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How To Deal With Sugar Withdrawal

Isiah Nutrition , ,
Personal Training Kenmore

You may not be aware of it, but you are addicted to sugar. Even if you don’t have a huge sweet tooth, you’d be surprised to learn just how much sugar your system consumes daily through various foods and drinks. It’s not just about sweet stuff you get from desserts and pastries, you can get sugar even from the (seemingly) healthiest food sources. Some surprising sources of added sugar are bread (even whole grain), salad dressing, yoghurt, pasta sauce, sauces, canned and frozen fruit, and nut butters.

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Sugar addiction, though, is very real and has debilitating consequences, both physically and mentally. Cravings, irritability, mood swings, flu-like symptoms, aches, fatigue and general malaise are just some of the motions one can go through upon completely quitting sugar. Some studies have even observed that sugar withdrawal and impulsive behaviour are linked.

According to experts, sugar can act like a drug in the body and building a dependence will lead to strong symptoms when the withdrawal begins. Like drugs, sugar can spike the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which can bring about feelings of pleasure. Eventually, the brain becomes tolerant and needs increased dosage to attain a “sugar high.” If you feel like you’ve become much too reliant on sugar to feel good, there are some practical ways to combat this along with speaking to a doctor.

Go cold turkey

First, you need to learn how to quit sugar. Like any addiction, there’s no better way of quitting than by quitting completely. Simply reducing one’s sugar intake risks bending the rules. This doesn’t have to mean forever, though. Start out with three full days of no sugar and see how it goes from there. The first three days are usually the most grueling when it comes to eradicating an addiction. Also, be aware of hidden sources of sugar, like fruit and dairy. Other sweet sources that don’t appear to be sugar, but really are, include: corn syrup, maltose, fructose, dextrose, molasses, agave, brown rice syrup, cane sugar, cane syrup, and evaporated cane juice. Also, be aware of eating out at restaurants. You will need to be very selective as to what you order.

Combat cravings

Prepare for urges by stocking up on foods that can fight off your need for sugar. Spicy, savoury food can actually help with this. Load up your dishes with herbs and spices as well as onion, garlic and lime. Vanilla extract, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cardamom are great, flavourful additions to any drink or dish. These bright and bold flavours can ease your body’s worries that all that it’s consuming is bland, terrible food. Keep yourself energised through healthy fats, such as avocado and nuts. Lean protein like eggs, turkey and legumes will also aid in preventing the rise of blood sugar levels, which leads to those sugar cravings.

Switch to natural sugars

Slowly but surely, you can incorporate sweet stuff into your diet, but this time you should stick to natural sugars. A serving or two of an apple or banana can help you ease back into the swing of things. If you previously enjoyed flavoured yoghurt with bits of fruit in them, go for plain full-fat yoghurt instead. Avoid artificial or chemical sweeteners like Splenda, because you’d simply crave more afterwards. Eventually, the withdrawal symptoms should ease and your body will get used to natural sugar only.

How To Fight Overeating

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Personal Training Kenmore

Why do we have a tendency to overeat? We know it can lead to weight gain, poor digestion, risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease, and other issues, yet we’re often compelled to eat more than necessary. Self-control is also more than just deciding to “stop.” If we understand what factors lead to overeating, we can find effective ways to combat them.

Among the many factors that contribute to overeating are stress, lack of sleep, seeking comfort in food, excessive snacking and eating too fast. Stress increases our cortisol levels, which promotes hunger and overeating. Furthermore, some people simply find comfort in indulging in foods, particularly salty and sugary snacks.

Not enough sleep throws our hormones off balance as well and can have us feeling hungrier than normal when we wake up. If you’re having a hard time sleeping at night, absolutely avoid these foods before going to bed: chocolate, alcohol, fatty foods, dried fruit, spicy foods, peppermint, pizza, sugary cereals, caffeine, burgers, chips, and green tea.

If you’re on the road to weight loss, you’re probably skipping meals or banning yourself from certain foods. Even if you’re too busy to eat a meal, that’s no reason to essentially starve yourself. This could lead to an eating disorder and result in a depletion of nutrients, and then you’ll have bigger things to worry about than losing weight.

If you’re prone to eating fast because you’re in a rush, try to slow down. When we consume food, it takes a while for our brain to receive a signal from the stomach that we’re had enough. Before that signal is activated, we’re inclined to eat more and more until we’re uncomfortably stuffed. Dieticians recommend stretching your mealtime up to 20 minutes.

Another favourite practice of people on diets is avoiding your favorite foods and surviving on plain salads, and that’s also not the way to go. Dieticians recommend having a small portion of what you’re craving. Don’t be afraid to eat your favourite food; just don’t overdo it.

Personal Training KenmoreIf you’re a workout junkie, be wary. After long, brutal sessions at the gym, you probably notice it’s more difficult to control your appetite. Don’t push yourself too hard or your body might trigger an insatiable hunger. Make sure to stay hydrated as well. The brain can confuse thirst for hunger. So, before reaching for a snack, try a glass of water instead.

Having a hard time gauging your hunger? Try using the hunger scale. As you become more mindful, it’s easier to recognize what’s nourishing versus what’s overindulging. Before you eat, consider which state you’re in.

  1. Starving – Your stomach feels uncomfortably empty and you feel light-headed. This is because of low blood sugar levels. You’re more likely to binge when in this state.
  2. Hungry – You’re already eagerly thinking if your next meal. If you don’t eat within the hour, you could slip into starving.
  3. Moderately Hungry – Your stomach has just started growling. This is the perfect time to eat.
  4. Satisfied – You’re feeling relaxed and neither full or hungry.
  5. Full – Your belly feels bloated and your food doesn’t taste as good as it did a few moments ago. You may be eating out of momentum more than hunger.
  6. Stuffed – You’re feeling uncomfortable as your stomach acids are rising into your esophagus and result in some mild heartburn.

Why So Many Diets?

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Personal Training Kenmore

You’ve just decided you want to go on a diet and you tell yourself you’ll stick to it this time. But a after few minutes of browsing online, you’ve become overwhelmed by all of the different diets you’re supposed to (or think you’re supposed to) go on. The first question to ask is why are you going on a diet? What do you need to take out as well as add to your daily food intake and how will these changes affect your body? Most people’s answer would be their goal is to lose weight. The next question is, which diet is best for you?

If you want to be one of those who have found genuine results through a new diet, there are a few things you must know as to why diets “work.” First of all, diets have clear rules. This requires a change in both your caloric and nutritional intake. You will also have to make some changes beyond your body, like cleaning out foods going against your dietary guides. Lastly, you will also need to modify your behaviour. The latter has been found to be highly important. A heightened self-awareness allows you to make more informed and effective choices, whether it’s taking the time to read ingredients and nutritional facts when grocery shopping or passing on a sugary midnight snack.

Personal Training near meWhat about failed diets? Why do so many people falter? The reasons why people fail on diets include that they’re unrealistic, unscientific or too drastic. The person may also not be complementing the new diet with other lifestyle changes like more sleep and regular exercise. Some people also lack a support system of friends or family who can keep them in check and are aware of their new dietary needs.

Not every diet will work for everyone. Sure, there are plenty that have devout followers, but it’s important to know which ones are backed by research. Diets are usually seen as a “quick fix” targeting weight loss, but the reality is that an actual dietary change takes knowledge, time and commitment. There is also the misconception that going on a diet means cutting down calories (essentially starving yourself) or going on a “cleanse.” Either way, it’s best to consult with a medical professional or a dietician if you are serious about going on some form of diet, whether it’s low carb, high-carb, vegetarian, vegan, pescetarian, dairy-free, gluten-free, paleo, and so on.

Health enthusiasts and scientists agree there is no one specific diet you should adhere to. There is no “best” or “most effective” diet for everybody. You can read a compelling argument for the ketogenic diet now, but then read an equally stirring article on veganism the next. Research shows the habits of people who successfully lose weight are those who restrict their calorie intake, stay away from high-fat foods, watch their portion sizes, and exercise regularly at varying degrees of intensity. These people also tend to eat breakfast and add diversity to their meals.

Overall, losing weight and maintaining your ideal weight can seem intimidating, mainly due to the impossible standards society has up to measure one’s success. It is recommended that quick diets are a no go, but rather committing instead to long-term lifestyle changes.

5 Easy Ways to Rev Up Your Workout

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Tired of following the same upper body-lower body routine week after week? Or maybe just the thought of reviving your old standby routine makes you want to cringe in disgust.

Personal Training KenmoreNo matter what your reason is for losing interest in working out, only one thing’s for sure — you’ve hit workout fatigue. If you notice, it seems a lot harder to get yourself to hit the gym and maintain your enthusiasm which then reflects on your physical progress.

This doesn’t mean you won’t have any progress at all though. Workouts, no matter how repetitive and boring they are, are still productive. However, this progress won’t last long if you are unable to keep up with your routine consistently. So, what is the solution? It’s time to change things up!

There’s NO need to change your workout routine. Just tweak it a little bit to boost your way to the right path. Here’s how.

DO THE SAME MOVES DIFFERENTLY

Like I said, you don’t need to change your entire routine. Just do a bit of tweaking so you won’t have to let go of an exercise you actually enjoy.

Let’s say you’re bored by repetition. What you can do is change an exercise with a new alternative instead of totally taking it off of the routine. So, change the back squat for a front squat. Same goes with using dumbbells, switch up to barbells occasionally, or vice versa.

TRY NEW MOVES

If you’re getting bored of the same old routine, try adding some new movements to hike up the challenge and keep it interesting. We tend to go back to the things we’re most comfortable with but it’s always a good idea to pepper in some new steps from time to time.

Think of things you haven’t had the chance to try yet: a new sport, a new kind of exercise, or a new workout class perhaps? This will not only improve your workout routine, you may be surprised to find out there are other things you might love.

CHANGE UP YOUR REST

It’s commonplace to maintain a 50-second rest period between sets, especially for hypertrophy sets. This generally likens to 1:1 work-rest ratio enough to aid you to build muscles. The occasional change to more or less rest between sets can be enough to make the training session interesting again.

CHANGE THE TEMPO

The ultimate goal here is to put your muscles under stress. More often than not, we try to do the movement too quickly which kind of defeats the purpose, especially if hypertrophy is your goal.

For the eccentric phase (lowering part of the squat) especially, take more time. If the eccentric phase normally takes you 3 seconds, try doubling it to 6 seconds occasionally. This is an effective way of increasing the time your muscles are under tension while working out.

TRY TO INSERT SOME PAUSES

To ramp up the challenge, try to add in a pause before starting the concentric phase of an exercise, or even try stopping during the eccentric phase of the exercise. This step breaks the momentum, giving your muscles more work to overcome the loss of momentum.

 

Source: https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/how-to-switch-up-your-workout