Giving up sugar and white flour forever.

SandraJN

I call them simple carbs and complex carbs. The whites are simple, the browns are complex. Brown sugar is not complex. Brown rice is complex but acts like a simple carb, so there are some complications. I cannot eat simple carbs or rice because of dietary issues. There is life after the whites and if someone chooses to leave them alone it won't kill anyone. On the other hand, I love 00 flour for pizza crust, but now I use whole wheat. I didn't die. I made the most wonderful gnocchi, now I use sweet potato, not the same, but good. Italian whole wheat pasta doesn't taste like cardboard. My son, the chef, made a profound, educated professional food statement when I talked about my preference for simple carbs; they are yummy. Yes, they are. They are also empty. If you don't have to get rid of them, the occasional bit won't be the end of the world. The world also does not end without them.

northbanu

Forever. That's a mighty long time. But I'm here to tell you there's something else... :smokin:

The Afterworld.

I sure hope that old lady's wrong...about death not being the end of it.

+1
Just another calorie in calorie out thing.

BombshellPhoenix

As a vegan for 15 years on the most un extreme diet I can think of words almost fail me and I'm probably going to regret replying too this. My question is what's wrong with white flour and sugar which can be a part of any blanced diet

Agreed. I've been vegan for 7 months and I don't understand how it's "extreme..." Are fruits/veggies/grains extreme foods? Anyway, do you just mean added, processed sugar? Because that would be worth cutting out. But natural sugar isn't bad for you... And making the switch to whole grains is a good idea, but you can still incorporate white flour every now and then, no need to go totally extreme and cut it out forever...

Processed sugar is the same as sugar in fruits. The only added benefit of fruits is vitamins, minerals and fiber. Which, is well worth investing in over say candy or ice cream but it doesn't mean you have to cut it out or that cutting it out makes you "healthier"

Healthy is in the context of an entire diet, not individual foods, so barring medical conditions or those that have had adherence issues with a food, there's no need to cut them out ( ideally, working towards moderation unless one means to do this forever).

fatcity66

Wow, some of these responses make it sound like it's the hardest thing ever, along with "homemade everything"... Honestly, I did it about a year ago (started 3 years ago, but it took a while) and it was the best decision I ever made. I almost everything from scratch (it's actually quite easy...) read every single label, etc. The less ingredients in something and the simpler it is, then the better. And honestly, I've never felt better - my skin cleared up, I stopped getting migraines, I sleep better, and I have way more energy and less anxiety. And when I do "cheat" (I don't even call it that...) I regret it the next morning when I wake up with a migraine. Oh, and I lost those stubborn last 10 pounds and then some by giving up white sugar/flour.

If I want something sweet then I have fruit. If I want a treat, then I bake with maple syrup, but even that is only for special occasions... it can be done and once you get the hang of it, you'll never look back.

Also, why is veganism considered extreme?

Is there a difference between sugar and maple syrup? Or honey? I am asking honestly.

neanderthin

I call them simple carbs and complex carbs. The whites are simple, the browns are complex. Brown sugar is not complex. Brown rice is complex but acts like a simple carb, so there are some complications. I cannot eat simple carbs or rice because of dietary issues. There is life after the whites and if someone chooses to leave them alone it won't kill anyone. On the other hand, I love 00 flour for pizza crust, but now I use whole wheat. I didn't die. I made the most wonderful gnocchi, now I use sweet potato, not the same, but good. Italian whole wheat pasta doesn't taste like cardboard. My son, the chef, made a profound, educated professional food statement when I talked about my preference for simple carbs; they are yummy. Yes, they are. They are also empty. If you don't have to get rid of them, the occasional bit won't be the end of the world. The world also does not end without them.

Hate to break the news to you but all flour including the dreaded tipo 00 are complex carbs.

lemurcat12

I call them simple carbs and complex carbs. The whites are simple, the browns are complex. Brown sugar is not complex. Brown rice is complex but acts like a simple carb, so there are some complications. I cannot eat simple carbs or rice because of dietary issues. There is life after the whites and if someone chooses to leave them alone it won't kill anyone. On the other hand, I love 00 flour for pizza crust, but now I use whole wheat. I didn't die. I made the most wonderful gnocchi, now I use sweet potato, not the same, but good. Italian whole wheat pasta doesn't taste like cardboard. My son, the chef, made a profound, educated professional food statement when I talked about my preference for simple carbs; they are yummy. Yes, they are. They are also empty. If you don't have to get rid of them, the occasional bit won't be the end of the world. The world also does not end without them.

Fruit is a simple carb. Is it empty?

northbanu

I've never seen more non- sense in my life. Is this for real? Everyone thinks this is bad but that is good. Lol. Someone should pick up some science books rather than rely on what things "seem like" is better. Geez. The crazy in here is, well, too much to deal with.

Right. Well that cleared it right up then.

AllOutof_Bubblegum

raysputin

It's easy for me because I do all my own cooking and baking. Where a recipe says white flour, I use wholemeal. If it needs a sweetener, I use stevia or xylotol. If I'm out and need a food fix, I either wait until I get home or eat the protein bar I brought along just in case.

northbanu

I've never seen more non- sense in my life. Is this for real? Everyone thinks this is bad but that is good. Lol. Someone should pick up some science books rather than rely on what things "seem like" is better. Geez. The crazy in here is, well, too much to deal with.

Right. Well that cleared it right up then.

I don't want to get too involved in this. You know what they say about the abyss.

But you got involved to say how stupid it was.
Then to tell us you don't want to get involved.
Crap. I got trolled.

MysteriousDreamer

Good luck you can do it, the hardest part will be overcoming the mentality of it. Try it for 90 days and see how it feels.

Mirabai77

If you're serious about doing it, you need to really understand why sugar and white flour are bad, and NONE of the things you hear in the media or this forum really explain it. I am a huge fan of reading like crazy about new things, but when it comes to heading down a path to eat in a way that requires you to give up family and social traditions like Grandma's apple pie and birthday cake, and on a path that will be regularly attacked by skinny people who have never had to diet, and by scientists who have been fooled by "science", you really should invest the time to learn about why dropping sugar and processed carbs is healthier than all the advice you're getting.

I have been following a low carb/paleo-ish, diet for 10 weeks (nowhere near forever) and I feel better than I ever have. Not all people are equally sensitive to carbs, but if you are, the change in how you feel when you ditch them for a few weeks will be dramatic. Even if you're not super carb sensitive, Taubes' book (below) explains what the science suggests sugar and processed carbs does to all of us. If it's going to be a lifestyle, there are some other GREAT books worth reading.

1. I started with "New Atkins for a New You" over a year ago. It's the how-to on eating healthily without sugar and processed carbs. Light on theory, but heavy on practical rules to follow to improve your health. A fast, easy read that you can jump in and out of, cover in post-its, and refer to as you progress on the diet.

2. A few months ago after I made the switch more officially, I read "The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living." I knew enough about how low-carb eating makes me feel to know I believe it's healthy, but I wanted to understand why it wouldn't jeopardize my long-distance running goals. Maybe 100 pages long, but not critical unless you're trying to run 13 miles or more.

3. Intrigued by the taste of these author's work (Dr.'s Phinney and Volek wrote both books above) I decided to see if there was new information in their "The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living." This one shows you the research that supports this dietary shift, and counters all the common things people tell you makes it unhealthy. It's longer and more technical than the other two, but lots of good information. They follow a low-carb diet but all the peleo theory is mixed in because they use information about other cultural groups and their diets to help support their recommendations.

4. Phinney and Volek refer to "Good Calories, Bad Calories" throughout the book above, and even though I figured it would be repetitive of all the other things I'd been reading, I read enough reviews on Amazon that I decided to go ahead and start reading it. It BLEW. MY. MIND. Gary Taubes tears apart all of the things we absolutely believe in our society about what is healthy for us, how to prevent heart disease, why people get fat (and why they don't), and also helps you understand how good, honest scientists, and politicians, got caught in traps that have lead to bad public health recommendations. You'll never see another bit of advice in Women's Health or Yahoo News, or a health article in a newspaper or magazine, the same way again after reading this book.

I'm still reading it, actually, because its 650 pages, and by far the most detailed of all these books. I have also jumped around a bit because Taubes refers to future chapters at various points and I found myself wanting to read them early rather than waiting. To me, this is the book that really cements why it's important to eat this way, and why, even when it's unpopular, criticized, or downright demonized, and it's also a reminder to trust how a way of eating makes you FEEL, not what people say should work. Lastly, if you've struggled with all the common pitfalls of the yo-yo dieter and exercised yourself into oblivion only to end up feeling like a willpower-less loser who gained it all back, again and again, this book will explain why that happens, and why all those things you were told to do to lose weight were just plain wrong. You're not a loser. You were following the wrong recommendations, and your body didn't like it!

Also, if you go below 50 net carbs/day, listen to them when they tell you to add 1000 mg of sodium in the morning, and 1000 mg in the evening, on top of what's in your food. It makes a BIG difference!

libbydoodle11

Good luck you can do it, the hardest part will be overcoming the mentality of it. Try it for 90 days and see how it feels.

+1

kommodevaran

skinny people who have never had to diet

Wonder how/why they're skinny then

earlnabby

Wow, some of these responses make it sound like it's the hardest thing ever, along with "homemade everything"... Honestly, I did it about a year ago (started 3 years ago, but it took a while) and it was the best decision I ever made. I almost everything from scratch (it's actually quite easy...) read every single label, etc. The less ingredients in something and the simpler it is, then the better. And honestly, I've never felt better - my skin cleared up, I stopped getting migraines, I sleep better, and I have way more energy and less anxiety. And when I do "cheat" (I don't even call it that...) I regret it the next morning when I wake up with a migraine. Oh, and I lost those stubborn last 10 pounds and then some by giving up white sugar/flour.

If I want something sweet then I have fruit. If I want a treat, then I bake with maple syrup, but even that is only for special occasions... it can be done and once you get the hang of it, you'll never look back.

Also, why is veganism considered extreme?

Is there a difference between sugar and maple syrup? Or honey? I am asking honestly.

Table sugar is sucrose. Maple syrup is mostly sucrose with tiny amounts of fructose and glucose. Honey is glucose and fructose. Corn Syrup is fructose and glucose.

Basically the difference is which sugars they are made up of on a molecular level. fructose and glucose (aka dextrose) are simple sugars or monosaccharides. Sucrose is a disaccharide and after eating it, it breaks down into fructose and glucose in our body (which is why it is best to give someone having a hypoglycemic episode fruit juice or glucose tablets, they enter the system faster than candy made from sucrose).

ETA: all natural sweeteners are processed with the exception of raw honey which you have to purchase directly from the beekeeper. The maple syrup processing is especially yummy to watch: this big vat of almost clear sap is boiled down to the delicious golden syrup we all know and love, then poured over pancakes cooked on an outdoor griddle and topped with fresh Wisconsin butter. BEST BREAKFAST EVER! (Yes I live in a sugaring region and there is a place in a state park that does this every spring, open to the public. We hike the trail that ends at the sugaring shack)

SandraJN

I call them simple carbs and complex carbs. The whites are simple, the browns are complex. Brown sugar is not complex. Brown rice is complex but acts like a simple carb, so there are some complications. I cannot eat simple carbs or rice because of dietary issues. There is life after the whites and if someone chooses to leave them alone it won't kill anyone. On the other hand, I love 00 flour for pizza crust, but now I use whole wheat. I didn't die. I made the most wonderful gnocchi, now I use sweet potato, not the same, but good. Italian whole wheat pasta doesn't taste like cardboard. My son, the chef, made a profound, educated professional food statement when I talked about my preference for simple carbs; they are yummy. Yes, they are. They are also empty. If you don't have to get rid of them, the occasional bit won't be the end of the world. The world also does not end without them.

Hate to break the news to you but all flour including the dreaded tipo 00 are complex carbs.

Actually they are not. Once refined the properties which made them complex are removed and they act as a simple carb. I don't dread 00 flour, but I shouldn't use it because it spikes my blood sugar, so I don't. If it didn't, I would use it when making pizza because it makes a great crust. I'm not all or nothing, but I do know the difference between whole meal and refined and as a person heading toward diabetes I made the decision to cut out refined carbs.

dbmata

Forever?

Good luck with that.

SandraJN

I call them simple carbs and complex carbs. The whites are simple, the browns are complex. Brown sugar is not complex. Brown rice is complex but acts like a simple carb, so there are some complications. I cannot eat simple carbs or rice because of dietary issues. There is life after the whites and if someone chooses to leave them alone it won't kill anyone. On the other hand, I love 00 flour for pizza crust, but now I use whole wheat. I didn't die. I made the most wonderful gnocchi, now I use sweet potato, not the same, but good. Italian whole wheat pasta doesn't taste like cardboard. My son, the chef, made a profound, educated professional food statement when I talked about my preference for simple carbs; they are yummy. Yes, they are. They are also empty. If you don't have to get rid of them, the occasional bit won't be the end of the world. The world also does not end without them.

Fruit is a simple carb. Is it empty?

Fruit has nutrients. There are fruits which are turn to glucose slowly and those that don't. I've had to learn the difference to keep blood sugar under control.