Craving Sugar?

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  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    I know that like you, I'm needing to modify my sugar habits. Plus, it's everywhere. I noticed that tracking it on my food diary tool on MFP has really surprised me in a couple of ways. 1) How "little" we're supposed to eat per day 2) how quickly it adds up!

    The fruit suggestion is a great one, that another person mentioned above. I've heard the best way to have sugar is the way nature intended (with fiber). Sugar in fruit is good as long as one is eating the fruit in Its natural state (ie not juiced) because it slows the spike in glucose and the volume of fiber fills the stomach.

    Does aversion therapy work for you? Here's a great video lecture about how sugar (not fat) causes heart disease and obesity. It blew my mind when I saw it. I probably need to re-watch it as I had ice cream sandwiches tonight (ate within daily caloric range). :tongue:

    Here's a link to the video: Sugar the Bitter Truth
    http://www.uctv.tv/shows/Sugar-The-Bitter-Truth-16717

    Love to know what you all think...
    Ugh, Lustig's conclusions are way, way off base.

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

    Basically, Lustig is wrong on 95% of his facts, and completely ignores the incredibly important concept of dosage and context when he starts going on and on about how bad sugar is for you. Plus all of his data is skewed, as most of it comes from either extremely limited studies, flat out incorrect facts, or data sets that don't actually include adult humans.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
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    eat more fruit, preferably fresh, whole fruit. It takes longer to eat than other sweet foods (so it feels more satisfying as you have the sweet taste in your mouth for longer - eat it slowly and savour it to make this even more so), and has fewer calories (e.g. than sweets, cakes, etc) and it's chock full of micronutrients. win win win. The sugars in whole fruit are healthy.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    Well, no. The sugars in whole fruits are just sugars. Biologically they are absolutely no different than any other sugars. The sugars in fruits just happen to come in a package that includes other nutrients, but if you are speaking specifically to sugar consumption, and have no nutrient deficiencies, the source of the sugar makes absolutely zero difference from a health standpoint. Glucose, fructose, galactose, etc. are all handled exactly the same in the body, whether it comes from eating an apple or a Snickers bar.
  • Dunkirk
    Dunkirk Posts: 465 Member
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    I would nibble two dates when I was 'transitioning' from eating too much sugar. Very sweet, with fibre.
  • splucy
    splucy Posts: 353
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    I think I crave more sugary stuff when I am consuming a small amount of carbs. I've tried incorporating more in to my diet and I think it's helping.

    I DEFINITELY have a sweet tooth... but yes, will power is required. I'm not the type that can have a couple of squares of chocolate... I have to devour the entire block once I get a taste of it! so I try not to keep anything sweet in the house. If it's not there then too bad so sad... however I do live over the road from a supermarket so that doesn't help >_>
  • splucy
    splucy Posts: 353
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    sugar free wether's original candy!

    CANDICE SWANEPEOL!!!! lol sorry... I just love her! :) Her body is amazing!
  • splucy
    splucy Posts: 353
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    Oh yes and as for further motivation, I tell myself about how I don't want to end up diabetic and would rather not go to the dentist to get more fillings lol :)
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
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    Well, no. The sugars in whole fruits are just sugars. Biologically they are absolutely no different than any other sugars. The sugars in fruits just happen to come in a package that includes other nutrients, but if you are speaking specifically to sugar consumption, and have no nutrient deficiencies, the source of the sugar makes absolutely zero difference from a health standpoint. Glucose, fructose, galactose, etc. are all handled exactly the same in the body, whether it comes from eating an apple or a Snickers bar.

    So zoo keepers could stop feeding other primates fruit and feed them snickers instead and that would be okay, because according to you they're the same...?

    Sugar refined from fruit or refined from a snickers bar is still sugar, and in its *refined* form will be the same. However, fruit does not have the same GI as pure fructose (which means that if you eat 20g of fructose that's part of fresh, whole fruit, it will take a lot longer to get into your blood than if you ate 20G of refined fructose), therefore there absolutely *is* a difference. The water and fibre you eat along with the sugar that's in whole fruit make a difference, because the fruit has to be broken down by the body, which affects the rate at which nutrients are absorbed by the body. Additionally, combinations of nutrients can affect how easily they're absorbed, e.g. iron is absorbed more easily when vitamin C is present with it. once the sugar gets to the cells, it doesn't make a difference to the mitochondria whether it comes from sweets or fruit, so at that level what you say is correct, however the rate at which the sugars get from the digestive system into the blood and what nutrients are coming in with them makes a huge difference to how the sugar is handled prior to reaching the cells. It can make the difference between getting diabetes and not getting diabetes (to name just one of many issues).

    In isolation, nutrients cannot be healthy or unhealthy. You can isolate pretty much any nutrient and in its pure form it won't do the same thing in the body as it would when it's still in the foods it came from. You can only start to talk about healthy or unhealthy in the context of the whole diet. i.e. a whole diet can be healthy, or unhealthy. Apples as part of a balanced diet won't harm you, and will give you micronutrients and carbs. Eat nothing but apples and you'll die from malnutrition. McDonalds burgers as part of a healthy balanced diet won't harm you and will give you protein, fat and carbs, but eat nothing but McDonalds and you'll probably die from heart disease. Fructose is a kind of sugar found in fruit, and many primate species have evolved to get carbohydrate and micronutrients from fruit, including humans. fruit is not unhealthy, nor is the sugar in fruit. If you refine fruit sugar and put it in other foods, that's different.

    ETA: I'm an everything in moderation person, I eat ice cream, chocolate, all sorts (not snickers because I hate peanuts) - so i'm not approaching this from a hating of all junk food point of view, I don't believe any food should be demonised, healthy is about getting everything your body needs without harming it in the process. i.e. everything in moderation, toxic is dependent on dose.
  • muddynicola
    muddynicola Posts: 41 Member
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    Will power? why suffer when you don't have to make life easier on yourself!

    Here are some of the things I eat as part of my healthy diet that taste sweet

    - banana and egg white pancake (can add truvia zero calorie sweetener)
    - shape low fat low cal chocolate yogurts
    - chocolate soya shake (Just devised a recipe to make it minty and lower fat: mix 150 ml of unsweetened almond milk, 100 mls of chocolate soya milk and then get an options hot cholocolate 11grams of powder in any flavour you want I use mint, then mix that with 50ml of hot water and then slowly sitr in to the other mixture and tada you have a a sweet and chocolatey 300ml milkshake for 130 calories, 6 grams of protein and 5grams of fat.
    - sugar free marshmellows
    - chocolate philladelphia spread (for usa people that's low fat cream cheese with some cadbury chocolate added)
    - banoffee corn cracker - get some sort of low fat cracker (I use corn thins) top with 10grams carnation caramel, 10 grams half fat fromage frais and a few slices of banana. (about 70 cals)
    - Chocolate mint creams (if you can just have one of two it's only about 60 calories and low fat coz it's mostly mint and not chocolate.
    sugar free jelly - 10 cals
    - fruit ice lolly

    And before the health obsessives get on my back sweet taste is not your enemy they are all low fat, low cal treats and most of them have a healthy dose of protein and or fiber!
  • prudism
    prudism Posts: 149 Member
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    I just find it easier to not eat sugar -- eat protein instead. Plenty of natural sugars in fruit, milk, etc. Sugar sets off craving in me, and I want more, like the sugar monster. I think we are all different in this regard. Sugar just doesn't work for me. Wish I could just eat a little. Interesting research on how sugar (and refined carbs in general) activate the dopamine pathways in the brain like alcohol and cocaine. So for me I just abstain. If I ate a sugar cube it would set me off like a drug.

    Oh good grief this is me I thought it was only me and I had no self control it IS like a drug if I try a little bit I have to have more and more but when I fast I dont eat anything and I am fine. but I dare not fast for more than a couple of days in a week otherwise my loss would be too rapid
  • prudism
    prudism Posts: 149 Member
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    To the person that satisfies their sugar craving with ice cream -- so happy you can eat sugar and stay within your calorie and macro goals. But don't be naive. Not everyone is like you. Some people (and it isn't a question of will power because such people often have incredible will power in other areas of their lives) do not have your physiology and are not able to stop at one bowl, or one cookie, or one whatever. If you are confused what your physiology is just try controlled eating of sugar. If you find that a reasonable amount doesn't satisfy you but instead sets off your craving for more sugar, and you eat the box or carton instead of one, then maybe abstinence is the cure for you. That is my experience, and it usually takes a least 30 days for me to get over the craving, and then life gets simpler, and I can enjoy my weight loss, and feeeling healthier. I also find foods high in natural sugars (like pineapple or watermelon) set off craving and I don't eat them either. Love strawberries though. Who needs ice cream if I can have greek yogurt and frozen strawberries instead!

    ^^^^^^^^^^ this totally
  • GabriellaMaria
    GabriellaMaria Posts: 150 Member
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    Will power.
    Doesn’t help...the only thing this sugar monster can do to control it is to not eat it, and I have found that chicken, roasted with bacon, and chopped into edible pieces is fab...
    peanuts...they help too!!!
    i know..dont shout!!
  • GabriellaMaria
    GabriellaMaria Posts: 150 Member
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    I just find it easier to not eat sugar -- eat protein instead. Plenty of natural sugars in fruit, milk, etc. Sugar sets off craving in me, and I want more, like the sugar monster. I think we are all different in this regard. Sugar just doesn't work for me. Wish I could just eat a little. Interesting research on how sugar (and refined carbs in general) activate the dopamine pathways in the brain like alcohol and cocaine. So for me I just abstain. If I ate a sugar cube it would set me off like a drug.

    Oh good grief this is me I thought it was only me and I had no self control it IS like a drug if I try a little bit I have to have more and more but when I fast I dont eat anything and I am fine. but I dare not fast for more than a couple of days in a week otherwise my loss would be too rapid
    me too...protein, it is definatley a help!!
  • GabriellaMaria
    GabriellaMaria Posts: 150 Member
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    I think I crave more sugary stuff when I am consuming a small amount of carbs. I've tried incorporating more in to my diet and I think it's helping.

    I DEFINITELY have a sweet tooth... but yes, will power is required. I'm not the type that can have a couple of squares of chocolate... I have to devour the entire block once I get a taste of it! so I try not to keep anything sweet in the house. If it's not there then too bad so sad... however I do live over the road from a supermarket so that doesn't help >_>
    u sure you're not mme?? lol!! :laugh: :laugh:

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