SUGAR

DETOX
DIET
KICK YOUR SUGAR
ADDICTION IN 30 DAYS!
SUGAR – THE BITTER TRUTH!
As sweet as it tastes, as good as it makes you feel (due to the beta-endorphin rush in
your brain), sugar is not your friend. It is bittersweet! Let the truth be known, sugar can
be addictive. Most Australian’s are addicted to it. Today, people are eating massive
amounts of added sugars, usually without even realising it. You could be one of them!
Added sugar is often disguised in food labelling under carbohydrates and countless
different names. Fructose, contained in many different types of processed food is a major
problem. High-fructose corn syrup, used extensively by food manufacturers is the main
source of sugar. All forms of fructose, including fruits and juices, are commonly added to
foods and drinks for palatability and taste enhancement. High Fructose Corn Syrup
supplies a significant portion of the total calories in many western diets.

Many processed foods contain preservatives, artificial flavours & colours!

White sugar contains no fibre, vitamins, minerals, proteins, enzymes or fats.
Unfortunately, the one element that it does contain is calories. Could this be why
people are fatter today than ever before? Many believe it is. What’s worse, many of the
processed foods and drinks that contain added sugar also contain trans fats, vegetable
oils, preservatives, artificial flavours and colours.

We need to wean ourselves off sugar!

The frightening reality is, things will get worse before they get better unless there is
dramatic change in public attitude and culture. We need to wean ourselves off sugar.
We need to de-sweeten our lives. We need to make sugar a treat and not a diet staple.
If you are fed up with being addicted to sugar and want to get your life back on track
the time to quit is now…so what are you waiting for? Quit today, this minute! The
sooner you start the better you will feel and the healthier you will become.

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AUSTRALIANS ARE ONE OF THE BIGGEST
CONSUMERS OF SUGAR IN THE WORLD!
Unfortunately Australians consume far too much added sugar. Some of us can
consume up to 37 teaspoons a day or 150 grams of sugar simply by the foods
and drinks we choose to eat. Added sugar is the sugar that most people add to
coffee, tea or sprinkle on breakfast cereals. However, did you know that most of
the added sugar we consume is hidden in processed foods and drinks? For
example a normal serving of tomato sauce contains 2-teaspoon of sugar, or 7
teaspoons per 100ml. Fruit Juice contains 5 teaspoons of sugar and a 100 gram
bowl of popular breakfast cereal contains 40 grams or 10 teaspoons of sugar.

WHAT IS THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF SUGAR?

The World Health Organisation along with a number of other health authorities
recommend that no more than 10 percent of your total daily energy intake
should come from added sugars. For most adults, this works out to be no more
than 50g or 12 teaspoons of added sugar per day, from all sources of food and
drink. It is further suggested that a reduction to below 5 percent would have
added health benefits; this is equivalent to about 25g (six teaspoons) of sugar per
day for an adult of normal body mass index. This includes sugars that are naturally
present in honey, syrups and fruit juice concentrates. The natural sugar found in
whole fruit and vegetables is excluded from the guidelines and shouldn’t be
counted towards your daily intake.

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4 GOOD REASONS TO QUIT SUGAR
Sugar has received a lot of negative press lately and for good reason. Health
professionals have linked excess sugar consumption to many health concerns.
1. Nutrition: Some high sugar foods provide you with little or even no nutritional value
as they supply kilojoules but little vitamins, minerals or fibre. These are known as
empty calories. For example, soft drinks are high in sugar but they don’t contain any
other nutrients. If your diet is high in these types of foods, your body may not be
receiving the nutrition it needs to function properly.
2. Weight: If you consume more calories in your diet than you burn, the excess
calories are converted into fat and stored in the body. This can make it really hard to
manage a healthy weight. Consuming foods with high levels of sugar means your
calories are going to quickly add up. In addition, foods with high levels of sugar are
often high in fat too, which means double trouble when trying to maintain a
healthy weight.
3. Oral health: Bacteria in dental plaque converts fermentable carbohydrates such as
glucose, fructose and sucrose into lactic acid, making plaque. By reducing sugar in
the diet, this bacteria doesn’t have anything to feed off!
4. Liver health: Sugar is comprised of two molecules, glucose and fructose. The liver
stores glucose as glycogen and when the body’s blood glucose levels are low the
liver will convert glycogen to glucose to supply the body with its energy.
Glucose can be metabolised by every cell in the body and if we don’t get it from the
diet, our bodies make it. However, fructose is different. The only organ that can
metabolise fructose sugars is the liver, because only the liver has a transporter for it.
However, when someone’s liver is already full of glycogen, fructose may be stored as fat.

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TYPES OF SUGAR IN THE DIET
Definition

Natural sugar
Sugar found naturally in whole foods.
Usually co-exist with other nutrients
(e.g. fruit and milk).

Refined sugar
Refined sugar comes from sugar cane or
sugar beets, which are processed to extract
the sugar. It is typically known as white or
raw sugar. It is manufactured for human
consumption and food production.

Added sugar
All sugar added to foods by manufacturer or
individuals (e.g. processed food, drinks or
added during cooking).

Total sugar
Combination of natural, refined and
added sugar.

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THE HIDDEN SUGAR IN THE FOOD YOU EAT!
It’s important to be aware of the sugar content of everything you consume. The chart
below gives you an idea of the amount of hidden sugar in processed foods and drinks.

Type of food Amount of sugar

Canned fruit in syrup 7 teaspoons
Carrot cake (medium slice) 3 teaspoons
Hot chocolate (per mug) 4 teaspoons
Fruit toast (2 slices) 4 teaspoons
Honey breakfast cereal (27g serve) 3 teaspoons
Dried fruit (per cup) 12 teaspoons
Custard (medium portion) 3 teaspoons
Low fat strawberry yoghurt (170g tub) 5 teaspoons
Fruit juice 12 teaspoons
Soft drinks (1 can) 10 teaspoons
Skim milk (per cup) 3 teaspoons
Ice cream (one scoop) 3 teaspoons
Milk chocolate bar 11 teaspoons
Fruit smoothie (per glass) 3 teaspoons
Jam (per tablespoon) 3 teaspoons

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7-DAY SUGAR DETOX DIET

Sugar Detox diet

In the following pages we have included an easy to follow 7-Day Sugar Detox Diet.
If you are serious about overcoming your need for sugar we recommend you follow
the Sugar Detox Diet
No added sugar and low in natural sugar
The Sugar Detox Diet is based on a diet low in natural sugar, complex carbohydrates,
healthy portions of protein and good fats. However it contains no added sugar. We
have eliminated most processed foods, packaged foods, soft drinks, bottled fruit juice
and vegetable juice, ice cream, dried fruits, flavoured dairy drinks etc. Most of these
foods are very high in added sugar and some contain large amounts of natural sugars.
Delicious, nutritious low sugar recipes
The Sugar Detox Diet is flexible for you to use in the best way to suit you:
• Page 14-17 has a 7-Day Sugar Detox Diet. Please repeat this for as long as you
feel is necessary
• Page 21 provides you with a guideline to plan your own meals
• Page 22-25 details a list a recommended foods and those to avoid during
the sugar detox period
• Pages 26-32 has 7 delicious and nutritious low sugar recipes to get you started
It’s recommended that you follow the Sugar Detox Diet for a minimum of 30 days

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Converting excess fat to energy
Carbohydrates are an important fuel source for your body, however, when you eat
more than your daily energy requirements, the extra calories are stockpiled as
body-fat.
Foods that nourish your body
The Sugar Detox Diet includes a selection of delicious and healthy foods essential for
energy, muscle development and promoting good health and general wellbeing.
Please try and follow the eating plan as closely as possible as it will help prevent
unfavorable mood swings, quick trips to the cookie jar or that 3pm chocolate or
energy drink from the vending machine. We understand that everyone has different
dietary requirements and tastes, so for more meals and recipe choices please see our
website; www.carusoshealth.com.au

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7-DAY SUGAR DETOX DIET
Please follow the Sugar Detox Diet for 30 days. You can simply repeat the 7-day diet or make
up your own meals by using our formula from our “Daily Meal Guide” detailed on page 21.

Breakfast Mushroom and capsicum omelette

DAY 1

Snack Handful of raw almonds and piece of fruit

Lunch Chicken with brown rice or salad, and rye bread (1 slice)

Snack Berry sorbet or ricotta cheese with wholegrain rice cakes

Dinner Salmon and zucchini noodles

Breakfast Almond milk smoothie with fruit and/or raw nuts

Snack
DAY 2

Kale chips or piece of fruit and raw nuts

Lunch Homemade beef meatballs with wholemeal or spelt pasta

Snack Handful of raw almonds and piece of fruit

Dinner Mixed seafood with steamed vegetables

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 Breakfast Ricotta with your choice of fruit and/or raw nuts

Snack Almond, chia and spirulina balls

DAY 3

Lunch Brown rice, chicken and avocado sushi

Snack Kale chips or piece of fruit and raw nuts

Dinner Beef with chargrilled vegetable stack and salad

Breakfast Eggs on rye bread toast

DAY 4

Snack Strawberry bars or carrots and celery sticks with hummus

Lunch Green salad with chicken or tuna

Snack Handful of raw almonds and piece of fruit

Dinner Lamb cutlets with salad

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DAY 5 Breakfast Plain yoghurt with raw nuts and mixed berries

Snack Chia pudding

Lunch Vegetable hummus sandwich (rye bread)

Snack Handful of raw almonds and piece of fruit

Dinner Thai chicken vegetable stir-fry

Breakfast Smoked salmon on rye bread

DAY 6

Snack Strawberry bars or carrots and celery sticks with hummus

Lunch Tuna tabouli salad

Snack Handful of raw almonds and piece of fruit

Dinner Garlic prawn skewers or lamb cutlets with salad

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DAY 7 Breakfast Homemade blueberry muffin or eggs on rye bread toast

Snack Chocolate orange mousse

Lunch Moroccan spiced mushrooms with rye bread

Snack Kale chips or piece of fruit and raw nuts

Dinner Salmon with cauliflower mash

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TIPS TO REDUCE YOUR
SUGAR CONSUMPTION
Reducing your sugar consumption can be hard especially if you are someone who
has sugar daily. Below are a few extra tips to help you along the way:
Get family and friends on board: You do not have to reduce sugar in your
1 diet alone. Doing this with family and friends will not only create a great
support group but will also benefit you and them!
Clean out your pantry: Try and remove temptation. Put aside or remove any
2 products with added sugar in them.
Cook your own meals: Not only will you learn to make new meals, by
3 cooking your own meals you are in control of exactly what is in your food.
Make your own dressings: Garlic, lemon and olive oil can be a simple, yet
4 nutritious dressing for you to add to your salads.
Don’t let yourself go hungry: You will find throughout the program we have
5 suggested that you eat every 2-3 hours. This is to ensure that you feel satisfied
and will help reduce cravings.
Treat yourself with fruit in moderation: Fruits are not only naturally sweet
6 they are also nutritious, so when you crave something sweet have fruit as a snack.
Enjoy herbal teas both hot and cold for variety: Herbal teas offer many
7 benefits as they are a low calorie, low cost beverage. Pick herbal teas that you
enjoy and that you do not have to add sugar to.
Exercise: For some of us, sugar is often the food that “makes us feel good”.
8 Exercise can naturally increase your endorphins which will give you a natural high.
Get plenty of sleep: The body needs time to rest, recharge and cleanse. By having
9 adequate, deep sleep you are helping your body’s ability to cleanse and recharge.

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UNDERSTANDING FOOD LABELS
Whilst completing the Sugar Detox Diet, it is essential that you understand how to
read food labels.

Nutritional
Information
Servings per package - 16
Serving size - 30g (2/3 cup)*

Per serve Per 100g *Note: often people exceed the

Energy 432kJ 1441kJ recommended serving size. They can
consume up to 100g in a single serve which
Protein 2.8g 9.3g is 11.8g of added sugar just for breakfast!
Fat
Total 0.4g 1.2g Sugars:
Saturated 0.1g 0.3g Avoiding sugar completely is not
necessary, but try to avoid large
Carbohydrate amounts of added sugars. If sugar
Total 18.9g 62.9g content per 100g is more than 15g,
look for an alternative.
Sugars 3.5g 11.8g
Fibre 6.4g 21.2g
Be aware of the alternative names
Sodium 65mg 215mg for sugar: Dextrose, fructose,
glucose, golden syrup, honey, maple
Ingredients: Cereals (76%) (wheat, oatbran, syrup, sucrose, malt, maltose, lactose,
barley), psyllium husk (11%), sugar, rice malt brown sugar, caster sugar, raw sugar,
extract, honey, salt, vitamins. sucrose.

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SUGAR ALTERNATIVES
WHICH ONES CAN I USE?
Stevia
- Natural sweetener from the herb stevia
- Calorie free, sugar free, and GI of 0
- Available in powdered and liquid forms
Xylitol
- Sugar alcohol
- 40% less calories than sugar, with a GI of 12
- Available in crystal form

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MAKE YOUR OWN MEAL PLAN
Below is an example of the serving sizes and times of day we would recommend you
consume your meals.

Fruit Vegetables Main Meals Protein Water

Minimum Minimum 3 serves 8 -12 glasses

2 serves 5 serves 3 meals (125 - 150g per day
(1serve = ½ cup) (1 serve= 100g) per serve)

Breakfast: 1 serve of protein with 1 serve of fruit or vegetables

Snack: 1 serve of fruit with 1 serve of nuts or seeds

When: 2-3 hours after breakfast

Lunch: 1 serve of protein with 1 serve of vegetable or grains

When: 2-3 hours after snack

Snack: 1 serve of vegetables with 1 serve of seeds or nuts

When: 2-3 hours after lunch

Dinner: 1 serve of protein with 2 serves of vegetables

When: 2-3 hours after snack

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FOODS TO INCLUDE & AVOID WHILST
ON THE SUGAR DETOX DIET
To help you on your Sugar Detox journey, we have included a list of foods to help you
reduce your added sugar consumption to below 50g per day.

GRAINS: 2 SERVINGS PER DAY (1 SERVE =

Include Limit Avoid

- Barley - Rye bread (max 2 slices per day) - Flat bread
- Brown Rice - Wholegrain bread (max 2 slices per day) - Pitas
- Buckwheat - Wholegrain rice cakes (max 2 a day) - White bread
- Bulgur - Wholemeal pasta - White pasta
- Millet - Spelt pasta - White rice
- Quinoa

FRUIT: MINIMUM 2 SERVES PER DAY

Include Limit Avoid

- Apricots - Pears - Bananas - Canned fruits
- Blackberries - Raspberries - Cherries - Dried fruits
- Green apples - Rockmelon - Grapes
- Honeydew - Strawberries - Lychees
- Mango
- Pineapple
- Watermelon

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VEGETABLES: MINIMUM 5 SERVES PER DAY

Include Limit Avoid

- Alfalfa sprouts - Lemon - Beetroot - Corn
- Asparagus - Lettuce (all kinds) - Carrots - Potatoes
- Avocado - Lime - Parsnips - Pumpkin
- Bamboo sprouts - Mushroom - Peas
- Bean sprouts - Okra
- Broccoli - Onion (20g)
- Brussel sprouts - Radish
- Cabbage (all kinds) - Rhubarb
- Capsicum - Rocket
- Cauliflower - Shallot
- Celery - Silver beet
- Cucumber - Spinach
- Eggplant - Squash
- Garlic (1 clove) - Tomato
- Kale - Watercress
- Leek - Zucchini

PROTEIN: 3 SERVINGS PER DAY (125g PER SERVE)

Include Avoid
- Beef (low fat) - Lamb (low fat) - Processed meats
- Eggs - Pork (low fat)
- Fish & seafood - Skinless chicken breast
- Kangaroo - Skinless turkey breast

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BEVERAGES: ENSURE YOU HAVE 8-12 GLASSES OF WATER PER DAY

Include Avoid
- Black coffee (stevia sweetened) - Alcohol
- Chamomile tea - Coconut water
- Dandelion tea (in place of coffee) - Energy drinks
- Ginger tea - Juices
- Herbal teas - Milk beverages
- Sparkling mineral water - Pre-packaged ice teas
- Spring water - Pre-packaged vegetable juices
- Soft drinks
- Sport drinks
- Sweetened water

SEEDS: MAXIMUM 1 TEASPOON PER DAY

Include Avoid
- Chia seeds - Pumpkin seeds Nil
- Flaxseed - Sesame seeds
- Poppy seed - Sunflower seeds

NUTS: 1-2 SERVINGS PER DAY (30g PER SERVE)

Include Avoid
- Raw almonds - Raw macadamia - Cashews
- Raw Brazil nuts - Raw pecans - Pistachios
- Raw hazelnuts - Raw walnuts

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DAIRY: 2-3 SERVINGS PER DAY

Include Avoid
50g serving size - Fruit yoghurt
- Cottage cheese - Full cream ricotta cheese - Oat milk
- Full cream feta cheese - Unsweetened plain yoghurt - Skim milk
250mL a day - Soy milk
- Full cream milk - Plain coconut milk, unsweetened - Rice milk
- Plain almond milk, unsweetened

CONDIMENTS & HERBS

Include Avoid
Condiments: Herbs: - Canola oil
- Apple cider vinegar - Basil - Mayonnaise
- Coconut oil - Coriander - Rice oil
- Extra virgin/virgin olive oil - Dill
- Ginger - Store bought salad dressings
- Lemon juice - Vegetable oil
- Tahini - Mint
- Parsley
- Thyme

SWEETENERS

Include Avoid
- Stevia - Artificial sweeteners - Maple syrup - Sugar
- Xylitol - Honey - Raw sugar

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RECIPES

MUSHROOM & CAPSICUM OMELETTE Serves: 1

Ingredients Directions
- 2 eggs - Lightly spray pan with olive oil spray.
- 65g mushroom (sliced) - Cook the mushrooms and capsicum
- 1 spring onion (sliced) over low heat until softened.
- 25g green capsicum (sliced) - Lightly beat the eggs in a
separate bowl.
- Olive oil spray
- Pour the eggs over the mushrooms
- Fresh basil or parsley (handful)
and capsicum.
- Add the spring onions.
- Flip when cooked half way through.
- Once cooked add pepper to taste.
- Garnish with fresh basil or parsley.

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GREEK SALAD Serves: 1

Ingredients Directions
- 1 ripe tomatoes, chopped - Combine tomato, cucumber, onion,
- ½ Lebanese cucumber, chopped capsicum, olives and feta in a salad
- ½ a small red onion, sliced into rings bowl.
- 1/2 red capsicum, halved, deseeded, - Sprinkle with oregano and salt.
coarsely chopped - Drizzle the salad with the olive oil and
toss to combine.
- 50g of a feta of your choice, coarsely
chopped - Serve immediately.
- Fresh basil or parsley (handful)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil

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CHICKEN AND BROWN RICE Serves: 1

Ingredients Directions
- 125g chicken breast - Cook brown rice as stated on label.
- 100g combined zucchini, - Lightly spray pan with olive oil spray.
eggplant and tomato - Grill chicken breast over medium heat until
- ½ cup of brown rice half cooked, turn over and continue until
- Olive oil spray cooked through.
- 1 teaspoon tahini - On medium heat cook vegetables until softened
- ¼ lemon and cooked through.
- 1 handful of rocket - Mix tahini and vegetables through the brown rice.
- Add rocket to garnish.
- Squeeze lemon over chicken and rice.

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SPANISH EGG Serves: 1

Ingredients Directions
- 1/4 small onion finely - Preheat oven to 180ºC. In a non stick pan spray
chopped oil and cook onions and capsicum until softened
- 1 spring onion, finely and starting to brown.
chopped - Add tomatoes, and basil. Cook for 2 minutes.
- 1/4 red capsicum, deseeded - Spoon mixture into an ovenproof dish. Make a
- ½ cup of chopped tomatoes hollow circle in the centre and break 2 eggs into
- 1 tablespoon of finely cut the hollow.
basil - Place in oven and Cook for 20 minutes. Serve
- 2 eggs immediately

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GRILLED SALMON & ZUCCHINI NOODLES Serves: 1

Ingredients Directions
- 125g Salmon - Lightly spray pan with olive oil spray.
- 100g zucchini (grated into thin strips) - Grill salmon until half cooked and flip
- Lemon and cook through.
- Dill (handful) - In a separate pan heat olive oil and add
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds zucchini strips, cook for 3 minutes over
- Olive oil spray high heat or until cooked through.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil - Serve the salmon on top of the
zucchini noodles, sprinkle with sesame
seeds, dill and lemon.

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BERRY SORBET Serves: 4

Ingredients Directions
- 500g of frozen berries of - Place all the frozen berries and water
your choice in a blender or food processor.
- 1 cup of water - Blend until smooth and creamy.
- 1½ sachets of stevia or to taste Add stevia and blend.
- Pour into muffin tray lined with baking
paper and evenly distribute.
- Place in the freezer to serve later.
This recipe is equivalent to 8 serves of fruit

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SPICY BLACK BEAN & CHICKEN SOUP Serves: 2

Ingredients Directions
- 2 tbsp olive oil - Heat oil in large saucepan. Add garlic and
- 2 garlic cloves lime zest. Fry for 2 minutes until fragrant
- Small bunch of coriander leaves - Stir in cumin and chilli flakes.
- Zest 1 lime, cut lime in quarters Fry for 1 minute
- 2 tsp ground cumin - Add tomatoes, beans and stock. Bring to boil
- 1 tsp chilli flakes - With a potato masher crush the beans on
- 400g chopped tomatoes the bottom of the pan
- 400g can black beans - Stir kale into soup and simmer for 5 minutes
- 600ml chicken stock - Add chicken until heated through
- 175g kale leaves shredded - Season with pepper and lime juice, to taste
- 250g cooked chicken shredded - Place in bowls and add the coriander leaves

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