Quitting Sugar

Sarauk2sf

I will tell you from my experience it was a little more than a week. Maybe 2. And I would like to tell you my personal reason at the time for doing so. I had a baby and neither she or I could get over thrush. Yeast overgrowth from breastfeeding, on nipples and in baby's mouth. We tried RX treatments, many rounds, natural treatments such as grapefruit seed extract. It wasn't until I completely eliminated sugar that the yeast overgrowth died. Yeast feeds on sugar. And I mean completely, no carrots, no ketchup etc.... And yeast is NOT a good thing to be present in high levels in your body. Neither are cancer cells which alsoare thought to feed on sugar.
Now, I find myself with much of the same feelings of the OP. For general health and other food related issues, sugar in various forms seems to be a culprit. So, for my 2 cents. I agree. The sugar detox diet talks about weaning with green apples versus other varieties, grapefruit. I also know that fat can be a good way to provide satiety. Organic coconut butter (I like Artisana) tastes like candy but has limited sugar. I have heard L Glutaminine powder helps but have never tried it.

Someone better tell the American Cancer Society that sugar causes cancer then.

Quote from them:

"Eat at least 2½ cups of vegetables and fruits each day."



Edit as I quoted the wrong post ...

Nope, didnt say "causes". And said, "thought to" However, this is a good reminder to me to use careful word choices in posts! For instance should have been using the term "refined sugars" as I am huge fan of veggies and fruits!
Buuuut, at the risk of further offense.... I still stand by my thought that a diet high in refined sugars is just not the best choice.
The cancer issue is certainly controversial, lots of hits can be found describing scientifically the thoughts behind both yae and nae. And here I would further show my bent by citing Michael Pollan. The Standard American Diet is without a doubt not causing us to be any healthier.

I would like to see studies that indicate such a risk if you have links to them. I would also be interested in how 'refined' sugars have a risk attached to them and yet fruit sugars do not. If you have any more information, that would be great.

OK, Ill bite, Sara! Here are just a few links, I think the first one gives a fairly balanced approach. This is not really an area of my personal "knowledge" my main personal experience was really the experience of fighting a different bodily imbalance and having success with eliminating (in my case actually all) sugars for a time. Anyway, this is some interesting reading at least...

http://www.dana-farber.org/Health-Library/Sugar-and-Cancer-Cells.aspx

http://www.mnwelldir.org/docs/nutrition/sugar.htm

http://www.infowars.com/new-mri-research-reveals-cancer-cells-thrive-on-processed-sugar/

http://www.healthline.com/health-news/aging-sugar-the-reason-diabetics-are-prone-to-aggressive-cancers-080513

Thank you.


With regard to this one:

http://www.dana-farber.org/Health-Library/Sugar-and-Cancer-Cells.aspx

It is a similar write up to the link provided by another user above. It is about spiking insulin being a risk factor. However, eating a mixed macro meal will suppress the insulin response, and also, protein is also insulinogenic, as are carbs in general (lower fiber ones moreso usually). Its not as simple as just sugar, and the article itself recommends eating fruit.

It raises a good point - that people can end up taking extremes and not eating certain foods. However, those foods have a very beneficial component to them.

In conclusion, it states

"There may be a connection, however, between a diet high in refined, processed foods combined with a sedentary lifestyle that may lead a person to become overweight and eventually experience insulin resistance. Insulin resistance can cause an increase in blood levels of insulin and related compounds that may act as growth factors. The connection between body weight, insulin levels and cancer survivorship is currently being researched. In the meantime, becoming more physically active, striving to maintain a healthy weight and eating a plant-based diet including substituting refined sugars and white flour with whole grains and other unprocessed carbohydrates can all help to keep insulin levels in check and promote cancer survivorship."

Unless I am missing something, it is showing a risk that overeating/under-exercising is the risk. Sugar happens to be a calorie dense food that may contribute, with the rest of your food, to gaining weight. Unfortunately the article did not expand on the more specific relationship/correlation between sugar and cancer.


This one:

http://www.mnwelldir.org/docs/nutrition/sugar.htm

This one is an article with no citations and lots of leaps. Also, seems a little tin foil hat as it is insinuates that doctors are keeping this secret from us.


This one:

http://www.infowars.com/new-mri-research-reveals-cancer-cells-thrive-on-processed-sugar/

The second part of the article is pretty much saying the same thing as the first. I would need to search for the actual study they mention in the first section re the MRI results and read in more detail. The thing that jumps out at me though is they refer to glucose, whereas table sugar is sucrose, so I am more than a little confused why sugar is being singled out. However, maybe a more detailed description of the study will be clearer.

http://www.healthline.com/health-news/aging-sugar-the-reason-diabetics-are-prone-to-aggressive-cancers-080513

This one is the same issue re insulin as noted two of the ones above. A slightly more detailed description of the study noted is here: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/8/prweb10986577.htm. It is on fruit flies and relates to metabolic issues.

The article linked initially notes: "“Research now shows that although there is a genetic link that increases risk of both type 2 diabetes (which accounts for the vast majority of diabetes cases in the U.S.) and also a genetic link to cancer risk, lifestyle still has very powerful effects influencing if or when someone develops the disease," Collins said. "What has increasingly come to light in recent years is that many of the same lifestyle choices that increase the risk of type 2 diabetes also increase the risk of cancer.”

Funnily enough, the Tips for Healthier Living" in the article do not mention restricting intake of sugar, processed or otherwise.

thesevolatiletimes

I'm trying to quit eating sugar. I don't include fruit in this, but I am limiting my fruit intake to 1 serving per day.
The sugar withdrawals are intense! Headaches, fatique, hypoglycemic blood sugar levels, even shaking at times.

Have you been able to completely quit sugar? Did you feel withdrawal symptoms? How did you deal with them? How long did it take for the effects to stop?

You should perhaps what you mean by "quitting sugar" and why you are planning on doing such, if you want a more comprehensive response from people on MFP.

If you research the human brain, you will come to find that it essentially runs on glucose, which is what sugar broken down in the body turns into. So by limiting your sugar intake as a whole, you are basically limiting your brain's primary source of energy, which is required for even the most basic of functions.

I think that (like previously mentioned above me) you may be confusing processed and refined sugars, for sugar as a whole. When it comes down to it, sugars are just like every other nutrient and macro-nutrient: you can get them from healthy and unhealthy sources. The same goes for sugar, since you can consume rather refined sugars, or sugars in fruits, such as fructose. That being said, fruit has healthy and unprocessed sugars: fructose. Why limit yourself to one serving of fruit a day, when the sugars are healthier sources of such, and fruit has so many other nutritional/health benefits? I could understand limiting your consumption of refined sugars to once a day, but why fruit? Not all sugar is unhealthy.

I think that you may be trying too hard to place foods into these concrete categories of "good" or "bad", when in reality the only category you should be placing things into is "food", also sometimes called "energy". While there healthier sources of nutrients than others, the bottom line is that no food or drink is inherently good, or bad. Everything is healthy in moderation, as long as you practice portion control and reasonable consumption of said foods. If anything, trying to completely cut out a food group (sugars) or even refined sugars ( which I would assume is a major part of your diet?) is setting yourself up for failure, because this dichotomous perspective of food just never seems to be sustainable. (The only exceptions of these rules that I can think of are sugar alcohols, and sodas).

Just try to find less refined forms of sugar to fuel your body, and treat yourself every once in a while. You'll be just fine.

karenertl

Not the sugar!!! :noway:

Now I do try to limit the processed sugars but I haven't/can't/won't give them up completely. I do eat all the fruits that will fit into my macros. Bring on the bananas and oranges! :drinker:

I tried doing a 14 day sugar detox and failed miserably because I like eating fruit. I didn't do so well trying to go cold turkey with giving up soda. I also found that it's extremely difficult to find food that has absolutely no sugar at all whatsoever in it. At least what I was willing to eat, anyway.

uniqueloginname

This series of short videos from Univ. California is really an eye-opener: http://www.uctv.tv/skinny-on-obesity/

There is no difference between 'natural' and 'processed' sugar: fructose is fructose. It is addictive. It raises insulin levels, and over time creates insulin resistance which, other than the well-known consequences, also causes more food to be stored as fat and decreases satiety (so you never feel full). Those are facts from the science. Take 30 minutes to watch the series.

snazzyjazzy21

This series of short videos from Univ. California is really an eye-opener: http://www.uctv.tv/skinny-on-obesity/

There is no difference between 'natural' and 'processed' sugar: fructose is fructose. It is addictive. It raises insulin levels, and over time creates insulin resistance. Those are just the facts.

Wow, no wonder all the cavemen are dead then, dem berries are poison!

Ophidion

Gave up sugar for twenty minutes and this is what I saw.

uniqueloginname

Wow, no wonder all the cavemen are dead then, dem berries are poison!

Yes, because 5 raspberries and an apple scrounged over the course of a day compares to a gallon of soda on the couch.

Sarauk2sf

This series of short videos from Univ. California is really an eye-opener: http://www.uctv.tv/skinny-on-obesity/

There is no difference between 'natural' and 'processed' sugar: fructose is fructose. It is addictive. It raises insulin levels, and over time creates insulin resistance which, other than the well-known consequences, also causes more food to be stored as fat and decreases satiety (so you never feel full). Those are facts from the science. Take 30 minutes to watch the series.

And if you do, I would suggest reading this:

http://www.alanaragonblog.com/2010/01/29/the-bitter-truth-about-fructose-alarmism/

and watching this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMc0_s-M08I

jesusHchris

Holy crap, there is actual good science in this thread if you read in between the lines. Thank you to the three posters for submitting relevant information, know that it is not falling 100% on deaf ears! Err, deaf eyes.. Whatever, you get it.

Achrya

Wow, no wonder all the cavemen are dead then, dem berries are poison!

Yes, because 5 raspberries and an apple scrounged over the course of a day compares to a gallon of soda on the couch.

What if I drink my soda while running a few miles a day, in the manner of our nomadic ancestors? Am I safe then?

If I take a fiber supplement with my ice cream, does that make it okay to eat, cause fiber?

If sugar doesn't make me hungry/overeat does that mean I'm in the clear?

uniqueloginname

Well, the videos do nothing to dispute the use of high energy density foods like sugar and alcohol to replace energy you have used though exercise. And I am not saying people should have zero sugar. I am agreeing with the videos that sugar has increased in our diets to the point where it is a cause of disease and that eating less - or more glucose and less fructose - can only be a good thing.

PhoenixStrikes

I'm eating lots of vegetables, and drink lots of water. I've heard that drinking broth is supposed to help replace electrolytes, but it doesn't seem to be helping with headaches much.

Off topic but if your drinking a lot of broth your sodium might be high; high sodium intake actually gives me headaches so perhaps that wouldn't help?

Sarauk2sf

Well, the videos do nothing to dispute the use of high energy density foods like sugar and alcohol to replace energy you have used though exercise. And I am not saying people should have zero sugar. I am agreeing with the videos that sugar has increased in our diets to the point where it is a cause of disease and that eating less - or more glucose and less fructose - can only be a good thing.

Not disagreeing that eating less of some things may not be a bad thing - but actually, if you read the link I provided, it will show that the increase in obesity, and as such the higher prevalence of certain diseases is actually more highly correlated with an increase in fats. Fats are not to blame either. Its more food and a lower energy expenditure in general.

benol1

I'm trying to quit eating sugar. I don't include fruit in this, but I am limiting my fruit intake to 1 serving per day.
The sugar withdrawals are intense! Headaches, fatique, hypoglycemic blood sugar levels, even shaking at times.

Have you been able to completely quit sugar? Did you feel withdrawal symptoms? How did you deal with them? How long did it take for the effects to stop?

Go for it (sugar restriction), however, peer-reviewed research indicates that sugar consumed as whole fruit is metabolized differently than added sugar.

You might be interested to know that there is a Sugar Free September Challenge Group:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/16239-sugar-free-september-challenge-group

I hope to see you there!
kind regards,,
Ben

yarwell

If you research the human brain, you will come to find that it essentially runs on glucose, which is what sugar broken down in the body turns into. So by limiting your sugar intake as a whole, you are basically limiting your brain's primary source of energy, which is required for even the most basic of functions.

I think that (like previously mentioned above me) you may be confusing processed and refined sugars, for sugar as a whole. When it comes down to it, sugars are just like every other nutrient and macro-nutrient: you can get them from healthy and unhealthy sources. The same goes for sugar, since you can consume rather refined sugars, or sugars in fruits, such as fructose. That being said, fruit has healthy and unprocessed sugars: fructose. Why limit yourself to one serving of fruit a day, when the sugars are healthier sources of such, and fruit has so many other nutritional/health benefits? I could understand limiting your consumption of refined sugars to once a day, but why fruit? Not all sugar is unhealthy.

Firstly the glucose used by the brain comes from any carbohydrate, not just sugars. Starch is a polymer of glucose and it'll do fine.

Fruits contain glucose, fructose and sucrose in varying proportions, plus in the case of banana some starch. Most fruits are 10% or less sugar by weight, with grapes about 15 and banana about 20. So eating a pound of the lower sugar fruits won't exceed 45g of sugar per day and part of that will be fructose, this is within anyone's view of a safe limit.

Sugar in fruits data http://goo.gl/ygwYMJ

Guinivere

I gave up refined sugar on 10th June. I was fine after five days of withdrawal symptoms.

I do eat I portion of fruit a day. It works well for me and my all or nothing approach to sugar has really helped with my food choices... Now I have been able to occasionally eat something sugary but I'm not hooked on it.

Sugar is apparently eight times more addictive than cocaine!

teamAmelia

Unless you're diabetic, why would you quit sugar?

Some ppl can't handle things, even in moderation. Sugar seems to be an addictive thing. I mean, she's going through sugar withdrawals...

OP, as far as quitting sugar is concerned, my problem was pouring it in my drinks. I hardly ever ate candy, but when I did, I would binge on it. Seriously, I'd buy the big pack and eat it within 2 days or buy king size candy barS and eat them in one day. I also used to say that I ate icing with cake instead of cake with icing bc I used to eat so much icing with my cake. Mmm. Normally, I would buy a small sheet cake and eat the whole thing in two days. I've had cake recently, but only bc my bosses have given it to me, and that was a big mistake, bc although their offerings were small, they were so good that I wanted more. I bought 6 of the Starbucks cake pops that my boss gave me and ate them in one day. I purchased about 9 over three days, and purchased two recently, so I think that I'm over it. My other boss gave me a piece of cake the other day and I was tempted to buy more later, but I didn't! I haven't drank soda in two months! I used to get headaches when trying to quit soda. For some reason, everything just worked out this time. My cookies are all sugar free, so that's how I get my sugar fix these days. I get the Murray brand of sugar free products. Check the candy and cookie aisle for sugar free snacks. The Dollar Tree also has sugar free candy. I don't really check the sugar for other foods. Oh, I also eat honey roasted cashews or Cinnabon cashews, but don't really count that as a bad food since the cashews are healthy.

thesevolatiletimes

If you research the human brain, you will come to find that it essentially runs on glucose, which is what sugar broken down in the body turns into. So by limiting your sugar intake as a whole, you are basically limiting your brain's primary source of energy, which is required for even the most basic of functions.

I think that (like previously mentioned above me) you may be confusing processed and refined sugars, for sugar as a whole. When it comes down to it, sugars are just like every other nutrient and macro-nutrient: you can get them from healthy and unhealthy sources. The same goes for sugar, since you can consume rather refined sugars, or sugars in fruits, such as fructose. That being said, fruit has healthy and unprocessed sugars: fructose. Why limit yourself to one serving of fruit a day, when the sugars are healthier sources of such, and fruit has so many other nutritional/health benefits? I could understand limiting your consumption of refined sugars to once a day, but why fruit? Not all sugar is unhealthy.

Firstly the glucose used by the brain comes from any carbohydrate, not just sugars. Starch is a polymer of glucose and it'll do fine.

Fruits contain glucose, fructose and sucrose in varying proportions, plus in the case of banana some starch. Most fruits are 10% or less sugar by weight, with grapes about 15 and banana about 20. So eating a pound of the lower sugar fruits won't exceed 45g of sugar per day and part of that will be fructose, this is within anyone's view of a safe limit.

Sugar in fruits data http://goo.gl/ygwYMJ

I know that glucose can also be metabolized from carbohydrates, and about the various types of sugars present in fruits. I was trying to speak on more simplistic terms, because the OP was seemingly confused about sugar as a whole. So, I didn't see the point in going into the specifics of such things, if the OP was already a bit confused as a whole.

thesevolatiletimes

Unless you're diabetic, why would you quit sugar?

Some ppl can't handle things, even in moderation. Sugar seems to be an addictive thing. I mean, she's going through sugar withdrawals...

OP, as far as quitting sugar is concerned, my problem was pouring it in my drinks. I hardly ever ate candy, but when I did, I would binge on it. Seriously, I'd buy the big pack and eat it within 2 days or buy king size candy barS and eat them in one day. I also used to say that I ate icing with cake instead of cake with icing bc I used to eat so much icing with my cake. Mmm. Normally, I would buy a small sheet cake and eat the whole thing in two days. I've had cake recently, but only bc my bosses have given it to me, and that was a big mistake, bc although their offerings were small, they were so good that I wanted more. I bought 6 of the Starbucks cake pops that my boss gave me and ate them in one day. I purchased about 9 over three days, and purchased two recently, so I think that I'm over it. My other boss gave me a piece of cake the other day and I was tempted to buy more later, but I didn't! I haven't drank soda in two months! I used to get headaches when trying to quit soda. For some reason, everything just worked out this time. My cookies are all sugar free, so that's how I get my sugar fix these days. I get the Murray brand of sugar free products. Check the candy and cookie aisle for sugar free snacks. The Dollar Tree also has sugar free candy. I don't really check the sugar for other foods. Oh, I also eat honey roasted cashews or Cinnabon cashews, but don't really count that as a bad food since the cashews are healthy.

Saying that some people can become addicted to sugar as a justification in avoiding it is like saying that some people can be addicted to water "so they should avoid it", which is far from the case.

You've basically replaced sugars, with sugar alcohols (aka, chemically synthesized sugar alcohols). That is, unless you are using pure powdered replacements for refined sugar, such as stevia leaf or monk fruit. While refined sugar is not the most healthy of sugars, it's much healthier than sugar alcohols.

Why give up sugar as a whole, instead of working to have a healthier relationship with it? From one sugar junkie to another I TOTALLY get the loss of control around sugary foods leading to binge eating. Why not fix that relationship and return at a later date to such foods? Cutting out a desired group of food completely is never healthy. Everything is okay in moderation.