How To Detox From Sugar To Lose Belly Fat Quickly

Are you curious as to how to detox from sugar?

Sugar happens to be one of the most addictive substances on the planet.

It is nearly in everything we eat, so it’s no surprise that it’s very difficult to steer clear of our sugar cravings.

It’s estimated Americans consume 22 teaspoons of sugar every-day! (source)

I myself have had my occasional candy bar/ice cream binge eating relapse.

Unfortunately, I like many other people did not understand WHY I was craving sugar so badly.

I found it quite annoying when people would just tell me you need to stop eating sugary foods and eat healthier. Well, DUH!

My question was always HOW!

Here, I will discuss with you WHY you are craving sugar, how to stop sugar craving, and teach you how to detox from sugar so you can start losing weight quickly!

Let’s tackle this!

First let’s discuss the reasons why you should detox from sugar.

 

Why Detox From Sugar?

1. Sugar Blocks Weight Loss Hormones

The main hormone that sugar interferes with is Leptin.

Leptin is made by your fat cells. Leptin’s primary job is to send messages to the brain to let it know “Ok, I’ve had enough food now.”

It also tells your body to get up and go exercise.

When you consume too much sugar, your brain never receives those messages.

Basically, it blocks your natural weight loss hormone from doing what it was intended to do.

2. Sugar Leaves You Feeling Unsatisfied

When you eat copious amounts of sugar, you’re left without any feeling of satiety.

Unlike whole grains, lean protein, and certain vegetables, which leave you with a feeling of fullness much quicker. Fewer calories are consumed, so there’s less of a chance of putting on weight.

3. Risk Dying From Cardiovascular Disease

One Particular study showed that people getting 17 to 21 percent of their daily intake from sugar risk a 38 percent higher chance of dying from cardiovascular disease compared to those who didn’t.

For those who had at least 21 percent daily intake from sugar, their chances of dying from cardiovascular disease DOUBLED! (source)

4. Risk Getting Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is increasing in the U.S.

What’s the culprit?

SUGAR!

High-fructose corn syrup hiding in sweets, drinks, and processed foods is primarily to blame.

A study done at Tuft University found that people who drink one sugar-sweetened beverage a day have a greater risk of developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease vs people who do not consume drinks with added sugar. (source)

Unfortunately, high-fructose corn syrup isn’t the only hidden sugar we have to worry about.

Here is a list of some the other names sugar might be hiding under:

• Anhydrous dextrose
• Brown sugar
• Confectioner’s powdered sugar
• Corn syrup
• Corn syrup solids
• Dextrose
• Fructose
• Invert sugar
• Lactose
• Maltose
• Malt syrup
• Molasses
• Sucrose

As you can see, it’s very easy to consume sugar without even realizing it!

5. Cause’s Leaky Gut and Other Metabolic Diseases

When talking about your gut health, sugar is your WORST enemy! Researchers believe that sugar changes the gut microbiota in such a way that it increases intestinal permeability.

What does this mean?

Glad you asked.

It means that the sugar is feeding the bad bacteria and yeast that damage the intestinal walls, hence the name leaky gut.

This can cause obesity and other metabolic diseases. (source)

6. Sugar Makes You Fat

In the 1960’s, sugar lobbyist’s paid Harvard researchers to lead the public to believe that naturally-occurring fats were the cause of obesity. This phony research has been since debunked and we are now aware that SUGAR is the cause of this.

Recently, I had a sugar relapse and fell off my normal routine. In my defense, I was working CRAZY hours and was averaging about 3 hours of sleep a night. Fun fact for you, SLEEP IS IMPORTANT!

Here is a list of some of the things I did to detox from sugar and kick it to the curb, and what you can do to prevent yourself from making some of the same mistakes I did.

 

How To Detox From Sugar!

1. Start Eating More of The Healthy Stuff

It’s a lot more difficult to fill up on junk food if you are filling yourself up on the good stuff.

So, start eating more fruits and vegetables. If you consume enough protein, you’d be surprised at how full you feel from a nutrient-dense meal filled with protein.

I can speak from personal experience that when I stuffed my face with more chicken and rice, I was definitely NOT craving the sweets quite as bad.

2. Get Enough Sleep

This is what caused my latest setback for my fitness goals. Sleep is VERY IMPORTANT when it comes to controlling sugar/food cravings.

Studies have shown that individuals that are sleep deprived are more likely to crave junk food vs their fully rested counterparts.

It is estimated that 1 in 3 Americans do not get enough sleep (source). Don’t be the statistic, get your rest and you WILL kick sugar.

3. Get A Plan in Place

It’s easy to say you’re going kick sugar, while it’s a completely different story when it comes to following through with it. Having a plan in place is key to success.

I was not able to overcome my terrible cravings until I started PLANNING ahead of time.

I began making my lunch the night before, set a reminder on when I should go to sleep, and had a friend call me every day to make sure I was getting my butt to the gym with him regardless of how tired I was.

 When I put all these things in place, I started to have success.

4. Switch to Stevia

I used to LOVE putting large amounts of sugar in my coffee (Yes, I’m a caffeine fiend). This is something I no longer do because I know it leads me to consume even more sugar throughout the day. Now I’ve replaced it with stevia.

Stevia is safe to consume, and it won’t cause any unwanted insulin spikes like some other zero-calorie sweeteners do.

5. Toss It Out

The easiest way to get blind-sided by your own unhealthy habits. If you don’t have it around, it’s a lot more difficult to consume it, am I right?

Just get rid of it, you’re better off without it. If you feel bad about throwing it away, then give it away to someone. Just make sure you GET IT OUT of the house!

Teaching yourself how to detox from sugar can be quite a battle. This is why its EXTREMELY important to have a healthy meal plan in place.

The 10-Day Sugar Detox Diet (To Reset Your Body and Brain)

If sweet is sweet then what is sugar? Diabetes, cancer, dementia, depression, acne, infertility, heart disease. Doesn’t sound too sweet.

 

The average American consumes about 152 pounds of sugar a year. The average American man weighs 195.5 pounds, the average American woman weighs 167lbs. In the 1960s the average American man weighed in at 167lbs and the average American woman at 141lbs.

 

That is astounding.

152 pounds of sugar a year roughly translates to 22 teaspoons per day. And kids consume about 34 teaspoons every day, making nearly 1 in 4 teens pre-diabetic. Refined sugar and flour cause inflammation, raise blood sugar levels, and have no nutritional value that can’t be gotten elsewhere.

In a Harvard study scientists found that a high-sugar milkshake spiked blood sugar levels, insulin production, and the sugar craving centers in the brain. In a brain scan, the sugar lit up the addiction center like fireworks on the Fourth of July.

 

The Big 10

600 people tried out Mark Hyman, M.D.’s diet and lost 4,000 pounds in 10 days. When was the last time you lost 7 pounds in less than two weeks? And how hard did you work? The diet promises no cravings, no bland foods or boring diets, no deprivation – simply rewire the way you think about food.

Dr. Hyman created this diet to be full of sugar addiction-reversing foods that will reset your body and brain and let cut sugar from your diet and regain your life.

 

10-Day Detox Diet

Here are the top 10 big ideas for detoxing from sugar and refined carbs that will work for you in just 10 days.

 

Decide To Detox

In his book, Mark Hyman has a set of questions to help you know whether you need to detox or not. If you answer yes to any of the questions, a sugar detox will help you feel better and lose weight painlessly.

 

Cold Turkey

There is one way to stop physiological addictions: just stop. An alcoholic cannot have “just one drink” – the trick is to go cold turkey. Stop eating all forms of sugar, all flour products, and all artificial sweeteners – as they slow metabolism, spike cravings, and store fat. Ideally, for 10 days you will avoid any foods that come in a box, package, or can that have a label. Instead stik to real, whole, fresh foods.

 

Don’t Drink Your Calories

“Any form of liquid sugar calories is worse than solid food with sugar or flour,” says Dr. Hyman. It’s like mainlining sugar straight to your liver. Juices, sodas, sports drinks, and sweetened teas and coffees are the biggest source of sugar calories in most people’s diets.

One can of soda a day increases a kid’s chance of being obese by 60 percent and a woman’s chance of type 2 diabetes by 80 percent.

 

Protein Power

Protein helps balance blood sugar and insulin levels by being a “carb-free” source of energy. Start the day with whole farm eggs or a protein shake. Use nuts, seeds, eggs, fish, chicken, or grass-fed meat for protein at every meal. Protein helps you stay fuller longer because it breaks down more slowly while delivering the energy we need. 4-6 ounces – about the size of your palm – is the average serving size.

 

Unlimited (Good) Carbs

Did you know that a lot of veggies are carbs? You can eat all of them you want – just not the starchy ones like potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash or beets. But feel free to eat as many greens, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, asparagus, peppers, green beans, mushrooms, zucchini, tomatoes, and artichokes you like for 10 days.

 

Fight Sugar With Fat

Fat doesn’t make you fat, it makes you full. Plus it balances blood sugar and is a necessary part of your cellular structure. Good fats at every meal, like nuts and seeds, extra virgin olive oil, coconut butter, avocados, and fish are a good way to keep your mind off of sugar.

 

Prepare For Emergencies

A maze of fast food joints and vending machines will have anyone’s head spinning, especially when blood sugar levels are dropping. Dr. Hyman weighs in:

“You need an Emergency Life Pak. I have one with me all the time, filled with protein, good fats, and good snacks so I never have to make a bad choice. Here’s what’s in mine: Packets of Artisana nut butters and coconut butter, almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, salmon jerky or turkey jerky, a can of wild salmon or sardines and unsweetened wild blueberries.”

 

Distress or De-Stress?

Cortisol, the stress hormone, makes you hungry, causes belly fat storage, and can lead to type 2 diabetes. Some studies show that taking deep breaths activates the vagus nerve which shifts metabolism from fat storage to fat burning, and quickly moves you out of your stress state. Just follow Dr. Hyman’s Five Deep Breaths exercise:

“Simply take five slow deep breaths – in to the count of five, out to the count of five. Five times. That’s it. Do this before every meal. Watch what happens!”

 

Douse Inflammation

Inflammation triggers blood sugar imbalances, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes. Gluten and dairy are two hidden food sensitivities that most people have. Unfortunately most people crave these allergens. They may be tough to quit, even for just 10 days, but give it a shot and you’ll see you have renewed energy and relief from cravings.

 

Sound Sleep

In studies, college students were deprived of just 2 of the recommended 8-hours of sleep. This led to a rise in hunger hormones, a decrease in appetite-suppressing hormones and huge cravings for refined sugar and carbs. When you don’t sleep you look for energy, and reach for high-sugar products that give you a boost, and a crash. Sleep is the best way to ensure cravings are kept at bay.

Easy To Follow 3-Day Sugar Detox Meal Plan To Lose Weight

Every woman’s goal nowadays is to look great and have a sculpted body. In order to do this, women follow rigorous diets and training regimes, but sadly, they don’t often work.

Losing weight is not that simple – if you really want to succeed, you need to have a nutritionist or doctor prepare a weight loss plan for you. You must find the right kind of diet for your body or you’ll ruin your health. Also, your body needs to be cleaned of sugar first before you start losing weight and get those muscles in perfect shape.

Luckily for you, we have an ideal sugar detox plan that works great for everyone and will help you reach your weight loss goals. It only lasts for 3 days and is pretty simple to follow, which is why we suggest giving it a try.

sugar detox meal plan

3-Day Sugar Detox Meal Plan
Day #1

Breakfast: a bowl of veggie salad + 3 boiled eggs

Snack: a handful of nuts or seeds

Lunch: steamed or boiled green veggies

Snack: a cup of berries (preferably fresh)

Dinner: salmon and asparagus or any kind of fish with green veggies

Day #2
Breakfast: a bowl of oatmeal with berries and soy milk

Snack: a handful of almonds (or any nuts)

Lunch: grilled vegetables with salt and pepper only

Snack: fresh carrots

Dinner: a bowl of veggie soup

Day #3
Breakfast: oatmeal with berries or 2 boiled eggs and some spinach

Snack: a handful of nuts or seeds

Lunch: a bowl of chicken soup and roasted chicken meat

Snack: a cup of fresh berries

Dinner: pasta with tomato sauce and mushrooms

While on this sugar detox plan, you need to avoid coffee, tea, alcohol, and soda from drinks. From food, you should stay away from desserts and sweets. Have your dinner no later than 8 PM and make sure to drink plenty of water as well (8-10 glasses).

Get 7-8 hours of sleep every night, exercise regularly, don’t skip your meals and try to relax. Before starting the plan, it’s best to consult with a nutritionist or doctor in order to prevent any potential problems.

Remember – getting off sugar is not easy, so you need to follow the steps carefully. Follow the plan for 3 days – no more, no less. Our body still needs sugar, so continuing with the detox plan can cause many problems.

Additionally, if you’re suffering from a metabolic disorder, diabetes, cardiovascular and kidney disease or you’re pregnant, it’s best to avoid this plan.

If you’re healthy, following the rules will help you lose weight and finally achieve the sculpted body you’ve always dreamed of.

How to Do 3-Day Complete Body Sugar Detox, Lose Weight and Improve Your Health

It's not just fats and carbohydrates that can cause you to gain a few pounds of weight. Sugar is also a major offender.

You are not at risk if you consume sugar in moderation, but many people consume large amounts of sugar without realizing it. Many foods and beverages, including sodas, cereals for breakfast, pouch juices, salad dressings, yogurts, and candies, have added sugar.

Certain foods, like honey, undiluted fruit juice, bananas, raisins, and mangoes, contain sugar because they are simple carbs.

Many symptoms, including hyperactivity, ensuing exhaustion, yeast infections, depression, headaches, colds or sinus issues, mental disorientation, and sleepiness, appear when your body overdoses on sugar.

Another problems sugar can trigger are higher diabetes risk, heart disease, cancer development, especially breast cancer.

How sugar consumption and weight gain are related?

When we consume too much sugar, the body uses as much as it needs to boost energy, while the rest that is not needed is stored as fat.

Added sugar is not like natural sugar. It gets to the intestines and the body reacts to it as intestinal bacteria and increases the levels of blood sugar. At the end, this becomes fat which is visible in the waist, hips and thighs.

 

Say NO to Sugar

Although it seems impossible, quitting sugar can be done. If you do so, you will go through classic withdrawal symptoms of any addiction, such as sadness, headaches, queasiness, fatigue and cravings.

Sugar cravings occur after a meal is digested and your body sends signals to the brain that it is hungry again. This is when you reach for that sweet dessert.

You need to stay away from it and don’t consume any added sugar. Try a little at the beginning, not all at once because you will want it more. Cut out one added sugar product at time.

At first you will feel bad and experience cravings, but you will feel better and improve your health after some period.

This article gives you a 3 day diet plan that does miracles:

1^st day:

Breakfast: 1 cup of oats with berries and almonds/seeds/or 3 eggs (scrambled or boiled).

Morning snack: 1 bowl of nuts.

Lunch: Chicken breast with cooked butternut squash, carrots, beets, parsnips, turnips, beans and almonds.

Dinner: Broiled fish with a bowl of green beans or salmon with fried broccoli and mushrooms.

 

2^nd day

Breakfast: A cup of steel cut oats with berries and seeds or almonds/3 scrambled eggs with spinach.

Mid-morning snack: a small bowl of nuts.

Lunch: Grilled zucchini with red and yellow peppers and a lemon, vinegar and thyme dressing/a shredded green and red cabbage salad tossed with shredded carrots with olive oil, lemon, salt dressing, garnished with chopped parsley.

Dinner: steamed green vegetables with a vegetable casserole and bean soup/baked cod with stir-fried bok choy and roasted Brussels sprouts and turnips.

 

3^rd day

Breakfast: A cup of steel cut oats with berries and seeds or almonds/a 3 egg omelette with shrimp and a sautéed kale, radish and walnut salad.

Mid-morning snack: 1 small bowl of nuts.

Lunch: Roasted chicken thighs with rosemary, sage and lemon/oven roasted chicken with onion, black olives, and thyme.

Dinner: mushrooms with garlic broth, onion, carrots, celery, thyme and bay leaves/penne pasta (with brown rice) with a mushroom, basil, and tomato meat sauce.

 

Sugar Detox Drinks

Instead sugary drinks, have these detox waters and hot drink alternatives. They will help you boost your metabolism.

Detox water: chop one of these: grapefruits, blueberries, strawberries, or oranges, including some fresh rosemary or mint. Add them to a jar with water. Store and drink it every day.

Tea: consume unsweetened herbal or green tea 3 times on a daily basis.

Coffee: you should not consume more than 1 cup of unsweetened black coffee daily.

This diet plan is proved to calm sugar cravings, so don’t hesitate to try it.

Thanks for taking the time to read this article. If you found this information helpful, please share it with your friends and family. Your support in our endeavor of sharing free information would be much appreciated.

 

How to Do 3 – Day Complete Body Sugar Detox, Lose Weight and Improve Your Health

Numerous studies have shown that sugar, in addition to carbohydrates and lipids, is a major factor in the few additional pounds you gain.

You are not at risk if you take sugar in moderation, although many individuals do it without even realizing it. Numerous foods and beverages, including sodas, breakfast cereals, pouch juices, salad dressings, yogurt, and sweets, contain sugar. Additionally, some simple carbs like honey, pure fruit juice, raisins, mangos, and bananas contain sugar.

The most prevalent symptoms of a sugar overdose in humans are hyperactivity, which leads to fatigue, yeast infections, depression, headaches, colds or sinus problems, mental confusion, and sleepiness.

Increased diabetes risk, heart disease, and cancer development, particularly breast cancer, are additional issues that sugar can cause.

 

How sugar consumption and weight gain are related?

When you consume too much sugar, your body uses as much as it needs to boost energy, while the rest that is not needed is stored as fat.

It is important to know that added sugar is not the same as natural sugar. It gets to the intestines and the body reacts to it as intestinal bacteria and increases the levels of blood sugar. At the end, this becomes fat which is visible in the waist, hips and thighs.

Say NO to Sugar

Maybe it sounds impossible, quitting sugar can be done. During this process you will go through classic withdrawal symptoms of any addiction, such as sadness, headaches, queasiness, fatigue and cravings.

Sugar cravings occur after the meal is digested and your body sends signals to the brain that it is hungry again. This is when you reach for that sweet dessert.

You should stay away from it and don’t consume any added sugar. Try a little at the beginning, not all at once because you will want it more. Cut out one added sugar product at time.

At first you will feel bad and you will experience cravings, but after a while you will feel much better and improve your health after some period.

 

This article gives you a 3 day diet plan that does miracles:

1st day:

Breakfast: 1 cup of oats with berries and almonds/seeds/or 3 eggs (scrambled or boiled).

Morning snack: 1 bowl of nuts.

Lunch: Chicken breast with cooked butternut squash, carrots, beets, parsnips, turnips, beans and almonds.

Dinner: Broiled fish with a bowl of green beans or salmon with fried broccoli and mushrooms.

 

2nd day

Breakfast: A cup of steel cut oats with berries and seeds or almonds/3 scrambled eggs with spinach.

Mid-morning snack: a small bowl of nuts.

Lunch: Grilled zucchini with red and yellow peppers and a lemon, vinegar and thyme dressing/a shredded green and red cabbage salad tossed with shredded carrots with olive oil, lemon, salt dressing, garnished with chopped parsley.

Dinner: steamed green vegetables with a vegetable casserole and bean soup/baked cod with stir-fried bok choy and roasted Brussels sprouts and turnips.

 

3rd day

Breakfast: A cup of steel cut oats with berries and seeds or almonds/a 3 egg omelette with shrimp and a sautéed kale, radish and walnut salad.

Mid-morning snack: 1 small bowl of nuts.

Lunch: Roasted chicken thighs with rosemary, sage and lemon/oven roasted chicken with onion, black olives, and thyme.

Dinner: mushrooms with garlic broth, onion, carrots, celery, thyme and bay leaves/penne pasta (with brown rice) with a mushroom, basil, and tomato meat sauce.

Sugar Detox Drinks

You should replace the sugary drinks with detox waters and hot drink alternatives. They are great because will help you to boost your metabolism.

Detox water: chop one of these: grapefruits, blueberries, strawberries, or oranges, including some fresh rosemary or mint and add them to a jar with water. Store and drink this water every day.

Coffee: remember that you should not consume more than 1 cup of unsweetened black coffee daily.

Tea: consume unsweetened herbal or green tea 3 times every day.

Note: This diet plan is proved to calm sugar cravings, so don’t hesitate to try it.

 

How To Completely Detox From Sugar In 10 Days

Sugar has a strong addictive quality. Not only are added sugars extremely unhealthy for us, but recent studies have shown that sugar actually has the same addictive power on the human brain as heroin. The rates of obesity and diabetes show how rapidly our sugar problem has gotten out of hand. Fortunately, more people are becoming aware of this and giving up sugar. However, it's not as easy as you might think. Here’s how you can make that process easier:

 

1. Make a decision to detox

In my book, there are three simple quizzes to help you learn if you need to detox. If you answer, “yes” to any of these questions, a sugar detox is your ticket to feeling great quickly and losing weight painlessly.

The first is the diabesity quiz.

• Do you have pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes? (90 percent of Americans have not been diagnosed.)
• Do you have belly fat?
• Are you overweight?
• Do you crave sugar and carbs?
• Do you have trouble losing weight on low-fat diets?
• Do you have high triglycerides, low HDL (“good”) cholesterol, or been told your blood sugar is “a little high?”

The second is a food addiction quiz.

• Do you eat when you’re not hungry?
• Do you experience a food coma after eating?
• Do you feel bad about your eating habits or avoid certain activities because of your eating?
• Do you get withdrawal symptoms if you cut down or stop eating sugar or flour?
• Do you need more and more of same bad foods just to feel good?

The third is the FLC Quiz (or the Toxicity Quiz). FLC stands for Feel Like Crap. FLC Syndrome has a list of symptoms including bloating, gas, reflux, irritable bowel, joint or muscle pain, brain fog, memory or mood problems, sinus or allergy symptoms, and more. Millions of us have FLC Syndrome and don’t realize that we are only a few days away from health and happiness.

 

2. Be a turkey (a cold one)

There is no way to handle a true physiological addiction except to stop it completely. Addicts can’t have just one line of cocaine or just one drink. Go cold turkey. But you won’t have to white-knuckle it because if you follow these 10 ideas, you will automatically reset your body’s neurotransmitters and hormones.

Stop consuming all forms of sugar, flour products, and artificial sweeteners, which cause increased cravings and slow metabolism, and lead to fat storage. Also get rid of anything with trans or hydrogenated fats and MSG (watch for hidden names). Ideally, for 10 days you avoid any foods that come in a box, package, or a can, or that have a label. Stick to real, whole, fresh food.

 

3. Don’t drink your calories

Any form of liquid sugar calories is worse than solid food with sugar or flour. Think of it as mainlining sugar directly to your
liver. It turns off a fat storage machine in your liver, leading to dreaded belly fat.

You don’t feel full, so you eat more all day and you crave more sugar and carbs. It’s also the single biggest source of sugar calories in our diet.

That includes sodas, juices other than green vegetable juice, sports drinks, and sweetened teas or coffees.

One 20-ounce soda has 15 teaspoons of sugar; Gatorade contains 14 teaspoons of the stuff in one bottle. One can of soda a day increases a kid’s chance of being obese by 60 percent and a woman’s chance of type 2 diabetes by 80 percent. Stay away.

4. Power up the day with protein

Protein, protein, protein at every meal—especially breakfast—is the key to balancing blood sugar and insulin and cutting cravings. Start the day with whole farm eggs or a protein shake.

Use nuts, seeds, eggs, fish, chicken or grass-fed meat for protein at every meal. A serving size is 4 to 6 ounces or the size of your palm.

 

5. Eat unlimited carbs (the right ones)

Yes, that’s right, unlimited carbs. Did you know that vegetables are carbs? And you get to eat as much as you want. There is one catch.

I only mean the non-starchy veggies such as greens, anything in the broccoli family (cauliflower, kale, collards),asparagus, green beans, mushrooms, onions, zucchini, tomatoes, fennel, eggplant, artichokes, and peppers, to name a few.

Avoid potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash and beets—just for 10 days. Also skip grains and beans for 10 days. It supercharges the results so you lose weight and feel great.

 

6. Fight sugar with fat

Fat doesn’t make you fat, sugar does. Fat makes you full, balances your blood sugar, and is necessary for fueling your cells. Along with protein, have good fats at every meal and snack including nuts and seeds (which also contain protein), extra virgin olive oil, coconut butter, avocados, and omega-3 fats from fish.

 

7. Be ready for emergencies

You never want to be in a food emergency when your blood sugar is dropping and you find yourself in a food desert such as an airport, the office, or in a maze of convenience stores, fast food joints, and vending machines. You need an emergency food pack. I have one with me all the time and it’s filled with protein, good fats, and good snacks so I never have to make a bad choice. Here’s what’s in mine:

• Packets of Artisana nut butters and coconut butter
• Almonds, walnuts, and pumpkin seeds
• Salmon jerky or turkey jerky
• A can of wild salmon or sardines
• Unsweetened wild blueberries.

 

8. Swap distress for de-stress

If you are stressed, your hormones go crazy. Cortisol goes up which makes you hungry, causes belly fat storage, and leads to type-2 diabetes. Studies show that taking deep breaths activates a special nerve, called the vagus nerve, that shifts your metabolism from fat storage to fat burning and quickly moves you out of the stress state. And all you have to do is take a deep breath.

Try my Take Five Breathing Break. It’s something you can do anywhere, anytime. Simply take five slow deep breaths—in to the count of five, out to the count of five. Five times. That’s it. Do this before every meal. Watch what happens.

 

9. Put out the fire (of inflammation).

Studies show that inflammation triggers blood sugar imbalances, insulin resistance, pre-diabetes, and type-2 diabetes. The most common source of inflammatory foods other than sugar, flour, and trans fats are hidden food sensitivities. The most common culprits are gluten and dairy. We often crave the foods we’re allergic to. Without them we feel lousy and want more.

Quit gluten and dairy for 10 days. Getting off them isn’t easy, but after just 2 or 3 days without them, you’ll have renewed energy, relief from cravings, and will see many of your common symptoms disappear.

 

10. Get your Zzz’s.

Getting less sleep drives sugar and carb cravings by affecting your appetite hormones. In human studies, depriving college students of just two hours of the recommended eight hours of sleep led to a rise in hunger hormones, a decrease in appetite-suppressing hormones, and big cravings for sugar and refined carbs.

You want more energy if you don’t sleep, so you go toward quickly absorbed sugars. Sleep is the best way to fight against the drive to overeat. You literally can sleep your cravings and your weight away.