As the name suggests, the no added sugar diet refers to the kind of diet that restricts added sugar. According to studies, the average adult consumes much more sugar than necessary. Reducing sugar intake will not only lead to weight loss but can also help to significantly improve one’s health.
Whether you are trying to minimize your sugar consumption or completely cut out sugar from your diet, here’s everything you need to know about the no sugar added diet as well as its benefits.
Why Cut Sugar Out Of Your Diet?
According to the American Heart Association, most people actually consume more added sugars than they realize. These include naturally occurring sugars that are found mostly in dairy products, as lactose, and fruits as fructose, sucrose and glucose, and in vegetables as fructose.
Naturally occurring sugars in food come with vitamins, minerals and fiber and have not been implicated in the development of any chronic disease but added sugar has.
Related reading: 5 Healthy Fruits You Can Eat On A Low Carb Diet
In fact, excessive consumption of added sugar has been linked to various illnesses including obesity, heart diseases, type 2 Diabetes, chronic inflammation, high blood pressure, fatty liver disease, and more.
Dr. Robert Lustig, a specialist on pediatric hormone disorders, was quoted as saying in an article published by the New York Times that sugar is the most “demonized additive” known to man. According to him,
“Its effect on us is much more insidious. It’s not about the calories. It’s a poison by itself.”
By reducing the amount of sugar that you eat on a daily basis, you’ll be able to reduce your risk of suffering from various conditions. Replacing your sugar intake with healthy foods will not only help you to lose weight, but you also get to feed your body with essential vitamins and minerals that can help you to stay healthy and strong.
How to Follow the No Added Sugar Diet
If you want to follow the no added sugar diet, sometimes referred to as a sugar detox, you simply have to eliminate or minimize your intake of sugary foods. Always refer to food labels when shopping at your local grocery. As much as possible, avoid those foods that contain the following ingredients:
• brown sugar
• cane sugar
• corn sweetener
• corn syrup
• fructose
• dextrose
• fruit juice concentrate
• glucose
• high-fructose corn syrup
• honey
• lactose
• maltose
• molasses
• raw sugar
Since the added sugars are mostly found in processed foods, following the no-added-sugar diet means you need to minimize your consumption of processed foods. Most of your diet should come from natural foods, like fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, free range poultry, wild fish, grass-fed meats, nuts, seeds and healthy fats.
Related reading: What Are the Best Low Carb Vegetables?
If you’re following the low carb diet like keto, then you’re already in the right track towards the no added sugar diet. As you know, sugar is one of those foods that you must avoid when you’re on low carb.
Related reading: 5 Healthy Snacks That Kill Sugar Cravings
In fact, the no sugar diet also requires avoiding simple carbs that include white pasta, white rice, and white flour. The carbohydrates from these foods are quickly broken down to simple sugar by the process of digestion which causes an increase in blood sugar which then triggers insulin.
The effect of this is to drive glucose into the cells to get it out of the blood stream where it could cause damage. The glucose is converted to fat unless it’s used for energy. It can also cause insulin resistance which then leads to type 2 diabetes.
Benefits of No Added Sugar Diet
Because of the many health benefits that come with the no-added-sugar diet, several health experts would highly recommend the diet. According to Dr. Axe,
“Kicking your sugar addiction, replacing “empty calories” with nutrient-dense ones, will noticeably change how you feel, both mentally and physically, in many ways.”
When you follow the no-added sugar diet, you’ll enjoy about the same benefits as that of the low carb diets like keto. By eliminating added sugars in your diet and focusing on eating whole foods that are loaded with nutrients, you’ll surely notice a great improvement in your health. Here are some of the benefits of the no-added sugar diet.
• Avoid mood swings – blood sugar fluctuations and nutritional imbalances are said to be the main reasons behind mood swings. By eliminating sugar from your diet, your blood sugar level will be improved, which minimizes mood swings.
• Clearer skin – sugar influences two of the major causes of acne, inflammation, and hormones. If you eliminate sugar in your diet, oil production will be minimized, which also prevents the production of acne and leads to clearer and smoother skin.
• More energy for the day – just like with following the keto diet, one of the benefits of the no added sugar diet is that you’ll have a boost of energy. If you eat too many carbs, including sugar, your blood glucose level will increase rapidly, which often leads to low energy and fatigue.
Related reading: How A Keto Diet Can Kill Fatigue
• Lose weight and prevent obesity – it’s a common knowledge that if you cut carbs in your diet, most especially sugar, you’d be able to lose weight and prevent obesity. This is why low carb diets like keto are among the most effective weight loss diets.
• Reduce the risk for type 2 diabetes – sugar and carbohydrates, especially refined ones, are the main reasons behind the unstable level of blood sugar. If you’re going to minimize sugar consumption, you can reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. If you already have diabetes, minimizing or eliminating sugar from your diet can possibly reverse your diabetes.
Related reading: 6 Damaging Effects Of Sugar On Your Body
Things to Consider
Before you decide to follow the no added sugar diet, you have to first consider whether you want to also eliminate natural sugars from your diet. This refers to those types of sugars found in fruits and dairy products.
Some of the no-sugar diets recommend eliminating some fruits since they are higher in fructose, the natural fruit sugar. However, this may not be a good idea since we also need the nutrients coming from these fruits. As you know, fruits are loaded with healthy nutrients, as well as fibers and antioxidants.
Related reading: 5 Healthy Fruits You Can Eat On A Low Carb Diet
These healthy compounds help to protect our body from various illnesses. When following the no added sugar diet, it may be a good idea to still include whole fruits to your diet. Just make sure you eat them in moderation.
Remember that removing sugar from your diet is not really a complete solution for weight loss. You must also adhere to a healthy lifestyle that includes exercising and following a healthy diet, like keto or try my 7 Day Sugar Detox.
It’s also a good idea to speak to a doctor or a nutritionist before you start with the no added sugar diet. This is especially important if you have underlying health conditions and are taking any medication.
