Today on the podcast:
Leisa is a qualified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach and founder of Make Me Sugar Free.
She is also the author of the new book 7-Day Sugar Cleanse: Beat Your Addiction with Tasty, Easy-to-Make Recipes that Nourish and Help You Resist Cravings.
Leisa gave up sugar at the start of 2016 and created her blog to help other people break the sugar addiction cycle and help her audience on their way to a healthier and happier lifestyle.
Her Instagram page and YouTube channel makemesugarfree is packed with easy to make and tasty sugar-free meals as well as tips and advice on how to quit sugar for good and break the cycle of sugar addiction.
I’ve been following Leisa’s content for ages and I’m absolutely delighted we were able to organize this podcast. This one is for anyone who is looking to remove or reduce their sugar intake for a whole host of health or body composition reasons.
Episode Outline
- 03:12 Leisa’s background and what led her down the path of preaching the benefits of a sugar free lifestyle
- 07:54 If you are doing your first sugar detox, this is what you NEED to know beforehand
- 15:15 The reason for sugar addiction and how to watch out for your “sugar trigger” moments
- 22:13 Sugar withdrawals and how long they last for based on your starting point
- 32:00 The mindset that “going sugar free” doesn’t need to be permanent, but that it can improve your relationship with foods that are high in sugar
- 35:03 What Leisa knows now about going sugar free that she wishes she knew then
- 40:26 The foods that hide sugar and make your detox harder
- 42:53 Leisa’s thoughts on using sweeteners instead of sugar
- 46:08 Should you always quit sugar cold turkey? Are there situations or types of people who should gradually cut it out instead?
Key Points
- If you want to reduce or come off of sugar, the best thing to do is eliminate it completely from your life. The truth is, if you have anything sugary at home, you’re going to eat it. It’s only been in the last 100 years that sugar has been so readily available, so our bodies have not evolved to produce a hormone that tells us when we’ve had enough of the stuff. Eliminate the risk of addiction by eliminating sugar from your environment in the first place.
- When you first get off of sugar, your body will most likely react negatively from the sudden lack of this addictive substance that it had been so used to receiving up until that point. From headaches to anxiety, those first few weeks will be the hardest part of your journey. However, it is commonly said that it takes 21 days for a habit to become ingrained. Everything from your gut to your skin to your sleep will improve day-by-day.
- Don’t sweat it if you fall off the wagon along your sugar free journey. It’s an addictive substance and you’re hardly the first to give into your cravings. Forgive yourself and get back to it on your own time. Each time you try, you disassociate yourself more and more from sugar. Remember not to completely blame a lack of willpower, because we are bombarded everyday by advertisements of sugary products. It’s much more empowering to focus instead on your determination to refuse to be influenced by these marketers and to take control of your life.
Powerful Quotes by Leisa
- The biggest and easiest thing that I say if you are really clear that you want to reduce or come off of sugar is to eliminate it. Literally eliminate it, because if it’s in the house, you’re going to eat it.
- It’s one thing to focus on how you might feel; but, the other really important thing when you come off of sugar is, after the first 48 hours, you will sleep so well, because you’re not on that blood sugar roller coaster.
- It’s not about never eating sugar again. It’s about giving you trust again in your eating habits and giving you that power back in terms of how you eat so you’re not falling prey to cravings.
Guest Info
Leisa Cockayne
An author and a qualified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach