Reducing sugar intake and it's benefits

Reduction in sugar intake

 "What I learned when I gave up sugar for six weeks" by Melissa Hogenboom (senior health correspondent).

#Why she did it

Melissa eats pretty healthily overall but had a daily chocolate habit. One of her regular treats already packed more than half her recommended daily added sugar (UK guideline: <30g / ~7 tsp; US: <50g / ~12 tsp). She wanted to see what happens when you cut out ,added refined sugar, entirely, especially after reporting on its links to tooth decay, metabolic issues, cognitive effects, and ultra-processed food additives.

# The rules (6 weeks)

- No added refined sugar at all.

- No honey or fruit juice either.

- *Natural sugars OK: Whole fruits and complex carbs (they break down more slowly into glucose for steady energy).

- She swapped in fruit-based snacks (banana-blueberry-cocoa shakes, grapes, apples), stocked healthy alternatives (nuts, olives), and avoided keeping tempting sugary foods at home.

Hidden sugar was everywhere — even in “healthy” supermarket bread, deli sandwiches, ready meals, and cereals.

# What actually happened (timeline of effects)

- *Days 1–few days: Intense cravings, especially at social events or when treats were around. Felt listless at first.

- *First 1–2 weeks: Post-lunch energy slumps vanished. Energy became much more stable all day. Taste buds started adapting — natural sweetness (e.g., fruit) tasted noticeably sweeter.

- *By ~3 weeks: Cravings dropped dramatically. She no longer reached for sweets in the afternoon; healthier snacks felt satisfying.

- *Full 6 weeks: No strong desire to reintroduce sugar. Sugary foods now tasted *overly* sweet and cloying.

*Physical/mental changes she noticed:

- Steady energy levels (no crashes).

- Reduced “addictive loop” feeling (linked to dopamine reward in the brain).

- After the experiment, eating a triple chocolate chip cookie (28g sugar) felt overwhelmingly sweet; she only had a bite, then got a classic energy slump and needed a nap.

#The science the article references

Experts (Ashley Gearhardt, Lina Begdache, Dalia Perelman, Robert Lustig) explain that modern cheap, concentrated sugar hijacks brain chemistry similar to opioids, drives overeating via dopamine spikes, and can cause fatigue/irritability via mitochondrial effects from fructose. Studies cited link high added-sugar intake to insulin resistance, liver fat, inflammation, mental health dips, and more. Reducing it even for 10 days in kids improved blood pressure, body fat, insulin sensitivity, and behavior.

# Her conclusion:

After six weeks she didn’t go back to daily treats. She now limits sugary indulgences to weekends only. The experiment “silenced” the constant craving cycle and made her reframe sugary foods as less appealing. She felt in control rather than controlled by sugar.

*Bottom line from the piece: Cutting added sugar for even a few weeks can reset taste buds, stabilise energy, and weaken cravings surprisingly quickly — without eliminating fruit or all carbs. It’s presented as a personal experiment with real biochemical backing, not a strict “never eat sugar again” prescription.

A patient with yellow palms of hands ✋️

Yellow palms in a 55-year-old female. Some of the more common causes include:

* Carotenemia: This is a condition that occurs when you have too much carotene in your blood. Carotene is a pigment found in many fruits and vegetables, such as carrots, sweet potatoes, and spinach. When you eat too much carotene, it can build up in your skin and give it a yellow tint.

* Liver disease: Liver disease can cause a yellowing of the skin, including the palms of the hands. This is because the liver is responsible for breaking down carotene and other pigments. If the liver is not functioning properly, these pigments can build up in the skin and cause it to turn yellow.

* Thyroid problems: Thyroid problems can also cause a yellowing of the skin. This is because the thyroid gland helps regulate metabolism, and when it is not functioning properly, it can lead to a build-up of carotene in the skin.

* Medications: Some medications can cause a yellowing of the skin, including the palms of the hands. These medications include chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, and minocycline.

* Rare conditions: There are a few rare conditions that can also cause yellow palms, such as Wilson's disease, hemochromatosis, and Gilbert's syndrome.

Here are some additional things to keep in mind:

* The yellowness of the palms is usually bilateral, meaning it affects both palms.

* The yellowing is usually not accompanied by any other symptoms, such as itching, pain, or swelling.

* The yellowing may be more noticeable in the winter when the skin is less exposed to sunlight.

My latest ultrasound blog on fatty liver

I've written a detailed blog about fatty liver and sonography of this condition.

Visit: All about fatty liver

Thyroid disease ebook

Thyroid disease ebook for layman

Endometrial cavity fluid, pyometra

Sonography of the uterus in a middle aged female shows:

=Large fluid-filled endometrial cavity with particulate matter 

= usually caused by obstruction to outflow of fluid from the endometrial cavity 

= TVS scan advised to rule out carcinoma cervix 

= CT scan confirmation needed 

= ultrasound images below suggest pyometra or purulent fluid collection in endometrial cavity 

For more visit:

Sonography of uterus

Total thyroidectomy with fibrosis

This patient has had a total thyroidectomy for thyroid malignancy. Following extensive radiotherapy, there's fibrosis in the thyroid bed.

Ultrasound images show empty thyroid fossa with extensive fibrosis.