which has led to skyrocketing rates of obesity, Diabetes, and many other chronic diseases, which we know today are related to inflammation.
So back to sugar as the culprit
We now recognize the link between sugar and heart disease but also to cancer as well. Here is one journal article about this. And yet another.
This is serious! And it is not getting any better since the food industry has upped their game with more sugary snacks on the market that are even bigger than ever. You see it every day - giant sized candy bars, giant muffins, giant bagels, giant bags of chips, etc. In addition if you are a label reader of food packages, you will see sugar has been added to 75% of all packaged foods. A very subtle way to get us to like the taste of a product and so we want more and more.
Yes, most of us are addicted to sugar and can't seem to stop. Why can't you stop eating sugar easily? Because it is 8 times more addicting than cocaine. It actually "hits" the brain at the same location as drugs which causes the release of "feel good" hormones and of course the addiction cycle continues.
So what is a person to do?
It is not easy to just stop or just cut back because of the addictive property of sugar overload. That is where a sugar cleanse becomes useful. It is a process that allows your body to release the hold that sugar has on you by bringing your blood sugar back into control which in turn stops those incessant "carb cravings". It changes your chemistry and gives you back the control you need to resist sugar and appreciate the taste of whole natural foods. And they taste really good once you re-educate your palate.
Here's what a quality sugar cleanse can do for you
reduces the load of toxins going into your body
helps speed the process of removing toxins from your body using cleansing foods. removes most inflammatory foods and helps you identify foods that you don't tolerate
helps heal your gut which is one of the greatest locations for inflammation in the body.
gives you tools that you can use in your everyday life after the cleanse.
supplies optimal foods that fuel your body.
supplies pharmaceutical grade micro-nutrients to combat free-radical buildup
gives you support and holds you accountable.
What I find interesting is that the healthcare system probably won't recommend this strategy for clearing your body from sugar addiction, probably because it doesn't require using any drugs. So if sugar is an issue for you, why not give a sugar cleanse a try. Of course, beware of any sugar cleanse that is loaded with sugar! So read the labels and make an informed choice, and then go for it. How might this help you with your New Year's Resolutions?
Specializes in Wellness and Coaching for Women in their Third Act.
The word "cleanse" was defined in the second paragraph of my article. "The Dictionary defines cleanse this way: to rid of impurities; to remove toxins from the body." With that in mind I framed the discussion around an overabundance of sugar being toxic to the body and thus using a simple program to reduce your sugar intake is of great benefit. Here is an article connecting sugar to multiple chronic conditions. How Does Too Much Sugar Affect Your Body?
An abundance of added sugar may cause your liver to become resistant to insulin, an important hormone that helps turn sugar in your bloodstream into energy. This means your body isn't able to control your blood sugar levels as well, which can lead to type 2 diabetes.
Specializes in Wellness and Coaching for Women in their Third Act.
I totally agree with eating better food and cooking our own meals. But unfortunately our overly-busy lifestyle doesn't lend itself to healthy eating. The reason I like the cleanse idea (if it is of high quality) is that it "re-sets" what you are doing with food and helps you make better choices, reduce portion sizes, moves you into low-glycemic eating, and helps level out your blood sugar. And then you are more prepared to do what you suggest.
I did define "cleanse" in the second paragraph. Removing toxins from the body. I am only focused on the overabundance of sugar as being the toxin being dealt with using the cleanse. I'm beginning to think the word cleanse is not helpful in this discussion as it is leading to confusion.
Our Standard American Diet (SAD) is poor and lacks complete nutrition and this becomes toxic to the body. The best way to resolve this is to stop eating it and go back to eating whole natural organic food and cook your own meals. But the reality is many people are too busy to do this and are looking for convenience and thus end up eating "fast food" which is generally not healthy.
As example of a "sugar cleanse" is based on replacing food with meal replacement shakes that are balanced and low glycemic, complete multivitamins and minerals, probiotics, whole food snacks, education and ongoing support. This is used for only a short period of time (ie 5 days) to give the body a break, reduce the calorie load, break the cycle of over-eating, level out the blood sugar, and start feeling more in control.
I don't recommend a certain product line as each needs to make their own decision of what is best for them. Hope this helps.
In this case I am referring to sugar as the toxin. Please message me for the study that was done on a sugar reduction program with promising results.
I have a link to the study but it won't post here. Message me if you would like it. Thanks. Carol
From Merriam-Webster:
Definition of toxin
: a poisonous substance that is a specific product of the metabolic activities of a living organism and is usually very unstable, notably toxic when introduced into the tissues, and typically capable of inducing antibody formation
When you start by using inflammatory words that incite fear but have no actual definition that applies to the discussion, you undermine your credibility.
I'm pretty sure no one is arguing that moving toward whole food-based, lower refined carbohydrate eating is bad for you. What people are challenging is your use of terms like "cleanse" and "toxin" (and now "organic" - you could add "chemical" for good measure if you like) and your sweeping universal claims about what sugar cleanses (parameters still undefined) can do.
I did define "cleanse" in the second paragraph. Removing toxins from the body. I am only focused on the overabundance of sugar as being the toxin being dealt with using the cleanse. I'm beginning to think the word cleanse is not helpful in this discussion as it is leading to confusion.
Our Standard American Diet (SAD) is poor and lacks complete nutrition and this becomes toxic to the body. The best way to resolve this is to stop eating it and go back to eating whole natural organic food and cook your own meals. But the reality is many people are too busy to do this and are looking for convenience and thus end up eating "fast food" which is generally not healthy.
Please explain how organic food is less toxic or provides more complete nutrition than non-organic food.
Specializes in Wellness and Coaching for Women in their Third Act.
I defined cleanse in the second paragraph as removing toxins from the body. The word cleanse is becoming confusing for this thread but is the language being used today that the general public responds to. As a health educator, I have an obligation to communicate health issues in the language that the general public understands.
Here is an overview of why we need to detoxify the body.
Dr. Hyman is clear that medicine has ignored toxins and detoxification, but those who specialize in Functional Medicine see this as one of the pillars of optimal health.
Reversing the Chronic Disease Trend: Six Steps to Better Wellness
Scientific support for the Functional Medicine approach to treatment can be found in a large and rapidly expanding evidence base about the therapeutic effects of nutrition (including both dietary choices and the clinical use of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients such as fish oils)13,15,15; botanicals16,17,18; exercise19 (aerobics, strength training, flexibility); stress management20; detoxification21,22,23; acupuncture24,25,26; manual medicine (massage, manipulation)27,28,29; and mind/body techniques30,31,32 such as meditation, guided imagery, and biofeedback.
Here is a the first accredited Functional Medicine Hospital in the World who is putting detoxification into medical practice. All physicians are board certified and have specialties in Functional Medicine
Specializes in Wellness and Coaching for Women in their Third Act.
The reason for a Cleanse or Detox is to support the body with good nutrition and it goes thru the withdrawal of sugar and then adjust the diet to reflect low-glycemic eating. It is my experience that many people are addicted to sugar and just stopping it isn't easy. Just like stopping drinking alcohol when your are an alcoholic is not easy. This is a gentle way to still nutrient the body with low glycemic meal replacement shakes, whole food snacks, good vitamins, probiotics while providing education and support and after about 5 days the cravings subside so you feel control over your eating once more. This is just example of how a sugar detox might proceed.
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Carol Ebert, MSN, RN
36 Articles; 207 Posts
Here is a study using a low glycemic sugar reduction program (aka Sugar Cleanse) that yielded very positive results.
http://rosiebank.com/pdf/CR_Univ_Colorado_Study_Poster.pdf