Will someone explain giving up sugar to me?

[NuggetofPurestGreen]

Hello,

I often hear people on here and elsewhere talking about giving up sugar. What does this mean exactly? All sugar? Processed sugar? Refined carbs? are low sugar items allowed? Fruit?

(I recognise that one could do some or all of the above but what do people mean in general )

[2madboys]

Those of us who are using the Sarah Wilson book - 'I quit sugar' are talking about fructose which is the most damaging kind of sugar as it is metabolised through the liver. The book has an eight week plan which advocates giving up all sweeteners and fruit for a time to 're-set' your body and then gradually reintroduces certain sweeteners (mostly rice syrup, stevia and low fructose fruits).

[NuggetofPurestGreen]

Ah I see, thanks. Interesting but I don't know if I could give up booze - assume that's included??

[2madboys]

Well apparently red wine is ok as most of the sugar turns to alcohol. I am/was a very light drinker anyway so not something that I was particularly bothered about.

[ppeatfruit]

nugget if you drink quite a bit you need to think about cutting right down for weight loss and health.

I cook (brownies and ginger bread) using very dark low or no sugar chocolate with molasses and sometimes maple syrup and unless I'm out I don't have any 'normal' sugar.It's quite tricky esp. if you buy sauces,cordials and ready made food you need to read labels

[NuggetofPurestGreen]

Thanks ppeat I've lost a bit of weight recently and don't really need to lose anymore. I like a few drinks but would only be once a week. I'm just interested in the health and addiction aspects of cutting out sugar as seems to be the thing these days.

[NuggetofPurestGreen]

And I don't really understand it - are all carbs out?

[ppeatfruit]

Only if you do low carb or no carb. I don't eat wheat because it bloats and exhausts me, also 'normal' white bread has sugar in it.

I eat pure rye bread and ryvitas they are sugar free. I don't follow a special low carb diet though. I lost my weight with Paul Mckenna.

[NuggetofPurestGreen]

I see ppeat. So giving up sugar doesn't actually mean ALL sugar? I think that's what has me confused.

[NuggetofPurestGreen]

As whole wheat pasta for example has a little sugar in it?

[ppeatfruit]

I don't know which diet you're looking at though . I wouldn't eat whole wheat pasta with or without sugar because as I said it blows me out. You can get lovely rice pasta without sugar.

Oh I also eat fruit but for breakfast or a snack (only when i have an empty stomach).

[PetulaGordino]

tbh it's really up to you how strict you want to be. as you're not trying to lose weight is there another particular problem that you're trying to solve? or is it just for general health?

e.g. if you feel that you're craving sweet flavours all the time, then you might want to cut out refined sugar, so cakes, sweets, syrups. you could extend this to fruit too as most is quite sugary, berries are lower in sugar

or if you feel you are getting blood sugar highs and lows and you want to avoid that, then you might want to think about reducing all sugars (carbohydrates), so include potatoes, rice, wheat, bread, pasta, even the carbier vegetables like carrots and peas if you want to be stricter, but if you don't want to lose weight then that might not be necessary

both the blood sugar highs/lows and the sweet flavours can contribute to addictive behaviours, but different foods will be more or less "triggering" to different people. bread and cakes may be riskier than carrots, for example

you need to see what works for you really, both in terms of what makes you feel at your best, and what works for your lifestyle

maybe if you gave an idea of your diet and what you're trying to achieve then people might be able to point out what sort of changes you could make

[ppeatfruit]

IMO the 'giving up all fruit' thing is a bit weird unless it doesn't suit you, I know that Atkins suggests to start off without fruit.

[PetulaGordino]

so are you talking about reducing added sugar (in processed foods)? or are you extending that to high sugar foods where the sugar occurs naturally (fruits)

it might be better to look at this as reducing the amount of processed foods you eat as that will naturally reduce your sugar intake

[ppeatfruit]

The craving thing is interesting petula (Hi btw ) I notice a definite craving for something sweet if I've had a salty meal.

[PetulaGordino]

hellooo ppeat!

that is interesting

i find if i eat lots of high-sugar fruit (bananas, grapes, cherries, some citrus) i am hungrier more quickly afterwards, so i try to avoid. lower sugar like berries and melon less so, especially if eaten with something that includes protein or fat like full fat yoghurt. i couldn't give up fruit forever, it's too delicious! i just try to focus more on veg

[NuggetofPurestGreen]

Hi everyone thanks for the input. I'm not looking at a particular diet or worried about anything in particular, I just keep seeing articles about sugar being the enemy and then people talking about going sugar free or giving up sugar. I am just interested as to what that means as I thought it meant literally giving up all sugar and all foods containing sugar - not just reducing processed or refined sugars.

Basically I'm just interested in diets and ways of eating and trying to achieve a nice balanced diet incorporating the different tenets of all the various 'plans'

[ppeatfruit]

If you try eating\chewing really SLOWLY and consciously pet you might find that the fruit does fill you up, I sometimes have some nuts with my fruit which helps too. (i make amazing smoothies with ground almonds for breakfast sometimes!)

[ppeatfruit]

Nugget Well done you ; I've studied various diets for health and weight loss and do my own 'thing' i reckon that's all you can do! I will add that i'm a size 10 and I'm healthiest person I know of my age!

[NuggetofPurestGreen]

Thanks ppeat! I eat reasonably healthily but don't cut out any one food group or follow a diet. Fruit and yoghurt for breakfast, pasta salad or ryvitas with cream cheese for lunch, stir fry or veg curry for dinner. Except at the weekends obviously

[NuggetofPurestGreen]

(Although right now I am eating a cuppa soup and two slices of white bread and butter - but I did have root canal today so need soft and comforting food )

[PetulaGordino]

i'm afraid it is the sugar that's the problem, not the speed of eating sadly. i eat mindfully most of the time as i have a history of disordered eating and it helps

[PetulaGordino]

nugget it doesn't sound like you eat that much with refined/added sugar anyway, but personally i would need a bit more protein and fat than you have to keep me going. but you need something that you enjoy eating, fits in with your lifestyle, and makes you feel healthy and satiated, and if you've found that then don't worry unless one of the above changes! (and this applies to everyday diet too, rather than special occasions or opportunities to eat something really delicious that doesn't happen every day)

[NuggetofPurestGreen]

Thanks petula. My salads would have protein and fat in it (olive oil dressing, tuna/olives/cheese etc). Might have a biscuit or small bar of chocolate as well after my dinner so a bit of everything really.

[IrianofWay]

Personally I find it easier to think in terms of what I am going to eat, not what I am not going to eat.

Start off with a very simple 'clean' diet - meat, fish, green vegetables and salad, some dairy, lots of water. Sugar and high starch foods are then irrelevant.

Add small amounts of other foods in as and when you have seen enough weight loss. Currently I am eating a lc diet - I have lost 16lbs and have started to add small amounts of pulses and lentils etc. And some berry fruits such as strawberries and raspberries.