8 Tips for Surviving the January Sugar Detox

Last week I put it out there that I was hosting a sugar detox in the month of January and I had a great response! So many of you have felt the tight grip that sugar has on you and want freedom. Well I am so excited that you are joining me in January to increase awareness and control of your sugar consumption. If you haven't signed up, there's still time. Just join my mailing list and you will stay in the loop with recipes and my weekly sugar detox diaries update. I know that the thought of giving up sugar for an entire month sounds daunting thought, so I put together a few tips to help you get through!

1. CLEAR OUT THE CABINETS

Take everything out of your house that may be a temptation. You may feel strong now, but at 10pm on day 12 of the sugar detox you might feel like you would kill for an oreo, which would be a much easier time to cave if that oreo didn't require you to put your warmest coat on, brave the cold, and drive all the way to the grocery store. So get those oreos out of your house during the duration of the sugar detox. I won't pretend that out of sight truly means out of mind, but distancing yourself from things that tempt you will make you feel less likely to give in to your sugar dragon. 

2. READ YOUR LABELS 

Sugar is in everything. Like seriously, everything. Peanut butter, bacon, tomato sauce, yogurt. EVERYTHING. So just be sure to read your labels and reference this post where I talk about a lot of the names sugar hides under. Even those this might seem like a minor detail and even an "optional" portion of the detox that is really just for those that are "hard core", it's not. Cutting out all sugar, even if it's just the tiniest amount in your peanut butter, will help you truly conquer that sugar addiction. And reading labels will open your eyes to how many things have added sugar in them. 

3. RECRUIT A FRIEND

Having a friend to keep your accountable will make sticking to the sugar detox a little bit easier. That person will be able to understand what you're going through. You can swap recipes and push each other to keep going even when it sucks. 

4. DRINK MORE WATER

I am all about getting as much H2O in your body as possible. A good goal is to shoot for 8-10 8 ounce glasses per day, which depending on your current intake may sound crazy. If you tyoically only consume one glass of water a day I encourage you to start with adding in at least an additional glass and gradually work from there. Drinking water throughout the day will keep your hands busy and keep you fuller longer. And when you're full it's easier to resist a cinnamon roll that is hanging out in the work break room. 

5. EAT MORE PROTEIN + VEGGIES 

This one has to do with feeling full as well. If you are eating enough protein and veggies, you're going to feel fuller longer and a cupcake sitting on your desk won't even phase you. You'll totally ignore it because you feel totally good without it. So enjoy a breakfast of eggs and veggies and then a lunch of leafy greens and chicken breast and feel more in control of your sugar cravings throughout the day. 

6. GO FOR A WALK

During the detox, even if you drink all the water and eat all the veggies and protein you can, you'll still face times of cravings. During those times take a walk outside. The brief distraction and fresh air will make it easier to sit down and finish out your work day without reaching for a sweetened latte or donut. Better yet, have a friend join you and you'll be even more distracted and refreshed! 

7. MAKE YOURSELF A CUP OF TEA

In the evening you might feel like your sugar cravings are beyond what you can handle, but believe me, this is temporary. Although the cravings might get worse initially, they will also get better. You will find it easier to resist having a slice of birthday cake at a birthday party and still feel involved in the experience. Whenever there is food involved that I don't want to indulge in at the moment, I make myself a cup of tea. Having something to sip on keeps me busy and allows me to stay true to my current goals. So if you feel like you just need something to curb those cravings, make yourself a cup of tea. 

8. REMEMBER IT'S ONLY 30 DAYS

This isn't forever, because that would be cruel. The goal of the detox is to bring awareness and control to your sugar consumption, not make you never ever touch a donut again. This is temporary and I promise, so, so worth it. So stick to it for 30 short days and then you can make further decisions about how much sugar you want to consume going forward.