Sugar Withdrawal Symptoms
Sugar is a common ingredient in many types of food. It might occur naturally in food, such as fructose in fruits, while it is also added to some foods to help make them taste sweeter. Although it does help food taste good, it is not without its downside and some people will need to try and avoid it.
Medical conditions like diabetes can mean people need to avoid sugar, while low carb diets are also popular. Cutting out sugar can help to prevent unwelcome symptoms from certain medical conditions and provide various health benefits. It can take some time for the system to adjust to it though, and withdrawal can cause a number of symptoms.
1. Craving Sweet Food
When we get hungry, the need to eat something can become quite overbearing, even very uncomfortable. Most of the time we will be happy with just about anything that we are usually able to get. Some people, however, can develop a craving for a specific type of food.
If you have recently stopped eating sugar then the body will be telling you that you need some more. This can result in people craving for sugary foods regardless of whether or not they have eaten recently. These cravings will eventually die down once your body adjusts to not having sugar in your diet.
2. Craving Carbohydrates
Sugar is a type of carbohydrate, but still it tends to be placed in a category of its own away from other carbs. In addition to craving sugars, people that have recently quit eating sugar are also likely to have cravings for other types of carbs. Depending on your reason for quitting sugar, it is probably important that you resist the urge to eat carbs also.
Other types of carbs are also packed full of energy and can also affect a diabetic’s blood sugar levels. It is especially important to avoid them if you are trying a low carb diet. Foods that contain carbs include bread, rice, and potatoes.
3. Insomnia
Our sleep wake cycles are usually fairly regular. We’d usually go to bed at around the same time and wake in the morning at around the same time. This is especially the case during the week when we tend to have jobs to go to and other commitments to meet.
If you have recently cut sugar from your diet, however, then the sleeping pattern can be difficult to stick to. People can find it difficult to get to sleep and, if they do fall asleep, they will often find that they keep on waking. Sleeping patterns are likely to return to normal once the patient has adjusted to not consuming sugar.
4. Difficulty Focusing
It is important to a lot of people that we are able to keep sharp and focused; this helps us to do our job and also helps with our social life. In order to do so, it is necessary that we continue to take good care of ourselves. This basically means getting enough sleep, keeping active, and eating well.
If there is a change in our diets then we might find it difficult to concentrate as well as we usually would. Sugar plays a big part in our energy levels and the brain can struggle to get the energy it needs if sugar is suddenly absent.
5. Nausea
Our bodies get used to being treated in certain ways, including how much sugar we put in them. If we make a sudden and considerable change to how much sugar we consume, for example, then it can be quite a shock to the system. The body can feel quite ill as a result of the ‘shock’.
Some people that suddenly remove sugar from their diet will feel quite nauseous at times. It can make them feel quite unwell and, in some cases, it might also cause them to vomit. The good news is that the nausea should pass once the patient’s body has adjusted accordingly.
6. Pins And Needles
Energy is also important in helping our body to send and receive messages. The nervous system runs throughout the body, allowing even our extremities to feel sensations. When a problem occurs in the system, it can mean that the patient is unable to feel as well as they usually would.
A sudden cut of sugar n the blood can have an impact on the nervous system, and this can result in pins and needles. Other people might feel numbness. This should only be temporary, but these sensations can suggest a potentially serious problem so they should not be treated with complacency.
7. Fatigue
As mentioned, sugar is one of the main sources of energy for a lot of people. If this energy source was suddenly removed then it is understandable that we will be lacking the energy we need to be active. At least, that is, until the body adjusts to take its energy from other sources.
Fatigue is a fairly common symptom among people that have recently cut sugar from their diets. It is not just that the patient gets tired, which in itself is quite normal, but the patient finds it difficult to be energized regardless of how much food and rest they get.
8. Dizziness
If, for whatever reason, you have not eaten enough food then you might find that you become dizzy. This is because your body does not have enough energy, meaning the brain cannot be supplied with the energy that it needs. Unable to function at its full capacity, the brain will struggle to cope and we will feel dizzy as a result.
People that are suffering from sugar withdrawal will also not have enough energy, so they will also sometimes experience dizziness. Some sugar may help to overcome the issue, but it is best to try and get through it because the symptom will pass in time.
9. Restlessness
It is important that we are able to relax from time to time. Without some relaxation, our levels of cortisol will remain high and this can be a problem for us in the short term and the long term. The good news is that most people are able to relax some of the time.
This is often not the case, however, for people that are suffering from sugar withdrawal symptoms. People that have recently cut sugar from their diet will often feel restless, nervous and irritable for no apparent reason. The symptom should pass before long, but make sure to see a professional if it does not.
10. Depression
Sugar withdrawal will also make some people generally feel down and not in the mood to take part even in their favorite activities. This is a normal symptom of sugar withdrawal and the patient should begin to feel better once their body adjusts.
While it should only be a temporary condition if sugar withdrawal is concerned, the patient should be found expert assistance if the symptom persists. Depression is often called the silent killer because those with it will often try and hide it from others. As such, it can be very valuable to learn the signs of depression in other people, and in yourself.
