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Sugar addiction & How to kick sugar to the curb
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For those who use sugar alternatives in their cooking or in their coffee, I'm interested to know what you use and which one you think is the most healthy? For example, do you use Stevia, Coconut Sugar, or other ones?
Ah James, the real conspiracy ! The Western world got fat in the last 40 years because of adherence to the food pyramid and an obsession with 'low fat' food. By definition, low fat means high sugar. (Check the sugar in low fat milk vs its full fat alternative).The website dietdoctor.com has a great guide to high fat / low carb (sugar) eating. This guy helped me change the way I perceived food. 40 pounds lighter without dieting !
When you see low-fat or non-fat, think chemical shitstorm. (Saw that on Twitter)The science behind fat being better than carbs actually predates WWII but it was done in German speaking countries and didn't make it over here.
I have used stevia in some cooking, and it is great. However, there are limitations because sugar is also used in some recipes for structural purposes. I would be curious to know if there were ways around that problem.Xylitol will do just about everything that sugar does, but unfortunately it also causes fermentation in the gut, and much gas.
I recently made the decision to make desserts an occasional thing rather than an every day thing. I am also not eating sweet stuff like donuts or muffins for breakfast. I'm not swearing off sugar because ketchup, barbecue sauce, and my best rub for pork all have some sugar in them. I think the dose makes the poison. A little here and there is probably ok, it's the chronic consumption that leads to problems.
Agree Jim. The first thing I changed with regards to decreasing the amount of sugar/carbs in my diet was to ditch the breakfast cereal and fruit for bacon and eggs. This simple and easy change dramatically reduced the amount of sugar I started the day with.
But the thing I'm wondering is if SUGAR is bad.Or whether it's just processed sugar.
A bit like natural sea salt vs processed (table) salt.
A century ago, were people overdosing on sugar?
Or, was the type of sugar they used not as processed and more natural?
Sugar is not bad. It is the overconsumption that is bad. The degree of processing is merely the difference between molasses and crystal sugar. Both are harmless if one can stop overdosing. Continual consumption happens teeth also.
Ian wrote: "Sugar is not bad. It is the overconsumption that is bad. The degree of processing is merely the difference between molasses and crystal sugar. Both are harmless if one can stop overdosing. Continual consumption happens teeth also. ..."Okay, Ian, makes sense.
Thanks for enlightening.
the first popular artificial sweetening agent was saccharin......since it is excreted from the body unchanged, it is inert and thus harmless when taken and so people on diet or diabetic people can use that
Never heard of Sacharin, Krishna.Is that sweetener popular in India?
Also, do you use Ayurveda?
I have cured minor health ailments with Ayurvedic remedies more than I have with Western or Chinese medicine.
saccharin is a non-natural sweetener made by the chemical industry.
no no that's the chemical name of sugar.....there r many more like aspartame, sucralose etc....i don't know their common name though....
i have no idea about Ayurved in modern times....but it was prevalent in ancient era
i have no idea about Ayurved in modern times....but it was prevalent in ancient era
James wrote: "But the thing I'm wondering is if SUGAR is bad.Or whether it's just processed sugar.
A bit like natural sea salt vs processed (table) salt.
A century ago, were people overdosing on sugar?
Or, w..."
The amount of processed sugar in our food is what is bad. The food industry held hands with their governments and wheeled in experts to tell us not to eat fat so we have skimmed milk, margarine and low fat cheese. The reality is they loaded their products with sugar so we'd like them and eat them and we got more sugar in breakfast cereals, bread etc. The very fact that Dolmio told people only eat their product once a week said it all. Wake up world, you're being poisoned and obesity and type 2 diabetes is your reward. :(
Ruby wrote: "The amount of processed sugar in our food is what is bad. The food industry held hands with their governments and wheeled in experts to tell us not to eat fat so we have skimmed milk, margarine and low fat cheese. The reality is they loaded their products with sugar so we'd like them and eat them and we got more sugar in breakfast cereals, bread etc. The very fact that Dolmio told people only eat their product once a week said it all. Wake up world, you're being poisoned and obesity and type 2 diabetes is your reward. :( ..."You seem to know a lot about this Ruby.
Can you advise according to your knowledge what would be the best diet for those of us who have a sweet tooth?
For example, is the key to use the right natural non-sugar sweeteners?
Or is it about using sugar in its natural state and unprocessed?
Hi James, two months ago I discovered my husband had high blood sugars associated with type 2 diabetes. I have type 1 diabetes and I know about carbs as I have been diabetic for almost 40 years now. Anyway, I put him on a no carb diet and he found this impossible to stick to. I have now put him on a low carb diet, 30 to 40 gms of carb per day. I make breakfast cereal using oats, nuts, vegetable oil and xylitol as a sweetner. Xylitol, which is 15gms of carb. It is made from the bark of a tree and is an alcohol sugar so it doesn't hit your blood stream the way ordinary processed sugar does or other carbs do. I have found it helps to keep my blood sugars low and I have already reduced the amount of insulin I am taking. If I have the cereal I make, around 45gms I take 3 units of insulin. If I have store bought cereal, even the "healthy" ones, 30 gms of cereal means I need 6 units of insulin but the key thing here is the way your body reacts to sugar and how store bought foods spike your blood sugar. All those spikes means you become insulin resistant and put visceral fat around your liver, pancreas, stomach and other organs. Your body can't cope with sugar overload and you become type 2 diabetic. If this happens you can cure it if caught early enough. I think the key to a sensible diet is to eat as many vegetables as you want. Limit the carbs, and at some meals do without carbs and increase your protein so you have enough energy. The 8 week diet is a no carb one but it is very hard to stick to. Find a low carb diet. Stop eating processed food, that includes pasta, rice, chips (in the US they are called fries) and go for bulgur wheat, quinoa and other low carb alternatives. I hope this helps but if you want to know anything else please let me know. Ruby :)
Krishna wrote: "no no that's the chemical name of sugar.....there r many more like aspartame, sucralose etc....i don't know their common name though....i have no idea about Ayurved in modern times....but it was ..."
Saccharin has the formula C7H5NO3. See Wikipedia. It is NOT the same as sugar and has no realtionship to carbohydrates.
thanks for the info Ian....
p.s isn't there a S also in the formula?
p.s isn't there a S also in the formula?
Dammit - yes - I typed in S but the wretched computer did not register it. Sorry. I should have proof-read, but I was in a hurry.
Watch the documentaries Fat head and The Case Against Sugar....the government backed food pyramid and sham orgs like the American Heart Association keep feeding *ahem* us lies in order to keep us sick and keep special interests/lobbyists/subsidies, as well as big pharm,in high cotton. Now, I'm a raging capitalist and a right of center libertarian, so I don't believe that all the goodies and soda and drugs should be eliminated ,but I do believe that our own government lies to us about it health. Our government actually uses propaganda to create myths about "healthy living". We need to read between the lines, educate ourselves and think critically about diet and exercise, as well as use some personal responsibility/restraint . Junk food should only be a treat 10-20% of the time at best. From my own study, low cal,low carb, high good fat, medium protein is the best solution. I also believe walking long distances, occasional sprinting and lifting heavy objects to be best exercise...oh and play-most kids play and dance and climb and goof around-most of them don't have the issues we do because they are always moving. Read Mark Sisson Primal Blueprint for more on this topic.
I can safely say that,recently having switched to the plan I just outlined, that this works-I have lost a staggering 17 lbs in 3 weeks. I eat about 1200 cals a day, less than 40 grams of carbs. I cheat one to two meals a week. I am 35, 5'10 and am down from 225 to 208. I eat almost zero processed carbs and literally zero sugar-my carbs come from veggies, natural sugars and soy.
My carbs- veggies, *natural sugars, and soy
Trump reportedly drinks 12 cans of Diet Coke each day. Is that healthy? https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/t...
James wrote: "Trump reportedly drinks 12 cans of Diet Coke each day. Is that healthy? https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/t......"In a word, no. Good thing the "coke" part is no longer "the real thing" though.
We are given the 'food pyramid' that places wholegrains, pasta, and rice as the basis of a healthy diet. Guess what, they all get processed as sugar.
I thought they tell us to avoid pasta and rice these days too, Tony? Aren't such carbs a type of sugar and therefore not recommended? (I think it'd be easier if they just give us a list of what is wise to eat...Should be a pretty short list given almost everything has suddenly become bad for us to consume in recent years!)And Ian, is your scientific opinion that a person who drinks 12 Diet Cokes a day could end up with inferior thoughts? E.G. Thinking a nation needs to "build that wall" to solve all it's main problems? :)
Actually, you need a good intake of carbs, but wholegrain is better because it is absorbed more slowly. My personal view is many of these fancy gets are a lot of crap. You do need balance, i.e. a bit of everything and adequate vitamins and trace elements, then you need to moderate the volume. If you keep the weight in a reasonable zone, you should be OK.I think someone who drinks that much coke is going to have hyperactive thoughts. Amongst other things, there is an excessive intake of caffeine and phosphoric acid, as well as whatever the artificial sweetener is. Teeth and kidneys are at risk. We could debate whether it would encourage him to build a wall, but it would certainly encourage random and frequent responses to criticism. Maybe it encourages tweeting!
Ah, James, that's the rub! All carbs are sugar....The so-called low gi ones such as wholegrains lift glucose levels the same amount, but they rise 2 hours later. The western world got fat via the pyramid. Yes, the corrupt powers did change the guidelines recently ,but only after big food and big pharma had time to adjust marketing strategies. From a book that I throughly recommend. ; )
"Regarding obesity, the public health message to reduce fat intake has actually led to many people getting their energy from high Glycaemic index carbohydrates. These often lead to insulin resistance, diabetes and, believe it or not, the production of fat in the body, giving rise to obesity, which is linked to many diseases including cancer. Denis Toovey B. App. Sc. (Pharmacy) and Post Grad. Dip. (Clinical Pharmacy) Retired Pharmacist and Author of Better Health for You – An Insider’s Big Picture Guide."
Morcan, James; Morcan, Lance. MEDICAL INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX: The $ickness Industry, Big Pharma and Suppressed Cures (The Underground Knowledge Series Book 3) (Kindle Locations 80-86). Sterling Gate Books. Kindle Edition.
I would expand this premise further.High gi or low gi equals same sugar hit but with a different timing mechanism. Low-fat milk has more sugar than full-fat milk. How about we eat a couple of eggs for breakfast instead of toast (sugar), cereal (sugar) and fruit juice (sugar).
Hahaha!Thanks Tony...
I think I've heard of that book!
James wrote: "Hahaha!Thanks Tony...
I think I've heard of that book!"
LOL WTF
James wrote: "5 HEALTH TIPS TO GIVE UP SUGAR TODAY https://www.emilyskye.com/blog/post/9...Good article this one:
Ever wondered why you have such sweet tooth? Or why come 3 ..."Different names for sugar! Sneaky...
Trump reportedly drinks 12 cans of Diet Coke each day. Is that healthy?I read that Christina Onassis drank fifteen. She could even tell the difference between various manufacturing locations ("Southern end of the vineyard?")
In her 30s, she was discovered dead in the bath. She died of heart failure, probably caused by her amphetamines habit. (Not to mention 15 cans of Coke a day.) The biography has an interesting title: All The Pain That Money Can Buy
What do you guys think of stevia? A member of the group sent me the following...
Stevia is widely used as a sweetener in Japan (~40% of the sweetener market),
Brazil, South Korea, Paraguay, and a number of other countries. There has never
been a report of an adverse reaction linked to the use of Stevia.
In the early and mid 1980s, Stevia was growing in popularity. During the last
part of the 1980s, the FDA began seizing Stevia from health food manufacturers
without adequate explaination. In 1990, Food Processing magazine had an insert
about stevia. Approximately 200 manufacturers including all of the major food
manufacturers showed interest in using Stevia in the manufacturing of their
products.
In 1991, the FDA banned the importation of Stevia intended for use in foods.
This ban was reportedly at the request of NutraSweet (owned by Monsanto) which
produces a toxic artificial sweetener called aspartame. This action, a clear
violation of the law which allows any product with a history of safe use before
1958 to be automatically approved, kept manufacturers from using stevia and
kept NutraSweet from having to compete with a safe, "natural" sweetener.
In 1992, the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) petitioned the FDA to
declare use of Stevia as GRAS (Generaly Recognized As Safe). The AHPA provide
hundreds of documents showing that Stevia had been commonly and safely used
before 1958, and thus met the requirements for GRAS status. In July, 1992 the
FDA rejected the AHPA petition. When asked how much more information was needed,
the FDA responded "Well, this may sound flippant, but we'll know it when we see
it."
(Translation: No matter what you provide we're not going to approve stevia to
compete with artificial sweeteners.)
After exchanges of letters and a meeting, the FDA demanded information that they
do not have the authority to request and they demanded information based on
proposed regulations that they did not pass. Still, in the spirit of
cooperation,
the Herbal Research Foundation provided additional information requested about
the safety and use of stevia.
In December 1993, the FDA again disallowed the filing of the AHPA petition for
approval of Stevia. This meant that public comment on the petition by
qualified experts could not take place and that stevia would not be approved
James wrote: "What do you guys think of stevia? A member of the group sent me the following...
Stevia is widely used as a sweetener in Japan (~40% of the sweetener market),
Brazil, South Korea, Paraguay, and a..."
A few years ago, when I was trying to cut soda out of my diet to drink better things, I learned the hard way that sucralose (one of the ingredients of Splenda) was causing a lot of health problems for me. I had to completely cut it out of my diet. I liked to use the Crystal Light and Koolaid drink mixes. Since they both use sucralose I had to find an all natural drink mix. That's when I discovered True Lemon and True Lime.
I put True Lemon/Lime in my water regularly. They use stevia as the main sweetener. I've never once had issues with it. It's flavorless so it doesn't take anything away or add to anything it's used in.
When I am reading my labels, I don't hesitate if the label says Stevia on it. Once in a great while I don't pay close enough attention to the labels, and accidentally buy something with sucralose in it. I can tell within 10 minutes that I didn't pay close enough attention to the label.
I only buy things if the label says sugar (or natural/cane sugar) or stevia now (with the exception of Coke). I haven't worked up the courage to try the Coke made with stevia. The first time I tried it when they originally came out with it, it didn't taste like anything. I haven't tried it since, so I am not sure if it tastes any better yet.
As it happens, I use stevia, and so far, no ill effects. From what I can make out, it is less dangerous to the population than sugar. Aspartame appears to be quite bad when it is heated, so it should not be used in anything cooked. As far as I can make out, stevia is OK in cooking.As an aside, I understand that Truvia is sold in the US, and was licensed by the FDA at the request of Coca Cola company and Cargill. It appears the objection by the FDA can be overcome if you are big enough company. As far as I know, the FDA permitted Trivia to be given GRAS status.
Truvia is a patented form of Stevia, I assume?
Great documentary on the food pyramid and the sugar vs fat debate, check out Fathead! Sugar in small quantities is not a bad thing, however when you consistently mix sugar, processed and preserved food with fat, you get fat....fat also in of itself is not bad. It’s the combo of data and sugar that get you.I’ve personally lost 30 lbs cutting out processed foods and sugar-other than low sugar fruit, I don’t eat sugar anymore or drink diet sodas.
James wrote: "Truvia is a patented form of Stevia, I assume?"It is a trade name for the dried extract from stevia, like instant coffee. I don't think you can patent a natural product but who needs a patent when the FDA shuts down your opposition.
B., it is not what you end up with that is the problem. You need a reasonable amount of carbs. The problem with sugar is the rate of absorption into the blood. If you raise the sugar levels in the blood to high, there are adverse consequences, especially as you age, or if your pancreas is not in top condition. If you take your carbs in the form of polymers, then the rate of depolymerisation slows the absorption, and blood sugar does not get so high.
Actually, stevia does something else besides adding sweetness - it amplifies certain tastes. But it certainly has negligible calories.
This is a little bit scary...WHAT DO SUGAR AND COCAINE HAVE IN COMMON? https://www.brainmdhealth.com/blog/wh...
I did the same with caffeine at one point...the 1st week of withdrawals, going cold turkey, were awful....felt like I was dying. Crushing headaches, nausea, irritability, sleeplessness(weird right!?), foggy brain. Like an idiot I went back to it, but seriously I didn’t believe caffeine had any effect on me until I tried giving it up.As I continue to experiment in diet, the or constant I have found is that sugar and wheat absolutely wreck my waistline, thus indicating wreckage of everything else in my body. Though I am a hypocrite to some degree because I love pizza and other junk food, I do my best to eat mostly greens, low sugar berries, good fats and proteins....to me this is all people really need.
A recent movie that I really enjoyed was “That Sugar Film”. A regular Aussie dude decided to change his diet to consist of “healthy” branded foods such as whole wheat breads, granola, flavored yogurts, etc....from here he tracks his weight and health and the results are surprising for most people. Once he goes back to his diet consisting of a more “paleo” approach his weight gets back to normal. I enjoyed this film because he didn’t start eating candy, cookies, cakes and typical junk....he ate what so many consider healthy.
Good article this one:
Ever wondered why you have such sweet tooth? Or why come 3 pm you have absolutely no control over reaching for that packet of biscuits or bar of chocolate? Well, perhaps you have got a serious addiction to sugar. I speak to so many people who think they are eating “healthy” foods that are in fact filled with hidden sugars. When I first switched to eating a whole foods diet and reading packet labels, I was totally shocked at just how much sugar sneaks into our every day food. Some people even think that they don’t eat processed sugar at all, when in fact they can be consuming large quantities without even realising it. That is why I wanted to write about sugar on the blog and bring attention to where it could be turning up in your food and how you can avoid it.
Now let me just clarify that when I talk about sugar here, I’m talking refined processed sugar like white sugar, brown sugar, raw sugar etc. Not the naturally occurring sugars found in your healthy unprocessed food like fruit and vegetables. But just to drive the message home on how much sugar you could be eating, here is a list of some common “healthy” foods that can contain processed sugar:
Tomato sauce (ketchup)
BBQ sauce
Pre-packet salad dressings
Pre-packet stir fry sauces
Pasta sauce
Low-fat cereals
Low-fat yoghurt
Baked beans
Fruit juices
Yogurt drinks
Packaged smoothies
Muesli bars
Bread
Crackers
Pre made dips
Sugar is sneaking into so many of our everyday packaged foods, meaning that the average person is consuming way above their daily limits without even knowing. The problem with consuming so much sugar is that not only does it make you gain weight and is extremely addictive but excess consumption can also lead to other major health problems like obesity, diabetes, heart desease and more. However giving it up can be difficult, so here are some of my health tips on removing processed sugar from your diet.
1. Learn to read packets
It’s so important to understand and see where sugar could be sneaking into your diet. So start by reading ingredient labels. It might take you a little longer to go shopping to start with but trust me it's worth taking the time to know what is in your food. In fact go to your cupboard right now and have a read. You might just be surprised at how many foods you find that have sugar without you even knowing.
2. Learn the different names for sugar
Processed sugar that sneaks into our food won’t always be labeled as suga. That’s why it’s important to also not just read the ingredients list but also come to know some of the other names Sugar can also be called. For example in processed foods found in the supermarket sugar can also be labeled as corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, cane sugar, dextrose, glucose, maltodextrin, raw sugar, sucrose, sorbital, malt syrup and the list goes on. You only need to do a quick Google search to find all the sneaky names that sugar can be labeled as.
3. Stick to the outside aisles of the supermarket
This is the golden rule for most of my supermarket shopping. I generally only go into the aisles of a supermarket to pick up some legumes, spices and my healthy oils. The rest of my supermarket trolley is generally filled with things from the outskirts of the supermarket like fish and fresh fruit and vegetables. So if you can try and stay away from the aisles as much as possible.
4. Don’t be fooled by “fat free” or “healthy” labeled foods
I think I made my point pretty clear with all the foods I listed that sugar can sneak into without you even realising it. Just because there is the word “fat free” or “healthy” on the label doesn’t mean it’s good for you. In fact “fat free” can be one of the worst culprits of foods that sneak sugar into their ingredients. That’s because when you remove fat from food in order to make it taste good they need to add the sweet stuff in.
5. Find healthier alternatives to your sweat treats
Just because you remove processed sugar from your diet doesn’t mean you need to give up delicious tasting treats. I have plenty of recipes from healthy pancakes, chocolate fudge brownies or protein muffins that can help satisfy most sweet tooth cravings. None of which contain processed sugar at all.
https://www.emilyskye.com/blog/post/9...