Sugar Free

tigersword

Now, on the topic of research into why some fake sugars are bad for you.. that's a whole nother kettle of fish, but I've always said, and the more I read about aspartame and etc, that you are better off going for the "Real" coke and moderation, than gulping diet soda. And that people will instinctively think that drinking a liter of diet soda with their McMeal somehow makes it "better" for them.

Artificial sweeteners are not bad for you in moderation. There are numerous scientific studies which prove this to be true.
And if your "McMeal" fits into your calorie goal and your macros, and the diet soda will keep it there, and the regular soda will put you over the limits, then the diet soda is the better choice.

If you say so.

http://www.cell.com/trends/endocrinology-metabolism/abstract/S1043-2760(13)00087-8

Correlation does not equal causation. Artificial sweeteners have been shown to cause no health issues, beyond allergic reactions, which can admittedly be severe, but so can the allergic reaction to a peanut.

psuLemon

Watch the following links if you have time

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6nGlLUBkOQ

These videos are propaganda designed to scare you into a lifestyle change (and usually entice you to buy a book). Most of the studies are highly cherry picked. I would consider looking into studies done by a reputable source such as the NIH, AJM, Harvard, or at least websites that reference and link to other studies.

Keep in mind, this isn't to say that you shouldn't look to opitimize nutrition by following a 80/20 rule. But many of us can hit micro and macro goals while having refined sugar. Additionally, we can improve our energy, skin, etc..

I would suspect that overall health is more than just diet, it's exercise, medications (anitbiotics) and overall eating habits; keeping in mind, that we aren't telling a person to live off of refined sugar, but without medical cause, there isn't a reason to fear sugar.

Hi,
The first link is a presentation by Mr. Robert H. Lustig, MD, UCSF Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology. The second link is a documentary by BBC about over consumption and effect of sugary drinks/ food. If you don't believe that Harvard research then read this
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/files/2012/10/sugary-drinks-and-obesity-fact-sheet-june-2012-the-nutrition-source.pdf

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/magazine/sugar-and-salt/

Article about sugar in Frobes

http://www.forbes.com/sites/larryhusten/2014/02/03/the-not-so-sweet-facts-about-sugar/

Recommendation by WHO :
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2530885/Cut-sugar-intake-HALF-New-health-warning-says-limit-cut-five-teaspoons-day-fears-contributes-heart-disease.html.

No one is asking you to buy a book or sell some fancy item here. The links only tell to reduce the sugar not go without sugar. So its not bad idea to try reducing sugar.

Lustig is just as bad a quack, if not worse, than Dr. Oz.

If he is so bad why are they inviting him to give speech in 'TED' or in BBC. He is not giving a bad suggestion all he says is to stop over consuming sugar. There is no harm in trying it. I m not telling he is 100% correct but what he says makes some sense.
Has any one who is building muscle eat processed food daily? NO
How much sugar a bodybuilder consume in a day? 5 -10 tsp or less
How much micro nutrients are there in sugar? NONE
Is refined sugar need for body? NO body breaks downs carbs into glucose.

If all the above or most of the answer is correct then we can say that 'Refined sugar' is not healthy.

Michael Phelps (the winningest Olympian of all time) contently eats processed foods, as do many body builders. There is a point where you can't eat enough "clean" food. Heck, there are plenty of good examples of people who power lift and eat dirty, such as sara..

Keep in mind we aren't saying to have a whole diet off of sugar.. but what we are saying, a little extra sugar or refined sugar will not cause diabetes or obesity in a controlled environment like MFP. It may be advisable for those struggling to keep their weight down, but the committed people on this board generally dont have that issue.


http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/903628-one-year-of-barbells-and-ice-cream-my-story-so-far-pics?hl=a+year+of+lifting+and+ice+cream

Ctrum69

Now, on the topic of research into why some fake sugars are bad for you.. that's a whole nother kettle of fish, but I've always said, and the more I read about aspartame and etc, that you are better off going for the "Real" coke and moderation, than gulping diet soda. And that people will instinctively think that drinking a liter of diet soda with their McMeal somehow makes it "better" for them.

Artificial sweeteners are not bad for you in moderation. There are numerous scientific studies which prove this to be true.
And if your "McMeal" fits into your calorie goal and your macros, and the diet soda will keep it there, and the regular soda will put you over the limits, then the diet soda is the better choice.

If you say so.

http://www.cell.com/trends/endocrinology-metabolism/abstract/S1043-2760(13)00087-8

Correlation does not equal causation. Artificial sweeteners have been shown to cause no health issues, beyond allergic reactions, which can admittedly be severe, but so can the allergic reaction to a peanut.

No, they have not. They have not been shown to cause cancer.

There's a HUGE difference in those two statements. And I've been reading the studies.

I was waiting for the correlation flag.. it also doesn't rule out causation.

The more they study it, the more they find. I'll hedge my bets on the side of "if it has zero calories in it, I might as well have a glass of water" and you can continue drinking fake sugar.

Sadagopan84

.
Has any one who is building muscle eat processed food daily? NO
How much sugar a bodybuilder consume in a day? 5 -10 tsp or less
How much micro nutrients are there in sugar? NONE
Is refined sugar need for body? NO body breaks downs carbs into glucose.

If all the above or most of the answer is correct then we can say that 'Refined sugar' is not healthy.

Oh, wow, where are our body building friends.... I'm so sorry I stepped away.
Have you ever heard of carb-loading? Distance runners do it before a big race.
Body builders have been knows to eat Pop-Tarts (gasp!) before a competition.
Sugar is used for quick energy.
Blood sugar spikes and crashes happen when you over eat sugar and carbs, and don't eat enough of your other macros, which your 'diet' doctor should be telling you, if he's not, get a new one.

They called it Carb loading not sugar loading. Sugar is one form of carb but ask if any one who is trying to build muscle to use refined sugar as carb source. There are different types of carbs like high in glucose carbs and low Glucose carbs. If you consume soda or juice rich in 'Sugar' we would get our high energy for a short burst of time but that is not good for long term health. Our body is like a machine which needs a steady fuel so its 'Better' to go for low GI carbs with high fiber.

The next point you are making about distance runner who run big races use sugar becos their body is depleted of fuel source at the end of a long race. Ask those runners if they drink the same drink on a off day they cannot drink as they drink on a race day. Also the drink they are drinking will have sodium in it which helps retain water in body. That why they say in matron people die not of thrust but drinking too much of drinks.

I am sure you have heard of mico nutrients which are vitamins and minerals. They help our body absorb the macro we consume so if we eat lot of processed food which has little or no micro nutrients but hit our macro goals then they will be stored as fat and not help build muscle. I know what i am putting in my mouth so i don't need a new diet doctor to tell me what to eat.

If you want to consume sugar then please free to do so i am not stopping you. I am putting my point in the forum where at least someone would benefit from what they read (if they want to try that is). Lastly i dont want to take bad examples and follow it just becos one body builder eat crap.

What we eat is 70% of bodybuilding , 10% is exercise and rest 20% is about proper rest. If there is any guy who is body building tell me if i am wrong i will listen to your point.

yarwell

raw orange:
Calories 85 Sodium 0 mg
Total Fat 0 g Potassium 326 mg
Monounsaturated 0 g Sugars 17 g

Orange juice:
Calories 120 Sodium 0 mg
Total Fat 0 g Potassium 0 mg
Monounsaturated 0 g Sugars 26 g

Orange has potassium and less sugar.

Your data source is wrong. There is potassium in orange juice. http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1971/2

To get 26g of sugars in the OJ you need about two of the oranges above it.

yarwell

If he is so bad why are they inviting him to give speech in 'TED' or in BBC.

He's a con man, that's what they do - talk you round to their position, convince you that they are correct. Wouldn't be hard to get any carp past a BBC producer, last night one of the presenters on a BBC food programme didn't know what a slow cooker was.

mccindy72

If he is so bad why are they inviting him to give speech in 'TED' or in BBC.

He's a con man, that's what they do - talk you round to their position, convince you that they are correct. Wouldn't be hard to get any carp past a BBC producer, last night one of the presenters on a BBC food programme didn't know what a slow cooker was.

Jeez, shouldn't be that hard to figure out, Dr. Oz has his own show on U.S. network television 5 days a week.

psuLemon

Watch the following links if you have time

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6nGlLUBkOQ

These videos are propaganda designed to scare you into a lifestyle change (and usually entice you to buy a book). Most of the studies are highly cherry picked. I would consider looking into studies done by a reputable source such as the NIH, AJM, Harvard, or at least websites that reference and link to other studies.

Keep in mind, this isn't to say that you shouldn't look to opitimize nutrition by following a 80/20 rule. But many of us can hit micro and macro goals while having refined sugar. Additionally, we can improve our energy, skin, etc..

I would suspect that overall health is more than just diet, it's exercise, medications (anitbiotics) and overall eating habits; keeping in mind, that we aren't telling a person to live off of refined sugar, but without medical cause, there isn't a reason to fear sugar.

Hi,
The first link is a presentation by Mr. Robert H. Lustig, MD, UCSF Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology. The second link is a documentary by BBC about over consumption and effect of sugary drinks/ food. If you don't believe that Harvard research then read this
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/files/2012/10/sugary-drinks-and-obesity-fact-sheet-june-2012-the-nutrition-source.pdf

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/magazine/sugar-and-salt/

Article about sugar in Frobes

http://www.forbes.com/sites/larryhusten/2014/02/03/the-not-so-sweet-facts-about-sugar/

Recommendation by WHO :
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2530885/Cut-sugar-intake-HALF-New-health-warning-says-limit-cut-five-teaspoons-day-fears-contributes-heart-disease.html.

No one is asking you to buy a book or sell some fancy item here. The links only tell to reduce the sugar not go without sugar. So its not bad idea to try reducing sugar.

Both the Harvard articles discuss and correlate the increase consumption of sugary drinks to obesity. In both of the articles it's talking into considering 400-800 calories alone from drinks. So for many people, that would be 20-50% of their maintenance calories. If I was a Dr. at Harvard, I would probably come to the same conclusion. But what you don't see is any studies in a controlled setting like MFP. Harvard themselves, has already stated it's calories in vs out. And having refined sugar in moderation (while it fits in your calories) isn't going to harm you. For personal reason, if you want to cut out sugar, great.. but understand it's not the cause of your weight loss (a calorie deficit does). If you feel it's better for diet adherence (the most important aspect of success) then great. But there is NO data - at least that I have seen - that would suggest cutting refined sugar out would make you more healthy than that of another person. The fact is, there are many factors for ones health: macro & micronutrient consumption, exercise (one big cause of obesity is lack there of), genetics/family history, and medicines. And that is why many of us will state correlation =/= causation. It's more broad than one type of calorie vs another.

I know from personal experience, cutting foods out (went paleo for 6 months once my wife had to go gluten free for medical reason), I found out I was binging more often and couldn't stick with my calories. As I went back to a moderate approach (to include 1-2 diet dews a day, plus 120-150oz of water) I would adhere to my diet. Now I can consistently lose weight and have improved my exercise and health. I now have more energy than I did on paleo (it's probably placebo).

Sorry for a bit of a tangent, but like many others in this thread, food mongering is something that blows my mine.

psuLemon

For those who enjoy Lustig, I would suggest having an open mind and reading the below:

http://feinmantheother.com/2011/07/29/wait-a-minute-lustig-the-threat-of-fructophobia-and-the-opportunity/

Another good article (not study) is this one:

http://www.fitnessbaddies.com/your-problem-with-sugar-is-the-problem-with-sugar/

I generally don't like posting articles because you have to then usually look up the reference but this one links all of them.

tigersword

http://www.alanaragonblog.com/2010/01/29/the-bitter-truth-about-fructose-alarmism/
I also would like to add this article, if it hasn't been posted yet.

And this one, which is great.
http://www.alanaragonblog.com/2010/02/19/a-retrospective-of-the-fructose-alarmism-debate/

ryah1269

Sugar free is difficult. I agree trying to avoid refined sugars is a good idea. I use Organic Stevia made by "Now" brand foods because after running into other stevias which had those hidden sugars ...sucrose other things I can't pronounce.
I personally feel tremendously more energy and sleep better when I am not allowing refined added sugar into my diet.
Salad dressing from Waldens Farms is no sugar, no calories, gluten free, fat free.... I like the thousand island flavor the best after trying several.
Some of us can't stick our hand into the cookie jar and stop at one....I am that person. So I would rather avoid the temptation and change my habits for the better.
Fasting is another way I got sugar cravings out of my system. Just protein whey from Jay Robb whey shakes which is made with Stevia...not sugar.

Good luck with your mission of sugar free.

psuLemon

http://www.alanaragonblog.com/2010/01/29/the-bitter-truth-about-fructose-alarmism/
I also would like to add this article, if it hasn't been posted yet.

And this one, which is great.
http://www.alanaragonblog.com/2010/02/19/a-retrospective-of-the-fructose-alarmism-debate/

These are great links too... they are referenced in the article I posted. Alan Aragon is highly respected and really works to stay unbias.

goalie234

The only time i use sugar is in my morning green tea . Is it a safer alternative if i add honey instead iof sugar in my morning tea ?

yarwell

The only time i use sugar is in my morning green tea . Is it a safer alternative if i add honey instead iof sugar in my morning tea ?

no, it's the same stuff.

Ctrum69

The only time i use sugar is in my morning green tea . Is it a safer alternative if i add honey instead iof sugar in my morning tea ?

Do you like the taste of honey better? Is there something in honey that you want to consume, that regular "table" sugar doesn't have? I so, use honey.

As far as your body is concerned, they are pretty much identical.

I think people confuse the fact that some sugar (fructose) is a single monosaccharide, whereas sucrose is a disaccharide comprised of fructose and glucose.

This is NOT the same as "simple" and "complex" carbs.

potatoes are a complex carb,

the Glycemic INdex is handy for people with diabetes and other insulin issues. But lots of people mistakenly believe that somehing with a higher GI will comprise a healthy system, and there's no real evidence of that.