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Health

01st Nov 2021

No tricks, too many treats? 5 tips to fuel your post-Halloween sugar detox

Trine Jensen-Burke

In need of a major sugar detox after yesterday’s ‘no tricks, just treats’ bonanza?

Aren’t we all.

And look – there is no Halloween without treats, we say, but equally; when the sweets frenzy has subsided, there is nothing like the full-blown sugar hangover to make you really want to get back on the nutritional straight and narrow again.

Plan of action: Sugar detox. Let’s all collectively wean ourselves off the Reese’s Peanutbutter Cups and commit to eating better for the next few weeks – and so on.

And just to get you started once the weekend we are in has come and gone, here are five fairly simple steps to get that sugar detox going (which will make you feel less guilty about indulging!).

Ready? Here goes:

1. Drink more water: Make water consumption a priority after your sweets binges. Not only will it help flush out all those indulgent decisions (that is, it’ll help your sugar-hangover), but it will also give you more energy to tackle the day. And sure; who doesn’t need that?!

2. Beat the sugar addiction: Eating a lot of sugar will only make you crave it more, meaning the sugar-scoffing you will be doing over the weekend can make you more likely to reach for sweet treats for the days and weeks to come too.

Ready for a challenge? If you find yourself craving sweets next week, try to make a deal with yourself to stay away from them for five days (you can do it!), and eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies instead.

Good fats (coconut oil, nuts, seeds etc.) will help make you feel satisfied, so you don’t feel the need to reach for the sweets jar. Fats also help stabilize your blood sugar.

3. Fight fatigue: Midterm and a change in routine can eat into your sleep time. (That, and trying to convince kids who are bouncing off the walls from all the sugar that it is in fact bedtime…) To make sure you don’t feel tired all day, fill your diet with plenty of healthy fats (nuts, seeds, salmon), fresh juices and good carbohydrates. Oh, and get to bed early!

4. Eat nourishing foods: Start with a good-for-you smoothie, opt for a salad for lunch, and a fresh and light soup for dinner. Soon your body will stop craving all that junk.

5. Get moving: Sweat out all the bad stuff by getting your metabolism going. Go for a power walk, do some yoga or just bring the kids into the garden and run around with them, anything to get your body moving.e