Dr Oz: 21-Day Experiment & Sugar Detox
How much can you really change your body, your energy, complexion, your weight, and your mood in just 21 days? Dr Oz wanted to find out, so he launched his Big 21-Day Experiment. He enlisted women all over to give up sugar for three weeks while others tried the new turmeric tonic or medicinal mushrooms. Would 21 days of probiotics or bone broth help with digestion and cravings? Would charcoal toothpaste make your teeth whiter? It was time for the results to be revealed!
Dr Oz was backstage with everyone who took part in the experiment, including his go-to tester Rhenotha who tried everything. But first, what happens to your body when you eliminate sugar for a full three weeks? Gabrielle Bernstein quit sugar herself, after realizing her own health problems that were resulting from it. Gabrielle joked that she had to “break up” with sugar and “destroyed the relationship.” She’s now been off sugar for three years.
Dr Oz: Give Up Sugar Addiction

Dr Oz spoke with Gabrielle Bernstein about the importance of quitting sugar and how the everyday person can give it up for just 21 days to see benefits. (nillanilzon / Flickr)
Gabrielle laid out 20 tablespoons of sugar and explained that it was the amount of sugar the average American consumes in a day. She acknowledged it as an addiction and explained that for her, the addiction was a serious problem. She was sick all the time, she had cystic acne, and mood swings. So she got off sugar. Gabrielle is very open about the fact that she’s struggled with drugs and alcohol in her past and likened getting off sugar to getting sober. She’s been sober for 11 years and said she was most proud of quitting sugar.
Gabrielle admitted that when quitting sugar, a lot of the same withdrawal symptoms arise, including cravings and mood swings. But just like with any addiction, she stayed determined to get better and has since been off sugar for three years.
Dr Oz: How To Give Up Sugar
To give up sugar, you should first remove sugary trigger foods from your view and replace those sugary substances with natural fruit to fight cravings. That means saying goodbye to things like cookies, soft drinks, granola bars, sugar cereals, and juices. Gabrielle made a point to say that you really have to be careful because sugar can sneak into anything.
You also want to fill up on “zero added sugar foods” like vegetables, berries, beans, and grains. The fruits lowest in sugar are berries, citrus, papaya, guava, and passion fruit. When shopping for other food, if you see sugar or fructose on an ingredient list, avoid it and look for fiber instead. Fiber grams should be higher than sugar grams on package foods. You also want to fill up on power proteins like fish, eggs, and chicken, while sipping on healthy drinks like coffee, water, or tea, without added sugar.
Dr Oz: Tasty Sugar-Free Cookie Recipe
Dr Oz then turned to Rhenotha who admitted in the beginning, she was absolutely terrified because she didn’t know how she would possibly give up sugar. Fortunately, Gabrielle shared a great tip to help get through those intense cravings without indulging in sugar.
She combined the following ingredients before baking them like regular cookies at 350 degrees for 9-12 minutes:
- 1 large banana
- 2 C blended oats
- Dash of cinnamon
- cacao nibs
It’s a tasty, sugar-free sweet. It’s also important to treat the emotional side of your sugar addiction as well. Gabrielle suggested meditating while saying to yourself “peace begins with me” as you touch each finger to your thumb. It’s called mudras and mantras and it works super well for Gabrielle and is certainly worth a try for you.
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