I have to cut out sugar

AnnPT77

xxzenabxx wrote: »

AnnPT77 wrote: »

sardelsa wrote: »

Keep in mind other foods besides sugar that can weaken enamel and promote cavities: citrus and acidic foods (oranges, lemons, wine, vinegar), anything sticky (dried fruit), starchy foods (crackers, chips, breads), pop, foods that aggravate acid reflux - pretty much anything that causes an acidic environment.. water rinse, using straws, eating non-acidic foods with meals like cheese can help. Also be sure not to brush immediately after eating which can weaken enamel.

I'd add that frequent or continuous drinking of acidic beverages may be especially challenging to tooth enamel. There's a tendency to see it as healthy to sip on water with lemon or lime slices all day long, but that's maintaining a (slightly) higher level of acidity for your teeth over a very long time period.

Many beverages are acidic, including zero-calorie no-sugar ones. This is likely to be a more significant factor in overall weakened tooth enamal than simply consumption of sugar. From the American Dental Association:

Dental erosion is the chemical dissolution
of tooth structure in the absence of bacteria when the
environment is acidic (pH < 4.0). Research indicates that
low pH is the primary determinant of a beverage’s erosive
potential.
. . .
The authors purchased 379 beverages from
stores in Birmingham, Alabama, and categorized them (for
example, juices, sodas, flavored waters, teas, and energy
drinks) and assessed their pH.
. . .
Most (93%, 354 of 379) beverages had a pH of
less than 4.0, and 7% (25 of 379) had a pH of 4.0 or more.
Relative beverage erosivity zones based on studies of apatite
solubility in acid indicated that 39% (149 of 379) of the
beverages tested in this study were considered extremely
erosive (pH < 3.0), 54% (205 of 379) were considered
erosive (pH 3.0 to 3.99), and 7% (25 of 379) were considered minimally erosive (pH $ 4.0).

Full article at https://www.ada.org/en/~/media/ADA/Public Programs/Files/JADA_The pH of beverages in the United States

Article includes specifics about acidity level of many popular beverages.

I used to drink lemon water a lot but I’ve cut it down to a morning glass of warm water. What do I do? It helps my digestive system so much. What a dilemma.

One glass in the morning, potentially followed by toothbrushing or at least a good mouth-rinse, is different from steady most-of-the-day drinking of various acidic beverages.

lemurcat2

I cut out added sugar as a while as an experiment. I didn't find it very difficult, but I did find moderating it easier when I added it back in (I'd also stopped snacking during the day, although when I added it back in I allowed an after dinner dessert if I had the cals). I never eat added sugar in any significant amounts as part of a meal, and never have, so snacking was the only place I got it.

I currently have been eating more fruit than usual for an extended period of time (in the past I ate clementines or occasional pears in the winter and early spring but often didn't eat fruit for several days in a row, although I've always eaten lots of local in-season fruit in the summer and early fall). What I've found -- and I don't know if it's the fruit -- is that I've totally lost my sweet tooth. The only sweet thing I've craved at all for months is these all fruit popsicles and that only on totally hot days because they are cold and juicy. Otherwise I might crave fruit and usually its more about juiciness (although I eat whole fruit) vs. sweetness.

My old attraction to dessert was more creaminess than sweet (I dislike overly sweet desserts and often like not particularly sweet ones), so I was very surprised that this seems to be associated with more fruit.

Anyway, re teeth, I've personally found that coffee is more of an issue than sugar (although as noted I'm not a huge sugar person).

rheddmobile

What worked for me when I was diagnosed with diabetes was going cold turkey on quick digesting carbs such as added sugars, rice, and white breads. It took about two weeks for the cravings to subside. Fruit helped, particularly low sugar fruit such as berries, and so did 85% dark chocolate. I also like foamed milk in my coffee with cinnamon, which makes it seem sweeter.

Lately I’ve been putting cacao powder in everything - Greek yogurt, oatmeal, almond butter, etc. Cacao powder plus vanilla makes a very satisfying dessert out of almost anything with a minimum of added sweetener needed. Tiny bit of maple syrup or berries if more sweetness is needed.

You mentioned skin - I can absolutely see a difference in my skin day to day based on the sugar in my diet.