Health professionals call sugar new nicotine. This major series, written by two leading doctors, is a guide to the hidden menace. I’m referring, of course, to sugar, Daily Mail reports.

Just last week, a group of eminent doctors and academics insisted that food manufacturers must reduce the level of sugar in processed foods by up to 30 per cent to halt a wave of disease and death.

So what can we do about it? How can you avoid hidden sugar in foods? 

Our entire approach is based on clinical evidence and research we have conducted on real patients.

This is no diet fad. This is an eating plan that can halt your sugar habit in just THREE days — and completely change your life in 30.

So what’s the cause of our sugar addiction? In my view, it’s simple.

Sugar is also incontrovertibly linked to diabetes, kidney disease, certain cancers, cataracts and even premature ageing.

So why is sugar so hard to quit? Well, it triggers the release of  opioids (chemicals in the body that produce euphoria) and dopamine (a chemical that helps control the brain’s reward and pleasure centres).

And so, manufacturers make food sweeter because it makes us more likely to eat more.

So follow our plan, and find out how good a life without sugar can really be.

When you have cut back to one teaspoon of sugar in your morning cup of tea, it won’t be long before two teaspoons start to taste unbearably sweet.

And if you cut out sugar completely for just three days, you will find that completely savoury foods, such as broccoli or carrots, taste unimaginably sweet and far more delicious than you remember.

If you suspect that sugar is ruling your life, you face a choice. You can cut down gradually — but this can take months and you will be constantly tempted. Or you can bite the bullet and go completely cold turkey. It’s tough, but it is instantly effective.

The first step is easy enough: just pick three consecutive days when you can eat to a very specific set of rules. The idea is to clear your system of all sugars and carbohydrates.

Foods included in The Sugar Detox also have a low fructose content — the simple sugar found in fruit, vegetables and honey.

For these three days, there’s no bread, rice, or pasta because starchy carbohydrates are a major contributor to sugar addiction. Instead, we replace them with vegetable carbohydrates that are full of fibre and can actually help lower your blood sugar.

So, just for three days, you should not eat:

Milk, yoghurt or cheese — dairy products contain lactose, a type of sugar, and so it is banned for the first three days to completely cleanse your system.

Wheat or other carbohydrates (pasta, cereal, bread, rice).

Added sugar of any kind.

Artificial sweeteners.

Alcohol.

Fruit (except lemon or lime juice).

Instead, you should fill up on lean meat, fish, eggs, or vegetarian forms of protein such as lentils, chickpeas and beans. You should also eat plenty of salad or low-carbohydrate vegetables.

Avoid starchy root vegetables like carrots and parsnips, and feast on green vegetables instead. Mushrooms, peppers and courgettes are also great.

Although fruit is a great source of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibre, it also contains a lot of sugar — or fructose — which raises blood sugar levels rapidly. Instead, you should stick to lemon and lime juice to add flavour.

It is important to drink lots of water — still or sparkling — and green, black or herbal tea.

You should aim for two litres a day. You are allowed one cup of  unsweetened black coffee per day, and a handful of unsalted, unsweetened nuts as a snack twice a day.

Chose olive oil or coconut oil for cooking, and liven your food up with a range of herbs and spices.

If you have any medical problem or blood sugar condition such as hypoglycemia, insulin resistance or diabetes, see your GP before starting any diet. The plan is not suitable for people who exercise intensively.