The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

[NoSugar]

The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

Sugar free challenge thread

Hi,

It looks like this thread was pretty active but then faded away. Is anyone still working on the challenge?

I gave up the sugar (and carbs that readily become sugar) over a year ago -- stimulated by my not wanting my pre-diabetes diagnosis to become one of all out diabetes and thankfully, it worked.

I think not consuming sugar has made giving up alcohol somewhat easier, at least physically. Some of the tools for getting off sugar (e.g. L-Gln) turned out to work for AL which makes sense, given the biochemistry of the whole deal.

Anyway, I was just wondering if there was any interest in continuing this thread.

Have a great AF day,

NS

[RingingCedars]

The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

Hi there NS and welcome. I'm in but it's going to be a struggle. My elderly neighbour is afraid I'm too thin and regularly provides desserts. Once she hears me mention something I like, she either makes is or buys it. Butter tarts, nanaimo bars, pecan pie, pumpkin pie, chocolate cheesecake, etc etc. Finances are beyond difficult so I don't have the luxury of buying my healthy alternatives as I once did. Lord helpeth me.:H

[myhappyplace]

The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

Hi NS

I'm still a work in progress, I've been using the Sarah Wilson, I Quit Sugar book as a guide and finding it easy now. I ditched the grog then found myself going rampant on sugary foods and the ups and downs of a sugar rollercoaster. Thankfully this is under control now or as I say, a WIP

Love your work in the recipes section BTW...

HP

[myhappyplace]

The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

X-post *waving* hi RC!

[RingingCedars]

The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

Yoo hoo Monkey.

[tree23]

The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

DoggyGirl- Good job getting the first paragraph of your research paper done! I have one due as well and I just need to get it started! And then I can flush it out...it's beginning that is the hardest for me! The last time I was AF I ate a cake a day, like literally, and gained a LOT of weight. I was also severely injured with a 'broken' back so couldn't do much besides lay about and eat, but I wasn't drinking. This time around AF I am not tempted by the sweets. The only sugar I intake is from fruit and I eat about 3 servings a day. I do have about one artificially sweetened crystal light daily; other than that I use Stevia if I want to sweeten something. I do not like artificial. I am on WW and a ovu-pesco-vegetarian (I only eat eggs and fish once weekly) and I follow the Blood Type diet. I had diabetes when I was younger so I know that it is only a corner away if I don't watch my sugar intake, as well as my AL intake!

Let me know how your paper is going! I am going to try to push out a couple paragraphs. What is yours on?

[tree23]

The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

I am all about continuing this thread! I think any good modification or change of eating or lifestyle is something to promote! I was away for awhile and then I got an iPhone and I don't remember my logon information so I read posts but am unable to reply!

[blondie]

The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

Hi NS
I am keen to get back into this - it once was so easy :upset:
I have ditched the Coke Zero, and am generally sticking to 70% cacao choc as my sweet treat though now having the odd Fanta and Sprite! I am seeing my I-deserve-a-daily-reward thinking taking over Perhaps I should get back into the LGlut. Or just not be so lazy

[NoSugar]

The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

Thanks for responding!

Hi, RC, MHP, tree23, and Blondie!

I'm glad there still are some people here trying to reduce sugar (while cutting the heart out of AL!). I think it helps us be so much healthier overall and does help reduce the AL reward system. I think the hypothesis that alcohol addiction is a (horrible) manifestation of disordered carbohydrate metabolism might be right. At least it fits my health history.

The health benefits of reducing sugar intake sure are getting a lot of coverage in the popular press. Maybe not eating it won't seem so weird soon. Now if we can reach the goal discussed in the Newbies Nest the other day of having it be COOL not to drink AL, we'll be set.

RC, you may need to give your very sweet neighbor some new recipes!

MHP, I'm not familiar with the Sarah Wilson book but I will look it up - thanks! Given how many books I've read and podcasts I've listened to over the last year or so, I'm amazed there is yet another one!

tree23, it sounds like you have been able to develop a diet that works for you and keeps you healthy. I think that is the main thing - we all have to be willing to conduct experiments on ourselves and figure out what works for us. I just try to learn as much as I can and see what works for my family and me.

Blondie, I haven't heard much that is good about soda ( or 'pop' as we say in the US Midwest) - sugared or otherwise. Our brains get that sweet signal from whatever source and revs up the metabolic machinery! I also like very dark chocolate and still use the L-Gln (but that relates more to AL for me now) .


If you've found some real food recipes you enjoy, please share them!

I didn't want to make that a low carb only or paleo only thread because as I said, I don't think diet is a one-size-fits-all type of thing. It is becoming clear that our responses to nutrients are greatly affected by seemingly tiny genetic differences so there is no single perfect diet (but that said, on a Paleo thread, Det told me about a movie, The Perfect Human Diet. I thought it was really interesting and the use of a football field to explain human evolution time frames was brilliant).

It was nice to meet all of you, NS

[NoSugar]

The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

Soda: Is The Fizz Killing Us? - Facts & Infographic

How Bad is Soda? | DietDoctor.com

This is pretty interesting ( and inspiring if you want not to drink pop ) but I doubt that it is the fizz per se that is the culprit!

The blog is that of Andreas Eenfeldt, MD, a Swedish physician who is active in the low carb/high fat movement in that country.

[NoSugar]

The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

Sugar in the news

This is a commentary in today's New York Time re: sugar: It's the Sugar, Folks - NYTimes.com

And here is the research paper he is referring to: PLOS ONE: The Relationship of Sugar to Population-Level Diabetes Prevalence: An Econometric Analysis of Repeated Cross-Sectional Data.

I believe change is going to come and it can't arrive too soon.

[tree23]

The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

No to Soda

I stopped drinking soda when I also quit AL, switched to the Type A blood type diet (vegetarian), started exercising, began the supplements and topamax. There has only been one time that I have wanted a soda, and after a sip, No Thank You!
I only ever drank Diet soda because the sugar was way too intense for me; it would make me sick. I don't think the artificial sugar is good either though, but I can tolerate it. (I don't eat fried foods, fast food, or potatoes, and I limit other nightshades such as tomatoes.) It all works with my hippie persona.
Good luck all!

[RingingCedars]

The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

I'm a promoter of the Blood Type Diet as well. Type B here.
I had some pie last night but not the night before(had 70% chocolate instead). I am attempting to ease my way back to no sugar.
Hippy from way back here too Tree but I do not want hippy hips.

[NoSugar]

The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

RingingCedars;1471146 wrote: I'm a promoter of the Blood Type Diet as well. Type B here.
I had some pie last night but not the night before(had 70% chocolate instead). I am attempting to ease my way back to no sugar.
Hippy from way back here too Tree but I do not want hippy hips.

I'm A+, RC, What should I be eating???

[tree23]

The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

NoSugar, As an A+ you are an Agrarian. You are the second to come along on the evolutionary chain. I am the same. When I went to a naturopath she told me ideally I should be a ovo-pesco-vegetarian. I eat primarily a vegetarian diet, and only eat eggs and fish once a week. There are certain types of fish that are best suited to your type. I prefer salmon, cod, and rockfish. I try to buy organic or fresh caught; I live in Alaska so we have quite a lot of opportunity for good fish sources here. You should moderate the amount of chicken/turkey you eat to a couple times a week if you are unable to go to a vegetarian lifestyle. The most important thing is that you DO NOT EAT MAMMAL FLESH! Dairy products also increase mucus production and can affect your immune system negatively so you should limit diary intake. I allow myself a small amount of cheese only (usually because there is some cheese in Garden Burgers which otherwise are totally Type A). Goat products are preferable to cow. If you are interested you should get the book, I love it. I have always had a lot of stomach problems and have always blamed my upset on other problems, but surprisingly, EVERYTHING that made me sick is something that is toxic to my bloodtype! Now I do not have any upset, unless I deviate and cheat! The book boasts that if you eat for you bloodtype you will lose weight quickly as all the toxins melt away. The first month or so was kind of a learning experience as I figured out what to eat and dealt with anemia as I have absorption problems. Now weight is coming off! Yay! Good luck! You should try it!