Page 30 - Seniors Today - March Issue
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cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla to your
food can trick your palate into believing its
tasting sugar.
Plan your meals: Always plan your day’s
meal in advance, keeping options for
snacking. Dieting without plans can be
difficult. Think of alternatives you can keep
in hand for the surge in sugar craving.
The benefits
The cravings reduce: This is one of the
first changes observed…in fact, after a Stress can cause sugar cravings – so try stress-busters
while, the sweet taste seems excessive and such as relaxing with a book, going for a walk or even
unpalatable. cooking
Feel focused: The fatigue and fogginess you severe symptoms than those who gradually
experience reduces with sugar detox. The taper off.
thinking clears up, you feel sharper. Most people feel the effects for a few days,
Lose weight: Reducing even a small amount some for a couple of weeks. As the body gets
of sugar can help reduce body weight. Get used to the low sugar, the side effects also
fitter, feel healthier! reduce.
More energy: Though the initial days may Symptoms experienced are both physical
leave you lethargic, ultimately the detox and mental.
leaves you with high levels of energy. Physical Symptoms:
Sleep is better: As the sugar cravings Fatigue: The first few days may leave you
reduce, people end up resting and sleeping fatigued and lethargic, as your body copes
better. with the low sugar levels.
Clear skin: Reducing sugars also helps Nausea
stabilise hormonal levels, giving us healthy, Lightheadedness
clearer skin. Also, the risk of skin cancer Headache and body ache
reduces. Bloating and stomach cramps
Other benefits include good dental Mental symptoms:
hygiene, good moods, less mood swings and The craving hit: Most people find
an overall sense of wellbeing. themselves craving sweets even more; they
might even crave other comfort food like
How it affects you chips, pasta. This is a phase; it passes as the
Cutting down sugar from your diet is body gets used to the detox.
bound to take its toll …. The body’s reaction Mood swings: Mood swings are quite
in various cases is different. The symptoms common, as lack of sugar reduces the
and their severity depend to a large extent triggering of dopamine and the feel-good
on the amount of sugar you have. hormones.
It also depends on how you cut back on Cognition difficulties: It sometimes
the cravings; people completely eliminating becomes difficult to focus on day-to-day
sugar from the diet are prone to get more activities. Concentration towards work or
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