Could you cut out sugar for lent?

Many people decide to detox for lent, even if they are not religious. If you wish you’d started after the Christmas period, but didn’t, now is an excellent time to start, especially as pancake day is out the way.  One of the best ways is to cut out sugar. But, can you do it? 

Before you decide, please see the below list (and see the video on my page about how addictive sugar is):

• Avoid all sugary drinks: This includes soft drinks, fruit juices, energy drinks, vitamin water, sports drinks and sugar-laden smoothies.

• Cut out all added sugars. This includes: Sugar-laden muesli and processed foods. Check even where it states that there are only ‘natural’ ingredients in the product – sugar is a natural product, so please check the label!

• Don’t add sugar to your tea or coffee and remember that most fizzy drinks and chai lattes can contain as much as 25 teaspoons!

• Check labels (anything over 10%, or is first or second ingredient on a list is too much!) and buy reduced sugar/salt products such as ketchup.

• Increase your vegetable intake, rather than fruit, such as mangos or fresh dates as they are surprisingly high in sugar or choose berries, which are typically lower.

As sugar is hidden in so many products, it may be helpful to consult a trained nutritional therapist to carry out a dietary evaluation, as they will be able to help you improve what you are eating, reduce sugar more generally and detox safely. 

This is especially true if you are detoxing or cutting out sugar because you have a health condition and think that this may help with your symptoms, as a trained nutritional therapist can tailor dietary and supplement advice to help alleviate your health condition. A trained nutritional therapist will also be able to work out from your diet history, how to improve what you are eating or if you may be low in certain food groups, minerals or vitamins. Diagnostic testing can also be discussed.