No sugar

Medical schools devote very little if any time to nutrition. Most physicians know little more about nutrition, and sometimes less, than the "man-on-the-street." Very few have time to learn much about nutrition and therefore issue lots of 1-page, 1200-calorie, cut-out-sugar, cut-out-fat, follow-this-eating-schedule, etc. diet recommendations that have very little validity and little to back them up.

This is why I recommend following the recommendations of a good, a-political, up-to-date, science-based source like Harvard School of Public Health's "Nutrition source." For example, this https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/carbohydrates/added-sugar-in-the-diet/ about added sugar and https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/carbohydrates/ about the role of carbohydrates, including natural sugars, in the diet.

There are indeed many reasons to avoid red meat, not only those related to health but those related to the future of the planet. I'm having steak tips for supper but it will probably be my only red meat this week. Cattle are responsible for about 15% of world-wide greenhouse gases. Unpleasant news for those of us who like beef, cheese, yogurt, etc. Consider this treatment of the subject as a starting place: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/elevate-your-plate/

Our local hospital offered a healthy eating class series for diabetics, and encouraged spouses to attend.

Even though you’re not diabetic, the information would be useful.

If I remember right, it was a free six or eight week series, once a week, for a couple of hours, and I think it was cosponsored by American Diabetes Foundation (?).

They covered everything from reading labels to identifying foods with “hidden” sugars or carbs to cooking and recipes.

The most eye opening thing was when they passed around corked test tubes, filled with sugar, labeled “soda”, “Oreo”, “Butterfinger”, “apple”, “potato” and so on. It was a real nutritional Come to Jesus moment.

paperpudding wrote: »

I doubt OP's doctor meant don't eat carrots, turnips, beetroot, onion and co

and which meats have added sugar??

also lots of prepared foods without added sugar - rather than arbitrary rules like avoid inner aisles or prepared foods, it would be better to learn to read nutrition labels..

Some do like chicken if you look at the ingredients on the raw meat sometimes they add salt sugar and other stuff

Especially since meat is where meat is, which is not inner aisles IME. Of course, I've never bought meat with sugar on it, although granted I normally buy from a farm and never buy pre marinated stuff. If at WF or my local meat market, I buy at the butcher counter.

I have at home used a BBQ dry rub with a bit of sugar, but it's not enough to really matter, and I have control of it.

Be careful -- you want to make sure you do something that is sustainable over time. You cant go "no sugar" -- I would watch the simple sugars (soda, juices, candy) and really limit them -- I don't know about the red meat thing -- it can be a little fatty if you dont watch the cut or type of meat but you should not exclude it from your diet entirely. I am not of fan of "never" when it comes to food changes. Make it a "lifestyle change" vs a diet -- have a good one and keep up the good work. We are all in this together