Eliminating Sugar From Your Diet

[xbryony]

So I've taken this up today. I posted almost a year back saying I would, but quickly failed. I wasn't nearly determined enough, but now I'm focused, and went out to buy loads of food and threw out all my old processed carbs/sugar filled things. I've been having headache for almost a week now too everyday, they start around lunch time, but today, NADA!
I have to say though one thing I am struggling with is eating out/on the go. Yes, already! I'm working in the library at uni most days on my final year projects, which means I have to take food with me which will sit in my bag in the pretty warm library, or try and find food in the canteen, which is basically all crap with the exception of fruit. There's some very inspirational people on here who have managed this for a long time, so I'm just wondering what you do when youre out and about? When I'm really going for it, I can spend about 8 hours in the library, so even with a big breakfast, fruit and nuts aren't enough to satisfy me.
FYI I've cut out grains as well to start with as I also dont moderate so well with them, and without them I am forced to eat more veg/protein etc. so it's going to benefit me all round, I mean besides the packed lunch thing...
Rant rant rant

 

[Qui]

not sure if this has already been posted but this is the Gwyneth Paltrow's GOOP edition of "Overcoming a sugar addiction"

http://www.goop.com/newsletter/103/en/

 

[Virginielle]

^Good find.

I just read Michael Pollan's Food Rules and had to re-evaluate my eating habits. Again.

 

[xbryony]

Thanks for the link Qui
Going well so far, just having to make do with nuts and fruit when I'm out and about, but I got used to being able to just grab some junk anywhere and everywhere and just eat and eat for comfort/boredom relief without even thinking about it for a second. Now I really have to think about whether I'm hungry or not, and the temptation isn't there! I feel so much more in control of my appetite and health.
I was wondering if anyone had a scan or knows where I can find one of the UK Elle article that discussed sugar last year at some point? I'm sure it wasn't too long ago, I didn't get round to buying the mag before it went off the shelves unfortunately. Gonna scour on here but if anyone else finds it before me please share, otherwise I'll post on here when I find it

 

[Mary-Anne]

I read it somewhere that sugar causes ageing...

I've read that too,especially for the skin.

I've eliminated a lot of sugar from my diet over the years... I rarely if ever drink sodas anymore (diet or not), and fruit drinks or sweet cocktails/alcoholic drinks are kept at the very minimum. I also don't put sugar im my coffee or tea.

I've substituted most white flour products with whole grains.. whole grain bread, pasta, and rice, instead of giving them up entirely.

But my weakness is still chocolate sweets (like cookies!) That's been really hard to give up. The thing I do notice though is the less you eat it, the less you crave it. So once you get past the initial intense cravings, it becomes lot easier, and if you ever do have it again - a little bit will seem already very sweet!

 

[radolgc]

hey people, I have no idea what this "splenda" is, but I am sure it is not any better than sugar...and many of us know that sugar is posion and does no good!
For all of you who want to eat sweet stuff and stay away from poison(sugar and other poisons that all sweet products are full of) try to sweeten your life with fruits or honey...and if you really want to have something sweet and cook some cakes and other things....use STEVIA!!!! This is a natural plant(a herb) that of course most goverments have forbidden worldwide(and we know why) and it is a very sweet and healthy herb...200 or more times sweeter than sugar and harmless for the body!
It is very funny people here write about such stuff...there are a lot of good forums where you can read about healthy way of life and nutrition...and the "food" you can find in the supermarket can definatelly never be called healthy!

 

[papa_levante]

Thanks for the input on Stevia. Is that anything like Truvía? Does anyone know?

I had a cup of vanilla chai and I sweetened it with brown sugar. That can't possibly be bad for me, can it? I don't use honey because I'm a vegan.

 

[radolgc]

I have no clue what Truvia is, but why do we have to compare things? Just make your research on stevia and try to find it.
Brown sugar is almost the same as the white one, just the color is a bit different!

 

[papa_levante]

I have no clue what Truvia is, but why do we have to compare things?

Maybe to see what is better for our health, prices, etc.

With all these sugar substitutes, it's hard to keep track of which ones are the "bad" sugars. I've seen "sugar substitutes" and "sweeteners." Oy.

 

[Mary-Anne]

have you tried raw sugar ? if i had to choose, id go with that just because it's less refined/processed than the white or brown ones. it also tastes pretty much the same to me. it does still have calories, but id take the calories over chemically enhanced sweetners and substitutes anyday. as long as you're not overdoing it, it's definitely the lesser of the evils.

Raw unrefined sugar is not the same as the brown sugar that you see in the store, even though they are both brown. Unrefined raw sugar is made from the juice from the sugar cane plant and has trace minerals and nutrients present. Refined sugar is devoid of all nutrients. Typically, white sugar is made of pure carbohydrates. Today, it is common knowledge that refined white sugar has devastating affects on the body and health in general. Besides being a certain way to elevate blood sugar levels, unrefined white sugar is considered to be “empty calories” as it offers no nutritional substance whatsoever.

When it comes to choosing sugar, there is no doubt that unrefined raw sugar is the best choice. It contains minerals and nutrients that are stripped from refined white sugar and regular brown sugar.

Raw sugar contains roughly eleven calories per teaspoon and has the same vitamin and mineral consistency that is found in the juice from the sugarcane plant. These minerals include Phosphorus, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, and Potassium. In addition, when sugar is refined and processed there are many harmful ingredients that are added to the sugar as a result. Unrefined raw sugar does not have these harmful chemicals.

It is very important to make sure that you don't mistake unrefined raw sugar with brown sugar that is available in your grocery store. Brown sugar is sugar that has been refined and then molasses has been added to it. Brown sugar varies in color according to the amount of molasses that has been added to it. Like white refined sugar, brown sugar does not have the nutritional content found in unrefined. Both white refined and brown sugar are comprised of sucrose.

naturalorganiclifestyle.com

 

[radolgc]

well, stevia is not a substitute, it is actually a natural plant that is 200 times sweeter than sugar and extremely healthy...it is a good herb, so be sure it can never be any bad for your health or pocket...it is also quite cheap!

 

[e-v-elina]

ugh sugar is the worst drug there is. i try to stay away, but it's so damn hard.

 

[Juicy]

nope nope nope sorry not an option...i love ice cream too much!

 

[The Moon]

Yeah, as soon as I cut out milk chocolate, and other refined sugar stuffs, my acne has improved about 90%. .. and yes sugar is a drug.

 

[Juicy]

me too^ chocolate sends my skin bonkers!! I never believed it when the teen magazines started saying "chocolate doesnt cause pimples!" what a croc!

 

[e-v-elina]

actually, 90% chocolate improves my skin. but i don't think regular milk chocolate is good for you =p

 

[Mary-Anne]

really, reading all the bad effects.. it just isn't worth it.

if i was better at moderation i guess it wouldn't be a problem, but it's so damn addictive.. :S

 

[Fabulyss]

well, stevia is not a substitute, it is actually a natural plant that is 200 times sweeter than sugar and extremely healthy...it is a good herb, so be sure it can never be any bad for your health or pocket...it is also quite cheap!

I can't remember where I heard this so I can't vouch for it's validity, but I remember reading that Stevia isn't good for you either, specifically because it is THAT much sweeter than real sugar. Apparently you don't want to get 'used to' something that sweet because you'll never curb the cravings, it will just feed the addiction. Who knows though?

 

[The Moon]

I don't think Stevia has the same effect on the body as sugar. It doesn't spike insulin levels and doesn't cause addiction. It just tastes sweet. Like a natural aspartame.. That's what I think.

 

[rayoflight]

There is something off with stevia, I read the 2008 UCLA final report on stevia and the chemicals in that plant, rebaudioside A and glycosides weren't fully tested and one of them (I think it was rebaudioside that needed additional toxicity tests done) hadn't gone through all the tests and *their* recommendation was that stevia and it's constituents, steviol, rebaudioside A need to be tested for toxicity, carcinogenicity, and mutagenicity in humans (there are only rat tests and rodents differ quite a bit from primates) before approving it as food additive (maybe is now approved, I dunno). Only thing I recall that stevia was indeed safe for diabetics from the aspect that it doesn't affect blood sugar levels, not safe as not harmful for health in any other way. Maybe it is safe, maybe it is not. WHO says it safe tho and doesn't cause any bad things to happen in rodent or human tests.
Also it was illegal till 2009 in EU, I dunno what's the status atm. It's just all too weird for me, is way easer to just not use it and limit sugar as well.