Gluten free, sugar free, dairy free... who is with me?
MaryYoungmark
Posts: 66 Member
A few months ago I gave up gluten, sugar, and dairy. I feel like a new person! I've only been eating whole unprocessed foods. Is anyone else eating similar? What are your favorite meals and snacks?
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Replies
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It must be difficult to be a diabetic celiac with lactose intolerance. I cannot imagine.
If none of the above applies, why? Dairy, gluten and sugar are not bad for you or cause fat gain.
If you gave up on sugar, what are you eating? Grains, fruit and vegetables contain sugar. To the body, sugar is sugar is sugar.22 -
Man that must be rough, not fruit and vegetables!3
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You couldn't pay me tbh7
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MaryYoungmark wrote: »A few months ago I gave up gluten, sugar, and dairy. I feel like a new person! I've only been eating whole unprocessed foods. Is anyone else eating similar? What are your favorite meals and snacks?
Wow that's restrictive!
What can you eat?3 -
RuNaRoUnDaFiEld wrote: »MaryYoungmark wrote: »A few months ago I gave up gluten, sugar, and dairy. I feel like a new person! I've only been eating whole unprocessed foods. Is anyone else eating similar? What are your favorite meals and snacks?
Wow that's restrictive!
What can you eat?
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I'm guessing when you said sugar, you meant processed sugar...not fruit sugar? I am trying to eat mostly protein, veggies, limited fruits, and good fats. As a society we tend to eat way too many simple carbs. I'm trying to stay away from grains, dairy, and processed sugar. I have been enjoying taco salad with salsa as a dressing. I sometimes also mix canned chicken with a little mayo and diced apples. I also love raw almonds for a snack!
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Barring medical issues - elimination diets are generally a bad idea. Assuming you're not a diabetic, celiac with lactose intolerance.......what will maintenance be?
Losing weight is just the first step. To keep the weight off we need to change (some) dietary habits for a lifetime or the weight is just going to come back.3 -
*Looks at my oatmeal with greek yogurt, eggs and berries*
No.15 -
My sourdough with butter consumption over the last two days, then my spoonful of sugar and milk in my coffee today tells me this is not a lifestyle I would enjoy.9
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Ok let me clarify... I do eat fruit. I cut out processed sugars. I basically follow a paleo diet, but not 100% I eat brown rice and some legumes. I do understand that to some this sounds totally scary. But I've shed 40 pounds since January, I am heavier. The amount of energy I now have is crazy, I fully enjoy this lifestyle because of how amazing I feel. I have 0 cravings, 0 blood sugar dips, my mind is clearer, etc. I do have pcos and hormones are regulating. I have considered someday reintroducing some foods on occasion. But I do not miss processed foods and I do not miss feeling tired and groggy.13
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I'm guessing when you said sugar, you meant processed sugar...not fruit sugar? I am trying to eat mostly protein, veggies, limited fruits, and good fats. As a society we tend to eat way too many simple carbs. I'm trying to stay away from grains, dairy, and processed sugar. I have been enjoying taco salad with salsa as a dressing. I sometimes also mix canned chicken with a little mayo and diced apples. I also love raw almonds for a snack!
Psst...
Fruits are simple carbs.
Grains are complex carbs.
Your body can't tell the difference between natural sugar and processed sugar - it is broken down in the same way.
If you are going to create arbitrary rules for yourself, it's usually helpful if you are applying them correctly.
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I'm guessing when you said sugar, you meant processed sugar...not fruit sugar? I am trying to eat mostly protein, veggies, limited fruits, and good fats. As a society we tend to eat way too many simple carbs. I'm trying to stay away from grains, dairy, and processed sugar. I have been enjoying taco salad with salsa as a dressing. I sometimes also mix canned chicken with a little mayo and diced apples. I also love raw almonds for a snack!
You mean "added sugar"? That's what I assumed she meant too, but it's worth understanding that the sugar itself is not different (being "processed" means being removed from a plant, nothing else is done to it). So called "fruit sugar" is a combination of glucose and fructose (on its own and combined in sucrose), and sucrose (table sugar) is also a combination of glucose and fructose.
Thus, the sugar in fruit is ALSO a simple carb. (The carbs in a potato or grains, whole OR white, is starch, and therefore is considered a complex carb.) Point is that the distinction between simple and complex carbs is not as nutritionally significant as many seem to think based on an inaccurate understanding of what they are.
I have nothing against giving up added sugar if that appeals to you (I did for a period of time for my own reasons), but I think it is important to understand that nutritionally sugar is sugar. Now, foods are not foods, of course (unless you are starving), but I'd focus on the nutritional density of the food and how it fits into my overall diet as a more sensible and nutrition-based approach than assuming that innate sugar=good and added sugar=bad. A bit of sugar in some oats or a rhubarb sauce or a cranberry sauce will likely be less sugar than in an apple, depending, and yet just as nutrient dense, if not more, depending on what is missing in your diet.
Anyway, I avoid having much of my diet be from foods that are not nutritionally dense, but I see no reason why avoiding dairy would serve such a purpose, or grains -- both of them add to the nutritional density of my diet on the whole. Specifically, dairy is good for protein in forms such as plain greek yogurt and cottage cheese, and good cheese is delicious so while not on its own particularly nutrient dense it makes my overall diet more satisfying without needing to add or (or eat it) in huge amounts. I don't eat a lot of grains compared to some because I mostly find them not worth the calories, but given that I don't overeat them I don't see the point of cutting them out. I find oats in the morning (with an egg and vegetables) can be a great start to the day, and pasta for me (or occasionally rice) is a good base for lean meat and lots and lots of vegetables. Not sure what would be the point of cutting out the pasta/rice if they fit in my calories and make the overall meal more delicious and satisfying. Sure, if you overdo it, but they aren't bad in themselves. Similarly barley or other grains can be nice sides, just as good as lentils or tubers and allow for variety.
As for added sugar, I think it's about not consuming too much, not making a totem of consuming none as if it made a difference. (But I do understand there being reasons for individuals to cut it out, just not normally nutritional ones -- like I said, I cut it out for a while myself.)6 -
Jesus Christ why are you so nasty to each other? We can't compare fruit with a mars bar anyway. The fruit has fiber, vitamins and minerals which help keeping the appetite stabilized and give proper nutrition! And dairy? You're a freaking human, not a cow so it's okay not to have it in your diet even when you're NOT intolerant or allergic to it. Now for gluten, if you're not sick I don't see any reason why to avoid it but if it works for one then it's good, you don't have to play the "i know better than you because I am SO much better" card.
I eat all of the things she says she avoids but still... who am I to criticize and belittle one? Jeez there's no need to be mean. Maybe you need to up your calories a bit.
PS: Some responses have been nice and/or honest, so my text doesn't go to all who responded.
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Jesus Christ why are you so nasty to each other? We can't compare fruit with a mars bar anyway. The fruit has fiber, vitamins and minerals which help keeping the appetite stabilized and give proper nutrition! And dairy? You're a freaking human, not a cow so it's okay not to have it in your diet even when you're NOT intolerant or allergic to it. Now for gluten, if you're not sick I don't see any reason why to avoid it but if it works for one then it's good, you don't have to play the "i know better than you because I am SO much better" card.
I eat all of the things she says she avoids but still... who am I to criticize and belittle one? Jeez there's no need to be mean. Maybe you need to up your calories a bit.
PS: Some responses have been nice and/or honest, so my text doesn't go to all who responded.
The irony of this post.22 -
Jesus Christ why are you so nasty to each other? We can't compare fruit with a mars bar anyway. The fruit has fiber, vitamins and minerals which help keeping the appetite stabilized and give proper nutrition! And dairy? You're a freaking human, not a cow so it's okay not to have it in your diet even when you're NOT intolerant or allergic to it. Now for gluten, if you're not sick I don't see any reason why to avoid it but if it works for one then it's good, you don't have to play the "i know better than you because I am SO much better" card.
I eat all of the things she says she avoids but still... who am I to criticize and belittle one? Jeez there's no need to be mean. Maybe you need to up your calories a bit.
PS: Some responses have been nice and/or honest, so my text doesn't go to all who responded.
I've only seen one nasty post so far...11 -
Jesus Christ why are you so nasty to each other? We can't compare fruit with a mars bar anyway. The fruit has fiber, vitamins and minerals which help keeping the appetite stabilized and give proper nutrition! And dairy? You're a freaking human, not a cow so it's okay not to have it in your diet even when you're NOT intolerant or allergic to it. Now for gluten, if you're not sick I don't see any reason why to avoid it but if it works for one then it's good, you don't have to play the "i know better than you because I am SO much better" card.
I eat all of the things she says she avoids but still... who am I to criticize and belittle one? Jeez there's no need to be mean. Maybe you need to up your calories a bit.
PS: Some responses have been nice and/or honest, so my text doesn't go to all who responded.
The irony of this post.
I got to admit that the comment about upping the calories was a little mean itself. I apologize, I was acting out of emotion
It just hit me that some people are playing the experts in order to "reduce" the person who began the topic. 
I won't delete it though. It's the internet but I take responsibility for it and rather keep a straight face.2 -
Jesus Christ why are you so nasty to each other? We can't compare fruit with a mars bar anyway. The fruit has fiber, vitamins and minerals which help keeping the appetite stabilized and give proper nutrition! And dairy? You're a freaking human, not a cow so it's okay not to have it in your diet even when you're NOT intolerant or allergic to it. Now for gluten, if you're not sick I don't see any reason why to avoid it but if it works for one then it's good, you don't have to play the "i know better than you because I am SO much better" card.
I eat all of the things she says she avoids but still... who am I to criticize and belittle one? Jeez there's no need to be mean. Maybe you need to up your calories a bit.
PS: Some responses have been nice and/or honest, so my text doesn't go to all who responded.
The irony of this post.
I got to admit that the comment about upping the calories was a little mean itself. I apologize, I was acting out of emotion It just hit me that some people are playing the experts in order to "reduce" the person who began the topic.
Yet, you are reducing people by comparing them to baby cows if they consume dairy...Go figure.9 -
MaryYoungmark wrote: »A few months ago I gave up gluten, sugar, and dairy. I feel like a new person! I've only been eating whole unprocessed foods. Is anyone else eating similar? What are your favorite meals and snacks?
This post seems as if you are trying to encourage people to cut out gluten, sugar, and dairy, as if that would be a better way for everyone to eat. Not sure why that would be. (Or why a processed food like smoked salmon would be considered a bad thing to eat either.)
That said, I'm glad it's working for you. I experimented with cutting out grains and added sugar and dairy (did paleo for a bit, so also went without legumes), and I did not find that it made me feel any different. Cutting out added sugar for a while did help me get a handle on my emotional eating issues, although I found that not snacking was a much more significant help (I occasionally have a dessert with added sugar after dinner, often ice cream or high quality chocolate, and sometimes one with no added sugar, like fruit or good cheese). From experimentation, it's pretty clear I am not lactose intolerant and do not have any other issues with dairy, which is expected in that my family background is all northern and western Europe where those things are quite uncommon (early dairy adopters).
However, I think grains are kind of overrated (just a personal preference), almost never add sugar to things, certainly not dinner or some other meal, and don't put dairy in everything (it's easy to just not add cheese, after all), so if what you are interested in are menu ideas, I might be able to help/share ideas. Just because one doesn't cut something totally out doesn't mean that one eats it all the time, after all.
So, given that, I don't really snack, but some of my favorite meals that fit the criteria are:
2-egg vegetable omelet (most recently mushrooms, onions, broccoli, and spinach, but it depends what I have on hand) with some smoked salmon and blueberries on the side (I guess use a different meat if you think that's too processed). (I often add a bit of feta to the omelet or have some cottage cheese on the side instead of the salmon, but of course dairy -- like I said, easily avoided.)
For lunch my current favorite (made ahead for lunches) is a vegetarian chili (bean- and lentil-based) with some sweet potatoes, kale, and whatever vegetables are available (cauliflower, zucchini, peppers (sweet and hot), and of course tomatoes -- at this time of year I think canned are preferable, but of course you could use "fresh" -- I think out of season tomatoes just are tasteless so don't buy them).
I do often eat grains at dinner, but probably more than half of my dinners do not involve them. A couple of favorites: trout with potatoes and brussels sprouts (both roasted) plus some sauteed green beans (summer squash works just as well, or whatever else is around) with mushrooms. Another favorite when it's still cool is a pork chop with apples, onions, cauliflower (chopped small), and sauerkraut. I'd probably have another veg on the side, green bean again go well, or maybe some winter squash.
I have numerous other meals that don't involve the things you are cutting out, but if the discussion must include why those things are bad then I guess my ideas are not what you are after.5 -
I'm gluten free because of Celiac. I don't do added sugar or even really fruit very often because I'm keto. I love dairy though and barring some severe reaction to it I will not consider eliminating it. Cheese and cream are my favorites. I think we all thrive on different diets for different reasons and as long as you feel good then it's all good! 5
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Jesus Christ why are you so nasty to each other? We can't compare fruit with a mars bar anyway. The fruit has fiber, vitamins and minerals which help keeping the appetite stabilized and give proper nutrition! And dairy? You're a freaking human, not a cow so it's okay not to have it in your diet even when you're NOT intolerant or allergic to it. Now for gluten, if you're not sick I don't see any reason why to avoid it but if it works for one then it's good, you don't have to play the "i know better than you because I am SO much better" card.
I eat all of the things she says she avoids but still... who am I to criticize and belittle one? Jeez there's no need to be mean. Maybe you need to up your calories a bit.
PS: Some responses have been nice and/or honest, so my text doesn't go to all who responded.
The irony of this post.
I got to admit that the comment about upping the calories was a little mean itself. I apologize, I was acting out of emotion It just hit me that some people are playing the experts in order to "reduce" the person who began the topic.
Yet, you are reducing people by comparing them to baby cows if they consume dairy...Go figure.
Oh come on! I also eat dairy. I am neither vegan nor vegetarian. What I wanted to say is that it's okay if we don't have it by choice and not because of an intolerance or allergy. It's a fact that it is food not meant for us but for the cow though, no matter how you take it. 3 -
Jesus Christ why are you so nasty to each other?
No one was nasty.We can't compare fruit with a mars bar anyway. The fruit has fiber, vitamins and minerals which help keeping the appetite stabilized and give proper nutrition!
No one said all foods are the same. But the sugars are. They are different for reasons other than the sugars.And dairy? You're a freaking human, not a cow so it's okay not to have it in your diet even when you're NOT intolerant or allergic to it.
Yes, it's absolutely okay not to consume it. Lots of people do have issues with it, and many have ethical issues. But what should be challenged is the idea that it is nutritionally bad for most people (people without issues with it) to consume it.who am I to criticize and belittle one? Jeez there's no need to be mean.
I think you are reading this into the responses. For example, my concern was to correct bad information. I was not being mean or belittling, and I think being paleo if one likes it is fine. I just don't think it's true that paleo is a more healthful way to eat than many other healthful diets that do include dairy, grains (the paleo issue is not actually gluten alone), and the rest.7 -
Jesus Christ why are you so nasty to each other? We can't compare fruit with a mars bar anyway. The fruit has fiber, vitamins and minerals which help keeping the appetite stabilized and give proper nutrition! And dairy? You're a freaking human, not a cow so it's okay not to have it in your diet even when you're NOT intolerant or allergic to it. Now for gluten, if you're not sick I don't see any reason why to avoid it but if it works for one then it's good, you don't have to play the "i know better than you because I am SO much better" card.
I eat all of the things she says she avoids but still... who am I to criticize and belittle one? Jeez there's no need to be mean. Maybe you need to up your calories a bit.
PS: Some responses have been nice and/or honest, so my text doesn't go to all who responded.
The irony of this post.
I got to admit that the comment about upping the calories was a little mean itself. I apologize, I was acting out of emotion It just hit me that some people are playing the experts in order to "reduce" the person who began the topic.
Yet, you are reducing people by comparing them to baby cows if they consume dairy...Go figure.
It's a fact that it is food not meant for us but for the cow though, no matter how you take it.
Unless "fact" has an alternate meaning to you, no, it's not a fact at all.
9 -
I eat a primarily whole foods diet, but I'd never give up gluten just because...gluten is in a lot of nutritious whole foods, not just processed foods...it is a naturally occurring protein. I have a really good friend who is gluten intolerant and she really struggles due to the fact that much of what is in her traditional ethnic diet has gluten...I always feel really bad for her.
A lot of studies have shown that dairy is actually a positive where weight management is concerned...I don't eat a lot of dairy, but I do eat dairy. I've given up alcohol Mon-Thurs so I usually have a glass of milk or two in the evening.
I don't eat much in the way of added sugar, but I usually do have something sweet for desert 2-3 nights per week...my wife makes cookies once every few month or so, and there's no way I'm turning those down when they're around either.
For the most part, I eat very well but being overly restrictive really isn't my game...I'm all about balance.5 -
If it works for you and you're feeling great, that's awesome! Congrats!
But you can pry my cheese from my cold dead fingers. I could not live without it.2 -
Fact and a statement about what something in nature is "meant" for belong to two different categories. The latter is a philosophical or even theological claim.6
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Jesus Christ why are you so nasty to each other? We can't compare fruit with a mars bar anyway. The fruit has fiber, vitamins and minerals which help keeping the appetite stabilized and give proper nutrition! And dairy? You're a freaking human, not a cow so it's okay not to have it in your diet even when you're NOT intolerant or allergic to it. Now for gluten, if you're not sick I don't see any reason why to avoid it but if it works for one then it's good, you don't have to play the "i know better than you because I am SO much better" card.
I eat all of the things she says she avoids but still... who am I to criticize and belittle one? Jeez there's no need to be mean. Maybe you need to up your calories a bit.
PS: Some responses have been nice and/or honest, so my text doesn't go to all who responded.
The irony of this post.
I got to admit that the comment about upping the calories was a little mean itself. I apologize, I was acting out of emotion It just hit me that some people are playing the experts in order to "reduce" the person who began the topic.
Yet, you are reducing people by comparing them to baby cows if they consume dairy...Go figure.
It's a fact that it is food not meant for us but for the cow though, no matter how you take it.
Unless "fact" has an alternate meaning to you, no, it's not a fact at all.
I guess you don't understand what "meant" means. I hope you know that a cow to produce milk must first give birth. Pretty much like any other land mammal. The fact that we consume e.g a liter of it means that a baby cow isn't. So, yeah no matter what you say it's a food originally meant for a baby cow and not a human or a dog or a sheep etc.2 -
Jesus Christ why are you so nasty to each other? We can't compare fruit with a mars bar anyway. The fruit has fiber, vitamins and minerals which help keeping the appetite stabilized and give proper nutrition! And dairy? You're a freaking human, not a cow so it's okay not to have it in your diet even when you're NOT intolerant or allergic to it. Now for gluten, if you're not sick I don't see any reason why to avoid it but if it works for one then it's good, you don't have to play the "i know better than you because I am SO much better" card.
I eat all of the things she says she avoids but still... who am I to criticize and belittle one? Jeez there's no need to be mean. Maybe you need to up your calories a bit.
PS: Some responses have been nice and/or honest, so my text doesn't go to all who responded.
The irony of this post.
I got to admit that the comment about upping the calories was a little mean itself. I apologize, I was acting out of emotion It just hit me that some people are playing the experts in order to "reduce" the person who began the topic.
Yet, you are reducing people by comparing them to baby cows if they consume dairy...Go figure.
It's a fact that it is food not meant for us but for the cow though, no matter how you take it.
Unless "fact" has an alternate meaning to you, no, it's not a fact at all.
I guess you don't understand what "meant" means. I hope you know that a cow to produce milk must first give birth. Pretty much like any other land mammal. The fact that we consume e.g a liter of it means that a baby cow isn't. So, yeah no matter what you say it's a food originally meant for a baby cow and not a human or a dog or a sheep etc.
That doesn't mean it's the only thing it's meant for, and it's not "meant" to be human food. Under the same exact rationale you could say that no animals or plants are "meant" to be human food. Like I said, clams about "meant" aren't fact claims, they are philosophical ones that we impose.7 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »Jesus Christ why are you so nasty to each other?
No one was nasty.We can't compare fruit with a mars bar anyway. The fruit has fiber, vitamins and minerals which help keeping the appetite stabilized and give proper nutrition!
No one said all foods are the same. But the sugars are. They are different for reasons other than the sugars.And dairy? You're a freaking human, not a cow so it's okay not to have it in your diet even when you're NOT intolerant or allergic to it.
Yes, it's absolutely okay not to consume it. Lots of people do have issues with it, and many have ethical issues. But what should be challenged is the idea that it is nutritionally bad for most people (people without issues with it) to consume it.who am I to criticize and belittle one? Jeez there's no need to be mean.
I think you are reading this into the responses. For example, my concern was to correct bad information. I was not being mean or belittling, and I think being paleo if one likes it is fine. I just don't think it's true that paleo is a more healthful way to eat than many other healthful diets that do include dairy, grains (the paleo issue is not actually gluten alone), and the rest.
I actually found your response interesting and nowhere near nasty. There were some responses that triggered me, that's all.
I didn't say that the sugar in fruit isn't sugar but I said it can't be compared to the sugar found in most sweets that don't come with fiber and vitamins and are not natural. We need the sugar for a well-functioning body and brain.
As for dairy I don't think it's natural to consume it, however I never argued about dairy's nutrition. It's a fine source of protein and minerals. Whatever is not natural doesn't mean it's bad. We see it with technology as well. It's not natural for humans to spend time on a screen, yet we get information we would hardly have access to 30 years ago.
That's what I also believe. There isn't ONE superior diet. And yes a healthful diet can contain grains, dairy, meats etc.1 -
Jesus Christ why are you so nasty to each other? We can't compare fruit with a mars bar anyway. The fruit has fiber, vitamins and minerals which help keeping the appetite stabilized and give proper nutrition! And dairy? You're a freaking human, not a cow so it's okay not to have it in your diet even when you're NOT intolerant or allergic to it. Now for gluten, if you're not sick I don't see any reason why to avoid it but if it works for one then it's good, you don't have to play the "i know better than you because I am SO much better" card.
I eat all of the things she says she avoids but still... who am I to criticize and belittle one? Jeez there's no need to be mean. Maybe you need to up your calories a bit.
PS: Some responses have been nice and/or honest, so my text doesn't go to all who responded.
The irony of this post.
I got to admit that the comment about upping the calories was a little mean itself. I apologize, I was acting out of emotion It just hit me that some people are playing the experts in order to "reduce" the person who began the topic.
Yet, you are reducing people by comparing them to baby cows if they consume dairy...Go figure.
Oh come on! I also eat dairy. I am neither vegan nor vegetarian. What I wanted to say is that it's okay if we don't have it by choice and not because of an intolerance or allergy. It's a fact that it is food not meant for us but for the cow though, no matter how you take it.
How is it not meant for us...humans have been consuming dairy and/or goats milk/cheese for thousands of years. Comment is void of rationality.5
This discussion has been closed.
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