Have you tried to quit sugar before… but folded after just a couple of weeks?
There’s a scientific reason for that. While it’s often claimed that it takes 21 days to break a habit, research has shown that it actually takes around 66 days to completely get it out of your system. (And when you think about how much time it took to build that habit, even that doesn’t seem very long!)
That’s why, in our experience, it doesn’t work to quit sugar in the short term (hence the I Quit Sugar: 8-Week Program). You’ve got to be in for the long-haul… but don’t worry, we’ve worked out how to make breaking the habit as smooth and gentle as possible. Here’s how.
What happens in eight weeks…
It takes 66 days to break a habit, but it’s not just your afternoon pilgrimages to the cookie jar that we have to deal with. Fructose has also been shown to be quite the addictive substance. Scientists reckon your brain gets hopped up on the sweet stuff (fructose triggers “reward hormones”), plus it even messes with your hunger levels. No wonder we can’t say no!
It’s also why we need to go into quitting sugar gently. Cold turkey does not work for most people, because your system freaks out and demands fructose (very LOUDLY). In the first week the Program, we keep sweeteners and fruit in the mix, while removing refined sugars and overly indulgent treats.
After this initial stage, we remove all sweet tastes (apart from veggies like sweet potato!) for five weeks. Because we already ditched refined sugars, your withdrawal symptoms will be milder as your appetite and taste buds adjust.
By the time we reintroduce fruit in Week 6 (because we need a realistic relationship with sugar, not a restrictive one), you’ll have the freedom to eat sweet things without craving them like a crazy person.
BUT… you can see the benefits in less than a week!
A handful of studies have shown that removing fructose (the sugar we’re trying to quit) from our diets for just a week could reduce our risk of insulin resistance, fatty liver and heart disease. Imagine what could happen in a year!
Actually, we don’t need to imagine. Huge meta-analyses have shown that quitting sugar reduces your long-term risk of metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, stroke and even premature ageing.
When you look at quitting sugar like that, it doesn’t seem very daunting at all! Ready to break your habit? Here’s more of what you might expect (Glowing skin? Yes please!).
(Source: I Quit Sugar)
There’s a scientific reason for that. While it’s often claimed that it takes 21 days to break a habit, research has shown that it actually takes around 66 days to completely get it out of your system. (And when you think about how much time it took to build that habit, even that doesn’t seem very long!)
That’s why, in our experience, it doesn’t work to quit sugar in the short term (hence the I Quit Sugar: 8-Week Program). You’ve got to be in for the long-haul… but don’t worry, we’ve worked out how to make breaking the habit as smooth and gentle as possible. Here’s how.
What happens in eight weeks…
It takes 66 days to break a habit, but it’s not just your afternoon pilgrimages to the cookie jar that we have to deal with. Fructose has also been shown to be quite the addictive substance. Scientists reckon your brain gets hopped up on the sweet stuff (fructose triggers “reward hormones”), plus it even messes with your hunger levels. No wonder we can’t say no!
It’s also why we need to go into quitting sugar gently. Cold turkey does not work for most people, because your system freaks out and demands fructose (very LOUDLY). In the first week the Program, we keep sweeteners and fruit in the mix, while removing refined sugars and overly indulgent treats.
After this initial stage, we remove all sweet tastes (apart from veggies like sweet potato!) for five weeks. Because we already ditched refined sugars, your withdrawal symptoms will be milder as your appetite and taste buds adjust.
By the time we reintroduce fruit in Week 6 (because we need a realistic relationship with sugar, not a restrictive one), you’ll have the freedom to eat sweet things without craving them like a crazy person.
BUT… you can see the benefits in less than a week!
A handful of studies have shown that removing fructose (the sugar we’re trying to quit) from our diets for just a week could reduce our risk of insulin resistance, fatty liver and heart disease. Imagine what could happen in a year!
Actually, we don’t need to imagine. Huge meta-analyses have shown that quitting sugar reduces your long-term risk of metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, stroke and even premature ageing.
When you look at quitting sugar like that, it doesn’t seem very daunting at all! Ready to break your habit? Here’s more of what you might expect (Glowing skin? Yes please!).
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