For the people who eliminated sugar from your diet, how did you do it?
Replies
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tinkerbellang83 wrote: »Don’t expect a lot of support from the forums in regards to cutting out added processed sugars from your diet. There are a lot of “experts” that can’t seem to grasp that added sugars ARE a problem for many.
It’s hard but not impossible to cut out added sugars. The trick is to find all the hidden sugars in your food such as ketchup and salad dressings. It takes a good 30 days for cravings to go away, and expect some “flu-like” days as your body starts to detox. Find healthy substitutes such as fruit and medjool dates. You may also find that other foods might trigger sugar cravings such as white flour. You just need to figure out what is best for you.
There are a lot of websites and books on the subject for more in depth information.
This thread wasn't about cutting out added sugar, it was about cutting out all sugar so that's kind of a moot point really.
It could be a post to help educate the OP and others?2 -
moosmum1972 wrote: »Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »moosmum1972 wrote: »Don’t expect a lot of support from the forums in regards to cutting out added processed sugars from your diet. There are a lot of “experts” that can’t seem to grasp that added sugars ARE a problem for many.
It’s hard but not impossible to cut out added sugars. The trick is to find all the hidden sugars in your food such as ketchup and salad dressings. It takes a good 30 days for cravings to go away, and expect some “flu-like” days as your body starts to detox. Find healthy substitutes such as fruit and medjool dates. You may also find that other foods might trigger sugar cravings such as white flour. You just need to figure out what is best for you.
There are a lot of websites and books on the subject for more in depth information.
Your body doesn't treat added sugar or natural sugar any differently.
Is this a fact? Or what the sugar commercials tell us? I would truly like to see well cited studies on this, and have looked. But haven't seen much of anything.
Regardless, I think most folks would be well served by cutting back on sugar. And added sugars seem like the obvious place to cut back.
Sugar is sugar......doesn't matter where it comes from. It's all broken down the same way in your body.
There are differences, albeit small, how sugars/carbs are broken down. Fructose is largely digested in the liver, while other sugars are broken down in the intestines and stomach.
In the end, your body breaks down food all into energy, regardless of source. And I am sure we would all agree that fruits and veggies are better than soda and candy, just like fish has more benefits than fried chicken; this isn't to say, we can't include all of those things, but the predominance of our diets should be made up of whole foods to maximize nutrient uptake (something I believe we all agree with).
OP, what are your goals? Ultimately, it may be better, from a compliance standpoint, to cut out added sugars. But if you really enjoy fruits and veggies, it would probably not be beneficial to cut those out of your diet. Ultimately, sugar is not a health problem, calories are.4 -
Did the people who "wooed" this even bother to watch? Good grief, it's Dr. Layne Norton, he's far from anti-sugar lol6 -
Thanks. Good post. Fructose, and high fructose corn syrup as well?moosmum1972 wrote: »Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »moosmum1972 wrote: »Don’t expect a lot of support from the forums in regards to cutting out added processed sugars from your diet. There are a lot of “experts” that can’t seem to grasp that added sugars ARE a problem for many.
It’s hard but not impossible to cut out added sugars. The trick is to find all the hidden sugars in your food such as ketchup and salad dressings. It takes a good 30 days for cravings to go away, and expect some “flu-like” days as your body starts to detox. Find healthy substitutes such as fruit and medjool dates. You may also find that other foods might trigger sugar cravings such as white flour. You just need to figure out what is best for you.
There are a lot of websites and books on the subject for more in depth information.
Your body doesn't treat added sugar or natural sugar any differently.
Is this a fact? Or what the sugar commercials tell us? I would truly like to see well cited studies on this, and have looked. But haven't seen much of anything.
Regardless, I think most folks would be well served by cutting back on sugar. And added sugars seem like the obvious place to cut back.
Sugar is sugar......doesn't matter where it comes from. It's all broken down the same way in your body.
There are differences, albeit small, how sugars/carbs are broken down. Fructose is largely digested in the liver, while other sugars are broken down in the intestines and stomach.
In the end, your body breaks down food all into energy, regardless of source. And I am sure we would all agree that fruits and veggies are better than soda and candy, just like fish has more benefits than fried chicken; this isn't to say, we can't include all of those things, but the predominance of our diets should be made up of whole foods to maximize nutrient uptake (something I believe we all agree with).
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Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
Thanks. Good post. Fructose, and high fructose corn syrup as well?moosmum1972 wrote: »Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »moosmum1972 wrote: »Don’t expect a lot of support from the forums in regards to cutting out added processed sugars from your diet. There are a lot of “experts” that can’t seem to grasp that added sugars ARE a problem for many.
It’s hard but not impossible to cut out added sugars. The trick is to find all the hidden sugars in your food such as ketchup and salad dressings. It takes a good 30 days for cravings to go away, and expect some “flu-like” days as your body starts to detox. Find healthy substitutes such as fruit and medjool dates. You may also find that other foods might trigger sugar cravings such as white flour. You just need to figure out what is best for you.
There are a lot of websites and books on the subject for more in depth information.
Your body doesn't treat added sugar or natural sugar any differently.
Is this a fact? Or what the sugar commercials tell us? I would truly like to see well cited studies on this, and have looked. But haven't seen much of anything.
Regardless, I think most folks would be well served by cutting back on sugar. And added sugars seem like the obvious place to cut back.
Sugar is sugar......doesn't matter where it comes from. It's all broken down the same way in your body.
There are differences, albeit small, how sugars/carbs are broken down. Fructose is largely digested in the liver, while other sugars are broken down in the intestines and stomach.
In the end, your body breaks down food all into energy, regardless of source. And I am sure we would all agree that fruits and veggies are better than soda and candy, just like fish has more benefits than fried chicken; this isn't to say, we can't include all of those things, but the predominance of our diets should be made up of whole foods to maximize nutrient uptake (something I believe we all agree with).
Fructose is fructose, regardless of source. So the sugar would break down the same in fruit as it would in soda. The difference is the other nutrients and fiber which slows down the absorption of nutrients and provides additional benefits.4 -
moosmum1972 wrote: »Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »moosmum1972 wrote: »Don’t expect a lot of support from the forums in regards to cutting out added processed sugars from your diet. There are a lot of “experts” that can’t seem to grasp that added sugars ARE a problem for many.
It’s hard but not impossible to cut out added sugars. The trick is to find all the hidden sugars in your food such as ketchup and salad dressings. It takes a good 30 days for cravings to go away, and expect some “flu-like” days as your body starts to detox. Find healthy substitutes such as fruit and medjool dates. You may also find that other foods might trigger sugar cravings such as white flour. You just need to figure out what is best for you.
There are a lot of websites and books on the subject for more in depth information.
Your body doesn't treat added sugar or natural sugar any differently.
Is this a fact? Or what the sugar commercials tell us? I would truly like to see well cited studies on this, and have looked. But haven't seen much of anything.
Regardless, I think most folks would be well served by cutting back on sugar. And added sugars seem like the obvious place to cut back.
Sugar is sugar......doesn't matter where it comes from. It's all broken down the same way in your body.
There are differences, albeit small, how sugars/carbs are broken down. Fructose is largely digested in the liver, while other sugars are broken down in the intestines and stomach.
Thank you for mentioning this. Especially true for those of us with digestive disorders and diseases, when you really dig into the science of sugar molecules digestion & breakdown (mono-, di-, poly-, and what they're actually comprised of) there is absolutely a difference in the digestion of sugars.
"Sugar is sugar" can be such an oversimplification in certain aspects.
But not to derail, regarding the OP, I agree that when people say they're quitting sugar they possibly just mean added sugars from candy, cokes, etc.1 -
“Sugar is sugar” is total bull. Ask a diabetic or a doctor who researches insulin response. It’s well documented and has been uncontroversial for decades.
Whether that difference matters for weight loss is a different question.7 -
There is always so much animosity on posts regarding sugar. OP, if you are still here with us, I have far from given up all sugar, but I chose to drastically cut added sugar. I did this not because I felt sugar was inherently bad for me, but because I realized that the more added sugar I had, the more I craved it and the harder it was to resist - for example, I could never have just one cookie. Even things like canned sauces with a lot of added sugar, I just had such a hard time stopping once I started eating it. Once I cut down on it drastically, my cravings for sweets really tanked. Maybe this was because I cut the added sugar, maybe not. But that is the reason I did it and I feel it worked for me. It's also much easier for me to stay in a calorie deficit for weight loss.
How did I do it? I already was looking at nutrition labels, I just started looking at the sugar part, and particularly if the label noted that there was added sugar. I then avoided buying things with large amounts of added sugar.
There are certainly reasons that people might want to cut sugar that have nothing to do with all the woo regarding sugar.5 -
This is all valuable information! I appreciate the feedback and rest assured I will not be giving up my fruits, vegetables, and milk. I never thought about the difference between the natural and added sugar and now that I think about it, that's probably what they mean they say they cut out sugar. That being the case, I think I am doing all right. Thanks again!3
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tinkerbellang83 wrote: »If you enjoy fruit, veg and dairy, why are you trying to cut them out?
Sugar is not the devil
I don't plan to, believe me. I am just amazed at the people who cut out all sugar and gave those up.
They didn't cut out all sugar...those people are mostly likely talking about cutting out or substantially reducing their consumption of free (added) sugars, not fruits and vegetables...that would be asinine since most of the micro-nutrients the body needs are in fruits and vegetables.
The vast majority of people eating the SAD should reduce their consumption of added sugar because it is excessive and increase consumption of fruits and vegetables and other whole foods. That's not to say that people need to eliminate added sugars completely...in the context of a healthy diet and in appropriate doses, it's not really a big deal...it's the mass over consumption that is a big deal...3 -
I am always amazed by people who can eliminate sugar from their diet. I have tried, but I am finding it hard. I love my fruits, vegetables, and dairy but all of those have at least some sugar in them and I don't think I can cut them out completely.
What is the secret to the people who said they cut out all sugar? Anyone with an open diary I can look at?
Most of them only mean added sugar or are ignorant about what foods contain sugar (but I think they mostly mean added sugar).
A very few eat an extreme keto diet that is largely based on animal products, for their own reasons.
There's absolutely no benefit to cutting out all sugar. In fact, I think, other than very, very rare people with serious health issues, not eating vegetables or fruit is going to lead to a poorer diet, and I actively attempt to eat a whole lot of them. (More veg than fruit, but I like to have a couple servings of fruit, at least, too.)
I have cut out added sugar from time to time and am eating very little now (unfortunately I log on Cronometer, so looking at my diary here would be uninteresting, and anyway I'm sure cutting out added sugar is not a mystery to you. I think this can be useful for some people--I do it when I've been emotional/stress eating, because it helps me stop it--but from a nutrition perspective I don't think there's a benefit to doing this vs. eating a moderate, limited amount that makes sense within your calories (on a more regular basis I think the WHO's "less than 5% of calories" is a good average recommendation, although I might have a day with more and several with less rather than eat that every day).1 -
creatureofchaos wrote: »“Sugar is sugar” is total bull. Ask a diabetic or a doctor who researches insulin response. It’s well documented and has been uncontroversial for decades.
Whether that difference matters for weight loss is a different question.
Insulin response to different foods is not about types of sugar. It is a matter of fiber content and other differences between foods.
The reason a cookie spikes glucose/insulin faster than a piece of fruit is due to the fiber in the fruit slowing absorption. The sugar itself is the same chemical substance and will still be processed the same way, just more slowly because, again, fiber slows absorption.6 -
Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »moosmum1972 wrote: »Don’t expect a lot of support from the forums in regards to cutting out added processed sugars from your diet. There are a lot of “experts” that can’t seem to grasp that added sugars ARE a problem for many.
It’s hard but not impossible to cut out added sugars. The trick is to find all the hidden sugars in your food such as ketchup and salad dressings. It takes a good 30 days for cravings to go away, and expect some “flu-like” days as your body starts to detox. Find healthy substitutes such as fruit and medjool dates. You may also find that other foods might trigger sugar cravings such as white flour. You just need to figure out what is best for you.
There are a lot of websites and books on the subject for more in depth information.
Your body doesn't treat added sugar or natural sugar any differently.
Is this a fact? Or what the sugar commercials tell us? I would truly like to see well cited studies on this, and have looked. But haven't seen much of anything.
Regardless, I think most folks would be well served by cutting back on sugar. And added sugars seem like the obvious place to cut back.
I don't think most would do better cutting down on intrinsic sugars. In fact, given the sad paucity of fruit and veg that the average American consumes, I think most would do better consuming MORE intrinsic sugar (as defined by the WHO).
I do think the average American would do better cutting back on added sugar, but the amount people consume varies widely, so not everyone needs to, obviously.
As for sugar, I don't see how your body wouldn't treat it the same in that sucrose (added sugar, normally) is easily broken down into glucose and fructose, and fruit has glucose, fructose, and sucrose -- they are the same things.
The difference is that fruit comes with fiber that slows the processing (which means the glucose spikes blood sugar less and is less likely to lead to an insulin spike that in some will leave them with lower than ideal blood sugar, which can be interpreted as hunger, as well as a crash in energy -- this can happen with all fast carbs, as I am sure you know, like refined grains too). The fiber also slows the processing of the fructose by the liver which is probably better too, although isn't going to be an issue if the overall consumption of sugar is moderate anyway, and not excessive.
I wouldn't say this is a difference between added and intrinsic sugar, but a difference depending on how the sugar is consumed. A banana is lower in fiber than oats with a little sugar and some raspberries. Watermelon could be "processed" faster than a bit of sugar in a BBQ rub consumed with meat and a lot of greens or even a salad with a salad dressing made with honey and mustard. A rhubarb sauce with added sugar will have less sugar and more fiber, normally, than an apple sauce made with just apples.
Again, I am sure you know all these, but I think this broader and more holistic look at diet and how sugar fits in can be important.
I find I do better lately eating very little added sugar, but part of that is that my preferred indulgences are savory ones. I don't think that makes them healthier or that someone with more sugar in the diet can't be just as healthy, if it's within a reasonable limit and calorie limit and in the context of a healthy diet.5 -
tinkerbellang83 wrote: »Don’t expect a lot of support from the forums in regards to cutting out added processed sugars from your diet. There are a lot of “experts” that can’t seem to grasp that added sugars ARE a problem for many.
It’s hard but not impossible to cut out added sugars. The trick is to find all the hidden sugars in your food such as ketchup and salad dressings. It takes a good 30 days for cravings to go away, and expect some “flu-like” days as your body starts to detox. Find healthy substitutes such as fruit and medjool dates. You may also find that other foods might trigger sugar cravings such as white flour. You just need to figure out what is best for you.
There are a lot of websites and books on the subject for more in depth information.
This thread wasn't about cutting out added sugar, it was about cutting out all sugar so that's kind of a moot point really.
Yes, every single time someone asks about cutting out intrinsic sugar and people say no reason to, lots of people jump in and start claiming that people are being anti cutting added sugar when that wasn't the question. It's weird.3 -
Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
Thanks. Good post. Fructose, and high fructose corn syrup as well?moosmum1972 wrote: »Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »moosmum1972 wrote: »Don’t expect a lot of support from the forums in regards to cutting out added processed sugars from your diet. There are a lot of “experts” that can’t seem to grasp that added sugars ARE a problem for many.
It’s hard but not impossible to cut out added sugars. The trick is to find all the hidden sugars in your food such as ketchup and salad dressings. It takes a good 30 days for cravings to go away, and expect some “flu-like” days as your body starts to detox. Find healthy substitutes such as fruit and medjool dates. You may also find that other foods might trigger sugar cravings such as white flour. You just need to figure out what is best for you.
There are a lot of websites and books on the subject for more in depth information.
Your body doesn't treat added sugar or natural sugar any differently.
Is this a fact? Or what the sugar commercials tell us? I would truly like to see well cited studies on this, and have looked. But haven't seen much of anything.
Regardless, I think most folks would be well served by cutting back on sugar. And added sugars seem like the obvious place to cut back.
Sugar is sugar......doesn't matter where it comes from. It's all broken down the same way in your body.
There are differences, albeit small, how sugars/carbs are broken down. Fructose is largely digested in the liver, while other sugars are broken down in the intestines and stomach.
In the end, your body breaks down food all into energy, regardless of source. And I am sure we would all agree that fruits and veggies are better than soda and candy, just like fish has more benefits than fried chicken; this isn't to say, we can't include all of those things, but the predominance of our diets should be made up of whole foods to maximize nutrient uptake (something I believe we all agree with).
HFCS is about 55% fructose (sucrose is 50% fructose). Fruit varies a lot in its ratio, but I would not assume it's less than 55% fructose, on average.3 -
Well, a diabetic is aware of the total carb count of every meal and will be watching for added sugars. I’m not diabetic any more but when I was I avoided sweet drinks, sweet desserts, white rice, and limited myself to one fruit a day. I preferred vegetables of all kinds.
If I did have a processed starchy carb I had it with extra fiber (like veggies), and a balance of the other macros to slow down the insulin spike.
I still have a variety of artificial sweeteners in my pantry for when I want that extra sweetness.3 -
Funny thing - medical studies don’t agree with you.Carlos_421 wrote: »creatureofchaos wrote: »“Sugar is sugar” is total bull. Ask a diabetic or a doctor who researches insulin response. It’s well documented and has been uncontroversial for decades.
Whether that difference matters for weight loss is a different question.
Insulin response to different foods is not about types of sugar. It is a matter of fiber content and other differences between foods.
The reason a cookie spikes glucose/insulin faster than a piece of fruit is due to the fiber in the fruit slowing absorption. The sugar itself is the same chemical substance and will still be processed the same way, just more slowly because, again, fiber slows absorption.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9881888/4 -
Don’t expect a lot of support from the forums in regards to cutting out added processed sugars from your diet. 1) There are a lot of “experts” that can’t seem to grasp that added sugars ARE a problem for many.
2) It’s hard but not impossible to cut out added sugars. The trick is to find all the hidden sugars in your food such as ketchup and salad dressings. It takes a good 30 days for cravings to go away, and expect some “flu-like” days as your 3) body starts to detox. Find healthy substitutes such as 4) fruit and medjool dates. You may also find that other foods might trigger sugar cravings such as white flour. You just need to figure out what is best for you.
There are a lot of websites and books on the subject for more in depth information.
1) Added sugars can be a main source for excess calories for some people. I've never seen that be contested anywhere on this site. The idea that added sugar is somehow a different substance than naturally occurring sugar, that it inherently causes weight gain or that it has to be avoided/cut out in order for weight loss to occur, however, will rightfully be contested because it is false.
2) OP isn't even asking about added sugars. They expressly state that they're seeking to eliminate all sugar in its entirety and that their difficulty with the endeavor lies with the naturally occurring sugar in vegetables. The OP is trying to avoid sugar from vegetables. I think that merits an explanation that complete avoidance of sugar is not warranted nor recommended.
Sue me for caring enough about OP's health to tell them they shouldn't cut vegetables out of their diet.
3) Your body does not "detox" from added sugars. Sugar is not a toxic substance just hanging out a reeking havoc in your body. Sugar (sucrose, glucose and fructose) is digested and utilized for fuel quite quickly whether consumed with an apple (sucrose, glucose and fructose) or candy (sucrose, glucose and fructose). The sugar you ate today will be gone tomorrow, whether it has been burned already or converted to glycogen in your muscles (which is what allows your muscles to work btw).
Furthermore, you can eliminate sugar from your diet but not from your body. Even if all you eat is meat, your body would produce glucose (sugar) to keep you alive.
Hard to detox from something that your body is producing on its own.
4) Fruit contains sucrose, glucose and fructose (all sugar). Most added sugar is either sucrose (which is 50% glucose and 50% fructose) or High Fructose Corn Syrup (which is 45% glucose and 55% fructose).
It's the same chemical substance whether it's added or intrinsic.2 -
Carlos_421 wrote: »creatureofchaos wrote: »“Sugar is sugar” is total bull. Ask a diabetic or a doctor who researches insulin response. It’s well documented and has been uncontroversial for decades.
Whether that difference matters for weight loss is a different question.
Insulin response to different foods is not about types of sugar.
It can be, although I would agree that in a real world environment (when everyone is getting a mix of sugars whatever they are consuming, fruit or sucrose + other ingredients or HFCS+other ingredients), the other things you mention are a bigger factor.
Glucose spikes blood sugar. Fructose, because it is processed through the liver, does not.
Table sugar and fruit are both a mix of both.
Ironically, since some (like the person you were responding to) get so focused on insulin, oh my, the one that is worse for you (in great excess, which is how some do consume it) is almost certainly fructose. But that is not the case in moderate, limited amounts, which is one reason fruit is totally fine for you (and so is an occasional chocolate chip cookie or some ice cream -- just don't have a ridiculous amount on the regular, day after day after day for years, which by definition someone eating a good, sensible diet will not).0 -
Carlos_421 wrote: »Don’t expect a lot of support from the forums in regards to cutting out added processed sugars from your diet. 1) There are a lot of “experts” that can’t seem to grasp that added sugars ARE a problem for many.
2) It’s hard but not impossible to cut out added sugars. The trick is to find all the hidden sugars in your food such as ketchup and salad dressings. It takes a good 30 days for cravings to go away, and expect some “flu-like” days as your 3) body starts to detox. Find healthy substitutes such as 4) fruit and medjool dates. You may also find that other foods might trigger sugar cravings such as white flour. You just need to figure out what is best for you.
There are a lot of websites and books on the subject for more in depth information.
1) Added sugars can be a main source for excess calories for some people. I've never seen that be contested anywhere on this site. The idea that added sugar is somehow a different substance than naturally occurring sugar, that it inherently causes weight gain or that it has to be avoided/cut out in order for weight loss to occur, however, will rightfully be contested because it is false.
2) OP isn't even asking about added sugars. They expressly state that they're seeking to eliminate all sugar in its entirety and that their difficulty with the endeavor lies with the naturally occurring sugar in vegetables. The OP is trying to avoid sugar from vegetables. I think that merits an explanation that complete avoidance of sugar is not warranted nor recommended.
Sue me for caring enough about OP's health to tell them they shouldn't cut vegetables out of their diet.
3) Your body does not "detox" from added sugars. Sugar is not a toxic substance just hanging out a reeking havoc in your body. Sugar (sucrose, glucose and fructose) is digested and utilized for fuel quite quickly whether consumed with an apple (sucrose, glucose and fructose) or candy (sucrose, glucose and fructose). The sugar you ate today will be gone tomorrow, whether it has been burned already or converted to glycogen in your muscles (which is what allows your muscles to work btw).
Furthermore, you can eliminate sugar from your diet but not from your body. Even if all you eat is meat, your body would produce glucose (sugar) to keep you alive.
Hard to detox from something that your body is producing on its own.
4) Fruit contains sucrose, glucose and fructose (all sugar). Most added sugar is either sucrose (which is 50% glucose and 50% fructose) or High Fructose Corn Syrup (which is 45% glucose and 55% fructose).
It's the same chemical substance whether it's added or intrinsic.
See the OP's second post. He's not planning to cut all sugars himself, he's wondering about others who have done so.tinkerbellang83 wrote: »If you enjoy fruit, veg and dairy, why are you trying to cut them out?
Sugar is not the devil
I don't plan to, believe me. I am just amazed at the people who cut out all sugar and gave those up.
Like other posters have said, when people say they've given up sugar, it's more likely than not they actually are only referring to added sugar.2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApKsdvGCGJw
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