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Have you considered trying the latest craze in weight loss? The low-carb diet has many variations, but one thing it all has in common is reducing the amount of sugar consumed daily. In this post, I thought I’d share how to detox sugar and a selection of books on quitting sugar.
Dream it.
Those who follow this site regularly know that in August 2019, I committed to a low-carb, low-sugar diet. It was a decision I made to beat my battle with weight once and for all and to face the reality of how my weight was leading me towards a pre-diabetic diagnosis.
It wasn’t an easy choice, but as a morbidly obese person, I had to make some significant changes. And this diet gives me a downsized list of foods I can eat, which helps me stay disciplined and focused, most notably when I follow it and consistently keep my carb count low – I lose weight.
Read more: How to Choose the Right Weight Loss Program for You.
Plan it.
Sugar-Free Cookbooks and Sugar Detox Diet Books Can Offer Inspiration
One essential part of sticking with a sugar detox or low-carb lifestyle is learning to love new ideas, work with different ingredients, and change things up.
I’m always searching for information and inspiration to stay on my program. In my search for tips, recipes, and other resources, I have come across several books on quitting sugar, how to detox sugar, and great low-sugar cookbooks.
What You Need to Know About Low Sugar Detox Books
Before I get to the list, I must tell you that not all sugar detoxes are identical. Some eliminate sugar, some eliminate processed sugar, and others follow a specific diet principle like Keto or Diabetic cookbooks.
Live it.
Sugar Detox Books
Breaking Up with Sugar, Molly Carmel
I feel like I’m living Author Molly Carmel’s story. Like her, I have had a 20-year battle with my weight and have failed on numerous diets and weight loss programs. In her book Breaking Up with Sugar, Molly shares her journey and includes a 66-day strategy with step-by-step meal plans to break sugar habits.
Since sugar is highly addictive, Molly begins with strategies for beating the emotional and physical relationships with sugar to help you develop new habits with healthier food.
Quitting Sugar: A 10-Day Detox Plan (2024) by Dr. Mark Hyman
Dr. Hyman provides a practical 10-day program aimed at detoxing from sugar to promote weight loss and overall health. Quitting Sugar: A 10-day Detox Plan outlines strategies for reducing sugar intake, combating cravings, and stabilizing blood sugar levels.
I Quit Sugar: Your Complete 8-week Detox Program and Cookbook, Sarah Wilson
Sarah Wilson has written many books and cookbooks in a series of I Quit Sugar books. What I like about her is her approach was very similar to mine. Eliminate sugar as an experiment and realize the benefits. Her trial became her way of life, and her cookbook is an 8-week plan on how you can quit sugar too. There are over 100 recipes in her diet book, followed by some great cookbooks filled with sugar-free recipes.
Zero Sugar Diet and Zero Sugar Cookbooks, David Zinczenko
I can’t list books on quitting sugar without mentioning the Zero Sugar Diet series. Several cookbooks now complement its best-selling original diet book.
However, I find the title of this book misleading. As someone who cut out sugar, when I read this diet and found inspirational recipes, I found that it was more about removing “added sugars” than zero sugar.
That said, many would find my absolute zero-sugar approach hard to maintain. Removing added sugar will still help curb cravings, boost metabolism, and teach you the principles of eating a healthy, balanced diet with fresh produce, proteins, and whole grains.
Sugar Shock, Carol, Prager, Samantha Cassetty
Before its release, this book was much anticipated in the low-sugar diet sphere. Like the Zero Sugar Diet above, Sugar Shock will explore how much-added sugar you consume and why your body craves it.
Sugar Shock has several strategies to help you see where you currently stand with sugar. You can take a quiz, Get Your Sugar Score quiz, and fill in a 7-Day Sugar Tracker. Then follow the first 7-day sugar step-down plan and follow it with their 21-day sugar detox meal plan.
Read more: Books to Inspire You to Live the Life of Your Dreams
Keto Books and Cookbooks
The Keto Guido Cookbook, Vinny Guadagnino
I’m going to admit it. I only grabbed this because I am a fan of the Jersey Shore TV series. Vinny’s transformation is pretty incredible. I will start by saying I don’t follow the high-fat Keto Diet myself, but many elements of this diet work for low-sugar, low-carb health plans.
Vinny’s Keto Guido book includes a 7-day Ketogenic meal plan and over 100 recipes. He also shares his personal stories and expert tips from wellness coach Karissa Long.
Keto Diet for Dummies, Rami Abrams and Vicky Abrams
Who better to break down the Keto Diet than the “Dummies” book series team? If you want to try the ketogenic diet, you’ll learn everything you need to know. With tips on how to stock your kitchen, meal prep, dining out and more.
Keto Diet: Your 30-Day Plan to Lose Weight, Dr. Josh Axe
I am a firm believer that success is impossible without goals and a plan. Dr. Josh Axe offers a step-by-step guide to everything you need to understand and follow the keto diet.
He shares recipes, shopping lists, exercise routines, five different keto diet strategies, and advice on choosing the best one.
Read more: How to Set Goals and Achieve Them
Diabetic Cookbooks for Low Sugar Recipe Inspiration
Even though I haven’t received a diabetic diagnosis, I had family members who have, which is one of the reasons I decided to go low carb. I figured since I’m following in their footsteps, I have an opportunity to beat my sugar cravings and avoid the diagnosis while moving toward a healthier life.
Here are some tremendous diabetic cookbooks with some great recipes to try when you start quitting sugar.
The Clean & Simple Diabetes Cookbook, Jackie Newgent, RDN, CDN
The move to clean eating doesn’t have to be difficult, and what I love about this cookbook is that it is filled with delicious recipes and several how-to cooking instructions to help me in the kitchen. I am learning to work with vegetables and ingredients I have never used before, and a cookbook like this is a great tool to help me accomplish that.
Jackie shares meal planning strategies and grocery shopping guides. The best part: each recipe uses no more than seven ingredients. Recipe prep will take less than 15 minutes, and you’ll have a step-by-step guide to preparing them.
Diabetes Cookbook & Meal Plan, Lori Zanini RD CDE
I’m a big fan of simple and easy when following recipes, and in the Diabetes Cookbook and Meal Plan, you’ll find a 4-week meal plan which you can customize according to your goals.
With over 100 recipes categorized by gluten-free, vegetarian, dairy-free, nut-free, 5-ingredient, and 30-minute or less, there is something here to inspire your next sugar-free meal.
