Do "sugarphobes" also avoid drinking any alcohol?

I'm glad I never developed the alcohol habit, but the caramel habit has done me just as much damage, I'm pretty sure.

I doubt that I count as a full-fledged sugarphobe since I still have some in my diet and I'm not against all kinds of sugar, just the highly processed kind with no other nutritional value. I would put alcohol in that category and I avoid it because of its effect on the liver (the sugars). Teetotaler? No, I guess I drink about 2-3 beers a year (usually a half beer with a meal of seafood or wings) and a drink or two during our Christmas celebration. Because it's just not worth the calories to me. If you drink to the level of having a buzz, you're really overdoing it on the sugar/alcohol in most cases. I don't think it's going to kill anyone unless they do it all the time. I have (as a middle aged woman now in my 50s) witnessed the liver failure and subsequent premature death of several friends who relied more on alcohol sugars than food for sustenance at times. It's very sad, but I don't think everyone who has a drink or a few is headed down that path.

It's all about priorities. Alcohol may not be a priority, but I'll sugar if it's in organic ice cream or home baked goods. In small amounts and mixed with good nutrition, there's no harm in it to the body, as the body is always self-healing. It's when you overwhelm the body's ability to heal from your damage with the sheer volume (and without adding any real nutrition to aid in that detoxification process) that you really get into trouble.

Most of the dangers of processed sugars are long term. Many can enjoy years, decades or even a lifetime of enjoyment of sugar and alcohol based on a lucky balance of genetics, lifestyle and activity levels (activity helps your body cope with the alcohol and junk too). There are so many factors that play into it, and many don't really start feeling its effects until their later years. Hindsight is always 20/20. I'm glad I never developed the alcohol habit, but the caramel habit has done me just as much damage, I'm pretty sure.

so you're saying that a sugary drink like plain orange juice is to be avoided, but something like grain alcohol where the sugars have been fully consumed during fermentation, is perfectly fine to drink and consistent with a low-sugar lifestyle? hmmmmmm...

Hmmm.. I manage a liquor store and I've noticed most frequent alcohol buyers also purchase chips, pop and chocolate bars without any apparent guilt. The ones who don't buy the confectionary items are also usually the ones who are on the hunt for gluten free, low carb, organic or diet booze..... undoubtedly under an assumption that those are healthier. Those products are also priced far higher.

Most of the people I know that actively seek out gluten free alcohols do so because they can't tolerate the gluten even in alcohols. The rest, well, it depends on what they're getting. Things like wine and sherry are often used for cooking, where being organic may make a difference in the resulting flavor profile.

Chocolate Cake Martini
1 PART FRANGELICO
1 PART VANILLA VODKA
GARNISH - SUGAR COATED LEMON WEDGE


shake ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker
strain into a sugar rimmed cocktail glass

http://www.cocktailsdrinkrecipes.com/cocktail-recipes/chocolate-cake-martini.html

Adding sugar to the alcohol

so if i understand this correctly, if you eat sugar, it's bad.

if yeast pre-eats your sugars and poops out ethanol, it's good.

so eating (drinking) yeast poop (aka ethanol) is good.

What is the definition of sugar-phobe?

all kinds of sugar, just the highly processed kind with no other nutritional value.

You know sugar is considered a "nutritive sweetener" (as opposed to non-nutritive sweeteners like aspartame)?

Yeah, it turns out that sugar is a carbohydrate. Carbohydrates are macronutrients.

Macronutrient.

Sugar is inherently nutritive, as it provides calories.

That's why I said "no OTHER nutritional value" instead of "no nutritional value" ... if you want to pick nits, at least be accurate in your assessment of my statement. (EDITED TO ADD FOR CLARITY: If I ingest sugar, I try to make sure it has OTHER nutritional value in addition to its energy provision. Examples: calcium, protein, fiber, minerals, vitamins ... which is why I make exceptions for "clean" ice cream and homebaked goods.) As I said, it's a personal priority. We all have ours. Isn't that the point? To prioritize and choose wisely?)