Brenda Bennett - The 30-Day Sugar Elimination Diet: A Whole-Food Detox to Conquer Cravings & Reclaim Health, Customizable for Keto or Low-Carb

First published in 2023 by Victory Belt Publishing Inc.

Copyright 2023 Brenda Bennett

No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior written permission from the publisher.

ISBN-13: 9781628604795

The author is not a licensed physician or medical professional and offers no medical diagnoses, treatments, suggestions, or counseling. The information presented herein has not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and it is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Full medical clearance from a licensed physician should be obtained before beginning or modifying any diet, exercise, or lifestyle program, and physicians should be informed of all nutritional changes.

The author/owner claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Cover design by Kat Lannom

Interior design and illustrations by Yordan Terziev and Boryana Yordanova

Additional recipe photos by Jo Harding

Author photos by Shawon Davis

Printed in Canada

TC 0122

This book is dedicated to you, the readerthe one who has struggled for years with a compulsion for eating sugar and refined carbs and an inability to break free from its hold. I am here rooting for you.

Letter to the Reader

You can do anything for 30 dayseven remove sugar from your diet. In fact, you may have done it before, but for some reason, old habits crept back in, and sugar has once again become too hard for you to resist. The refined carbs and sugary treats that were once just for holidays, birthday celebrations, and other special occasions eventually spilled into your work week. Now, they may be a daily indulgence and a difficult habit to stop.

Sugar is well known for being a comfort for many people during times of stress. For those of us who are unable to moderate foods that contain sugar, though, it is just as controlling as cocaine is for a drug addict, and we are just as out of control as other addicts when they get a hit of their addictive substance.

You may not identify yourself as being addicted to sugar. Maybe you just feel you dont have enough willpower, and you need a little guidance to detox for a short time and get a handle on your cravings. This 30-Day Sugar Elimination Diet will help you do just that.

I was a sugar addict from the age of 12 until I turned 34. The contents of this book are how I gained independence from sugar obsession, broke the hold of intense cravings, lost weight, and have maintained my sugar freedom since 2006.

No matter why you picked up this book or how you identify yourself, one thing remains true: sugar and refined carbs can wreak havoc on our bodies, our health, our minds, our internal organs, and how we age.

The good news is that you can regain control, and you can do it within one month. With this book, you will learn how to detox from sugar without horrible withdrawal symptoms. You will learn how to balance your blood sugar, remove those intense cravings, and lose weight while enjoying delicious food that keeps you totally satisfied. The tools I share in this book provide all the support you will need to live happily free of cravings for sugar and processed carbs.

Freeing yourself from sugar isnt about willpower and whether you have enough of it. Its not about following a Paleo or low-carb or keto diet. It is about the sugar and processed foods that have taken over your life. Its time to take back control and never be enslaved to any food again.

You can do it! One day at a time. You can remove sugar for 30 days, you will feel amazing, and you will lose weight.

MY STORY

A happy childthats how I would describe myself. I had wonderful parents who cared for me in every way. My lovely childhood involved dance classes, ice skating lessons, baton twirling, bike riding, picnic dinners on the beach at sunset, and classic Italian food. Although my parents didnt go to college, they worked hard to provide my brothers and me with what we needed. We never lacked.

My issues with sugar and refined carbs began when I was 12, when I was an innocent kid who liked to sneak potato chips. Now, as a 49-year-old woman, I cannot understand why I felt I needed to sneak food, because my parents always had an open-door policy. I was never told I couldnt eat something. No one policed what I ate or when I ate or how much I ate. I was never told I needed to go on a diet. Furthermore, my mom can moderate sugar and enjoy it once a week. My father can do the same. I tried and tried to be like them and enjoy sweets in moderation, but that approach never worked for me.

All I know is that eating brought me comfort. As time went by, I had more difficulty controlling my urges, as if my body were compelled to eat without my conscious awareness. Sometimes I would find myself in the basement with my hand in a bag of chips without even remembering that I had walked down the stairs.

As I sought control over weight gain as a teen, I discovered a new way to enjoy my binges while keeping my weight stable. I found bulimia disgusting, but the results were too convincing for me to stop because I didnt have to change anything about my other habits. I could continue to overeat and indulge in sugar and carbs without the consequence of weight gain. And this made me happy for a long time. Until it didnt anymore. My period stopped for a year. I popped blood vessels around my eyes, and I would feel sharp pains down my throat at random times throughout the day, even for a long time after I stopped purging.

I finally found some freedom when I attended an Overeaters Anonymous (OA) meeting at age 22. I learned how to eat three meals a day. The rule of not eating between meals really worked for me. I found freedom in discipline; however, the guidelines didnt say that any food was off-limits, so sugar was still in my life. As time went on, I learned of other OA meetings in which people were advised to stay away from flour and sugar, but I thought I didnt need that additional restriction. I lost 35 pounds in six months, going from 159 pounds to 124, and I was happy. I continued with OA until I had my first child at 29. Then I decided I was too busy with the new baby to go back to meetings, and I felt strong enough to lose the baby weight on my own, without support.