Side effects of giving up sugar, caffeine & bread/wheat?

hug0

Hi everyone,

Ive gone cold turkey on sugar, alcohol, wheat and caffeine. Ive even stopped eating fruit to stop sugar cravings.

Feeling fairly crappy? Anyone done this successfully, Im planing on doing it for two weeks to try and get rid of some cravings. Then reintroduce some foods. Im eating plenty of protein,good fats and veg, and have added porridge some mornings when I feel I need it.

Could someone tell me how long the cravings and crappy feeling lasts for? Is it worth it? Im on day 4.

DarkBlonde

hug0 wrote: »

Hi everyone,

Ive gone cold turkey on sugar, alcohol, wheat and caffeine. Ive even stopped eating fruit to stop sugar cravings.

Feeling fairly crappy? Anyone done this successfully, Im planing on doing it for two weeks to try and get rid of some cravings. Then reintroduce some foods. Im eating plenty of protein,good fats and veg, and have added porridge some mornings when I feel I need it.

Could someone tell me how long the cravings and crappy feeling lasts for? Is it worth it? Im on day 4.

I'm on day 2 of this (but i did have a piece of fruit both days) and I'm feeling pretty crap right now. I am craving something sweet right now and I'm in terrible form So I'l be interested to hear a reply to this also.

EileenG

Yep, first few days are going to be hell. You'll probably get a headache and feel like a slug, as well as all the cravings etc. But it does get better.

BrendanCro

It gets better in a few days but you will find if you do eat bread/wheat will feel like crap.

I found berries and pineapple replaced the cravings for white bread.

Best of luck with it.

Axe Rake

Indeed, cutting out sugar, wheat, alcohol and caffeine is a seriously tough choice.

I would recommend that you try switching to Herbal teas instead of coffee, try spelt instead of wheat and keep a very keen eye on sugar free food. For example you can get no Added Sugar jams from Follain.

Best of luck and always remember that perseverance pays off

Batigol309

Is this a detox diet of some sorts...thinking of trying the caffeine myself

hug0

Ive started eating nairns oat cakes and porridge in the morning as felt fairly empty otherwise.

Im doing it to get rid of sugar cravings, binging on rubbish etc I thought I might as well do it all together. An added bonus would be lose a few pounds too!

Im waiting to wake up feeling great but Im just waking up groggy, headachey and feel in a bad mood. Day 5 now, I dont feel awful just not as wonderful as I thought I would be, maybe Im feeling a bit deprived!

You have a lot more time when you're not snacking!

How long should I give up alcohol for? Would two weeks do it? Whats the best drink to have then?

lynsalot

I'm doing this too and on day 2 i'm wrecked and lethargic. Headache very lazy and getting down on myself too but it helps to see that its a normal reaction and will get better.

Went to see a nutritionist yesterday who recommended cutting out the wheat as she believes I have an intolerance. Is the rye or spelt bread ok? I know it should be but think i'm cheating if i even buy bread lol

The doc I saw recommended things like home made coleslaw with raisins with helmans full fat and white wine vinegar. oat cakes with a small amount of real cheese. any kind i like.

Brown rice with veggies and protein in the evening. Lots of nuts and fruits to snack on throughout the day. Didn't say I should cut out the fruit by the way.

Spent a fortune in lidl and tesco and am taking supplements too. MorEpa Fish Oil Platinum and Super 8 pro biotics (udo's) and an anti fungal preparation too because of recurring thrush. I found holland and barrett ilac very helpful and boots in the ilac very helpful.

hug0

Good luck with it, I gave up wheat also, its very hard.

Im on day 7, only actually felt like myself this afternoon, has been really hard, Ive felt really down in myself and felt generally crap.

I went to holland and barretts yesterday and picked up some chromium, so not sure if that has helped or that its day 7! Feel better thank god. Really was starting to wonder was it worth it!

Not sure how its going to go when I drink again, anyone have any tips for that and staying sugar free? Im sure you get cravings again once you drink.

Anyone know why our bodies and mind feels so bad when giving sugar and the rest up? Is it psychologically or physical? I just didnt think it would last a full week!

EileenG

Sugar is highly addictive, and the combination of sugar and salt that appears in so many processed foods, anything from cornflakes to lasagne, is even more so.

As for drinking, I'd go for something like whiskey or brandy which is not at all sweet, and wouldn't be improved by adding sugar to it.

Lynslot, be careful of things like rice if you are trying to shift thrush/fungus. They don't contain sugar, but they turn to sugar very quickly in your body. Load on the green veggies instead.

DarkBlonde

Well I'm just finished my 5th day on this and I must say I am feeling great My head feels clearer and I'm not feeling bloated or sluggish. I even had a sneaky hop on the scales this morning and I'm down 2lb. I'm loving this way of eating. I got a bar of 85% chocolate in Aldi and I had a little bit last night when I had a craving for something sweet. A tiny bit done the job.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

if you're missing the hot drink that comes from cutting out caffeine try out rooibos tea, has no caffine and ismeant to be really good for you but the important thing is it tastes lovely. it's not like those herbal teas that are just water with a fruity flavour. it's a proper tea.

hug0

Im on day 9, feel good and stomach is pretty flat. Ive been pretty strict with it, no sugar or wheat at all. Just want to do 14 days and see how I feel, then I might reintroduce some fruit.

The horrible feeling only lifted on day 7. Is it true that gin is also a good choice for a drink as its yeast free? Will wine bring back my sugar cravings?

Will try that tea as sometimes the herbal isnt comforting enough!

SteelyDanJalapeno

lynsalot wrote: »

I'm doing this too and on day 2 i'm wrecked and lethargic. Headache very lazy and getting down on myself too but it helps to see that its a normal reaction and will get better.

Went to see a nutritionist yesterday who recommended cutting out the wheat as she believes I have an intolerance. Is the rye or spelt bread ok? I know it should be but think i'm cheating if i even buy bread lol

The doc I saw recommended things like home made coleslaw with raisins with helmans full fat and white wine vinegar. oat cakes with a small amount of real cheese. any kind i like.

Brown rice with veggies and protein in the evening. Lots of nuts and fruits to snack on throughout the day. Didn't say I should cut out the fruit by the way.

Spent a fortune in lidl and tesco and am taking supplements too. MorEpa Fish Oil Platinum and Super 8 pro biotics (udo's) and an anti fungal preparation too because of recurring thrush. I found holland and barrett ilac very helpful and boots in the ilac very helpful.

Brown rice is ****e! different coloured white rice

Bicky

By sugar free you mean refined sugars?
Surely not natural sugars from fruit etc?
If so, for what purpose?

tinner777

hug0 wrote: »

The horrible feeling only lifted on day 7. Is it true that gin is also a good choice for a drink as its yeast free? Will wine bring back my sugar cravings?

I'd be interested in the answer to this

No more caffeine? Good luck to you!!

wildflower

dont know the answer to the wine thing but i gave up all sugar and caffeine 6 months ago- cold turkey. was tough for week or so but now i hate sugary things but i still drink wine at weekends, max 1 bottle but usually 2-3 glasses and it doesnt seem to bring any other cravings on for me.

i find when its that time of the month i crave a tiny bit of chocolate but for some reason a slice of ham and cheese gets rid of it- i use the applewood smoked cheddar cheese which is a bit sweet. yum

try barrys caffeine free tea(blue box) until u get over the habit of needing a cup of tea- that took the longest for me- i loved a cup of tea and a bun everyday- used caffeine free tea until my caffeine craving was gone then i cut down the cups of tea 1 at a time, and now i just have one a week id say if even- totally broke the habit. i was told by a nutritionist that they put so much in to get rid of the caffeine that the decaf tea is probly worse for u at the end of the day but it def helps with the craving real tea- i hate herbal ones!

muirsheen

Hi Im trying to give up sugar and wondering are you still off the sugar and have you any tips for giving up , thanks

Shyker

I'm on day 2 but I'm still eating fruit - more of a "stop eating unhealthy crap" purge for me. Going good so far but I do feel like I have flu coming on and have pains in my arms! It's scary what bad food does to your body. Even in 2 days I've noticed my stomach seems to have sucked in about 2 inches:D

orangebud

Ive even stopped eating fruit to stop sugar cravings.

are you crazy fruits give you so much energy your not going to put on any weight with fruits so eat as much as you want, I on apple number 6 at the moment

Get yourself over to 30bananasaday.com

muirsheen

Im on day 3 of giving up sugar and white bread. The headaches Im getting are just awful and Im in crap mood. I hope this doesn't last long ! Anyone else feeling the same ?

El_Dangeroso

orangebud wrote: »

are you crazy fruits give you so much energy your not going to put on any weight with fruits so eat as much as you want, I on apple number 6 at the moment

Get yourself over to 30bananasaday.com

Bearing in mind that although fruit is good and nutritious, it is NOT healthy to eat nothing but fruit. There are case reports in the medical literature of people getting ketoacidosis eating like this, considering how marginal the diet is, that speaks to a much wider problem.

I don't expect to change your mind because most fruitarians tend to be, shall we say, evangelical. I just want to give people a heads up that promoting this level of extreme diet contravenes the charter of this forum.

4.
There will be zero-tolerance of any pro-ana topics, discussions of pharmaceutical weight-loss aids or crash dieting. This forum is to promote healthy and varied eating - not to advise you in how to drop a stone in a week.

(emphasis mine)

orangebud

Hey El_Dangeroso im not a fruitarian and i dont think i ever will be, but since i got sick last year (hyperthyroidism ) i slowly changed my diet to more fruit and veg the changes were remarkable, I still eat meat but not as much as before

Was at doctor last month blood pressure was great same with my blood test unbelievable considering last year they wanted to take my thyroid out

Have a nice day

El_Dangeroso

orangebud wrote: »

Hey El_Dangeroso im not a fruitarian and i dont think i ever will be, but since i got sick last year (hyperthyroidism ) i slowly changed my diet to more fruit and veg the changes were remarkable, I still eat meat but not as much as before

Was at doctor last month blood pressure was great same with my blood test unbelievable considering last year they wanted to take my thyroid out

Have a nice day

Oh cool, it's just that you referenced the 30bad website and that place is a very biased source of info, they tend to censor anyone who dares disagree with them too.

Well done on the lifestyle change, I'm glad it's working out for you!

Shyker

muirsheen wrote: »

Im on day 3 of giving up sugar and white bread. The headaches Im getting are just awful and Im in crap mood. I hope this doesn't last long ! Anyone else feeling the same ?

I'm also on day three of the sugar-cutting out experiment and am getting headaches Muirsheen. I've also been like a demon! Also went for a run this morning and thought I was going to throw up which is something that's never happened to me before. Am determined to persevere though! And one good sign - my concentration has improved 100%. Makes work a whole pile easier.

Kinetic^

The biggest side effect for me was that my snoring stopped. I also gave up dairy.

Treat the withdrawal symptoms as you would treat a cold. They take 2/3 days to get through. Drink tonnes of hot drinks (water with lemon juice), be strong and disciplined and get your rest.

Your body's energy pattern is about to be returned to normal process, but for most people it's been so long that they'll be jaded for a couple of days afterwards. This is normal, don't be too worried about being tired. Plenty of good oily fats and you will return to a more normalised feeling.

EdoErgoSum

El_Dangeroso wrote: »

Bearing in mind that although fruit is good and nutritious, it is NOT healthy to eat nothing but fruit. There are case reports in the medical literature of people getting ketoacidosis eating like this, considering how marginal the diet is, that speaks to a much wider problem.

I don't expect to change your mind because most fruitarians tend to be, shall we say, evangelical. I just want to give people a heads up that promoting this level of extreme diet contravenes the charter of this forum.

(emphasis mine)

There is one:

The present paper presents the first clinical case of a patient suffering from Frutarianism a new "Eating disorder" and severe Ketoacidosis. The life-style feed strictly only on fruits (not even other vegetables, since plant death is necessary previous consumption).This behavioural alteration frequently leads to starvation and the subsequent Ketoacidosis due to starvation.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21519781

muirsheen

Day 7 now and still have bad headaches and very tired. Lost 3 pounds which is great

EdoErgoSum

muirsheen wrote: »

Day 7 now and still have bad headaches and very tired. Lost 5 pounds which is great

W. Duffty gives tips how to get rid of sugar addiction in his book "Sugar Blues" ( try to find ebook)

Try to eat carbs before you'll go to bed, it will rise your serotonin level, just in cease if you have problem falling asleep because of headache

it takes time to switch

FGR

How in the name of goodness do you fight the urge to grab a bar of chocolate and inhale it is beyond me.

I find calorie counting hard enough as it is..but fighting the loss of all sugars cold turkey? Maximum respect..!

RandolphEsq

I'm trying to build myself up to what some of you guys are doing so am (slightly more than ) gradually cutting down on the carbs that sugar as well for the past couple days. Pounding headache though as if I'm hungover. Was going to go to the doctor, but not after reading this thread seeing that others who cut down on sugar also do this. Been eating bagloads of spinach and drinking lots of water. 2 squares of dark chocolate as an after-dinner treat. When I have gone for a run it feels like my head will explode.
I'm asking myself is it easier to keep cutting or to turn back to the carb side? Right now I am contemplating going into the kitchen, getting two slices of bread and lashing some peanut butter and honey onto them and gorging!

EdoErgoSum

RandolphEsq wrote: »

I'm asking myself is it easier to keep cutting or to turn back to the carb side?

as G. Taubes said, when you are addicted to cigarettes and you try to get rid of this addiction you will suffer from headache, bad mood etc, those symptoms are the reason to get back to addiction? same with the carbs


Are Carbs More Addictive Than Cocaine?


http://www.details.com/style-advice/the-body/201103/carbs-caffeine-food-cocaine-addiction?currentPage=1

gavtron

RandolphEsq wrote: »

I'm trying to build myself up to what some of you guys are doing so am (slightly more than ) gradually cutting down on the carbs that sugar as well for the past couple days. Pounding headache though as if I'm hungover. Was going to go to the doctor, but not after reading this thread seeing that others who cut down on sugar also do this. Been eating bagloads of spinach and drinking lots of water. 2 squares of dark chocolate as an after-dinner treat. When I have gone for a run it feels like my head will explode.
I'm asking myself is it easier to keep cutting or to turn back to the carb side? Right now I am contemplating going into the kitchen, getting two slices of bread and lashing some peanut butter and honey onto them and gorging!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unkIVvjZc9Y