Sugar high, really

Since I started my whole get fitter/lighter process last month, I haven't ingested much sugar. I didn't avoid it entirely, but was using quite small quantities - a spoonful of jam here, a bit of honey there, that sort of thing. (It's also hard to avoid all sugar in Japanese cooking - a bit is often added to enhance the flavor.)

I never had a big sweet tooth to start with, so I didn't really miss sugary snacks that much in a physical sense. But I did miss the whole idea and process of making something sweet, of the house filling up with those smells. Besides, Valentine's Day is coming up this week and that means chocolate!

So an afternoon of experimentation followed, which resulted in the spiced chocolate cupcakes. The cupcakes were divine, and I overindulged and had three in a row.

What happened right afterwards was quite odd. I almost felt like I had smoked some pot or something. I felt lightheaded, the room was swimming slightly, I saw some odd flashes of color, and my speech got rather slurred. This all went away after flopping on the sofa for a good half hour or so. Still, it was a slightly scary sensation.

I suppose I've weaned myself away from sugar enough that it was causing this? Or was it the combination of sugar and the chocolate? Next time I talk to a doctor I'll have to remember to ask about it.

Submitted by maki on 2007-02-12 14:45.
Filed under:  offbeat health

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Comments

Katie

12 February, 2007 - 16:52

I don't know about sugar specifically, but after taking basically all artificial flavorings out of my diet, I felt absolutely terrible after drinking coffee at my aunt's house, since it was hazelnut flavored, thanks to chemicals. After removing most sugar from your diet, it's definitely a possibility.

niceties

17 May, 2007 - 20:09

I went off additives and sugar (as far as possible) about four years ago. Subsequently, sugar didn't make me dizzy & light-headed but at one stage I would get hives, nowadays it's usually indigestion. However, eating out (even if I choose dishes that seem relatively 'safe') quite often makes me feel fuzzy-headed, like walking in a fog, and it's a bad idea if I have to use my brain after lunch; that feeling clears after a couple of hours. Since there are so many possible triggers when eating out, I'm not sure what causes it but it happens nearly all the time. What you describe sounds like a bit like the dreadful MSG reaction I get: starts with extreme muscle tension in shoulders & neck, then feeling verrry light-headed, turns into a migraine, start feeling dizzy and have to lie down - unfortunately the antidote is more awful chemicals: Coca Cola (with tons of sugar if Diet is not available, but I'm sure that's even more full of toxic substances!).

Good luck with talking to a doctor, I've found most of them only know about straightforward food allergy like nuts and shellfish and aren't much help when it comes to food sensitivities and intolerances. It was a homeopath who first helped me.