1. I Go Into Withdrawal When I Stop Eating Sugar!
2. Help! I Cheat Every Weekend!3
3. Is Free-Range Poultry Worth The Price?

I Go Into Withdrawal When I Stop Eating Sugar!   I decided to tackle my biggest weight-loss roadblock: sugar.  I’ve lost three pounds in four days, but I’m so moody and tired that I’m temped to give up.  And that means no hope of dropping another 25 pounds before (gasp!) shorts weather comes around.  I read that the sugar blues go away in three days, but that didn’t happen with me.  How can I get over this hurdle? 

If you can hold out for just one or two more days, the fatigue and irritability will go away.  While the sugar-detox process is said to take three or four days, this data was collected from men.  Recent research shows that women’s sugar “addictions” are stronger, so it takes five or six days before our bodies start to rely on protein and fats to maintain steady glucose and energy levels.  In the meantime, try taking 500 mg to 1,000 mg of L-Glutamine daily.  This amino acid converts to glutamic acid, a nonsugar source of glucose, giving you an energy boost without sabotaging your diet.  

Help!  I Cheat Every Weekend!   I have so much going on each weekend that I totally abandon my diet.  Then all the good work I’ve done during the week is ruined!  How can I get myself back on track so I don’t lose my motivation come Monday? 

Believe it or not, it’s a good thing to allow yourself to “cheat”: Women who maintain a strict diet by skipping desserts and calculating every calorie are 48 percent more likely to fail in their weight-loss efforts than people who take a more flexible approach, according to studies at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.  That’s because the occasional spike in calories triggers an increase in levels of the appetite-curbing and fat-burning hormone leptin.  Another reason not to worry: Feeling guilty while eating lowers levels of cholecystokinin, a brain chemical needed to trigger digestion and signal satiety to the brain.  So not letting negative thoughts get the better of you actually prevents overeating and the sluggish digestion leads to weight gain.    

Is Free-Range Poultry Worth The Price?  Some of the women from my online “busy mom” support group have been chatting about free-range chicken being healthier than the regular kind.  They feel this justifies the extra expense.  And now the free-range label is on other types of poultry and eggs, too.  Are these products really worth the money? 

The answer is no on both counts.  At one time “free-range” did mean chickens had access to greenery, which made them taste better.  But now it means that the bird was allowed access to some kind of yard for at least five minutes a day.