A couple weeks ago, I posted about my new nutrition plan and why I was doing it. As a recap, I am following a plan called the GAPS diet, which basically means my digestive system is not a happy camper. The past four months have been very stressful, which led to an excess of cortisol being released (stress hormone), sugar and refined carb cravings, poor nutrition, and then an overgrowth of candida.
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Candida is a fungus/yeast that we all have a little bit of in our digestive systems. However, if it grows out of control, you get pretty scary symptoms. Since starting to detox from things like sugar, soy, dairy, gluten (grains), and refined carbs, these are the symptoms I have experienced:
- hives (daily)
- migraines (6 days in a row)
- fatigue, no matter how healthy I eat
- difficulty sleeping
- abdominal/digestive pain/bloating
- irritability, mood swings, depression
- muscle pain, especially in my legs
- weight gain
- acne (I haven’t had acne in YEARS!!!!)
- intense sugar and refined carb cravings
I could go on and on, but those are the ones that really stood out to me. It has been a rough 3 weeks! But I feel like I am finally getting over the hump of the worst part. I started a 21 day cleanse (through Herbalife), I’m taking a supplement called FloraFiber daily (probiotics), and I just ordered goldenseal root (to push the candida out) and another probiotic. I already feel so much better!! I definitely have a ways to go with getting healthy again, but I can already feel a difference, and it is soo comforting!
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Sugar addiction and sugar detoxing are no joke. I was blaming myself for having a hard time cutting it out completely, but I was reassured that it really is my body that craves the sugar! It’s so similar to a drug addiction, it’s crazy. Did you know sugar is 8 times more addicting than cocaine? There was a study done on rats, and the rats chose the sugar over the cocaine every time.
Anyway, I feel like I’m rambling. I wanted to share a little bit of an update about this sugar detox since I know a few of you are following my updates (which I so so appreciate!!). If anything, I have totally learned how essential it is to truly take care of our bodies. Yes, I knew it was important before, but I feel like now, I have a deeper understanding of why we need to nourish our bodies with real food and get those toxins out through exercise. So many of us are living with poor gut health, and we don’t even realize it! I can’t stress enough how important it is to take care of our digestive system. 90% of our immune system is in our gut.
Healthy gut = happy life. 🙂
lyndsinreallife
That is crazy that sugar is 8 times more addicting than cocaine! What a stat!
I know right?! I just read that on another sugar addiction blog- I totally will find the source of the study and share it! I believe it though. It’s crazy!
A months ago I went cold turkey and cut out all processed sugars and it was like having an addiction withdrawal (well, what I’ve read) it was awful and I realized how addicted to sugar I was.
It’s so true!! Some compare it to a heroin withdrawal. I tried cold turkey and it was soo hard, so I am doing it in steps. Which is still hard! LOL. How are you doing with it now?
Once you cut out sugar, you won’t even miss it. I used to put it on and in everything! So gross to think about it. My FIL is a big advocate of probiotics. I am surprised I didn’t get any large bottles for Christmas (but my daughter did) They probably would help with a few of my issues but it’s just easier to skip certain foods then is it to go buy the pills and remember to take them. Good luck with the rest of your cleanse. And kick that sugar but don’t rip anyone’s face off in the process. Those withdraw symptoms can be nasty – LOL
Awesome! I take supplements every day so I don’t have any issues remembering to take them. I won’t be taking probiotics forever, just to help flush it all out for about a month! I am getting to the point where sugar isn’t even appealing to me, and it makes me feel soo yucky, so that’s good! lol. Yeah, the withdrawal symptoms are rough! LOL. Thanks Mary!
Proud of you baby! Just keep picking away at it 1 day at a time. My brother relapsed twice with heroin, so if the withdrawals are as bad, it makes sense that its a challenge. He has also been clean for a year now, so getting past them is past possible.
Thanks love! Yeah I saw his one year anniversary of being sober is today 🙂 so exciting! I’ve cut sugar out once before, I can do it again. All about getting that mindset right. My mental health coaching with Nellie has been so life-changing already- I can’t wait to see how much better things get going forward! 🙂