Sugar is the most widely over consumed substance in the world, and according to the American Heart Foundation, we don’t need any added sugar in out bodies to function correctly (https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sugar/sugar-101#.WsuvJCOZM6U).

Aside from being one of the most popular and profitable commodities, it is now more of a problem than ever. It has become the go to ‘drug’ among the millions, billions of users. That’s exactly what this article discusses here: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/jan/05/is-sugar-worlds-most-popular-drug. But it also puts forward the pointing to the question, “How long before no gathering of family and friends was complete without it.” We all know that the kind of gatherings this refers to include holiday season, birthdays, festivals, parties and even dessert after dinner.

The sugar itself does cause a pleasurable feeling, acting on the same part of the brain as drugs like nicotine. In fact, sugar is added to cigarettes which causes it to taste sweet, and enables deep inhalation. It is used to make rum, and used in tea and coffee chocolate. It really is a drug, no matter the natural source, or the uses. It is also the most dangerous, causing many diseases ranging from heart disease to cancer and diabetes. When they introduced the sugar tax, Coke kept the original amount of sugar and paid the tax, however many brands initially put prices up but then saw sales drop, so they reduced the sugar content instead so that the prices were the same.

What happens when you stop taking added sugar or high sugar foods and opt for a natural, sugar less diet? There will likely be a host of symptoms, depending on your level of use. It can be a great lifestyle choice, which will improve mind, body and soul. Unfortunately though the lie that glucose is the main source of fuel has caused this issue, anyone who has been on a keto diet, or any diet not carbohydrate based will know that is simply not true. The body uses fat, fat is the more effective and preferred fuel for the body. You can function longer, harder and happier when you don’t rely on glucose. You eat, then turn to blood glucose, the insulin helps shove into cells, which can either use or store as glycogen, and the rest gets stored to fat. So, the end result of insulin production is fat storage. Lots of insulin is not the answer to lowering blood sugar. What it results in is more fat storage and insulin resistance because the cells are full.

To reduce the sugar in the blood there is 4 ways: to cram the sugar from the bloodstream to the cell – through insulin use. 2nd, to convert the sugar into something else, like triglycerides. 3rd, the blood sugar goes so high that the kidneys can’t absorb it anymore and it spills out into the urine. 4th, don’t put so much sugar into your body, as the lie about glucose would have you believe.

Now onto the actual symptoms: You can experience both physical and mental symptoms, some of which can be awful while others a minor change. Again it comes down to how much added sugar you were having, which I suspect is significantly more than you might realise. This lasts a couple of days, to weeks.

Depression, anxiety, changes in sleep patterns, cognitive issues, cravings are all mental symptoms.

Run down, light headed, dizziness, nausea, fatigue, headaches, muscle aches, lack of energy, bloating, stomach cramps, are all physical symptoms. It sounds real daunting.

What can you do to help those symptoms? Well fluctuation in blood sugar would contribute to these symptoms, so no matter what you will feel some effect of lower blood sugar. You can try increasing intake of magnesium, which helps with headaches and blood sugar regulation. You need a recommended dietary intake of around 310mg to 420mg each day. Food sources include spinach, nuts and seeds, poultry and beef and black beans. I recommend taking a multi vitamin as you detox. Walking and keeping active can keep you distracted, or even some type of work or a hobby. Just like people who quit smoking, you are entitled to say you are withdrawing, and you may be irritable.😁

A final word of caution is that someone used to high sugar diets, or a junk food or unhealthy diet loaded with carbs will have a harder time. You would be best to eat sugar if you experience hypoglycemia, which I would suggest going to a doctor for if you experience this. It includes fast heart rate, shaking and sweating, dizziness, confusion and occasionally you might panic. But this can be avoided by proper meal planning. A higher fiber diet with sufficient fruits and vegetables is a healthier option.

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Are you eating too much sugar?