The 21 Day Sugar Detox has been gaining a lot of momentum, and you may be thinking it would be a good way to help rid yourself of sugar and carbohydrate cravings. If you’ve never done a detox before, you may even be a little wary about what to expect. There are plenty of good things about this program, like using wholesome, all natural foods to provide the body with plenty of nutrients while on the detox. There are also some parts of it that are a little iffy, like the claim that it will cleanse you of excess candida. Here are 10 important items you should consider so that you have a better understanding of what to expect, and what it all entails.
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1. 3 Weeks Can Feel Like a Long Time
Even though the program is touted as being just 21 days, that’s three solid weeks of retooling the way you’re eating, and can include a pretty big wake up call when you figure out just what it’s like to give up something as powerful as sugar is on the body and brain.
Perhaps she’s using the 21 days because of the common theory that this is how long it takes to form a habit, or get rid of a habit. Whatever the case, it’s just long enough to make it seem like a long time once you’re a week into it and you have two more to go.
Don’t plan the detox in a 21 day time period where you know you’ll be tempted to eat sugar or drink alcohol. The holidays make a horrible time to try to do this, as well as any weddings, birthday parties, or other events where you know there will be dinner and dancing.
Reality Check: Don’t think that this will be a cakewalk, but don’t let yourself get discouraged from trying it out just because it may be a challenge.
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2. This Is Not a Candida Cleanse
If you’re trying to cleanse candida and think that a sugar detox is all that’s required, think again. Candida is resilient and it takes more than just stopping the intake of sugar in order to make it go away.
This detox plan may be a good first step before performing a candida cleanse. Getting to a healthy intake of sugar before starting a candida detox program would help it go more smoothly with less side effects.
If you have the symptoms of having too much candida in your system, you should seek out a quality candida cleanse. These kits will include special herbs and diet plans that kill off the candida and help flush it from the body.
Reality Check: Candida levels range from person to person, but a sugar fast is not enough to kill off excessive amounts if you’re suffering from a candida outbreak.
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3. You’ll Need to Stick to It
Doing the 21 Day Sugar Detox for less than 21 days is a surefire way to relapse back to your old ways of eating.
The 21 days she’s chosen to use as the amount of time you’re on the detox is not arbitrary, so you don’t want to alter the plan and go for less time than is prescribed. Those that have experienced good results with this have stuck it out for the entire time, and sometimes have repeated it for good measure.
This is not just a one-off event either, it’s meant to disrupt your old eating habits so you can form new ones that include a healthy intake of sugar. It’s important to not only finish the entire detox program but eat better after it’s finished.
Reality Check: To give yourself the best chance of success you’ll need to follow this detox plan religiously for the entire 21 days. Don’t cheat, and don’t cut it short. If you mess up, restart it and go the entire 3 weeks.
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4. 3 Weeks Might Not Be Enough
If you thought this was a one-off detox and it works perfectly the first time, every time, you may be surprised to see that they mention you can do the detox again after you finish it the first time.
Years and years of consuming too much sugar will make it harder for some to get it out of their system and return the body to a more natural state.
If right now you can’t imagine doing another 3 weeks because you’re still trying to wrap your head around the first three weeks, don’t worry. You’ll feel differently about the entire program once you complete it the first time. Just focus on the first one and getting it done as perfectly as you can, it may be enough.
Reality Check: If you are a heavy user of sugar you may find that you don’t fully kick the habit after just 3 weeks. It may be necessary to take a short break and then do it again.
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5. It’s Not a Lifestyle Plan
This isn’t laid out to show you how to live a healthy lifestyle, but instead simply presents a way to help get rid of sugar so you can start eating better, more wholesome foods.
She flat out tells you that this is the case, so you’ll need to decide what sort of lifestyle you’ll want to have after you finish. This is good because it gives you a lot of options, and the ability to start with a clean slate.
After the detox is completed you should have more energy, a clearer mental state, and healthier eating habits that can be a catalyst to living the life you’ve always dreamed of, a lifestyle you’ve designed for yourself.
Reality Check: Starting a new lifestyle is a lot easier when you don’t have sugar cravings and energy crashes from a blood glucose level roller coaster.
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6. It Has Three Levels
There are three levels included in the detox plan, so you can determine which best fits you and go with that level for best results.
This is better than a one-size-fits-all system, and recognizes that there are varying degrees of sugar use, as well as a variation in how long someone has been overusing sugar.
She makes it easy to choose which level you’re at, and from there it’s just a matter of following the steps for your level.
Reality Check: Be honest with yourself and choose the right level, as this will play a big part in the ease and effectiveness of the detox.
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7. It Explains a Lot About Sugar
There is a lot of information provided about sugar, and how it is broken down by the body. This helps you understand exactly why you’d want to do a program like this, and can help you identify symptoms and provide an explanation as to why you’re having those symptoms.
Chances are you already have a pretty good idea of how bad refined, processed sugar is for the body, but knowing the enemy is crucial to helping defeat it, so the more knowledge you have, the better.
The information is presented in an easy to understand way, so you won’t be bogged down by it and it’s easy to digest and get on with the rest of the instructions.
Reality Check: It’s important to know why sugar is so bad for you, and what it actually does to the body so you’ll be more likely to stick to the plan and rid it from your life.
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8. It Doesn’t Adhere to Any Specific, Pre-Existing Diet Plan
This is not a diet plan, it is only a sugar detox plan, so the advice given and the recipes provided only serve the purpose of completing the detox. You’ll want to find a dieting philosophy you agree with that you can follow once the detox is finished.
The good news is that any new diet you decide to follow will be much easier to adhere to once you’re not overwhelmed by sugar and carbohydrate cravings. You’ll increase your ability to stick with any diet program, or skip ahead to the maintenance part of the program and just eat right.
Have a plan in place for how you’ll eat and what you’ll eat the first week off of the detox. Don’t leave it a question mark because this will provide the possibility of going back to your old ways.
Reality Check: Have an exit strategy so you know what type of foods you’ll be eating post-detox.
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9. It Provides Recipes to Follow
Don’t be worried that you won’t know what to make on the 21 Day Sugar Detox, because they provide sugar-free recipes that will keep you feeling satisfied without using sugar.
These recipes are made in such a way that they don’t look like diet food or detox food, they look like real meals. You get breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even snacks while doing this program, so you won’t feel deprived, and you won’t have to fast in order to get rid of sugar.
The recipes are broken down by the level you’re following, so you don’t have to wonder if you’re eating the right meal for your specific level.
Reality Check: These are cookbook caliber recipes that adhere to the detox plan as laid out in the book so you know that you are eating approved foods.
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10. It Includes a Meal Plan for the Entire 21 Days
If you’re the kind that likes to have everything laid out for you, you’ll love that they’ve planned out the entire three weeks of meals. This lets you paint by numbers so that you know you’re doing it right and eating the right foods for success.
If at all possible you’ll want to follow this meal plan so that you don’t have any doubt as to whether you’re following the program correctly. The plan makes it so you don’t have the same meals day after day, so you are getting variety and a broad spectrum of vitamins and minerals from different foods for maximum detox benefits.
Even if you don’t follow the plan exactly, it still shows you what a perfect plan would look like so that you can model your own plan accordingly and aren’t left in the dark as to how to properly complete the detox.
Reality Check: Having it all planned out takes the guesswork out of the equation, which helps you reduce human error and makes it more likely that you’ll achieve success.