You’ve committed to a healthier lifestyle and are exercising several times a week. You’ve replaced the junk food snacks, processed foods, and refined sugars with weekly meal prep and healthier, portion-controlled snacks.

So how come your whole body hurts and your stomach is off?

Any time you change up your diet, you might feel a little different for a while.

Here’s what happens to your body when you eat healthier (and why you shouldn’t give up on your new habits).

Why Your Diet Might Be Making You Feel Sick

Feeling a bit ill after taking up a healthier lifestyle is extremely common. But, if you have any doubts, please contact your doctor to be on the safe side.

If you’ve recently made a robust or abrupt switch, you might not feel your best straight away. Here’s why.

1. You’re not staying hydrated.

Some diets, especially low-carb diets, can cause your body to shed excess water.

Even if you maintain your usual amount of water consumption, you might find yourself mildly dehydrated, which can cause dizziness, rapid heartbeat, and faster breathing.

A good indicator of your level of hydration is the color of your pee. The lighter yellow, the better. Dark yellow pee is a clear sign that you need to drink water, stat.

2. Your diet is too extreme.

Transitioning from a standard American diet to a calorie-restricted one or a strict elimination diet (think: keto or vegan) on a dime can also be a shock to the body.

“When you take out all the grains, you also lose fiber,” says Tucker. “Complications like constipation can become a real issue. No matter what diet you’re on, you need lots of fiber to keep your digestion moving.”

If you’re cutting out meat or other animal products, make sure you’re replacing them with healthy whole foods, like lean proteins and healthy fats.

3. Your diet is missing essential nutrients.

Eliminating whole categories of foods like nightshades or legumes (unless there’s a medical reason to do so) may also eliminate essential nutrients from your diet.

“When you completely eliminate any food category, you also eliminate the nutrition that food would provide,” Tucker says. “If you eliminate a category of foods, take care to source key nutrients from other places.

At the same time, if you are eating a ton of bacon and avocado but never touching a veggie, your body may be telling you that your nutrition is lacking.”

4. Your diet is too low in calories.

Your brain and body needs a steady supply of calories to function normally. If you’re not filling your plate with enough to get your body through the day, you won’t feel your best.

On most diets, “carbs fuel your brain,” says Tucker. “On low-carb diets, like the ketogenic diet, fats fuel your brain.”

Either way, she adds, you need to eat enough food.

“Too much calorie restriction causes your body to run out of short-term fuel in the form of either fats or carbs,” Tucker explains. “That alone can make you feel sick.”

What Happens to Your Body When You Eat Healthier?

When you shift to a healthier lifestyle and commit to cleaner eating and regular exercise, your body can experience a whole lot more than weight loss.

Your diet can impact your brain chemistry, your gut microbiome, and even your hormone production.

Here’s a look at what happens when your clean up your eating and how that affects different areas of your body.

Digestion

Some of the most common digestive symptoms you may experience are:

• digestive slowdowns (or occasional constipation, due to a low-fiber diet or not drinking enough fluids)
• more trips to the bathroom (due to increased fiber intake)
• stomach cramps (thanks again, fiber!)
• nausea

Your gut microbiome can change within days of altering how you eat, so you may be feeling the effects of that shift, “especially if the old you was snacking on lots of processed food,” says Barbie Tucker, R.D., L.D., M.Ed, a registered dietitian who practices in the Atlanta area.

And, if you’ve shifted to, say, a ketogenic or other low-carb diet, your body might slow way down due to a lack of complex carbs and, thus, fiber.

“We are supposed to be getting 25 to 30 grams of fiber daily,” says Tucker.

“If you find that you are unable to use the restroom, that might be an indicator that you lack adequate fiber in your new diet.”

And on the flip side, your body may be used to digesting a whole lot of sugar and simple carbs, and now it’s being asked to work harder to break down more nutrient-dense fare that’s higher in fiber.

“Most often lack of fiber or inadequate hydration are to blame when digestive issues arise,” says Tucker. “Take stock of how regularly you drink water and consider whether or not you include enough fiber in every meal.”

Brain health

On a mission to cut out added sugars? You may experience:

• headaches
• nausea
• dizziness

A study conducted with mice showed that when cutting back on added sugar, it takes time for the brain to acclimate to not getting the regular hits of dopamine sugar provides.

One human study suggests that there are adverse effects of prolonged sugar intake (from sweet food or beverages) on long-term psychological health. It also suggested that lower intake of sugar may be associated with better psychological health.

Sugar detox symptoms are common and usually subside in just over a week.

“If your brain is accustomed to a consistent supply of sugar — via flavored beverages and sugary treats, not to mention the hidden sugars in products like bread and processed foods — a sudden halt to the sugar supply can make you feel less than your best,” says Tucker.

Mood and energy levels

With food and mood, it’s important to know that most serotonin receptors are located in the gut.

The gut and the brain communicate via the vagus nerve, and this communication highway demonstrates the importance of food quality to your everyday mood.

A 2019 study suggests that eating a healthy Mediterranean-style diet may help protect against mood disorders.

“Your brain consumes a lot of energy,” explains Tucker. “It lives on carbs. Our bodies need them.”

If you feel terrible at first when you cut carbs and boost other macros, that’s normal, she says.

It’s “how we respond when our diet has drastically changed. When we change our diets, our bodies need time to process that change.”

The first few days of healthy eating can throw your body for a loop.

Some low-carb diets can cause fatigue and muscle soreness for up to two weeks. These changes can likely be attributed to the shift in your fuel source.

How to Feel Better

Before you make any big change to your diet, be sure to talk to a qualified healthcare provider, such as a registered dietitian or your doctor.

Those symptoms you’re feeling are your body’s way of getting your attention.

Tucker suggests really tuning in and listening. Consider whether your changes are sustainable and helpful or too strict.

Whenever a lifestyle or diet “becomes so strenuous that you are miserable following it, you’ll go right back to how you ate before,” she says.

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Practicing martial arts can help improve one’s health. Martial arts is a great way to get in shape, lose weight and improve flexibility. It also helps improve coordination and balance, and can even help protect against injuries. So, how exactly can martial arts improve your health and overall wellbeing?

Increased Flexibility

Practicing martial arts will help improve the range of motion in your joints. In fact, practicing karate and Jiu-Jitsu can help increase joint flexion and extension more than general fitness training. This increased flexion and extension can help improve joint stability, as well as reduce any pain felt during exercise.

It may even protect the joints from further damage later on in life. So, to increase flexibility, you need to work and improve yourself, which is why using BJJ instructionals can come in handy. In some cases, this improved flexibility can also lead to injury prevention or reduced injury risk by making movements safer for practitioners. For example, increased knee flexion from practicing some forms of martial arts like Taekwondo can make it less likely for someone to sprain their knee.

Increased Muscle Strength And Endurance

Many martial arts require a specific amount of strength and endurance. For example, practicing Jiu-Jitsu or Muay Thai will help develop your leg muscles – the quads, hamstrings, and calf muscles – which can be helpful in many exercises that require increased lower body stability. It is also a very active sport that requires one to have a certain level of physical fitness just to maintain performance levels. So if you’re looking for a form of exercise that will increase muscle strength and endurance, consider starting your own martial arts training routine! This way you’ll get higher energy levels from being more fit as well as improve coordination and balance by learning new movements.

Improved Mental Health & Fitness

There are many forms of martial arts that can help improve mental wellness. For example, practicing yoga and meditation has been shown to boost the immune system and fight stress and depression by increasing endorphins in the body. Martial arts like Judo and Jiu-Jitsu will teach you how to handle competitive situations while Karate or Kung Fu involves a high level of self-discipline which can help keep stress levels down. And unlike regular exercise, martial arts also make people sweat which means your body will get rid of any excess toxins through perspiration (exercise alone only helps ease tension).

Increased Energy

Last but not least, because martial arts is such an engaging activity to participate in, it gives you increased energy throughout the day! You’ll feel more invigorated and ready to take on the day because you’ll be getting an incredible workout that releases endorphins in your body. You might find yourself wanting to go back to class each time, just so you can get that artistic outlet. So if you’re looking for a way to boost endurance, mental health, muscle strength, and overall fitness levels, consider taking up martial arts as part of your regular wellness routine. Also, if you’re already active, practicing martial arts will help balance your routine by adding more strength and stamina training to the mix.

Better Balance And Coordination

Many forms of martial arts, such as Tae Kwon Do and Kung Fu, involve the use of weapons. This means practitioners need to have good balance and coordination to safely handle their equipment without hurting themselves or anyone around them. Even if you learn a martial art that doesn’t require weapons, it will still help improve your overall balance and coordination. It is an extremely active type of exercise that requires a high level of concentration and attention to detail – all things which can be useful for those who are trying to improve their focus habits. So no matter what kind of martial arts you take up as your preferred form of exercise, it will help increase both balance and coordination for a healthy body.

Decreased Injuries

Some martial arts forms, like Taekwondo, involve the use of kicks which can be very hard on your shins. But practicing these skills will actually help improve balance and coordination which will lower your chances of injury. It’s possible to become so skilled at kicking that you can remove shin pads during practice because you’re able to pinpoint where you should land your kicks for maximum safety. This means it can provide you with increased power but without putting too much pressure on the joints or increasing the risk of sprains or fractures, decreasing your chances of broken bones or torn ligaments.

So how can practicing martial arts help people lead healthier lives? By practicing martial arts, people can better their physical well-being by gaining flexibility, increasing energy levels, and improving stamina. Having these benefits can create lasting life changes for those who practice regularly.

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There’s a lot of information out there about food cravings and what to do about them.

Cravings for salty snacks can be incredibly confusing since humans need sodium — just not as much as we get daily (the RDA is 2300 mg for adults).

“Many people think that the body craves what it needs,” says Beachbody nutrition manager Krista Maguire, R.D., C.S.S.D.

“However, most of the time, it’s just a specific yearning for comfort food, and that often includes foods high in sugar or salt,” she explains.

The most likely culprits when you’re craving snack foods: stress and boredom.

But other factors that have nothing to do with nutrients your body needs can also cause salt cravings.

A yearning for salty snacks “may be due to hormone fluctuations,” explains Maguire, which you may experience from stress, lack of sleep, or PMS.

Instead of pounding the pretzels, try these alternative strategies.

1. Figure Out the Cause

The most direct way to tackle your cravings, especially if they occur regularly, is to get to the root cause.

“We often try to cure things with a band-aid solution when we should be digging deep to resolve the underlying issue,” says Maguire.

So take a couple of minutes to think about what’s happening in your life.

You may need to seek out ways to destress or entertain yourself. You may even be low on sleep.

All of these things have solutions outside of the pantry.

2. Reach for Water, then Reevaluate

“Dehydration usually results in an electrolyte balance,” explains Jim White, R.D., ACSM EX-P, owner of Jim White Fitness and Nutrition Studios in Virginia.

“The salt craving is the body’s way of telling you to drink more water in order to restore the fluid balance,” but we generally misinterpret it.

It’s hard to differentiate between the two because “they are controlled by the same mechanisms in the brain,” says White.

So when salty cravings strike, try drinking some water first (you probably need it anyway) and see if the urge to nosh passes.

3. Seek Out Low-Sodium Options

Healthier snack foods are more widely available now than ever — check some labels in the grocery store aisles to find them.

You may find that lower sodium snacks satisfy your cravings just as well as those that overload your day with salt.

“If you can keep snacks to under 200 mg of sodium, that will leave plenty of room for your meals and not exceed your daily limit,” says Maguire.

A serving of Skinny Pop popcorn cakes, Off the Eaten Path veggie crisps, or Fitjoy tangy dijon mustard grain-free pretzels fit the bill.

Keep in mind that it’s not really a problem to have something salty when a craving hits; it’s the fact that we tend not to stick to a single serving.

Whether you’re enjoying a low-sodium snack or a traditional salty treat, mindful servings can help you meet your daily sodium goals.

4. Flavor Your Snacks with Spices

Salt can enhance the flavor of food — but spices do the same thing without sodium.

Maguire suggests using fresh or dried herbs and spices to infuse your snacks or meals with more flavor.

Be careful when picking out spice blends, though, as these may have added salt.

5. Try Unsalted, Crunchy Snacks

Most salty cravings revolve around crunchy snacks, which begs the question: do you want salt or crunch?

You may be satisfied with an unsalted, crunchy snack — especially if you’re stress-snacking and it helps release some tension.

White suggests veggies like baby carrots or celery with hummus, unsalted nuts and seeds, or air-popped popcorn seasoned with herbs as crunchy alternatives to try.

You can also try making our salt-free kale chips.

6. Break the Habit

“If you are used to eating a high-sodium diet, your body will naturally crave the higher sodium foods because that is what it is used to getting,” White says.

Dealing with some cravings now may lead to fewer down the road.

White suggests starting by evaluating how many packaged foods you’re eating.

“The convenience of packaged snacks makes it easy for sodium intake levels to exceed daily recommendation and contribute to the cravings,” he explains.

7. Reach for a Balanced Snack or Meal

You may have cravings because you need food (shocker, we know).

Instead of grabbing a salty snack that’s primary carbs, try a meal or snack that balances all of the macros to keep you full for longer.

These no-bake peanut butter pretzel bites are sweet and salty but also balanced to keep your blood sugar steady and your hunger in check.

Looking for more expert nutrition information? Head over to BODNutrition.com and learn how to eat healthy for the long-term with the help of our two nutrition programs, 2B Mindset and Portion Fix.

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The creamy texture and tangy flavor of mayonnaise is a staple in so many classic recipes — think potato salad, egg salad, pasta salad, sandwiches, burgers, and dips.

But it’s not exactly the pinnacle of healthy condiments, so you may be wondering if a worthy mayo substitute exists.

“Classic mayonnaise is made from emulsifying egg yolk with oil, mustard, a little lemon juice or vinegar, and salt,” says Fay Israsena, C.N.M. A.N.P., Beachbody Nutrition Specialist. “Store-bought versions often have various additives and preservatives added on to that list.”

Even if you try to make homemade mayo with healthier ingredients, Israsena adds, “The main ingredient is overwhelmingly oil, so 99 percent of the calories come from fat.”

That means mayonnaise is also calorie-dense.

Just one tablespoon of the creamy condiment packs 10 grams of fat and 94 calories — and we all know how hard it is to stick to one serving.

It’s fine to consume small amounts of mayo in a balanced diet, but “replacing mayo with a healthier, low-fat option saves us from putting our willpower to the test,” Israsena says.

Luckily, mayo substitutes can also be seriously flavorful, as these eight tasty alternatives prove.

1. Reduced-Fat Greek Yogurt

Reduced-fat Greek yogurt has the thickness needed to hold your ingredients together, without the fat content of oil-based mayo.

A cup of reduced-fat plain Greek yogurt contains 4.7 grams of fat — less than half the fat content in a single tablespoon of mayo.

Israsena suggests mixing Greek yogurt with a bit of mustard and lemon juice to add tang to a potato or pasta salad.

“It’s a good source of protein and probiotics as well, so that’s a bonus,” she adds.

2. Reduced-Fat Sour Cream

When you need a thicker mayo substitute than Greek yogurt, sour cream can do the trick.

A tablespoon of sour cream contains 2.9 grams of fat and just under 30 calories. Choose reduced-fat sour cream, and that number dips to 1.6 grams of fat and 20 calories per tablespoon.

Use sour cream in place of mayo in dips or cold salads, or as a spread on sandwiches and burgers — just be mindful of how much you’re using.

3. Avocado

While it’s not a condiment, sliced (or mashed) avocado lends creaminess, which makes it a surprisingly good mayo substitute for burgers, wraps, sandwiches, and even egg salad.

Avocados are a good source of healthy fats — especially monounsaturated fatty acids — along with fiber to help keep you feeling fuller for longer.

Just keep in mind a whole avocado contains 227 calories, so it’s wise to watch your portions!

You can also whip up some guacamole for a flavor-packed topper.

For a spicier, lower-calorie guac, substitute canned green chiles for some of the avocado.

4. Tofu-Based Mayo

Create a plant-based mayo substitute by blending a block of firm non-GMO tofu with mustard, lemon juice, or apple cider vinegar, salt, and a little olive or flaxseed oil, Israsena suggests.

Thanks to tofu’s unique texture, you don’t need to use as much oil as you normally would when making homemade mayo.

5. Oil and Vinegar

Oil and vinegar won’t work as a mayo substitute in every recipe, but it’s the perfect combo for creating a lighter alternative to mayo-based potato salad.

Store-bought dressings and condiments — including mayo — often use sunflower or safflower (canola) oil, explains Dana Ellis Hunnes, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D., senior dietitian at UCLA Medical Center and author of the upcoming book Recipe For Survival.

But when you prepare your own vinaigrette, you can choose one of the healthiest cooking oils, like avocado oil or EVOO.

(Even the healthiest types of oil are still calorie-dense, however, so watch your portions.)

Vinegar adds tang and flavor to the mix with minimal calories.

Balsamic vinegar has 14 calories per tablespoon, and apple cider vinegar has just 3 calories per tablespoon.

6. Mustard

Replacing mayo is a two-part equation: flavor and texture.

Whether you opt for creamy dijon or whole-grain mustard, this condition has both categories covered.

Hunnes recommends using these lower-calorie condiments as a mayo substitute on sandwiches and burgers.

Dijon mustard can also stand in for mayo in a pasta salad or German-style potato salad.

7. Hummus

Vegetarians and vegans can attest to this being a seriously delicious sandwich topper.

Just like mayo, hummus brings creaminess to the equation.

Homemade hummus is your best bet, since you can control the type and amount of oil and tahini used.

(Store-bought versions may use canola oil — and a lot of it.)

A tablespoon of homemade hummus typically contains just 27 calories and 1.3 grams of fat.

8. Store-Bought Vegan Mayo

“Plant-based versions of almost everything exist now,” Hunnes says.

So if you want your mayo substitute to mimic the taste and texture of the real deal as closely as possible, a ready-made vegan mayo may be a good option.

The key here is to read the ingredient list closely.

“There are some pretty clean brands out there using interesting ingredients like avocado (for smoothness) and aquafaba (as a binder instead of eggs),” Israsena says.

Just steer clear of versions that contain preservatives and additives, she adds.

Pro tip: If you’re still craving true mayo flavor, blend one tablespoon of regular mayonnaise with half a cup of a mayo substitute. The mayo flavor will come through, while the healthier ingredient makes up most of the volume.

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