Sugar

puddle140
puddle140 Posts: 13
edited September 23 in Food and Nutrition
I'm thinking about giving up sugar. I have recently noticed how bad it makes me feel. If I have too much I feel drunk (hazy like) and anxious like I'm about to jump out of my skin. I also get extremely thirsty as if I could drink gallons of water. Is there anyone that has giving it up and how hard was it to do so?

Replies

  • katzplay62
    katzplay62 Posts: 66
    Go cold turkey. The first day or so might be awkward but it gets easier really quickly. You'll need to start really checking ingredients to make sure it's not creeping back in under pseudonyms: any ingredient that ends in -ol is probably sugar alcohol in disguise.

    There are tons of artificial sweeteners that can keep a sweet tooth happy and still losing weight, should you so desire. I keep Splenda and Whey Low for cooking & baking and have Truvia and Stevia on hand for the odd recipe that calls for them.

    Because of your dramatic reactions, it might be a good idea to have your blood suger checked by your doctor very soon.

    Cheers!

    Kat
  • jeharris16
    jeharris16 Posts: 12
    Yes I am. It can be hard. But if you start craving it, try to replace it with natural sugar items like fruit.
  • missarissa13
    missarissa13 Posts: 1
    I've been off sugar for 3.5 weeks. sadly, i know it that exactly because I love sugar and am pretty sure i'm/was addicted to it. I love how i feel now, but that doesn't mean i don't miss it.


    I am also not using any sugar supplements (stevia, splenda, nutrisweet, etc). From the stuff i've been reading, that is really really bad for you, and not just cancer-wise. I'm doing the "ultrametabolism" thing, and according to the Dr. at Canyon Ranch, fake sugars also cause bad chemical reactions that mess with your system. The reason why whole, real fruit are ok is because they have fiber which makes it slower to absorb, and he tells you to pair them with high fiber, good fat food to lower your glycemic intake overall, so your blood sugar doesn't spike.

    I'm not quite sure what im going to do over time, as NO sweetners is not sustainable. But if you pair no sugar with a total revamp of your diet (right now, im off gluten, eggs, and dairy too as part of detox), its actually easier because its not JUST sugar, its a whole new way of thinkin about food.
  • ciellalv
    ciellalv Posts: 2
    Three things I have noticed when I stop sugar are mental clarity, decreased joint pain and increased appetite control.

    When I go completely off sugar I notice my knees stop hurting. Maybe I am completely nuts, but it happens everytime. When I tend to eat more sugary foods my knees begin to hurt again. I swear by it. The problem I run into and why I revert is that inevitably something happens and I break my good habit of not eating sugar. Within a few weeks I pay for it with knee pain and mental challenges. I also seem to manage my appetite better with out sugar. So I wish you luck and hope you do alot to ward off falling off the sugar-free wagon.
  • laurabeth326
    laurabeth326 Posts: 124 Member
    I recently found this blog/article with tips on giving up sugar. Are you looking to just give up refined sugars, or are you going to give up items like honey as well?

    This deals with giving up refined sugar... http://www.highonhealth.org/how-to-give-up-sugar/
  • knittnponder
    knittnponder Posts: 1,953 Member
    I typically don't do sugar and yes, it was hard to give it up at first. Easier than giving up carbs (only did that short term and now I eat whole foods) but still a little tough since I loved sweet things.

    The thing is, once you get used to it you feel better and don't crave it so much. When you do eat something sweet it tastes REALLY sweet and you end up not wanting as much. My husband and I had a bunch of sugar over the weekend and we were discussing how we felt hung over and didn't want to do that again. This was HUGE coming from him because he is (was) the ultimate sugar junkie and really wasn't very excited about giving it up in the first place. Now he's a believer! :)

    And for the record, Stevia isn't in the same class as Nutrasweet, Splenda or other sweeteners of that type. It's not a chemical creation, it is extracted from a plant. My sister used to grow stevia in her back yard and just used the leaves in her stuff. Commercial varieties are grown and extracted in such a way to try to cut down on the bitter aftertaste some of them can have (the use only certain parts of the plant that aren't bitter.) It doesn't effect your blood sugar and has no calories.

    I barely use it but when I need to sweeten iced tea or something I use Stevia and have no issues (and I have lots of chemical sensitivities.)
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