At Chef V, we’re very proud of our Chef V low sugar cleanses. But what exactly is the problem with sugar? Why is a low sugar juice cleanse particularly special and unique? While not all sugars are bad, and its okay to indulge once in a while, there can be major consequences if you OD on the sweet stuff too often. This piece explores why.

Why We Need Sugar

Have you ever sat down and really thought about what sugar is, beyond being the stuff that makes your food taste sweet? Sugar is actually the final form of carbohydrates - your body breaks them down into sugars. Specifically, the sugar that ends up in your bloodstream is known as glucose. This is why you hear so much about “blood sugar levels” - keeping that level balanced is key to good health and energy.

We’re all trained to be scared of carbohydrates, but they are an important source of energy for our bodies. While we need carbs as a source of energy, there’s always too much of a good thing. If we take in more carbs than we can use, then we can end up overdosing on that glucose.

Sugar intake is also complicated by the fact that there are many kinds of sugars and many different ways of getting them. Plenty of foods and drinks have natural sugars, such as glucose, fructose, and lactose, that give them a naturally sweet taste. Without these, we wouldn’t have some of our favorite flavors in fruits like apples.

In this day and age, a lot of foods contain artificial sugars, often high fructose corn syrup. Foods that have a lot of artificial sweeteners tend to play hell with diets and eating habits - they give a rush of energy, without actually providing you with real nutrients and minerals.

Why Too Much Sugar Is Bad For You

If you end up snacking on too much of the sweet stuff, you can expect to pay the price for that momentary enjoyment. Perhaps the best-known consequence of too much sugar is the associated weight gain. All those extra carbohydrates have to go somewhere after all. However, there’s actually more to this weight gain than you might realize. Overdosing on sugar can give you further food cravings, and throw your entire diet out of whack.

There are other consequences to having an overdose of sugar in your diet, both long-term and short-term. Sugar overloads have been linked to issues with maintaining a good mood and energy level, as well as difficulty in maintaining a clear complexion. Continuously consuming too much sugar can lead to much more severe issues, such as diabetes, where your body starts to lose its ability to regulate blood sugar. In the longest terms, a diet consistently too high in sugar can lead to health problems with the heart and liver.

How To Sugar Detox

Making a commitment to lower the sugar in your diet in the long term is one thing. But what do you do if you’ve already binged, and are feeling the energy drain, the upset stomach and the headaches?

There are a few emergency tactics you can deploy right away. First things first, you have to get some protein and fiber into you. These will make you feel full and cut future sugar cravings (if you want some great healthy ways to get protein and fiber, make sure to check out our detox soups and detox smoothies!)

Now you’ll want to detox, letting your body get those blood sugar levels out of control. The key to making a detox work is to stay super hydrated and not try to go totally cold turkey. A little bit of fruit will give your body the healthy amounts of sugars it needs.

This is where low-sugar juice cleanses come in. Not only will they help you lose weight by being low carb, but they will help you manage any weight gain by getting those sugar cravings back under control.

The key to getting a low sugar juice cleanse to work is to make sure it includes protein and fiber as well, so those cravings don’t get too out of control. This is why Chef V low sugar cleanses are so great - they have the soups and smoothies you need to make it all the way through and beat your sugar cravings permanently.