Nutrition Know-How
First for Women
By: Ann Louise Gittleman
April 28, 2008

Detoxing gives me a headache!

Last week I tried your juice cleanse recently featured in First.  But I felt queasy and got a headache, so I had to stop.  I want to try again because I’d love to lose 9 pounds in three day like the women in the article.  Should I do something different next time?
Juice cleanses release toxins from the body’s cells, but if the liver and GI tract aren’t primed, this flood can overwhelm the body.  The result: side effects such as nausea, headaches, light-headedness and constipation.  Next time, enjoy 3 cups of raw leafy greens, like spinach, each day for one week before cleansing.  The veggies’ antioxidant chlorophyllins and carotenoids optimize the liver’s toxin-flushing abilities.  During the same period, eat at least three daily servings of fiber-rich foods such as seeds and fruit.  Fiber sweeps waste from the colon, which will minimize strain on the GI tract when the cleanse is under way.  For more on the juice cleanse itself, log on to MyFirstForWomen.com.

Why does my husband have more willpower?

As part of our pact to lose weight, my husband and I decided to start skipping dessert.  But most nights I crave sugar so badly, I end up cheating.  Meanwhile, my husband hasn’t been tempted once and lost 5 pounds in four days.  Why can’t I muster the same willpower?
A new study shows that, compared with men, women demonstrate a far stronger “addiction” to sweets.  The female brain produces up to 80 percent more feel-good serotonin following sugar intake.  In women, sugar also hyperstimulates the brain’s “reward” centers.  As a result, women who cut out sweets tend to experience intense withdrawal, which can last up to seven days and come with acute cravings or blue moods.  The easiest fix: Supplement with L-glutamine.  The body converts this amino acid into glutamic acid, a healthy source of glucose that instantly reduces dependence on refined sugar (and thus blunts cravings).  For best results, take a daily 3 gram supplement like Now Sports L-Glutamine 1,000 mg.

Help!  My multivitamin makes me nauseous!

My multivitamin was making me feel sick, so I switched to one with less iron.  But that didn’t help.  I really need my multi!  What are my options?
It is true that high levels of iron in a multi can cause nausea.  But even in reduced amounts, certain types of iron can still trigger queasiness.  Steer clear of synthetic forms like ferrous gluconate, ferrous sulfate and ferrous fumarate, which are hard on the stomach.  Instead, look for a formula containing iron picolinate or iron chelate, which are gentler.  Another possible nausea trigger: vitamins’ filler ingredients.  So avoid microcrystalline cellulose, mannitol, sorbitol, dextrose, magnesium stearate, sodium stearyl fumarate and polyethylene glycol.  Two options: The one I take is Uni Key Health Female Multiple ($40 for 180 capsules, at www.UniKeyHealth.com).