How damaging is having too much sugar in your diet?

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  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,996 Member
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    It's great that you have managed to cut it out, but like in your other posts you need to start eating a more nutritionally balanced diet. Cutting out the 4000 calories from the soda may help with weight loss but overall it is a deficit that is required for weight loss, so if you're hitting your calorie goal as a result of cutting it out then yes you will see weight loss.

    There can be side-effects from sugar withdrawal so you may find yourself feeling a bit more fatigued or grumpy.

    If you haven't been to a doctor since you were 6 it would definitely be worth going in for a checkup particularly given the lack of nutrition you are getting.

    Yes, the withdrawal is literally killing me. Especially at this time of year when it gets warm the cravings just get worse and worse. I am in calories deficit. I would be having 2200 calories to maintain my weight but now instead I eat only 1500 calories a day.

    It's likely caffeine withdrawal. Have some iced tea. I make it myself and use very little sugar.
  • endlessfall16
    endlessfall16 Posts: 932 Member
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    ninerbuff wrote: »
    Sugar won't "kill" you unless it's you main cause for weight gain. It's basically just an energy source. If it's in excess, it will be stored as fat. Also realize that fruits and vegetables contain sugar in them as well.

    Not that simple.

    This week I found another issue with excessive sugar. It wreaked havoc on my sleep.

    I consumed excessive ice cream and cake on the Mother Days and the left over on Tuesday and both nights I've had about 2 hours of sleep. The over all calorie amount I consumed since the weekend to now is still maintenance. It's just the sugar from the ice cream cake and the regular cake that was extraordinarily excessive.



  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited May 2017
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    RAinWA wrote: »
    julielh72 wrote: »
    Gamliela wrote: »
    julielh72 wrote: »
    There's nothing wrong with eating fruit. It contains vitamins and fibre. Sugary drinks are one of the worst things you can consume. Liquid sugar and empty calories with no nutritional value at all.
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    It's all fun and games until someone gets diabetes!

    Which I did, this past winter, and it sucks, so be happy you stopped now. You're young and more than likely you have escaped any bad effects, but a checkup is a good idea anyway.
    But the diabetes isn't because of sugar. It's much more likely because of your weight.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png


    Of course sugar causes diabetes. If you consume too much sugar over a long period of time your pancreas gets worn out trying to produce enough insulin to deal with it and the end result is type 2 diabetes. Your liver takes all the excess sugar and turns what the body doesn't need for energy at that moment and turns it into fat. The fat produced is partly LDL cholesterol which in turn blocks your arteries and causes strokes and heart attacks. Your liver also starts to store fat which is not good. The sugar industry has attacked and tried to discredit every scientist who has tried to make this known to society.

    No, eating sugar doesn't CAUSE diabetes.

    I agree. Excess body fat can also mess with insulin secretion. It's a double edged sword. Over consumption of sugar will contribute heavily to both scenarios. If your level of consumption is under control then fine, no it won't cause type 2 diabetes on it's own. Sadly for some people that's not the case. Type 2 diabetes used to be something associated with age but now people are getting it younger all the time. Sugar is hidden in so much of the foods we eat and manufacturers hide it under the guises of so many different names. They put it in foods specifically aimed at dieters and label them fat free to fool us.

    I have never understood the bold - even if you don't know that some of the ingredients are sugar, it says right on the package nutrition label (in the US at least) how much sugar is in the food. How can it be hidden if it's right there on the label?

    And there's no food item I could think of where you'd be surprised there is sugar in it and there's a substantial amount.

    Spaghetti sauce always gets thrown around.

    I don't get that one. But, I've never used jarred sauce, either.

    Yeah, I once calculated out how much of the tomato sauce's sugar content was added sugar since it stated how much tomato was used to make the jar. It was like 1-2 gram, the rest is from the tomatoes.

    I have a tomato sauce with meat and lots of vegetables in my recipe box, absolutely no added sugar, and yet it still has 7 grams. The claims about sugar in pasta sauce tend to use a whole jar (which is dishonest) and the sugar from the tomatoes.

    It's also common for recipes for tomato sauces to include a bit of sugar. I never add it (I usually don't have sugar on hand), but I have respected Italian cookbooks that suggest it.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    ninerbuff wrote: »
    Sugar won't "kill" you unless it's you main cause for weight gain. It's basically just an energy source. If it's in excess, it will be stored as fat. Also realize that fruits and vegetables contain sugar in them as well.

    Not that simple.

    This week I found another issue with excessive sugar. It wreaked havoc on my sleep.

    I consumed excessive ice cream and cake on the Mother Days and the left over on Tuesday and both nights I've had about 2 hours of sleep. The over all calorie amount I consumed since the weekend to now is still maintenance. It's just the sugar from the ice cream cake and the regular cake that was extraordinarily excessive.



    How much are you talking about?

    I'd say that excessive sugar on occasion may not be worth it to you, but aren't going to hurt you. Truly excessive amount (like it interferes with your sleep, although I've never experienced that personally) would be unhealthy if it occurred regularly, of course, even within calories, as tons of add sugar (in items that also have lots of calories from added fat, especially) within calories would leave little room for more nutrient dense foods.
  • endlessfall16
    endlessfall16 Posts: 932 Member
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    RAinWA wrote: »
    julielh72 wrote: »
    Gamliela wrote: »
    julielh72 wrote: »
    There's nothing wrong with eating fruit. It contains vitamins and fibre. Sugary drinks are one of the worst things you can consume. Liquid sugar and empty calories with no nutritional value at all.
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    It's all fun and games until someone gets diabetes!

    Which I did, this past winter, and it sucks, so be happy you stopped now. You're young and more than likely you have escaped any bad effects, but a checkup is a good idea anyway.
    But the diabetes isn't because of sugar. It's much more likely because of your weight.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png


    Of course sugar causes diabetes. If you consume too much sugar over a long period of time your pancreas gets worn out trying to produce enough insulin to deal with it and the end result is type 2 diabetes. Your liver takes all the excess sugar and turns what the body doesn't need for energy at that moment and turns it into fat. The fat produced is partly LDL cholesterol which in turn blocks your arteries and causes strokes and heart attacks. Your liver also starts to store fat which is not good. The sugar industry has attacked and tried to discredit every scientist who has tried to make this known to society.

    No, eating sugar doesn't CAUSE diabetes.

    I agree. Excess body fat can also mess with insulin secretion. It's a double edged sword. Over consumption of sugar will contribute heavily to both scenarios. If your level of consumption is under control then fine, no it won't cause type 2 diabetes on it's own. Sadly for some people that's not the case. Type 2 diabetes used to be something associated with age but now people are getting it younger all the time. Sugar is hidden in so much of the foods we eat and manufacturers hide it under the guises of so many different names. They put it in foods specifically aimed at dieters and label them fat free to fool us.

    I have never understood the bold - even if you don't know that some of the ingredients are sugar, it says right on the package nutrition label (in the US at least) how much sugar is in the food. How can it be hidden if it's right there on the label?

    And there's no food item I could think of where you'd be surprised there is sugar in it and there's a substantial amount.

    Probably not surprised that there is, but usually surprised about the amount. That's one of the factors that make people fat. They underestimate. Kinda like, regular whole apple is under-tasty. Caramel, choco covered apple is the standard.

  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    ninerbuff wrote: »
    Sugar won't "kill" you unless it's you main cause for weight gain. It's basically just an energy source. If it's in excess, it will be stored as fat. Also realize that fruits and vegetables contain sugar in them as well.

    Not that simple.

    This week I found another issue with excessive sugar. It wreaked havoc on my sleep.

    I consumed excessive ice cream and cake on the Mother Days and the left over on Tuesday and both nights I've had about 2 hours of sleep. The over all calorie amount I consumed since the weekend to now is still maintenance. It's just the sugar from the ice cream cake and the regular cake that was extraordinarily excessive.



    and how know that is not just from say insomnia or something else, how?
  • leadslinger17
    leadslinger17 Posts: 297 Member
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    If you like the carbonation just get carbonated water and add a little bit of actual juice, not artificial sweeteners. It's a tiny bit sweet so its not completely boring, but I have actually grown to like drinking just plain carbonated water as well.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,996 Member
    edited May 2017
    Options
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    Sugar won't "kill" you unless it's you main cause for weight gain. It's basically just an energy source. If it's in excess, it will be stored as fat. Also realize that fruits and vegetables contain sugar in them as well.

    Not that simple.

    This week I found another issue with excessive sugar. It wreaked havoc on my sleep.

    I consumed excessive ice cream and cake on the Mother Days and the left over on Tuesday and both nights I've had about 2 hours of sleep. The over all calorie amount I consumed since the weekend to now is still maintenance. It's just the sugar from the ice cream cake and the regular cake that was extraordinarily excessive.

    Sure, one normal sized piece of birthday cake and one normal serving of ice cream and I feel sick for hours. Lots of fast sugar like that helps me sleep though.

    I have learned that excessive salt right before bed will cause me to wake several times in the night. A happy benefit of giving up excessive salt for Lent, and then resuming, noticing difference in sleep patterns, and figuring it out.

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    kshama2001 wrote: »
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    Sugar won't "kill" you unless it's you main cause for weight gain. It's basically just an energy source. If it's in excess, it will be stored as fat. Also realize that fruits and vegetables contain sugar in them as well.

    Not that simple.

    This week I found another issue with excessive sugar. It wreaked havoc on my sleep.

    I consumed excessive ice cream and cake on the Mother Days and the left over on Tuesday and both nights I've had about 2 hours of sleep. The over all calorie amount I consumed since the weekend to now is still maintenance. It's just the sugar from the ice cream cake and the regular cake that was extraordinarily excessive.

    Sure, one normal sized piece of birthday cake and one normal serving of ice cream and I feel sick for hours. Lots of fast sugar like that helps me sleep though.

    I have learned that excessive salt right before bed will cause me to wake several times in the night. A happy benefit of giving up excessive salt for Lent, and then resuming, noticing difference in sleep patterns, and figuring it out.

    I sleep terribly when I have too much salt for dinner. It's not just getting up to drink water (and then getting up to use the restroom), it's like I'm restless for a good part of the night. I only noticed it over the past couple of years so maybe it's middle age?
  • endlessfall16
    endlessfall16 Posts: 932 Member
    Options
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    Sugar won't "kill" you unless it's you main cause for weight gain. It's basically just an energy source. If it's in excess, it will be stored as fat. Also realize that fruits and vegetables contain sugar in them as well.

    Not that simple.

    This week I found another issue with excessive sugar. It wreaked havoc on my sleep.

    I consumed excessive ice cream and cake on the Mother Days and the left over on Tuesday and both nights I've had about 2 hours of sleep. The over all calorie amount I consumed since the weekend to now is still maintenance. It's just the sugar from the ice cream cake and the regular cake that was extraordinarily excessive.



    and how know that is not just from say insomnia or something else, how?

    The next days I cut out all this added sugar and slept well!!! :)
    I know it's all anecdote but is there truth about not eating so much sugar before bedtime that kids were taught? (not cavity issue because we can brush.)
  • snarkytravels
    snarkytravels Posts: 4 Member
    edited May 2017
    Options
    I used to be a 2-3 cans of Mtn Dew a day drinker. I love me some soda, but that stuff is just not healthy.
    Research is showing it can increase your likelihood for developing all sorts of awful diseases like Alzheimers.

    My caffeine fix comes from coffee (I do take mine with sugar, but soooo much less than I would have with soda) and I get my soda-feel from La Croix. La Croix has been a godsend. No sugar, no artificial sugar (I hate the taste), and it comes in a boatload of delicious flavors. The carbonation and flavors make me feel like I'm having soda, but without the guilt or need to run an extra 30 minutes.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    Sugar starts becoming an issue if you experience glucose spikes above 140. That can happen to young and slim people but it tends to affect people more as they age and is more common among the heavy.

    Once BG starts going above 140, you can stat experiences some effects on your health. This is without high fasting BG too.

    I'd limit your sugar if you can. Diet sodas are better than regular.
  • endlessfall16
    endlessfall16 Posts: 932 Member
    Options
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    RAinWA wrote: »
    julielh72 wrote: »
    Gamliela wrote: »
    julielh72 wrote: »
    There's nothing wrong with eating fruit. It contains vitamins and fibre. Sugary drinks are one of the worst things you can consume. Liquid sugar and empty calories with no nutritional value at all.
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    It's all fun and games until someone gets diabetes!

    Which I did, this past winter, and it sucks, so be happy you stopped now. You're young and more than likely you have escaped any bad effects, but a checkup is a good idea anyway.
    But the diabetes isn't because of sugar. It's much more likely because of your weight.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png


    Of course sugar causes diabetes. If you consume too much sugar over a long period of time your pancreas gets worn out trying to produce enough insulin to deal with it and the end result is type 2 diabetes. Your liver takes all the excess sugar and turns what the body doesn't need for energy at that moment and turns it into fat. The fat produced is partly LDL cholesterol which in turn blocks your arteries and causes strokes and heart attacks. Your liver also starts to store fat which is not good. The sugar industry has attacked and tried to discredit every scientist who has tried to make this known to society.

    No, eating sugar doesn't CAUSE diabetes.

    I agree. Excess body fat can also mess with insulin secretion. It's a double edged sword. Over consumption of sugar will contribute heavily to both scenarios. If your level of consumption is under control then fine, no it won't cause type 2 diabetes on it's own. Sadly for some people that's not the case. Type 2 diabetes used to be something associated with age but now people are getting it younger all the time. Sugar is hidden in so much of the foods we eat and manufacturers hide it under the guises of so many different names. They put it in foods specifically aimed at dieters and label them fat free to fool us.

    I have never understood the bold - even if you don't know that some of the ingredients are sugar, it says right on the package nutrition label (in the US at least) how much sugar is in the food. How can it be hidden if it's right there on the label?

    And there's no food item I could think of where you'd be surprised there is sugar in it and there's a substantial amount.

    Probably not surprised that there is, but usually surprised about the amount. That's one of the factors that make people fat. They underestimate. Kinda like, regular whole apple is under-tasty. Caramel, choco covered apple is the standard.

    Not a thought I've ever had.

    Obviously not applicable for all but a good majority that make chocolate cover fruits come into existence.

    It blew my mind the first time I saw caramel apples, choco strawberries, etc...why would anyone want make these sweet fruits every sweeter..but now I've come to accept that the sweet taste is arbitrary. This place also blew my mind when I read many people didn't eat/like vegetables! Most vegetables are completely non-sweet taste.

  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
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    ndj1979 wrote: »
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    Sugar won't "kill" you unless it's you main cause for weight gain. It's basically just an energy source. If it's in excess, it will be stored as fat. Also realize that fruits and vegetables contain sugar in them as well.

    Not that simple.

    This week I found another issue with excessive sugar. It wreaked havoc on my sleep.

    I consumed excessive ice cream and cake on the Mother Days and the left over on Tuesday and both nights I've had about 2 hours of sleep. The over all calorie amount I consumed since the weekend to now is still maintenance. It's just the sugar from the ice cream cake and the regular cake that was extraordinarily excessive.



    and how know that is not just from say insomnia or something else, how?

    The next days I cut out all this added sugar and slept well!!! :)
    I know it's all anecdote but is there truth about not eating so much sugar before bedtime that kids were taught? (not cavity issue because we can brush.)

    I've never heard that. I have heard not to eat anything right before bed, but that's a combo of diet woo and legitimate concern about reflux and other digestion issues.
  • Debmal77
    Debmal77 Posts: 4,770 Member
    Options
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    julielh72 wrote: »
    There's nothing wrong with eating fruit. It contains vitamins and fibre. Sugary drinks are one of the worst things you can consume. Liquid sugar and empty calories with no nutritional value at all.
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    It's all fun and games until someone gets diabetes!

    Which I did, this past winter, and it sucks, so be happy you stopped now. You're young and more than likely you have escaped any bad effects, but a checkup is a good idea anyway.
    But the diabetes isn't because of sugar. It's much more likely because of your weight.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png


    Of course sugar causes diabetes. If you consume too much sugar over a long period of time your pancreas gets worn out trying to produce enough insulin to deal with it and the end result is type 2 diabetes. Your liver takes all the excess sugar and turns what the body doesn't need for energy at that moment and turns it into fat. The fat produced is partly LDL cholesterol which in turn blocks your arteries and causes strokes and heart attacks. Your liver also starts to store fat which is not good. The sugar industry has attacked and tried to discredit every scientist who has tried to make this known to society.

    sorry but excess calories get stored as fat ..if you eat sugar in a calorie deficit it DOES NOT get stored as fat.

    and has anyone seen my tin foil hat????????????

    Just made my day! lol

    th?q=Tin+Foil+Hats+Signs&w=120&h=120&c=1&rs=1&qlt=90&dpr=1.05&pid=InlineBlock&mkt=en-US&adlt=moderate&t=1&mw=247
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    Options
    RAinWA wrote: »
    julielh72 wrote: »
    Gamliela wrote: »
    julielh72 wrote: »
    There's nothing wrong with eating fruit. It contains vitamins and fibre. Sugary drinks are one of the worst things you can consume. Liquid sugar and empty calories with no nutritional value at all.
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    It's all fun and games until someone gets diabetes!

    Which I did, this past winter, and it sucks, so be happy you stopped now. You're young and more than likely you have escaped any bad effects, but a checkup is a good idea anyway.
    But the diabetes isn't because of sugar. It's much more likely because of your weight.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png


    Of course sugar causes diabetes. If you consume too much sugar over a long period of time your pancreas gets worn out trying to produce enough insulin to deal with it and the end result is type 2 diabetes. Your liver takes all the excess sugar and turns what the body doesn't need for energy at that moment and turns it into fat. The fat produced is partly LDL cholesterol which in turn blocks your arteries and causes strokes and heart attacks. Your liver also starts to store fat which is not good. The sugar industry has attacked and tried to discredit every scientist who has tried to make this known to society.

    No, eating sugar doesn't CAUSE diabetes.

    I agree. Excess body fat can also mess with insulin secretion. It's a double edged sword. Over consumption of sugar will contribute heavily to both scenarios. If your level of consumption is under control then fine, no it won't cause type 2 diabetes on it's own. Sadly for some people that's not the case. Type 2 diabetes used to be something associated with age but now people are getting it younger all the time. Sugar is hidden in so much of the foods we eat and manufacturers hide it under the guises of so many different names. They put it in foods specifically aimed at dieters and label them fat free to fool us.

    I have never understood the bold - even if you don't know that some of the ingredients are sugar, it says right on the package nutrition label (in the US at least) how much sugar is in the food. How can it be hidden if it's right there on the label?

    And there's no food item I could think of where you'd be surprised there is sugar in it and there's a substantial amount.

    Probably not surprised that there is, but usually surprised about the amount. That's one of the factors that make people fat. They underestimate. Kinda like, regular whole apple is under-tasty. Caramel, choco covered apple is the standard.

    Really? Where are carnival-type candied apples standard over regular ol' apples?

    At Mrs. Prindables.

    I think @endlessfall16 is extrapolating the existence of candied fruit to somehow mean that's the typical way they're eaten. Perhaps specific to the US?

    If so, I've never experienced that. The only time I've seen that kind of treat widespread is on a holiday when it seems like everyone is gifted (or gifting) treats - candied fruit included.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Options
    stealthq wrote: »
    RAinWA wrote: »
    julielh72 wrote: »
    Gamliela wrote: »
    julielh72 wrote: »
    There's nothing wrong with eating fruit. It contains vitamins and fibre. Sugary drinks are one of the worst things you can consume. Liquid sugar and empty calories with no nutritional value at all.
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    It's all fun and games until someone gets diabetes!

    Which I did, this past winter, and it sucks, so be happy you stopped now. You're young and more than likely you have escaped any bad effects, but a checkup is a good idea anyway.
    But the diabetes isn't because of sugar. It's much more likely because of your weight.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png


    Of course sugar causes diabetes. If you consume too much sugar over a long period of time your pancreas gets worn out trying to produce enough insulin to deal with it and the end result is type 2 diabetes. Your liver takes all the excess sugar and turns what the body doesn't need for energy at that moment and turns it into fat. The fat produced is partly LDL cholesterol which in turn blocks your arteries and causes strokes and heart attacks. Your liver also starts to store fat which is not good. The sugar industry has attacked and tried to discredit every scientist who has tried to make this known to society.

    No, eating sugar doesn't CAUSE diabetes.

    I agree. Excess body fat can also mess with insulin secretion. It's a double edged sword. Over consumption of sugar will contribute heavily to both scenarios. If your level of consumption is under control then fine, no it won't cause type 2 diabetes on it's own. Sadly for some people that's not the case. Type 2 diabetes used to be something associated with age but now people are getting it younger all the time. Sugar is hidden in so much of the foods we eat and manufacturers hide it under the guises of so many different names. They put it in foods specifically aimed at dieters and label them fat free to fool us.

    I have never understood the bold - even if you don't know that some of the ingredients are sugar, it says right on the package nutrition label (in the US at least) how much sugar is in the food. How can it be hidden if it's right there on the label?

    And there's no food item I could think of where you'd be surprised there is sugar in it and there's a substantial amount.

    Probably not surprised that there is, but usually surprised about the amount. That's one of the factors that make people fat. They underestimate. Kinda like, regular whole apple is under-tasty. Caramel, choco covered apple is the standard.

    Really? Where are carnival-type candied apples standard over regular ol' apples?

    At Mrs. Prindables.

    I think @endlessfall16 is extrapolating the existence of candied fruit to somehow mean that's the typical way they're eaten. Perhaps specific to the US?

    If so, I've never experienced that. The only time I've seen that kind of treat widespread is on a holiday when it seems like everyone is gifted (or gifting) treats - candied fruit included.

    I'm in the US and the last time I saw someone eating candied fruit was around Christmas. One of my co-workers brought dried apricots dipped in chocolate, but that was definitely a special holiday thing. I can't remember the last time I saw it before that. Day-in-day-out, the people I see eating fruit are just eating regular old undipped and uncandied fruit.