sugar

S

shortsarah

Cathlete
I am having a really hard time cutting down on sugar. I thought cold turkey would work best but I didn't realize that everything has sugar in it!! Do you all have any helpful hints. I know I will be so much healthier if I could just cut back at the very least. Thanks
Sarah
 
I am a sugar addict and it is a daily struggle for me. In the last 6 months or so I've managed to get rid of my soda and juice addiction and I've been quitting one high sugar food at a time. You're supposed to eat no more than 50g of sugar a day according to the American Diabetes Association. That is really hard to do considering that for example just 8oz of soda can have up to 35g of sugar. I think the best thing to do is to get your sugar from fresh fruits and veggies and not from anything processed. It is still sugar even if it comes from fruit but fruit has vitamins, minerals and fiber. I think you should start by reading labels specifically for sugar content and then get rid of all the high sugar stuff you have around you. When you get a sugar craving have a piece of fruit with some type of protein.
 
Are you talking about cutting SUGAR or cutting CARBOHYDRATES? That makes a big difference in that ADA recommendation...

Cutting carbohydrates is not a good idea. Simple carbs are the more refined sugars- those make sense to cut back on, if only because of their yo-yo affect on blood sugar (and your emotions are affected with all those swings, too).

I have no actual suggestions for you, except you might try just writing down what you're eating every day. If there is a sugar listing, mark that down, too. I've been able to track my carbohydrate counts lately and I've been surprised how few I'm eating in general. (That's carbs, including refined sugar.)

Anyway, once you see what you're actually doing, it might help you to rethink all your choices. Reframing can be fantastic!

Good luck!
 
I cut out all sugar (the refined kind, not the kind you find in fruits) about 2 years ago, and it was the best thing I ever did for myself! I used to get such highs and lows in my blood sugar levels, which made me have the worst headaches.

I'd love to help you, but first I need to know where you are getting your sugars from--is it desserts, soda, juices??

Dukechick:)
 
Hi Sarah,

I strongly agree with Amy about keeping a food diary. It has helped me tremendously. It's really the only way for you to keep track of what you're consuming all day long and how it's making you feel. I just keep an index card handy and write down everything I eat. Journaling this way helped me see how much sugar would creep up into my diet on a daily basis. Then I worked on eliminating those extras or replacing them entirely with healthy subsitutes like choosing nuts and seeds over candy. I do, however, happily indulge in some dark chocolate if I'm really craving it - which I usually am :p

I too had a really hard time kicking the sugar habit at first. It takes time to do so and initially I felt like I couldn't concentrate better and lacked energy from the absence of junk in my diet. But my body and my appetite adapted fairly quickly as long as I focused on keeping my blood sugar levels stable with healthy, nutrient dense food. The more stable my blood sugar, the less I think about getting a sweet treat to pick me up.

So, I would recommend journaling everything you're putting in your mouth and analyzing it to see where you could made some changes.

Hope this helps :)

Faiza
 
How does one not eat refined sugar at all? Isn't it in *everything* practically? My all natural peanut butter has one gram of sugar per serving. Would that be considered refined or natural sugar?

Thanks!

Sparrow
 
I cut out sugar completely for two months and that was the greatest two months of my life. I felt so much better, stronger, had more energy, just felt like a better person all around.

I just cut out the obvious: pies, candy, cake, ice cream and such. I really didn't worry that much about yogurt or fruit, since that has a lot of natural sugars. When I crave something sweet, I grab an apple or kiwi, that way I am still pleasing my taste buds but I am also eating something healthy as well, so I am also feeding my body. I think that is what helped me the most, grabbing fruit. So good for you and so delicious! When I was pms, I still eat chocolate, but I eat dark chocolate, so that I am a nicer person. :p

Good luck and stick with it, your body really will thank you for it.

Missy
 
My all natural peanut butter has
>one gram of sugar per serving. Would that be considered
>refined or natural sugar?


If there is no sugar added (there's actually a "natural" p.b. that has sugar and palm oil added to it!), then it's natural sugar. (If you have the "Natural" p.b. that has the added fat and sugar, I suggest switching to REAL natural pb: just peanuts and salt).

"Refined sugar" is anything like white sugar, sucrose, dextrose, high-fructose corn syrup/sweetener (which should be avoided at all costs, IMO), any ADDED sugars.

Natural sugars occur naturally in fruits, vegetables (to some degree), and natural foods that aren't processed, including peanuts.
 
>I am having a really hard time cutting down on sugar. I
>thought cold turkey would work best but I didn't realize that
>everything has sugar in it!!

Many PROCESSED foods have sugar in them (as well as sodium, preservatives, chemicals, artificial colors and flavors), so by cutting out processed foods (food that comes in boxes, or cans---except things like beans--or as a frozen entree), you automatically reduce or eliminate sugar.
 
when you first started grabbing fruit was it hard? I have a hard time eating the fruit...I fight with myself...is this normal at first?
thanks again
Sarah
 
There is a fantastic website that deals entirely with sugar control and addiction; radiantrecovery.com. There is a lot of info on the website about avoiding sugar. The free newsletter has fantastic articles on how sugar affects moods and biochemistry. The webmaster, Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D., keeps up on all the current research regarding sugar. She has a very comprehensive program for people who want to get rid of their sugar addiction. The site has given me a lot of help and insight regarding my sugar-addicted son's behavior.
 
I was talking about sugars not carbohydrates. When you read labels there's a "Sugars" category and that's the one that the ADA says we should watch carefully. Some foods are high carb low sugar and some are high carb high sugar (those are the ones we should avoid or eat in moderation.)

Of course I try to eat my simple carbs from fresh fruit anyways because most of my food is rich in complex carbohydrates, but that would be another subject in itself. :)
 
Cutting out sodas, if you drink them, is one major way to cut back on unwanted sugar. Organic markets like Wild Oats offer canned goods, natural peanut butter, etc. without added sugar.
 
I haven't really read anyone else's post, but my thought is there isn't any reason to cut out sugar completely. Anything that has naturally occuring sugar is fine, esp fruit. I think it's fine to be mindful of preservatives and added sugar but you don't need to be anal crazy about it. Also, remember to enjoy yourself once in a while. Life is too short ;)


"you miss 100% of the shots you never take"

Debbie
 
Please don't cut out your fruits or veggies! We NEED that nutrition. We even need the sugar and carbohydrates in them. That is what sustains us. What we don't need is all the sugar in processed foods, sodas, candies, etc. Maybe if you make sure to have a little protein with your fruit, that will help? Such as organic, natural PB on an apple, or a few almonds with something else. I am affected VERY much by sugar, but never by the sugar in fruit, especially if it's just one or two pieces at a time. Good luck!

Sara
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?username=sblordita&x=0&y=0
 
vidfan,
I checked out that website...thanks so much for posting it! I hope to kick my sugar cravings with a lot of the info. I found there. Thanks so much!
Angela:7
 
You're welcome, Angela! Glad you found it useful. For me it's been a goldmine of great info.

Good luck!
Randi
 
Thanks everyone that is some good info. I am going to check that book out at the library and see what else I can learn. I thought she had some very interesting information on her website. I have such a long ways to go but I don't care so much about the weight (well I guess I do care:) ) as much as my energy level. It is amazing how tired I get!
Sarah
 
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