Sugar Detox: My Story and Some Helpful Tips

One of the best things you can do for yourself when you start Trim Healthy Mama is to arm yourself with knowledge and to have a good attitude. Those two things can go a very long way.

Today I want to hit especially on the knowledge department and sugar detox. Some people talk about their first week on THM and don't really mention it. It's not bad -- some people have a really short or no detox at all depending on the sugar they were eating before and how their bodies handle it. But this post is not for those people.

This post is for people like me. I was a hardcore Drive Thru Sue with a little Farm Fresh Tess thrown in -- mostly aspirations and knowledge without the application. I ate candy all day long at work, and most of my protein came from deli meat or hamburgers. Dinner was usually meat and potatoes or pasta with corn or carrots... and rarely a green veggie to be seen in my diet. I thought a "meal" was a double caramel drizzle on my latte and a huge lemon bar from the coffee cart. I ate a lot of sugar because it kept me "happy" and "up" during long days at work and as a new mom.
But there was a downside. I had to have my little "pick me ups" all day or I would get cranky and emotional, not to mention the migraines. I tried sugar detox diets only to end up feeling deprived and in line at the hospital's coffee cart for ... you guessed it... an iced latte with as much caramel as they were allowed to give me only a couple hours after my day started.

I went through complete detox the first time on Daniel Fast. I had a conviction that I should do it, and I didn't want to back out on God. And it was not easy. I am going to tell my story and give a few detox tips from someone who has been there a few times, with emphasis on my first time.

Day 1:  Day 1 wasn't too bad. I ate on plan (Daniel is pretty clean but more like mostly E meals if you are nursing, which I was) and had a dull headache before bed. I took something for it and went to sleep.

Day 2: Day 2 I had a headache again, and I was missing my coffee. If you are on THM coffee is totally OK, so I would GO for it! :D Caffeine helps most people. I felt foggy and confused...even on basic stuff I should have known, like what day it was, or where I had set down that pen I was just using.

Day 3:  Day 3 was a bear for me. I am not going to sugar coat it. At that point my body kicked into total "carb flu." I had never heard of "carb flu" before this...you can get nauseated in addition to the headache and brain fog. I was nauseated a lot of the day and very hungry too. I also got a migraine. At the time I was having migraines anywhere from 2-4 times a month, so this was not as big of a deal. But I didn't feel great.

Day 4:  Day 4 and day 3 were practically the same. My symptoms started to subside in the early evening though.

Day 5:  My symptoms were nearly gone by the morning of day 5. I felt better and my headaches stopped. The nausea was gone and my brain was mostly functional... I still get "mom brain" moments of course!

By day six, the sugar was entirely out of my system and I was feeling better. A lot changed after my detox was finished. I stopped having migraines. My periods got lighter and I had no cramps. I had more energy for the first time ever. I didn't feel the "need" for a cupcake or another cup of coffee with tons of non-dairy creamer. I slept great without waking up a ton at night. I felt...normal.

Detoxing creates a baseline for health. It gives you an idea of where you should be. Not everyone takes a full five days to detox. For some people it's only 2-3 days. For others it's as long as 9-10 days. Whatever it is, you should be 100% feeling better by day 10 or 11. Everyone's body is different.

Tips for Trim Healthy Mamas 

1. Have a good attitude and know this is NOT forever. Try and be positive. It's not easy but think of this as blazing a new trail. Once your body is detoxed, you will feel better and you will know what your baseline is!

2. Set a Timer. This is an important tip for many of us mamas...I set an alarm for 3 hours after I eat so that I don't forget because I am feeling foggy or sick.

3. Don't be a hero.  I can NOT say this enough. If you are like me and you get migraines and you know your triggers, jump on it as fast as you can. If you get a headache, treat it. This won't be every day for forever. Have a cup of black coffee sweetened with Stevia to help the medicine get to your pain centers faster.

4. Focus on "S." If this is your first time on THM, it's important that you get your S meals figured out before you add "E" into the picture. "S" meals also have lots of satiating fats and good leafy greens that nourish your body and help you through detox. Your body is processing out lots of toxins not only from sugar but from processed food you were eating before... all sorts of yucky things. It needs the calories. You will stop feeling so ravenous when your detox is over.

5. Preparing never hurt anyone. Especially if you are a Drive Thru Sue like me, having a few crock pot meals ready to go and snacks already made doesn't hurt. That way if you feel terrible you have something you can eat immediately instead of thinking "Ughhh....I feel rotten...and I have to make diiinnnner." Plan on a week if you are the preparing kind. If you finish in just a couple days you are then set for your week! Win-win.

I hope this helps and encourages you on your Trim Healthy Mama journey. You can do this! I am proud of you!