what do you do to lower your sugar intake?
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Mapalicious wrote: »Carlos_421 wrote: »sheridanlugo wrote: »I actually just kicked my sugar habit, gradually, not all at once. What helped me stop eating sugar was actually doing research on what excess sugar does to the body and how it's as addictive as cocaine. Once I knew more about sugar, it was easier to say no to it. I started by cutting out all non-water beverages except for the occasional unsweetened tea. Then I swapped dessert for fruit. What helped whenever I was craving sugar was making banana ice cream. All it is is frozen bananas blended in a food processor with a splash of almond milk (or milk of choice), along with any flavoring you prefer. I personally like adding a bit of peanut butter, it's delicious! After cutting out desserts I then cut out all the "hidden" sugars of my diet, which includes things like a seemingly healthy can of marinara sauce that actually has 24g of sugar. Lastly, I ate more veggies and less fruit to get rid of even more fruit in my diet.
Good luck, hope this helped!
The idea that sugar is as addictive as cocaine and the fact that you were able to quit without medical intervention or even some sort of support group are diametrically opposed to one another.
I've dealt with addicts. The claim that sugar is just as addictive as cocaine makes me angry.
I've never seen anyone desperate enough for a sugar fix that they were willing to sell their body to strangers, steal or abandon their children for a hit.
I think this is a case in which people entirely mis-interpret scientific findings. It has been shown that sugar lights up the dopamine receptors, like in every single thing that people find enjoyable, also in rats only (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16460879). It has been shown to cause dependency in rats placed in a cycle of getting nothing at all or nothing but sugarwater with their food on a daily basis(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2235907/). Sugar has also been shown to becoming a behavior motivator (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12488799) - leading rats to eat more sugar.
This article abstract about the sugar/drug analogy I find particularly interesting: http://journals.lww.com/co-clinicalnutrition/Abstract/2013/07000/Sugar_addiction___pushing_the_drug_sugar_analogy.11.aspx
I agree - the analogy may seem to denigrate or belittle the incredible work that people who quit hard drugs do. So perhaps it is a question of degree (not kind) and accessibility, and ease of initiating addiction. Sure, withdrawal may not be as bad with sugar, but the neural pathways are the same. The problem is, sugar isn't nearly as regulated/expensive/hard-to-get/frowned-upon as hard drugs. We feed it to our children in their bottles (apple juice, etc), and start their days off with it (most childrens' cereals). People can barely drink water, tea, coffee, or any drink without wanting it to taste 'sweet!' I'd say, it's an issue to be aware of.
Fixed that.
And sugar is not an addictive substance. There is no withdrawal symptoms from it because your body does not become physically dependent on it which is the requirement of getting physical withdrawal symptoms.
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Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Mapalicious wrote: »cross2bear wrote: »stevencloser wrote: »cross2bear wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »What do you have to say in response to the two David Katz articles that I linked and quoted, that directly discuss this issue?
Wiki on Katz: David L. Katz (born 20 February 1963 in Los Angeles, California) is a nutritionist and the founding director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale University, as well as an associate professor of public health practice at the Yale University School of Medicine. In 2005, Katz was appointed the associate director for nutrition science at the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale.
I would want to know what association Dr Katz (and Yale) have with the International Sugar Association and what kind of money they have given him (or yale) to produce his studies.
Seriously?
Yes, seriously - you have no idea how powerful the International Sugar Association is and what they can make happen.
This is an excellent documentary http://tvo.org/video/documentaries/sugar-coated
This Doc is OK...I am not into the idea that 'sugar is toxic' but holy CRAP does the sugar industry do some fancy footwork to get folks to consume more sugar than they should. For example, about 40% of CHILDREN'S CEREAL (as in...stocked in super markets at child's-eye-height, and advertised with colourful cartoons)...is 30-40% sugar BY WEIGHT. What the sweet crap? It's horrible for kids, and they develop a sweet tooth and bodily sugar 'dependency' of sorts very, very early. And that's just the tip of the iceberg...
Do children's cereals today contain more sugar than back in the 60's and 70's?
Froot loops and frosted flakes and the like were all around in the mid 70's, there's a lot more now though. I got to have those types of cereals maybe once every 6mths or so as my mum refused to buy them more often than that, because of the SUGAR
I never bought them for my kids either. 0 -
ok, dude0
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stevencloser wrote: »Mapalicious wrote: »Carlos_421 wrote: »sheridanlugo wrote: »I actually just kicked my sugar habit, gradually, not all at once. What helped me stop eating sugar was actually doing research on what excess sugar does to the body and how it's as addictive as cocaine. Once I knew more about sugar, it was easier to say no to it. I started by cutting out all non-water beverages except for the occasional unsweetened tea. Then I swapped dessert for fruit. What helped whenever I was craving sugar was making banana ice cream. All it is is frozen bananas blended in a food processor with a splash of almond milk (or milk of choice), along with any flavoring you prefer. I personally like adding a bit of peanut butter, it's delicious! After cutting out desserts I then cut out all the "hidden" sugars of my diet, which includes things like a seemingly healthy can of marinara sauce that actually has 24g of sugar. Lastly, I ate more veggies and less fruit to get rid of even more fruit in my diet.
Good luck, hope this helped!
The idea that sugar is as addictive as cocaine and the fact that you were able to quit without medical intervention or even some sort of support group are diametrically opposed to one another.
I've dealt with addicts. The claim that sugar is just as addictive as cocaine makes me angry.
I've never seen anyone desperate enough for a sugar fix that they were willing to sell their body to strangers, steal or abandon their children for a hit.
I think this is a case in which people entirely mis-interpret scientific findings. It has been shown that sugar lights up the dopamine receptors, like in every single thing that people find enjoyable, also in rats only (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16460879). It has been shown to cause dependency in rats placed in a cycle of getting nothing at all or nothing but sugarwater with their food on a daily basis(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2235907/). Sugar has also been shown to becoming a behavior motivator (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12488799) - leading rats to eat more sugar.
This article abstract about the sugar/drug analogy I find particularly interesting: http://journals.lww.com/co-clinicalnutrition/Abstract/2013/07000/Sugar_addiction___pushing_the_drug_sugar_analogy.11.aspx
I agree - the analogy may seem to denigrate or belittle the incredible work that people who quit hard drugs do. So perhaps it is a question of degree (not kind) and accessibility, and ease of initiating addiction. Sure, withdrawal may not be as bad with sugar, but the neural pathways are the same. The problem is, sugar isn't nearly as regulated/expensive/hard-to-get/frowned-upon as hard drugs. We feed it to our children in their bottles (apple juice, etc), and start their days off with it (most childrens' cereals). People can barely drink water, tea, coffee, or any drink without wanting it to taste 'sweet!' I'd say, it's an issue to be aware of.
Fixed that.
And sugar is not an addictive substance. There is no withdrawal symptoms from it because your body does not become physically dependent on it which is the requirement of getting physical withdrawal symptoms.
Yes, you become mentally addicted not physically addicted. Exactly as stated. It's different...but there are withdrawals of a different sort. I think you have an ax to grind, though, so imma let you do your thing. I think it's more complicated, and I partially agree with your point.0 -
Mapalicious wrote: »stevencloser wrote: »Mapalicious wrote: »Carlos_421 wrote: »sheridanlugo wrote: »I actually just kicked my sugar habit, gradually, not all at once. What helped me stop eating sugar was actually doing research on what excess sugar does to the body and how it's as addictive as cocaine. Once I knew more about sugar, it was easier to say no to it. I started by cutting out all non-water beverages except for the occasional unsweetened tea. Then I swapped dessert for fruit. What helped whenever I was craving sugar was making banana ice cream. All it is is frozen bananas blended in a food processor with a splash of almond milk (or milk of choice), along with any flavoring you prefer. I personally like adding a bit of peanut butter, it's delicious! After cutting out desserts I then cut out all the "hidden" sugars of my diet, which includes things like a seemingly healthy can of marinara sauce that actually has 24g of sugar. Lastly, I ate more veggies and less fruit to get rid of even more fruit in my diet.
Good luck, hope this helped!
The idea that sugar is as addictive as cocaine and the fact that you were able to quit without medical intervention or even some sort of support group are diametrically opposed to one another.
I've dealt with addicts. The claim that sugar is just as addictive as cocaine makes me angry.
I've never seen anyone desperate enough for a sugar fix that they were willing to sell their body to strangers, steal or abandon their children for a hit.
I think this is a case in which people entirely mis-interpret scientific findings. It has been shown that sugar lights up the dopamine receptors, like in every single thing that people find enjoyable, also in rats only (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16460879). It has been shown to cause dependency in rats placed in a cycle of getting nothing at all or nothing but sugarwater with their food on a daily basis(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2235907/). Sugar has also been shown to becoming a behavior motivator (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12488799) - leading rats to eat more sugar.
This article abstract about the sugar/drug analogy I find particularly interesting: http://journals.lww.com/co-clinicalnutrition/Abstract/2013/07000/Sugar_addiction___pushing_the_drug_sugar_analogy.11.aspx
I agree - the analogy may seem to denigrate or belittle the incredible work that people who quit hard drugs do. So perhaps it is a question of degree (not kind) and accessibility, and ease of initiating addiction. Sure, withdrawal may not be as bad with sugar, but the neural pathways are the same. The problem is, sugar isn't nearly as regulated/expensive/hard-to-get/frowned-upon as hard drugs. We feed it to our children in their bottles (apple juice, etc), and start their days off with it (most childrens' cereals). People can barely drink water, tea, coffee, or any drink without wanting it to taste 'sweet!' I'd say, it's an issue to be aware of.
Fixed that.
And sugar is not an addictive substance. There is no withdrawal symptoms from it because your body does not become physically dependent on it which is the requirement of getting physical withdrawal symptoms.
Yes, you become mentally addicted not physically addicted. Exactly as stated. It's different...but there are withdrawals of a different sort. I think you have an ax to grind, though, so imma let you do your thing. I think it's more complicated, and I partially agree with your point.
Can you elaborate? Addiction, as I understand it, *is* a physical process. You seem to be using the word in another way.0 -
Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »I've cut down on my sugar intake by reducing my overall caloric intake. Now that I don't eat as much overall, I'm pretty much forced to lower my sugar intake. I personally don't even track sugar.
However, judging from the fact that this thread has gone on for 5 pages, I have a feeling that this answer will be lost on many and you all will keep arguing about how sugar is going to kill us all.
I'll be over here enjoying my chocolate biscotti that I will be fitting into my daily goals.
There are other factors that come together to raise some folks' risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The OP said that she fits those risks. If someone has Metabolic Syndrome, reducing sugar is not some crazy diet fad. The advice should change depending on the profile of the individual! She's trying to watch her health, for real.
A lot of overweight and especially obese individuals have higher risks, so I frankly don't know why the questions I asked don't come up more often here so that we can tailor the advice to the person's needs.
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This seems unnecessarily dismissive. Most of us are looking for ways to deal with the problem. I'm going to reiterate that adequate protein has helped me immensely. I'm taking a daily dose of estrogen (no bouncing about of hormone levels) and I suspect that is helping. I eat a Fibre One bar almost daily (tastes delightfully sweet but for whatever reason (fibre?) I don't desire any more than one). I have a little sugar in my coffee in the morning and maybe my afternoon tea and drink Gatorade on the tennis court so I don't feel deprived, and, in fact, my daily sugar levels are near max most days. I exercise daily, make adequate sleep a priority and try to keep stress levels low. But I rarely have cake or chocolate bars or other "trigger foods". The risk outweighs the reward.GuitarJerry wrote: »Victim mentality all up in here.
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Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Mapalicious wrote: »cross2bear wrote: »stevencloser wrote: »cross2bear wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »What do you have to say in response to the two David Katz articles that I linked and quoted, that directly discuss this issue?
Wiki on Katz: David L. Katz (born 20 February 1963 in Los Angeles, California) is a nutritionist and the founding director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale University, as well as an associate professor of public health practice at the Yale University School of Medicine. In 2005, Katz was appointed the associate director for nutrition science at the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale.
I would want to know what association Dr Katz (and Yale) have with the International Sugar Association and what kind of money they have given him (or yale) to produce his studies.
Seriously?
Yes, seriously - you have no idea how powerful the International Sugar Association is and what they can make happen.
This is an excellent documentary http://tvo.org/video/documentaries/sugar-coated
This Doc is OK...I am not into the idea that 'sugar is toxic' but holy CRAP does the sugar industry do some fancy footwork to get folks to consume more sugar than they should. For example, about 40% of CHILDREN'S CEREAL (as in...stocked in super markets at child's-eye-height, and advertised with colourful cartoons)...is 30-40% sugar BY WEIGHT. What the sweet crap? It's horrible for kids, and they develop a sweet tooth and bodily sugar 'dependency' of sorts very, very early. And that's just the tip of the iceberg...
Do children's cereals today contain more sugar than back in the 60's and 70's?
Having been a child in the 60s, but with no data to back me up, I'm guessing "yes". I know that some other products are sweeter than they were back then. (Example: If you make recipes developed for 1960s lime jello that involve vegetable or savory ingredients - I know it sounds gross, but it was a thing - with today's jello they do. not. work. at. all. because it's sweeter.)0 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Mapalicious wrote: »cross2bear wrote: »stevencloser wrote: »cross2bear wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »What do you have to say in response to the two David Katz articles that I linked and quoted, that directly discuss this issue?
Wiki on Katz: David L. Katz (born 20 February 1963 in Los Angeles, California) is a nutritionist and the founding director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale University, as well as an associate professor of public health practice at the Yale University School of Medicine. In 2005, Katz was appointed the associate director for nutrition science at the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale.
I would want to know what association Dr Katz (and Yale) have with the International Sugar Association and what kind of money they have given him (or yale) to produce his studies.
Seriously?
Yes, seriously - you have no idea how powerful the International Sugar Association is and what they can make happen.
This is an excellent documentary http://tvo.org/video/documentaries/sugar-coated
This Doc is OK...I am not into the idea that 'sugar is toxic' but holy CRAP does the sugar industry do some fancy footwork to get folks to consume more sugar than they should. For example, about 40% of CHILDREN'S CEREAL (as in...stocked in super markets at child's-eye-height, and advertised with colourful cartoons)...is 30-40% sugar BY WEIGHT. What the sweet crap? It's horrible for kids, and they develop a sweet tooth and bodily sugar 'dependency' of sorts very, very early. And that's just the tip of the iceberg...
Do children's cereals today contain more sugar than back in the 60's and 70's?
Having been a child in the 60s, but with no data to back me up, I'm guessing "yes". I know that some other products are sweeter than they were back then. (Example: If you make recipes developed for 1960s lime jello that involve vegetable or savory ingredients - I know it sounds gross, but it was a thing - with today's jello they do. not. work. at. all. because it's sweeter.)
Apparently not. According to Lemurcat's post from the book Salt, Sugar, Fat (or whatever order those were in), 2/3 had a sugar content of at least 25%, all the way up to one having 71%. No cereal nowadays has that much, they're around the 30%-40% mark for the sweeter ones. My favorite has 25% (Cinnamon Toast Crunch ftw).0 -
Mapalicious wrote: »Carlos_421 wrote: »sheridanlugo wrote: »I actually just kicked my sugar habit, gradually, not all at once. What helped me stop eating sugar was actually doing research on what excess sugar does to the body and how it's as addictive as cocaine. Once I knew more about sugar, it was easier to say no to it. I started by cutting out all non-water beverages except for the occasional unsweetened tea. Then I swapped dessert for fruit. What helped whenever I was craving sugar was making banana ice cream. All it is is frozen bananas blended in a food processor with a splash of almond milk (or milk of choice), along with any flavoring you prefer. I personally like adding a bit of peanut butter, it's delicious! After cutting out desserts I then cut out all the "hidden" sugars of my diet, which includes things like a seemingly healthy can of marinara sauce that actually has 24g of sugar. Lastly, I ate more veggies and less fruit to get rid of even more fruit in my diet.
Good luck, hope this helped!
The idea that sugar is as addictive as cocaine and the fact that you were able to quit without medical intervention or even some sort of support group are diametrically opposed to one another.
I've dealt with addicts. The claim that sugar is just as addictive as cocaine makes me angry.
I've never seen anyone desperate enough for a sugar fix that they were willing to sell their body to strangers, steal or abandon their children for a hit.
I think this is a case in which people entirely mis-interpret scientific findings. 1) It has been shown that sugar lights up the dopamine receptors, like in drug abuse (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16460879). 2)It has been shown to cause dependency (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2235907/). 3)Sugar has also been shown to becoming a behavior motivator (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12488799) - leading people to eat more sugar.
This article abstract about the sugar/drug analogy I find particularly interesting: http://journals.lww.com/co-clinicalnutrition/Abstract/2013/07000/Sugar_addiction___pushing_the_drug_sugar_analogy.11.aspx
I agree - the analogy may seem to denigrate or belittle the incredible work that people who quit hard drugs do. So perhaps it is a question of degree (not kind) and accessibility, and ease of initiating addiction. Sure, withdrawal may not be as bad with sugar, but the neural pathways are the same. The problem is, sugar isn't nearly as regulated/expensive/hard-to-get/frowned-upon as hard drugs. We feed it to our children in their bottles (apple juice, etc), and start their days off with it (most childrens' cereals). People can barely drink water, tea, coffee, or any drink without wanting it to taste 'sweet!' I'd say, it's an issue to be aware of.
1) so does everything from kissing to music to running. Release of dopamine is not an indicator of addictive capability.
2) a study where rats are given sugar water in excessive amounts while fasted and then the rats binge on the sugar water hardly demonstrates that sugar causes dependency even in rats, let alone humans.
3) a study that demonstrates that rats prefer sucrose with their food does not indicate that sugar can alter behavior in humans or lead humans to eat more sugar.
Consider this: people eat sugar because it tastes good which makes them happy. They find foods with added sugar more appealing, thus it is added frequently by manufacturers, because that's what their palates are acclimated too.
It has nothing to do with addiction or dependency or no one would be able to just quit without withdrawals or assistance.0 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »goldthistime wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »My favorite example, from my own recipe box:
One of my chocolate chip cookies: 206 calories, 14 grams of sugar (sucrose, as I don't cook with HFCS).
150 g apple: 78 calories, 16 grams of sugar (a mix of fructose, sucrose, and glucose)
Yes, the chocolate chip cookie will be harder for me not to overeat. Depending on what else I've had in my day, the apple may add more nutrients I need (probably not, though, given how I tend to eat) and has more fiber. Neither is necessarily more filling, as it really depends (this is for me, as I can find a cookie filling). The biggest advantage the apple has, of course, is that it has many fewer calories.
But, of course, the cookie has fewer calories from sugar (and fructose). It has a lot more calories from butter.
Focusing on the differences between the sugars, vs. the differences between the foods makes no sense at all to me.
And if someone ate lots of cookies and no fruit and asked how to decrease their sugar consumption, I'd say "eat fewer cookies and consider whether some other sources of sweetness (although they do have sugar, of course) might work for you and lead to less overeating, like fruit." But that's because I don't think the issue is so much sugar but control and calories.
Interesting comparison. You state that "neither is more filling", although you qualify it with "this is for me".
Just to be clear, I said neither is "necessarily" more filling. People proclaiming what is filling and what is not is a pet peeve of mine, because people vary. Fat usually is not filling for me (nuts sometimes are, sometimes are not, it's weird), yet I'm always being preached to about how filling it is. I do find fruit pretty satisfying, but others (like you) say they do not, and I have no reason to disbelieve them. If hungry between meals I'd usually find either the cookie or the apple satisfying (but the apple has a lot less calories, and I personally try to avoid eating between meals anyway).An apple alone rarely satisfies me, I usually end up grabbing a few nuts to go with it. But for me, cookies are more like an appetite stimulant than a food that satisfies. Looking at how much filling fat there is in your cookies, and given that there is actually less sugar, this doesn't make sense. Maybe it's the lack of fibre? The speed with which glucose enters my blood?
I think it's taste. At least that's why I said both the apple and cookie would be filling, but I'd have a harder time not overeating the cookie (although I can take just one). I will want another cookie independent of hunger (or want to eat the cookie after dinner, when not hungry). I won't have that issue with the apple OR with a sweet snack food I don't care for (like a Twinkie or the average mass-market chocolate bar). I love apples, but that combination of sweet and fat when well done is just more tempting (well, unless you are Eve). ;-)
Haha good one0 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Do children's cereals today contain more sugar than back in the 60's and 70's?
They might in some form - high fructose corn syrups, additives, etc. Not to mention all the commercials recommend you have it with milk (which has sugar) and a big glass of OJ (even more sugar).
Ingredients on labels go from the highest amount to lowest amount. The first few ingredients in Froot Loops for example are - Sugar, corn flour blend (which breaks down into glucose), wheat flour (again, more glucose), whole grain oat flour.. well you see my point. And this is only for 1 cup of cereal, most bowls will hold 2 cups and kids will fill the whole bowl up.
Now I don't have the ingredients from the 60s or 70s but I don't need them to say that kids shouldn't be eating that.
Now thats disturbing.0 -
GuitarJerry wrote: »Nothing. Track carbs and you're done. Sugar is not the devil.
Haha straight and to the point. Thanks
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longlostsea wrote: »Hello just wondering what changes any sugar lovers out there have made to lower their sugar intake?
I have a sweet tooth so to speak and have high chloresterol, and have been reading that it may contribute a bit to that. So as well as a healthier diet and more excersize I want to watch my sugars as well. I'm not sure about lowering the amount of fruit I eat because of nutrient content + I am a vegetarian.
Opinions? Methods?
So are you tracking your sugar intake?
You can eat fruit, just select berries like raspberries, blueberries, blackberries.
Have one serving a day.
Your other sugar sources would be from veggies.
Other than that, simply exclude added sugar.
How low do you want to keep your sugar intake? Also, you can test your own blood sugar at home to see if your blood sugar stays in normal ranges, first thing in the morning, then 2 hours past dinner.0 -
Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »That's like saying "you know what helped me give up heroin? Learning it was addictive and probably not very good for me. Once I knew that, it became easy to say no."
"It was easy for me to power through the seizures and gut-wrenching diarrhea because I knew my body was detoxing from the heroin and that it was normal to feel like this for a while. Now that I've been heroin-free for two weeks, I don't even crave it anymore!"
-said no one, ever
I think physical withdrawals are different from addiction itself.
Like how people get headaches etc from not having coffee. Their technically not addicted to the coffee but their body has adjusted to having that level of caffiene constant.
Although sugar is in no way comparable to heroin or hard drugs I do think food can be addictive but in a different way.
You're not addicted to the food as much as the happy chemicals it releases in the brain. Sorta like those people that cant stop eating couch cushion or sniffing gas on my strange addiction. Mind over matter I guess.
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You are asking about what changes a sugar lover can make in order to lower their sugar intake. This is what I have done:
I've largely stopped eating processed food and I have also stopped adding sugar or sweeteners to my food. Sugar intake has dropped immensely and craving for sweet thing is much reduced. I do still indulge in 2-3 pieces of fruit a day. And to deal with any sugar cravings, I drink a glass of water and wait 10 minutes, it's usually gone by then. I have also been known to go for a walk to distract myself.
I have heard that manufacturers of low fat processed foods are forced to add more sugar in order to compensate for the loss of flavour caused by taking out all the fat.
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Mapalicious wrote: »Carlos_421 wrote: »sheridanlugo wrote: »I actually just kicked my sugar habit, gradually, not all at once. What helped me stop eating sugar was actually doing research on what excess sugar does to the body and how it's as addictive as cocaine. Once I knew more about sugar, it was easier to say no to it. I started by cutting out all non-water beverages except for the occasional unsweetened tea. Then I swapped dessert for fruit. What helped whenever I was craving sugar was making banana ice cream. All it is is frozen bananas blended in a food processor with a splash of almond milk (or milk of choice), along with any flavoring you prefer. I personally like adding a bit of peanut butter, it's delicious! After cutting out desserts I then cut out all the "hidden" sugars of my diet, which includes things like a seemingly healthy can of marinara sauce that actually has 24g of sugar. Lastly, I ate more veggies and less fruit to get rid of even more fruit in my diet.
Good luck, hope this helped!
The idea that sugar is as addictive as cocaine and the fact that you were able to quit without medical intervention or even some sort of support group are diametrically opposed to one another.
I've dealt with addicts. The claim that sugar is just as addictive as cocaine makes me angry.
I've never seen anyone desperate enough for a sugar fix that they were willing to sell their body to strangers, steal or abandon their children for a hit.
I think this is a case in which people entirely mis-interpret scientific findings. It has been shown that sugar lights up the dopamine receptors, like in drug abuse (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16460879). It has been shown to cause dependency (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2235907/). Sugar has also been shown to becoming a behavior motivator (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12488799) - leading people to eat more sugar.
This article abstract about the sugar/drug analogy I find particularly interesting: http://journals.lww.com/co-clinicalnutrition/Abstract/2013/07000/Sugar_addiction___pushing_the_drug_sugar_analogy.11.aspx
I agree - the analogy may seem to denigrate or belittle the incredible work that people who quit hard drugs do. So perhaps it is a question of degree (not kind) and accessibility, and ease of initiating addiction. Sure, withdrawal may not be as bad with sugar, but the neural pathways are the same. The problem is, sugar isn't nearly as regulated/expensive/hard-to-get/frowned-upon as hard drugs. We feed it to our children in their bottles (apple juice, etc), and start their days off with it (most childrens' cereals). People can barely drink water, tea, coffee, or any drink without wanting it to taste 'sweet!' I'd say, it's an issue to be aware of.
Also agreeing, I think that in college we learned that there are different routes of addiction, mental and physical... and I think behavioral, and an addiction can have one or more features. Someone correct me if I'm wrongo.0 -
It felt very uncomfortable for me when I first lowered my sugar intake during my weight loss faze. I was in a *very* bad mood for several days to a week. After that, I was fine! But I had corrected other aspects of my diet, such as tracking fiber and keeping my intake of protein and fiber high.
I guess I'm saying I cut out excess sugar all at once. And I was grumpy for several days, headache included.
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You are asking about what changes a sugar lover can make in order to lower their sugar intake. This is what I have done:
I've largely stopped eating processed food and I have also stopped adding sugar or sweeteners to my food. Sugar intake has dropped immensely and craving for sweet thing is much reduced. I do still indulge in 2-3 pieces of fruit a day. And to deal with any sugar cravings, I drink a glass of water and wait 10 minutes, it's usually gone by then. I have also been known to go for a walk to distract myself.
I have heard that manufacturers of low fat processed foods are forced to add more sugar in order to compensate for the loss of flavour caused by taking out all the fat.
Thanks for your help! These kind of responses are more of what I was hoping for.
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