Weaning off of sugar?

[morningstar]

I think food manufacturers rely on customers being ill-informed or semi-informed.

How else would Jiffy (I think?) pass off a PB with sugar and palm oil added as "natural." I'll bet most people just look at the front label and buy it because it says it's natural.

Well, technically, sugar and palm oil are "natural". Trouble is, there is no clear definition of the word "natural", so it is used and misused for all kinds of things that you really don't want to eat. Everything in the universe could be defined as "natural", if you really wanted to get down to it. And yep, I bet most people do buy it for just that reason.

One item that pissed me off lately? Paul Newman's low fat Sesame Ginger Salad Dressing. I always read labels, but for some reason, I didn't this one, and I've been eating it for a year or so- it has sugar in it.

 

[lorrayne]

Be aware of food marked "natural." I asked a question regarding a product and wanted to know if it was organic. The response back...it's "natural." Yikes!!!! Natural does NOT mean organic! I didn't buy the product...I believe I was asking about flaxseed oil at GNC. Instead, I went to my HFS and bought my normal Barlean's brand.

 

[ColoradoSooner]

I have to say that for me, I can't wean myself off of it. I have to go cold turkey. If I eat it, I crave more and then the whole vicious cycle starts all over again. Even high GI fruits will set me off. I will agree that the first couple of weeks are horrendous...headaches, grouchiness, dizziness. But then my blood sugar seems to regulate and I feel better than ever. You just have to decide what works best for you.

Something some people have mentioned, and that I want to reiterate, is to read labels. Sugar isn't just in candies and desserts. They add it to everything...canned corn, beans, etc. I read "You: On a Diet" and he recommends trying to avoid any added sugar to things like that and keeping sugar (from naturally occuring sugars) to 4 grams or below per serving. If you're going to go the weaning route, that might be the easiest place to start. You just won't BELIEVE how much sugar you're ingesting from things that don't seem sugary!

Good luck! You really will feel better when it's all out of your system.

 

[RapidBreath]

"natural" is a weird term because technically HFCS is natural and so is marijuana, but I would not give either one to a growing child.