Who knew there was sugar in cucumbers?!?!

Certainly not me I can tell you. I was logging my food today and my sugar seems to be consistently high even though I never add sugar to anything - In fact I don't have a sweet tooth at all - just a salty one! I am finding it hard to cut down the sugar and Im not sure how to do that. Does anyone here have any tips for me please. I would really appreciate it.

Ok I can calm down now - revelation over.

Seriously though - there's sugar in cucumbers!!!

Replies

  • ThickMcRunFast
    ThickMcRunFast Posts: 22,511 Member
    There is sugar in most things. Sugar is not the enemy. Over-consumption of food is. If you track carbs, tracking sugar is redundant. I would not worry about it unless you are trying to manage diabetes or some other disease.
  • Carissa145
    Carissa145 Posts: 604 Member
    There is also lots of sugar in bananas. I was very surprised at that too.
  • Samuraiko
    Samuraiko Posts: 180 Member
    They are actually a fruit... :) So I guess it stands to reason they'd have sugar. Just not nearly as much as, say, apples or pears or whatever.
  • lausa22
    lausa22 Posts: 467 Member
    It's natural sugar. Even plant need sugar to live, so that's why they have it :)
    Don't worry about your sugar intake if you're getting it naturally from fruit and vegetables. Unless you're diabetic/predisposed for diabetes
  • ceemyheartrn
    ceemyheartrn Posts: 5 Member
    Cucumbers and celery are negative foods. It takes more calories to digest than what they have FYI.
  • lausa22
    lausa22 Posts: 467 Member
    Cucumbers and celery are negative foods. It takes more calories to digest than what they have FYI.
    No such thing as a negative food.
    2000 calories from cucumbers is still 2000 calories.
    Your body still digests those calories and uses them.
  • Oh great - after I posted my message I started to think that maybe there was good sugar and bad like there is good and bad fat. It seems to me that you are saying there is good sugar. Im not diabetic or have any problems with sugar at all so Im not trying to manage it. This is great news. I was worried when I kept seeing the red sugar number every day. Yay for cucumbers ha ha!
  • ThickMcRunFast
    ThickMcRunFast Posts: 22,511 Member
    Oh great - after I posted my message I started to think that maybe there was good sugar and bad like there is good and bad fat. It seems to me that you are saying there is good sugar. Im not diabetic or have any problems with sugar at all so Im not trying to manage it. This is great news. I was worried when I kept seeing the red sugar number every day. Yay for cucumbers ha ha!

    There is no bad sugar, its just that sugar in fruit and vegetables comes along with fiber and vitamins and other good stuff, while sugar from a Reese's Cup is just tasty. Ironmen and ultra runners eat snickers and Mt. Dew...its not that its inherently bad for you, its just that there are better choices if you are trying to cut calories. Personally I still fit chocolate, ice cream, and all the rest into my daily/weekly goals.
  • lesley964
    lesley964 Posts: 18 Member
    I've been reading lots about sugar today... My whole adult life has been a constant battle with weight but this time round I am tracking my sugar and have lost what I think is an amazing chunk of blubber since july this year. Also I am never hungry or have cravings since keeping my sugar in check. I have cut back fruit to 2 portions plus 1 juice and I have swapped the kind of fruit I eat to opt for lower sugar varieties. I have raspberries or strawberries instead of grapes and I drink unsweetened cranberry juice instead of OJ. I am a convert to low carb low sugar now. I also had very bad IBS and stomach problems before starting this and that has subsided too. It may not be related but it seems to work for me!
  • Laura3BB
    Laura3BB Posts: 250 Member
    I never add sugar to anything and I'm still in the red from sugar - so I just stopped tracking sugar - maybe you should do that too :-)
  • One of the reasons that sugar from fruit and vegetables sources is considered differently than the sugar from say, cake, is because the fiber in the fruits and vegetables cuts down on the amount of sugar your body can absorb. Plus you get all those wonderful nutrients from your fruits and veggies!

    As has been said before, sugar isn't inherently "bad" as long as your intake is moderated. There's a great biochemistry-based video on youtube about it.

    Incidentally, the removal of fiber is also what makes juicing not as great as so many people think. The nutrients become more available, yes, but so does all the sugar without the fiber to filter it.
  • Its a natural sugar and its not bad for you. There is bad and good sugar and you happen to land on the best kind!!
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    Oh great - after I posted my message I started to think that maybe there was good sugar and bad like there is good and bad fat. It seems to me that you are saying there is good sugar. Im not diabetic or have any problems with sugar at all so Im not trying to manage it. This is great news. I was worried when I kept seeing the red sugar number every day. Yay for cucumbers ha ha!

    There is no bad sugar, its just that sugar in fruit and vegetables comes along with fiber and vitamins and other good stuff, while sugar from a Reese's Cup is just tasty. Ironmen and ultra runners eat snickers and Mt. Dew...its not that its inherently bad for you, its just that there are better choices if you are trying to cut calories. Personally I still fit chocolate, ice cream, and all the rest into my daily/weekly goals.

    ^^^ this

    foods, taken individually, are not good or bad. you have to look at the whole diet, then you have good and bad diets. If you're getting enough nutrition from what you eat and you're staying within your calorie goals, then eating foods like cake and ice cream are not going to do you any harm, and being able to enjoy all your favourite foods in moderation is a good psychological boost and makes it easier to sustain a healthy lifestyle long term.

    And if the sugar in fruit was bad for humans, we'd have to all go to the zoo and stop all the other primate species from eating fruit as well.....
  • Thanks for all the info guys. I used to think I was pretty "in-the-know" about many things nutrition relation related but it seems I still have lots to learn. Thats good too as Im sure Id get very bored if I knew it all already.

    I am concentrating on a good healthy diet consisting mostly of lean white meat, fish, plenty of fresh vegetables (organic when possible), fruit and measured carbs such as rice, pasta and spuds. Im staying within my calories and getting lots more exercise than I used to make time for. I was full to the brim of excuses but Im not allowing that to happen anymore.