Withdrawing From An Unhealthy Lifestyle

For some people changing their lifestyle can be very difficult. They can suffer from withdrawal symptoms from the old lifestyle on three levels: physical, mental and emotional.  Physical pains can come from some very real changes in biochemical processes in the body. Psychological pain can result if the bad habit was somehow protective of an inner vulnerability. Mental issues such as foggy thinking or memory loss can be the result of liver cleansing and the fatigue that can come with a body that is trying to repair and cleanse itself.

Common Withdrawal Symptoms

The good thing is these symptoms pass in just a couple of days.  Many people become cranky and lethargic.  It is very common to get headaches, foggy thinking and fatigued. If you are quitting caffeine or cigarettes, you could get constipated.

Some people have insufferable cravings for sugar when they go on one of these fasts.  Caffeine addicts can also have a hard time.  Both caffeine and sugar are really hard to withdraw from if you have been eating it any day.

If you are a steady drinker and you give up alcohol, you will likely experience the stress and anxiety that you were trying to blot out with your drinking.  If you are drinking to obliterate reality then you might see changing your habits as a chance to deal with your problems and traumas. 

Sometimes breaking a bad habit is not as bad as it seems especially when your start producing your own endorphins as the result of exercising more and eating right. This decreases your dependence on whatever it is you are addicted to in life whiter it be sugar, fat, salt, nicotine or alcohol.

Alcohol acts a lot like sugar does in the body and you may feel agitated if you don’t get your fix.  Giving up caffeine makes some people very moody and jittery.  Giving up gluten (breads and starches), however, sometimes gives some people an immediate relief from any irritable bowel type symptoms. Processed flours also act in the body much the same way sugar does.

Meatless Without Misery

Not eating meat can make some people feel quite lethargic as well. There are plenty of proteins and amino acids in plant-based food, without all the unhealthy fat and additives. However, if meat was the mainstay of your diet before the fast you may not feel that great and experience a lot of cravings until you get used to the idea of eating more alkaline foods.  Alkaline foods tend to be vegan whereas meats tend to be acidic in nature.

Not Everyone Has Symptoms

Some people do not have a hard time at all when they switch from an acidic to alkaline diet and almost everyone feels lighter and more energetic within a day or two of eliminating acidic foods from their diet and replacing them with more alkaline ones.

Be patient. Your physicality needs to have a chance to find its own natural balance.

After changing your diet from an acidic one to an alkaline one you are left with more balanced blood sugar and freedom from old addictions.  You will hopefully be onto a newer and healthier routine that includes the balancing of your blood sugar, weight loss and freedom from addictions.

For more information about the Healthy & Active Program please visit our website at www.healthy-active.com. You may also call us in Toronto at (41) 440-2217 and ask for Adrienne Wright Bulow or Dr. Michael Rahman or email us at adrienne@healthy-active.com.