what do you do to lower your sugar intake?
Cilantrocat
Posts: 81 Member
Hello just wondering what changes any sugar lovers out there have made to lower their sugar intake?
I have a sweet tooth so to speak and have high chloresterol, and have been reading that it may contribute a bit to that. So as well as a healthier diet and more excersize I want to watch my sugars as well. I'm not sure about lowering the amount of fruit I eat because of nutrient content + I am a vegetarian.
Opinions? Methods?
I have a sweet tooth so to speak and have high chloresterol, and have been reading that it may contribute a bit to that. So as well as a healthier diet and more excersize I want to watch my sugars as well. I'm not sure about lowering the amount of fruit I eat because of nutrient content + I am a vegetarian.
Opinions? Methods?
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Replies
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Replace X amount of fruit with Y amount of vegetables.0
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Sugar is not implicated in high cholesterol ..it's sat fat
Look at The Meditterranean or DASH diet0 -
I don't eat much in the way of processed foods and/or foods that contain added sugar. I eat a few servings of fruit per day and place a greater emphasis on vegetables...i.e. I eat 2-3 servings of fruit and 4-6 servings of veg.
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I use sugar packets in my tea rather than spooning the sugar out of a larger container. That gives me much more consistent sugar amounts.0
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cwolfman13 wrote: »I don't eat much in the way of processed foods and/or foods that contain added sugar. I eat a few servings of fruit per day and place a greater emphasis on vegetables...i.e. I eat 2-3 servings of fruit and 4-6 servings of veg.
What are your go-to's so to speak for veggies?0 -
There's sugar in so many things that you wouldn't even think of. I eat plain Greek yogurt and add fruit, but no other sweetener. I don't drink sodas or juices. Pretty much, besides fruit, the only sweet thing I eat is a square of dark chocolate, almost daily. The most recent studies I've read implicate sugar, more than fat, as increasing cholesterol. I can't point you to them though because I don't know where I found them. Watch out for dried fruit, the sugar is more concentrated. Read labels. I wouldn't worry too much about fruit, unless you're eating tons of it, then you may want to check your macros and see how much.0
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I am sugar agnostic. I just don't love it personally. I eat 3-4 veggies to every single serving of fruit. My favorite fruits are tomatoes & avocados. I make my own salad dressings, pasta sauces, enchilada sauces, sloppy joe base, etc from scratch because lots of stupid sugars lurk in commercially prepared versions. If I want a dessert I generally go for very dark chocolate. Just those little things alone keep my sugars low without really trying. Yes, I do eat birthday cake, holiday pie and an occasional scoop of ice cream. But most days I don't even think about them. Oh, I love a diet soda now and again. But even my favorite diet soda, Coke Zero, is known for being less sweet than average.0
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Another thought: up your healthy fats. In some people I think the sweet cravings are really for the fats that so often accompany sweets when they are trying to stay too low in fats.0
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Idk I don't add it to the things I eat. I eat mostly salty food.
This is an example of what I eat daily:
Breakfast: Oatmeal with almond milk and fruit puree for flavour
Lunch: Protein and mixed frozen vegetables with cheese melted over
Dinner: Chicken/eggs with a steamed potato with seasoned salt and cheese.
I'm never over sugar. Well, except on Saturdays and/or Sundays when I eat a treat.0 -
longlostsea wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »I don't eat much in the way of processed foods and/or foods that contain added sugar. I eat a few servings of fruit per day and place a greater emphasis on vegetables...i.e. I eat 2-3 servings of fruit and 4-6 servings of veg.
What are your go-to's so to speak for veggies?
You name it...broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussel sprouts, carrots, kale, spinach, and other greens, lettuces, cucumbers, onions, green onions, tomatoes, bell peppers (mostly red or green), peas, etc...I like a lot of variety and there's not really a veggie I've met yet that I didn't like.
I also eat a lot of root vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, beets, turnips, parsnips, rutabaga, etc. I also eat a lot of whole grains and legumes and lentils...
I'm not a vegetarian, but "plants" are a significant part of my diet.0 -
Mycophilia wrote: »Replace X amount of fruit with Y amount of vegetables.
THIS. I just LOVE fruit, but I get more bang for my caloric buck with veggies, is I feel fuller when I eat veggies. And fruits contain quite a fair amount of calories so... I have been gravitating far more towards veggies recently.0 -
I've decreased my sugar intake, gradually, in roughly this order: cut out fruit juice, stopped eating sweetened yogurt, stopped sweetening my own yogurt, stopped eating fruit regularly, except berries, cut back on sweetened chocolate and started using xylitol to sweeten occasional desserts instead. At this point, I eat very little, if any, added sugar, and only small amounts of grains and starchy vegetables.0
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I actually just kicked my sugar habit, gradually, not all at once. What helped me stop eating sugar was actually doing research on what excess sugar does to the body and how it's as addictive as cocaine. Once I knew more about sugar, it was easier to say no to it. I started by cutting out all non-water beverages except for the occasional unsweetened tea. Then I swapped dessert for fruit. What helped whenever I was craving sugar was making banana ice cream. All it is is frozen bananas blended in a food processor with a splash of almond milk (or milk of choice), along with any flavoring you prefer. I personally like adding a bit of peanut butter, it's delicious! After cutting out desserts I then cut out all the "hidden" sugars of my diet, which includes things like a seemingly healthy can of marinara sauce that actually has 24g of sugar. Lastly, I ate more veggies and less fruit to get rid of even more fruit in my diet.
Good luck, hope this helped!0 -
lithezebra wrote: »I've decreased my sugar intake, gradually, in roughly this order: cut out fruit juice, stopped eating sweetened yogurt, stopped sweetening my own yogurt, stopped eating fruit regularly, except berries, cut back on sweetened chocolate and started using xylitol to sweeten occasional desserts instead. At this point, I eat very little, if any, added sugar, and only small amounts of grains and starchy vegetables.
Thanks for your helpful response! Is xylitol splenda?
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Mycophilia wrote: »Replace X amount of fruit with Y amount of vegetables.
THIS. I just LOVE fruit, but I get more bang for my caloric buck with veggies, is I feel fuller when I eat veggies. And fruits contain quite a fair amount of calories so... I have been gravitating far more towards veggies recently.
Looks like I may have to start making veggies the star of the show!0 -
sheridanlugo wrote: »I actually just kicked my sugar habit, gradually, not all at once. What helped me stop eating sugar was actually doing research on what excess sugar does to the body and how it's as addictive as cocaine. Once I knew more about sugar, it was easier to say no to it. I started by cutting out all non-water beverages except for the occasional unsweetened tea. Then I swapped dessert for fruit. What helped whenever I was craving sugar was making banana ice cream. All it is is frozen bananas blended in a food processor with a splash of almond milk (or milk of choice), along with any flavoring you prefer. I personally like adding a bit of peanut butter, it's delicious! After cutting out desserts I then cut out all the "hidden" sugars of my diet, which includes things like a seemingly healthy can of marinara sauce that actually has 24g of sugar. Lastly, I ate more veggies and less fruit to get rid of even more fruit in my diet.
Good luck, hope this helped!
This is helpful can you suggest any good reads?0 -
There's sugar in so many things that you wouldn't even think of. I eat plain Greek yogurt and add fruit, but no other sweetener. I don't drink sodas or juices. Pretty much, besides fruit, the only sweet thing I eat is a square of dark chocolate, almost daily. The most recent studies I've read implicate sugar, more than fat, as increasing cholesterol. I can't point you to them though because I don't know where I found them. Watch out for dried fruit, the sugar is more concentrated. Read labels. I wouldn't worry too much about fruit, unless you're eating tons of it, then you may want to check your macros and see how much.
Thanks for the input! I dont drink juice for the most part, but usually my fruit is in a smoothie or a banana for breakfast and I usually have an apple, pear, orange slices, or fruit salad with steel oats for lunch.0 -
Newer research does indicate sugar is implicated in unhealthy cholesterol and high triglyceride levels. Research lots of articles on this subject and check out pub med for the actual scientific studies. Learned this in my nutrition classes in school.0
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I tend to think of sugar as what turns to glucose in my blood - carbs. When I reduced sugar and carbs I cut first added sugars in junk foods (candy and soda) then foods with added sugars. I then cut baked goods and other foods made from grains like bread, muffins, noodles, rice, quinoa, and corn. My last change was to avoid high GI fruits and use lower GI ones like berries and use full fat dairy. Fat free usually means added sugars.
I cut carbs more than most but I think the order could work for anyone. Sugary foods and sugar added foods can be eliminated. When I need a sweetener I use liquid stevia or a bit of xylitol (sugar alcohols can cause stomach upset so be careful). I tend to avoid powdery sugar substitutes because their fillers (dextrose or maltodextrin) converts to glucose very quickly in the body. If an ingredient ends in "ose" or "dextrin" it is basically a sugar, and if it ends in "ol" it is a sugar alcohol.
Perhaps join the Low Carber Daily group for more ideas. Best wishes.0 -
I tend to think of sugar as what turns to glucose in my blood - carbs. When I reduced sugar and carbs I cut first added sugars in junk foods (candy and soda) then foods with added sugars. I then cut baked goods and other foods made from grains like bread, muffins, noodles, rice, quinoa, and corn. My last change was to avoid high GI fruits and use lower GI ones like berries and use full fat dairy. Fat free usually means added sugars.
I cut carbs more than most but I think the order could work for anyone. Sugary foods and sugar added foods can be eliminated. When I need a sweetener I use liquid stevia or a bit of xylitol (sugar alcohols can cause stomach upset so be careful). I tend to avoid powdery sugar substitutes because their fillers (dextrose or maltodextrin) converts to glucose very quickly in the body. If an ingredient ends in "ose" or "dextrin" it is basically a sugar, and if it ends in "ol" it is a sugar alcohol.
Perhaps join the Low Carber Daily group for more ideas. Best wishes.
Seems like you know your stuff.
I think I'll start with the junk with added sugar, and switching out fruits for veggies, and reasses after.
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Make your own yoghurt. It is crash simple to make. Bake your own bread. The bf and I often bake a no-knead loaf of bread. You mix the ingredients before you go to bed. You let it sit in a bowl until the morning. You transfer it to a baking container. You let it rise for 30 minutes or so. You bake it. Et voila!
In short, you want to learn how to cook and bake if you don't already.0 -
Where is the source for this sugar = cholesterol ...I can't find anything but opinion pieces0
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Well, it's not a source exactly, but when I went to a new doctor and said that I had high triglycerides, he said:Where is the source for this sugar = cholesterol ...I can't find anything but opinion pieces
"You know where those come from, don't you? Sugar!"
I just said "Huh" and moved on to another topic.0 -
Well, it's not a source exactly, but when I went to a new doctor and said that I had high triglycerides, he said:Where is the source for this sugar = cholesterol ...I can't find anything but opinion pieces
"You know where those come from, don't you? Sugar!"
I just said "Huh" and moved on to another topic.
Huh seems the only appropriate answer
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I don't know if it would work for you but this worked for me. When I get a craving for cookies (my weakness) I've found that eating 3-4 grams of assorted nuts or cashews does it for me. I find it filling and satisfies my sugar craving most of the time. Again, I don't know if that would work well for you, but it works for me.0
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circ.ahajournals.org/content/106/4/523.…
Sugar Consumption in the United States
Added sugar was not a significant component of the human diet until the advent of modern food-processing methods. Since then, the intake of sugar has risen steadily. The average US sugar utilization per capita on the basis of food disappearance data was 55 kg (120 lb) per year in 1970, and it reached 68 kg (150 lb) per year in 1995 (almost 0.5 lb per day).1 Sugar (simple carbohydrate) intake averages 25% of total energy intake. Data from the 1989 to 1991 Continuing Survey of Food Intake by Individuals indicate that soft drinks and sugars added at the table (eg, sugar/syrups and jams) are 2 of the top 4 carbohydrate sources for US adults.2
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Sugar and Coronary Heart Disease
Yudkin and colleagues in the 1960s3 and 1970s4 found that a higher intake of sugar was associated with increased CVD in both within-country and cross-country comparisons. A few recent studies have examined the link between sugar consumption and coronary heart disease (CHD). The Iowa Women’s Health Study5 showed no relation between the intake of sweets or desserts and risk of ischemic heart disease in 34 492 women monitored for 9 years. However, some major sources of sugar such as soft drinks were not considered. The Scottish Heart Health Study6 of 10 359 men and women found that neither extrinsic nor intrinsic sugars were significant independent correlates of prevalent CHD after adjustment for other major risk factors, but the data were not adjusted for other dietary variables. A recent report from the Nurses’ Health Study showed that women who consumed diets with a high glycemic load* (increased blood glucose excursions associated with intake of sweets or highly processed starches and sweets) had an increased CHD risk, with those in the highest quintile having a >2-fold risk during 10 years of follow-up.7 Simple carbohydrate alone was also predictive but did not reach statistical significance. This analysis controlled for total energy intake and other major dietary and nondietary risk factors.
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Dietary Sugar and Plasma Lipoproteins
A number of studies link dietary sugar with adverse changes in lipoproteins. Several studies have shown an inverse association between dietary sucrose and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.8,9⇓ Data from the Coronary Artery Risk Development In young Adults (CARDIA) study show a consistent inverse association between increased dietary sucrose intake and HDL cholesterol concentrations, in both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses in blacks and whites, in both men and women, and after adjustment for other covariates.10
A diet high in sucrose (ie, >20% of energy) is associated with an elevation of plasma triglyceride concentrations.11,12⇓ This increase is due to both increased hepatic secretion and impaired clearance of very-low-density lipoprotein. Triglyceride response to dietary sugar may vary, however, according to the amount of sugar and the presence of other nutrients.120 -
Conclusion of above article from American Heart Association:
The studies above, taken in total, indicate that high sugar intake should be avoided. Sugar has no nutritional value other than to provide calories. To improve the overall nutrient density of the diet and to help reduce the intake of excess calories, individuals should be sure foods high in added sugar are not displacing foods with essential nutrients or increasing calorie intake.0 -
longlostsea wrote: »Hello just wondering what changes any sugar lovers out there have made to lower their sugar intake?
I have a sweet tooth so to speak and have high chloresterol, and have been reading that it may contribute a bit to that. So as well as a healthier diet and more excersize I want to watch my sugars as well. I'm not sure about lowering the amount of fruit I eat because of nutrient content + I am a vegetarian.
Opinions? Methods?- I replace full sugar items (like when I have a soda) with sugar free.
- I buy plain yogurt and sweeten with Vitafiber, which adds soluble fiber to my diet.
- I stopped drinking my coffee with fancy flavored creamers and just use enough half-and-half to cut the acidity.
- I make most of my own soups and stews in my crockpot so I can control the ingredients.
- I buy single servings of things like a candy bar or cookies when I really want a treat
- I enjoy the cake when I am at a party, I just don't buy any for the home
- I eat my fruit instead of drinking juice
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Conclusion of above article from American Heart Association:
The studies above, taken in total, indicate that high sugar intake should be avoided. Sugar has no nutritional value other than to provide calories. To improve the overall nutrient density of the diet and to help reduce the intake of excess calories, individuals should be sure foods high in added sugar are not displacing foods with essential nutrients or increasing calorie intake.
Exactly it's about excess calories and overweight
Now fair enough if cutting down on sugar means you are hitting your calorie goals and nutritional requirements
But sugar does not cause high blood cholesterol
Unless somebody has info that proves otherwise I'm sticking with the advice to lower trans and sat fats and lose weight0 -
Conclusion of above article from American Heart Association:
The studies above, taken in total, indicate that high sugar intake should be avoided. Sugar has no nutritional value other than to provide calories. To improve the overall nutrient density of the diet and to help reduce the intake of excess calories, individuals should be sure foods high in added sugar are not displacing foods with essential nutrients or increasing calorie intake.
Exactly it's about excess calories and overweight
Now fair enough if cutting down on sugar means you are hitting your calorie goals and nutritional requirements
But sugar does not cause high blood cholesterol
Unless somebody has info that proves otherwise I'm sticking with the advice to lower trans and sat fats and lose weight
True. My suggestions above are all ways to lower calories overall and (for me as a diabetic) to lower carb consumption.0
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