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kotik
fuckingsuperhero


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quitting sugar...
#5298457 - 02/14/06 09:11 AM (17 years, 11 months ago) |
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I have decided over the past few years that I would really like to eliminate as much sugar as possible out of my diet. And I don't mean diet as in a menu I will limit myself to for a few months. I mean diet as in what I view as food, compared to junk.
I've done pretty well, quit eating fast food for about 2 years (maybe 10 times total since july 2004), and I have been eating only whole grain foods, 100% juices, lots of fresh fruit and vegetables.. etc, at least as much as possible, as as much as my budget will allow. I don't drink soda anymore either.
One thing I notice though, is that unless I am being very concious of what I eat, I end up snacking on sugar-filled stuff, or I end up putting lots of ketchup / bbq sauce / etc on otherwise sugar-free foods (ketchup is like syrup's counterpart for lunch / dinner).
I know that some sugars are good for you, and I plan to keep eating fresh fruits, but other than natural sources, or unavoidable ones I am making my goal for 2006 to find a sugar free diet that works for me, and that I can live with.
Anyone here have some good resources / tips / suggestions?
-------------------- No statements made in any post or message by myself should be construed to mean that I am now, or have ever been, participating in or considering participation in any activities in violation of any local, state, or federal laws. All posts are works of fiction.
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demiu5
humans, lol


Registered: 08/18/05
Posts: 43,948
Loc: the popcorn stadium
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Re: quitting sugar... [Re: kotik]
#5298479 - 02/14/06 09:24 AM (17 years, 11 months ago) |
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Actually, many sugars are good for you. Just stay away from processed/refined sugars (high fructose, high maltose, etc).
This is what I did a lil over a year ago. It felt like weight had been lifted from me.
-------------------- channel your inner Larry David
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PDU
travel kid vs.amerika


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Re: quitting sugar... [Re: kotik]
#5298483 - 02/14/06 09:26 AM (17 years, 11 months ago) |
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refined_sugar#Health_concerns
Im interested aswell (kotik - sounds like we've been following a similar route to health.)
-------------------- GO OUTSIDE.
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kotik
fuckingsuperhero


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Re: quitting sugar... [Re: PDU]
#5298557 - 02/14/06 09:57 AM (17 years, 11 months ago) |
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I finished a few books on the sugar industry, and I have been paying attention to the "war on cancer" lately and I am starting to realize that sugar = big business. cancer = big business. health = not such a big business.
I'd like to cut out both middle men (the sugar pushers, and the drug pushers). Ill be sure to drop any great resources in this thread soon.
-------------------- No statements made in any post or message by myself should be construed to mean that I am now, or have ever been, participating in or considering participation in any activities in violation of any local, state, or federal laws. All posts are works of fiction.
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TheDude
is waiting forthe peak

Registered: 04/15/03
Posts: 2,876
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Re: quitting sugar... [Re: kotik]
#5299264 - 02/14/06 01:40 PM (17 years, 11 months ago) |
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I don't really have any suggestions other than to keep up what you're doing. I made the same decision several years ago and I'm glad I did. Now I still enjoy a candy bar every once in a while but gone are the days of eating something sweet once,twice or three times a day. I've completely cut out fast food and soda and I'm definitely glad I made that decision. My taste-scale is back to normal, and by that I mean things that would have tasted bland and gross now have a subtle bit of sweetness to them (like honey wheat pretzels with less than 1g of sugar per serving). Don't beat yourself up for having an occasional cookie or piece of candy though because that is no fun either. Moderation is the key.
One thing I notice though, is that unless I am being very concious of what I eat, I end up snacking on sugar-filled stuff, or I end up putting lots of ketchup / bbq sauce / etc on otherwise sugar-free foods (ketchup is like syrup's counterpart for lunch / dinner).
The only advice I can give there is don't buy the stuff in the first place. If I want something to snack on and I see a bag of cookies sitting next to a bag of trail mix, its hard to pick the trail mix. So I just stopped buying the other things, how can you eat what you don't have?
-------------------- "this lebowski he called himself 'the dude'. now, 'dude', that's a name no one would self-apply where i come from but there was a lot about the dude that didn't make sense to me...."--the Stranger
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Booby
Agent Mulder

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Re: quitting sugar... [Re: kotik]
#5300207 - 02/14/06 06:01 PM (17 years, 11 months ago) |
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We develop a tolerance to sugar, drugs and alcohol and need "more" to feel good. If we stop using for awhile we get a bigger hit of comfort when we resume; ( our non-sugar sensitive friends have no idea of the power a hit of warm bread or a fudge sundae gives.)
The use of alcohol, sugar and drugs makes us feel like we "belong", we feel connected, loved, a part of the group, and valued, until the drug effect wears off, then we feel down.
It's hard to make the connection that feeling worse is due to withdrawal from sugar but we know that when we eat "comfort foods" life is manageable because the comfort is real; on the cellular level the beta-endorphin response makes us feel loved and safe.
(Beta-endorphin: noun an endorphin of the pituitary gland with an analgesic potency similar to morphine that occurs free and as the terminal sequence of 31 amino acids in the polypeptide chain of beta-lipotropin)
If we are diligent about staying away from sweet foods our cravings drop but a sense of isolation may emerge; our diet is good but we feel disconnected.
There is a reason: The old beta-endorphins need cranking up. Exercise, music, meditation, dance, laughter, sex, inspirational talks & yoga all raise beta-endorphins.
Some people have an increased genetic response to sugars, alcohol and drugs, and this trait can be responsible for families having a history of alcoholism or addictions.
Women are more at risk of this than men. Overweight people are also more at risk. Beta-endorphins are naturally lower pre-menstrualy and this can trigger food, sugar and chocolate cravings in the week before periods.
(from various sources on the net)
-------------------- Let it not be remembered That mycelium eats detritus and dies But that life in all it's glory Counts mycelium to be on it's side.
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eligal
Noobie


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Re: quitting sugar... [Re: kotik]
#5300226 - 02/14/06 06:08 PM (17 years, 11 months ago) |
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i like sugar
-------------------- \m/ Spanksta \m/ "do you have the freedom to do with your nervous system what you want?" "MolokoMilkPlus said: I'll respect you if you let me give you a blow job" "tactik said: respect the can."
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Booby
Agent Mulder

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Re: quitting sugar... [Re: Booby]
#5300326 - 02/14/06 06:45 PM (17 years, 11 months ago) |
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The contra-indications list for oral contraceptives indicates that these medications contribute to impaired glucose tolerance and increased insulin resistance. So if you're on birth control pills and having sugar cravings you're not crazy.
-------------------- Let it not be remembered That mycelium eats detritus and dies But that life in all it's glory Counts mycelium to be on it's side.
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Neon
Stranger

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Re: quitting sugar... [Re: kotik]
#5301011 - 02/14/06 09:38 PM (17 years, 11 months ago) |
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I use stevia as a natural sugar replacement, tastes great in some things, tastes like crap in others. It's worth having around.
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kotik
fuckingsuperhero


Registered: 06/29/04
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Re: quitting sugar... [Re: Neon]
#5357922 - 03/02/06 03:10 PM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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hah damn, beat me to it.. i just came across a reference to stevia in a book called Sugar Blues that was written in the 70s.
I researched it for a while and actually ordered some liquid extract last night.
I would love to get some recipes for you... i understand that its okay to replace sugar with stevia in most uncooked foods, but it does not interact with yeast the same way sugar does, and it does not carmalize so cooking with it should prove to be challenging at first...
-------------------- No statements made in any post or message by myself should be construed to mean that I am now, or have ever been, participating in or considering participation in any activities in violation of any local, state, or federal laws. All posts are works of fiction.
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Chazzersize
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Re: quitting sugar... [Re: kotik]
#5358208 - 03/02/06 04:24 PM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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Hasnt anyone thought of the possibility of just replacing sugar with splenda? It's not aspartine...and it measures out tablespoon for tablespoon for real sugar.
In fact, I use it in my coffee all the time. It tastes great knowing that Im not dousing my poor cup of coffee with hundreds of calories and carbs.
Yeah, I like my coffee that sweet sometimes
-------------------- Take off my mask and leave the lies to the liars.
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kotik
fuckingsuperhero


Registered: 06/29/04
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actually, splenda has just been marketed with lots of magic. It is nothing more than Sucralose.
Splenda is marketed as a healthy and natural sugar alternative since it is derived from sugar. However, its chemical structure is very different from that of sugar and sucralose is actually a chemical substance.
The inventors of Splenda admit around fifteen percent (15%) of sucralose is absorbed by the body, but they cannot guarantee us (out of this fifteen percent) what amount of chlorine stays in the body and what percent flushes out.
just look into sucralose, its turning out to be just as bad as aspartame. In fact, if you even google "aspartame" these days, the top 10 results all have to do with poison and toxicity information.
From what I know, stevia is the ONLY natural sweetner that has not shown negative side effects, and is still an alternative for sugar.
as for an aftertaste, I will have to wait and see.
Quote:
It tastes great knowing that Im not dousing my poor cup of coffee with hundreds of calories and carbs.
heh, nope just chlorine and other chemicals
-------------------- No statements made in any post or message by myself should be construed to mean that I am now, or have ever been, participating in or considering participation in any activities in violation of any local, state, or federal laws. All posts are works of fiction.
Edited by kotik (03/02/06 04:52 PM)
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disperse
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Re: quitting sugar... [Re: kotik]
#5360738 - 03/03/06 05:53 AM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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for those that don't mind the extra calories, try raw honey. it has many health benefits and it's available at health food stores.
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kotik
fuckingsuperhero


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Re: quitting sugar... [Re: disperse]
#5360811 - 03/03/06 07:06 AM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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vv source
Quote:
As far as your body is concerned, there is no difference between honey and table sugar. Honey contains two simple sugars called glucose and fructose. Table sugar has the same two sugars, only they are bound together to form a double sugar called sucrose. In your body, they end up in exactly the same way. Once sucrose, the double sugar, reaches your intestine, it is broken down into the single sugars glucose and fructose.
Honey and table sugar are processed in the same way by your body, and honey cannot be a quicker source of energy. An advertisement for honey claims that "ounce for ounce, honey has fewer calories than refined sugar." This is true but deceptive because honey contains water which has no calories and refined sugar does not. A tablespoon of table sugar has 64 calories while a tablespoon of honey contains water so that it has only 46, but they are both equally fattening. You add sweeteners by taste, not by careful measurement, and you will use the same number of calories to obtain the same sweetness using either sugar or honey.
Quote:
Honey is a simple sugar
There are 4 classes of simple sugars which are regarded by most nutritionists as "harmful" to optimal health when prolonged consumption in amounts above 15% of the carbohydrate calories are ingested: Sucrose, fructose, honey, and malts. Some of you may be surprised to find honey here. Although honey is a natural sweetener, it is considered a refined sugar because 96% of dry matter are simple sugars: fructose, glucose and sucrose. It is little wonder that the honey bear is the only animal found in nature with a problem with tooth-decay (honey decays teeth faster than table sugar). Honey has the highest calorie content of all sugars with 65 calories/tablespoon, compared to the 48 calories/tablespoon found in table sugar. The increased calories are bound to cause increased blood serum fatty acids, as well as weight gain, on top of the risk of more cavities.
^^ source
-------------------- No statements made in any post or message by myself should be construed to mean that I am now, or have ever been, participating in or considering participation in any activities in violation of any local, state, or federal laws. All posts are works of fiction.
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janelle1502
RecoveringPessimist


Registered: 10/30/04
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Re: quitting sugar... [Re: kotik]
#5387097 - 03/10/06 07:34 PM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
kotik said: I finished a few books on the sugar industry, and I have been paying attention to the "war on cancer" lately and I am starting to realize that sugar = big business. cancer = big business. health = not such a big business.
I'd like to cut out both middle men (the sugar pushers, and the drug pushers). Ill be sure to drop any great resources in this thread soon.
Could you give us the name and author of the book? I love to read stuff like that...especially with me being a sugar addict and all...It'd be good for me. Thanks!
-------------------- All statements in this post are fictitious.
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kotik
fuckingsuperhero


Registered: 06/29/04
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start with "The Sugar Blues"
hands down best introduction to the whole thing. it starts with history, goes into some science and ends with recipes.
plus is very political
-------------------- No statements made in any post or message by myself should be construed to mean that I am now, or have ever been, participating in or considering participation in any activities in violation of any local, state, or federal laws. All posts are works of fiction.
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confuzed
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Re: quitting sugar... [Re: kotik]
#5389573 - 03/11/06 03:49 PM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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It sounds just like a low-GI diet. Well, it is a Low-GI diet.
I think periodic phases, lasting about a month, of cutting out all sources of sugar, including fruits and carbohydrates, then resuming something like what you describe is the way to go. The reason being, you'll get better restoration of insulin sensitivity and response, because even fruits have varying levels of relatively simple sugars.
Consumption of copious quantities of red meats can increase risks for certain cancers too, bowel cancer and also non-Hodgkin's lymphoma - it isn't just sugars that are potentially problematic.
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kotik
fuckingsuperhero


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Re: quitting sugar... [Re: confuzed]
#5389740 - 03/11/06 04:45 PM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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yes well the main thing for me right now is to get off sugar, because I really can tell now that I do not eat sugary foods because they taste sweet (which they do), but because I am addicted to sugar itself (this also explains to me why so many drug addicts are also food addicts, I remember that from a NA pamphlet a couple years ago as well, plus its in the NA manual).
Point being, its not the sweetness that draws me (and probably many others) to sugar, because I did get stevia extract, which is a natural sweetner, and although it is sweet and works great as a replacement, i could tell that i was actually jonesing for some sugar. I settled with an apple, but it was a big moment, to personally understand the difference between what i wanted to taste, and what my body was expecting to get.
I do identify with low-GI diet, which is just a diabetics diet (right?).. in fact ive been reading so many reports lately that make diabetes look like less of a disease and more of a social issue.
-------------------- No statements made in any post or message by myself should be construed to mean that I am now, or have ever been, participating in or considering participation in any activities in violation of any local, state, or federal laws. All posts are works of fiction.
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confuzed
Stranger
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Re: quitting sugar... [Re: kotik]
#5389962 - 03/11/06 06:11 PM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
Point being, its not the sweetness that draws me (and probably many others) to sugar, because I did get stevia extract, which is a natural sweetner, and although it is sweet and works great as a replacement, i could tell that i was actually jonesing for some sugar. I settled with an apple, but it was a big moment, to personally understand the difference between what i wanted to taste, and what my body was expecting to get.
People who have cravings for sugars (including carbohydrates) are sometimes the ones who later develop diabetes, and sometimes other issues like vitimin-B complex deficiencies are the cause because your body can't convert the food you do eat to energy rapidly enough to overcome your energy expendature needs, so you crave more sugar when really what you needed all along was B vitimins. If you have a fast metabolism then that might be the prob?
Quote:
I do identify with low-GI diet, which is just a diabetics diet (right?).. in fact ive been reading so many reports lately that make diabetes look like less of a disease and more of a social issue.
The GI measurement of a food indicates the magnitude of it's effect on blood-glucose levels (and insulin response), the length of time it stays at the elevated level and how repidly it gets there.
So a low-GI diet is just the selective of inclusion of sugars in your diet.
I think misinterpretation of the food triangle caused the diabetes rates to increase rapidly, along with the industry and political side of it you already discussed.
When you look at most food triangle diagrams you walk away with the impression that you can load up on as much bread and grains as you like, aswell as a cholocate bar a day and stay healthy and slim, they hardly ever specify how many grams of each is appropriate.
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kotik
fuckingsuperhero


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Re: quitting sugar... [Re: confuzed]
#5390200 - 03/11/06 07:41 PM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
I think misinterpretation of the food triangle caused the diabetes rates to increase rapidly, along with the industry and political side of it you already discussed.
When you look at most food triangle diagrams you walk away with the impression that you can load up on as much bread and grains as you like, aswell as a cholocate bar a day and stay healthy and slim, they hardly ever specify how many grams of each is appropriate.
agreed, however I dont blame the old pyramid, because it was easier to understand than the new one! What I blame is the closed discussion regarding the horrible effects of sugar, white rice, white flour, etc. etc.
If the FDA were to say, make sure that a majority of our food was made with whole grains, minimal sugar, etc. etc. as opposed to letting anything go, then react when problems arise, which is the current MO. Plus you have these movies coming out like Super Size me! and others that point fingers in all directions, but never mention the sugar in the sodas, ketchup, bread, sauce, pickles, etc. etc.
The news loves talking about overweight children and excersize, but really, children are the main target of sugar companies, and thats never on the news (and never will be probably). The sugar industry has more advertisements with sugar targeted at them than any other industry targets any other demographic. Think about it. If you can think of a different one id like to hear it.
-------------------- No statements made in any post or message by myself should be construed to mean that I am now, or have ever been, participating in or considering participation in any activities in violation of any local, state, or federal laws. All posts are works of fiction.
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