Sugar withdrawal

[Susie]

I sometimes feel like I eat too much cake/ biscuits, and after a bit of a sugar binge last week I thought I would try cutting out sugar for a bit (also because sometimes when I eat very sweet things I get a headache, palpitations etc so I worry it isn't that good for me). I am still eating fruit and a bit of honey (not much) but ever since I stopped the refined sugar I have had a terrible headache and felt really lethargic. I'm pretty sure I don't have flu or anything like that and I very, very rarely get headaches. Can cutting out sugar really make you feel this bad? (I have googled ;-), for what it's worth, the internet says you can get every symptom under the sun from sugar withdrawal, I just wondered if people I 'knew' had experienced it!).

If it really is sugar withdrawal then I am clearly just too delicate to live if I managed to actually get physically addicted to chocolate biscuits. That's hardly wild living, is it?

[Berti]

hi susie, had to smile :)
YES .....if you are hooked on sweet and you quit, then you get withdrawal symptoms.
lots of people are addicted to sugar without even realising so you already made the first step!!
congrats!
after the first week things will improve.

if you feel you NEED sugar and otherwise feel THAT BAD, I would ask your GP to check your bloodsugar levels.......its possible that your body is asking for sugar for a reason and better to close that out huh?
also something many people don't realise......and can have without knowing.

no need to worry.....you did the right thing for your body and if you keep it up will feel MUCH better in two weeks time.
I have lived without sugar for quite a long time (now i do use it but only as needed....) and I was surprised how much more energy I had without any sugar!

keep us posted girl.

[Annpan]

I think you should take it easy on yourself... cut down slowly rather than putting yourself through all this pain.

I get headaches and dizziness if I haven't had anything sugary, a digestive biscuit usually sorts it out.

I have no doubt cutting these things out entirely is better for your body, but I don't think that a few biscuits a week are that bad a thing.

[Berti]

no those few bisquits a week also serve a purpose, they feed your soul!! :D :D :D
sometimes we need to sweeten up our lives..........

[oldjerry]

When I was about 17 I had a farm labouring job which involved pulling and packing leeks in a bloody great field in Worcestershire.Mostly the 2 or 3 of us sheltered from the rain in the back of Bobs Anglia van.One day Bob didn't turn up,heart attack at 46.When he finally returned after about a month,while we were enjoying a roll up he said :'the doc's said,Give up the booze,and give up the baccy,and I told'ee then I'll give up the other an then give up all to f----ng gether!!.......................I've never forgotten that sentiment...............(mind you he was dead within a twelve month).

[JillStephens7]

Yes sugar withdrawal can cause terrible headaches and lethargy. I would agree that cutting down gradually might be a gentler way to go (unless you're trying to deal with candida or something that needs starving of sugar).

I think the difficult thing about cutting down gradually is that the idea that biscuits could possibly be eaten in ones!

[tinacarolan]

hi all
I was looking into this myself also candida feeds off sugar so I got a test done
it was at the link posted does not exist was very helpful and got antifungal tablets to bring it back into balance
and the cravings went .I am always researching about the body hope this helps
love to hear back

[skinnimini]

I have to severely limit my sugar intake, if I over indulge I feel sick. I hardly ever buy biscuits and cake, because if I did I would pig out on them. I am not to be trusted with them in the house. Makes shopping a lot easier, don't even go down those aisles. It takes a lot of will power but it has to be done for my health. Try and cut down gradually over a period of time.

[southeast-isher]

I use about 1 KG of sugar a week in tea and coffee which is pretty horrendous - i'm going to get some honey from the supermarket again which although expensive if not keeping bees i think it's a healthier option.

[skinnimini]

I use about 1 KG of sugar a week in tea and coffee which is pretty horrendous - i'm going to get some honey from the supermarket again which although expensive if not keeping bees i think it's a healthier option.

Funny you should say that, I now have a spoonfull of honey in my daily one cup of coffee. Slightly more expensive but worth it I feel.

[Green Aura]

Blimey, 1Kg of sugar is 4000 calories! And has no nutritional value, just puts stress on your pancreas and may be linked to mental health problems.

Have a look at this, southeast-isher.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the ... ising-link

OK, lecture over.