Before starting to read this article, you need to answer some questions-
1. Do you work hard in the fields for 8-10 hours a day?
2. Do you run 10-15 kilometers every day?
3. Do you spend an hour every day in the gym doing high intensity exercises, weight training, cardio and muscle training?
4. Is your occupation one that requires muscle strength and sweat?
If any of the above applies to you, then this article is not for you. Have as much sugar as you want, eat sweets and be happy.
But if you –
1. 10 to 12 hours a day sitting on a sofa-chair and working on a laptop
2. You sit in one place for 8 to 10 hours a day
3. Standing at the shop counter for 8 to 10 hours a day
4. Do only household work like cooking, taking care of children etc.
Then this article is just for you. Overall, this article is for those whose lifestyle is sedentary, meaning they work sitting in one place.
What you have to do is completely stop eating sugar or any kind of added sugar for a month. To understand why this has to be done, read about these two science studies-
Study- 1
According to a 2018 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, eating sugar or added sugars causes:
- Weight increases
- Increases the risk of heart disease
- Cholesterol increases
- Increased insulin means increased chances of diabetes
- Cognitive function is impaired
- Fatty liver increases
Study-2
A study published in 2016 in the National Library of Medicine conducted an experiment on rats. In this the rats were divided into two groups. One was fed a sugar-based diet and the other group was kept away from sugar.
After a month, the researchers released both groups of rats into the water and found that the rats that had been eating sugar for a month did not try hard enough to save themselves and began to drown. While the rats in the other group were more physically active. They were trying to get out of the water by swimming and jumping. The researchers found that sugar impaired the rats' physical activity and cognitive function.
So let's start the experiment now Professor Robert Lustig of the Department of Endochronology at the University of California writes in his book 'Fat Chance' – “Consider this a science experiment on your body. To find out whether scientific research around the world holds any truth in the warnings we are given about sugar.
A self-evident fact needs no proof. Remember, in childhood we used to read in science books – 'Let's learn science'.
So we have to learn and understand by doing the same.
Anyone above 18 years of age with a sedentary lifestyle can do this experiment. There is no age or gender limit in this. So Dr. As Lustig says, before starting this experiment on our body we have to do these things-
1. Check your weight.
2. Check your morning fasting and blood sugar levels two hours after a meal
3. In addition, undergo the following medical tests-
- Hba1c test
- Morning fasting insulin test
- Fatty liver test
- Lipid profile test
- Triglycerides test
- Thyroid test
Now you are all set to do this experiment.
Is that all you have to do in this experiment?
In this one month experiment, you have to completely avoid sugar and added sugar. Remember, there is no cheat day in this experiment. Sugar does not mean only the white granulated sugar sold in the market. But it also has many forms of added sugar. Understand this from the graphic below-
All these items are made by processing sugar in different ways. That is, sweets made at various stages in the sugar cane juice process.
We know about sugar, but how do we identify the other added sugars mentioned above. How do you know if a product has all this added sugar? The easiest way to deal with this problem is to read the label when buying any product. Apart from this, the items mentioned in the graphic below should be completely avoided.
Only take sweeteners from natural sources
You go to any supermarket or grocery store. All packaged items sold contain added sugar. It also contains added sugar which is salty in taste. So don't eat any packaged food.
But this does not mean that your taste buds are completely deprived of the taste you have swallowed. You can eat any of those chewable items, which have natural sweeteners. Like all kinds of fruits, starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes. Any sweetener that does not grow on a tree or plant and is made in a factory is dangerous.
Sweets alone are not enough, stay away from ultra-processed carbohydrates and trans fats too Dr. According to Lustig, in this one-month experiment we have to give up not only sugar but also ultra-processed carbohydrates and trans fats. Ultra-processed carbohydrates are carbohydrates that have had all their fiber and nutrients removed and turned into a fine flour-like powder.
Pizza, burgers, doughnuts, bread, cakes, pastries, cookies, are all ultra-processed carbohydrates and trans fats. This is a red alert. Seeing this should get all your antennae on alert. According to Dr. Mark Hyman, this is not food, this is a conspiracy against humanity in the name of food.
What is there to eat if you don't eat it all? In this experiment we can eat everything that nature has provided. All fruits, vegetables, grains, pulses, spices, milk, ghee, curd, dry fruits, nuts, seeds etc.
George Bernard Shaw was a great Irish writer. You must have heard the name. One thing is very surprising about Bernard Shaw. He says, “There is nothing more intelligent, balanced and wise than nature. The human body is the most intelligent machine in the world.”
Nature knows all the needs of your body and has made all arrangements to fulfill those needs.
What happens after completing a one month sugar detox plan?
If you successfully stay away from sugar for a month, the following benefits can occur, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Understand from the following graphic.
Along with this, the results of all the medical tests done before you start the experiment will improve. Morning fasting sugar, insulin, fatty liver, cholesterol, liver, kidney function will all improve.
But this does not mean that you should go back to your old eating habits after this one month experiment. The one month experiment was just to 'let's learn science'. Make this experiment a lifelong habit.
And write us a letter or email and let us know how the experiment turned out.
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
