One of the best things you can do for your health is reducing or avoiding sugar. Your body does not need sugar in the form we typically eat it. Yes, your body uses glucose, but any carbohydrate you eat is broken down to glucose, so vegetables and grains give you everything you need. Simple carbs like candy, cola, and fruit juice are unnecessary and cause weight gain, sluggishness, and many other problems in the body.

Many people look and feel better after they stop using sugar, and often they decide to do a sugar cleanse or sugar detox. When you take a break from sugar, you lose fat, increase energy, and lift your mood and spirits. Anxiety decreases, and you greatly reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes.

A common time period for a sugar cleanse is three weeks. Here is a typical sugar detox schedule with what you can expect.

First, a few ground rules… remember, this is just for 21 days.

1. No sugar, candy, soda of any kind (including diet), cakes, cookies, you get the idea.
2. No high fructose corn sugar, hydrogenated oils (trans fats), alcohol, deep-fried foods.
3. No white foods—no bread, instant rice, pasta, tortillas, potatoes. These are all simple carbohydrates.
4. No fruits or fruit juices.
5. Drink plenty of water… at least 8 glasses a day. Ideally, you should be drinking half your body weight in ounces each day. This is water.

(Remember, after the 21 days, you can add back small amounts of fruit and other carbohydrates you enjoy… however, you still want to avoid the simple sugars, fake ingredients such as trans fats, and artificial sweetener.)

So what can you eat?

Beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, eggs, organic poultry and red meats, most vegetables, brown rice, fish. Think anything you can pick, grow, or slaughter.

When you start the cleanse, you may feel a little sluggish or not quite yourself. You may find yourself thirsty, sleeping more, or feeling lightheaded. Some people feel moodier and irritable for up to the first week. These symptoms will pass—your body is getting used to not having any sugar. You may also have some detoxification symptoms, such as diarrhea, upset stomach, runny nose, or skin breakouts. These are normal.

So those are the negative effects you may have for a short time. What positive effects can you expect as the cleanse moves forward?

• Weight loss
• Fewer or no sugar cravings
• Feeling of being lighter
• Better sleep and ease in waking up
• Energy boost
• Happier moods
• Brighter eyes, shinier hair, clear skin

If you’d like to experience immediate better health and fat loss, a sugar cleanse is a good place to start.

Have you ever tried one, and how did it work for you?