The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

[lifechange]

The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

NS! your DTD reminded me of this Ellen short that a friend of mine sent around today--

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wy_MIOtsgH8[/video]]Apparently Confused - YouTube

Thanks for the info. We do get the most delicious sauerkraut here-- and my co-worker and I are into fermenting--Kimchi, Kombucha (though the mother got so bg, she scared us!) and even Miso!!! Is there a sugar free Kombucha?

and Skull, I'm off dairy at the moment--though I might try the lowfat plain probiotic yoghurt after a couple of weeks. Do you think you get the same effects from a pill? I have to research a bit more..

[lifechange]

The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

NOW I understand the fermented CLO! thx

[Londoner]

The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

I'm back!

I am cutting out:

Bread
Pasta
Oats
Processed snacks
Sugar in tea

So basically the only high carbohydrate foods I will be eating are rice, bananas and potatoes.

I'm fed up of my digestive system feeling overburdened from the amount of crap I have been throwing at it. Not only am I eating too much sugar, I have been eating too much food. I haven't given my digestive system a chance to recover at all for a while now.

GRAPHIC: I can tell when I am in good health and eating well - no gas, not bloating and number 2's are good quality. You can really tell a lot about your health based on your gut.

EDIT; my brain definitely associates eating with sweet food. I cooked myself up a nice omelette for lunch and afterwards my brain was seeking something sweet. Later in the day when bored I thought, "oh 1 Jaffa cake won't hurt', but I halted that thought process. That 1 will turn into 2, and that will turn into me hunting round the kitchen like madman looking for anything sweet.

For me, I think cold turkey is best. Let my body get back to enjoying Nature's finest.

[lifechange]

The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

Londoner, good to see you back-- just posted on your other threads.

I started on Saturday again with no sugar! and decided this time to also cut gluten and dairy and I tell you it has made the difference between night and day with my energy levels and sugar cravings. I am AMAZED! I'd been suspicious for awhile about gluten --and dairy, for that matter, because of exactly what you stated above, Londoner. You are right about the gut and I've been miserable for some time. I'm also eating smaller meals and spacing them every 3 hours apart-- and low to no carbs after noon. I am hungry exactly on the dot and have all the energy I need in between. Very good days, these!

Look forward to hearing how your plan develops, L.
See you soon...

[NoSugar]

The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

lifechange;1581700 wrote: Londoner, good to see you back-- just posted on your other threads.

I started on Saturday again with no sugar! and decided this time to also cut gluten and dairy and I tell you it has made the difference between night and day with my energy levels and sugar cravings. I am AMAZED! I'd been suspicious for awhile about gluten --and dairy, for that matter, because of exactly what you stated above, Londoner. You are right about the gut and I've been miserable for some time. I'm also eating smaller meals and spacing them every 3 hours apart-- and low to no carbs after noon. I am hungry exactly on the dot and have all the energy I need in between. Very good days, these!

Look forward to hearing how your plan develops, L.
See you soon...

I bet a lot of people are wondering what in the heck you eat, Life! I have only known a couple people who didn't feel better when they gave up gluten. Weird ailments (some of which you didn't even know were not "normal" -- I'll spare you the TMI :H) magically disappear! There is a new book out called Grain Brain about the relationship between grains and neurological diseases such as Alzheimers. I've known people who have gotten rid of e.g. restless leg, peripheral neuropathy, etc. by eliminating gluten but if it turns out that it is involved in dementia - that is a really big deal. I think this author, like the guy who wrote Wheat Belly, is a little over the top but I won't be at all surprised it their ideas turn out to be true.

It's good to see you again, Londoner. Your overall plan sounds good but what are the specific changes you're going to make this weekend? That alcoholic voice is going to be talking to you, you know. And he will sound so reasonable so you've got to be ready!

[lifechange]

The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

NS, I will look for that book! Sounds right up my alley-- is there a special name for grains that have gluten? So many don't, in fact, most don't-- and I feel like grains get a bad rap. Is there another reason for that? I have NO problem with brown rice, especially round corn, wild rice, quinoa, oats, buckwheat (don't really like it, though!, amaranth, millet or corn. None of those have gluten, do they? Otherwise my theory is shot! Is TMI too much information? must be.
Great to see you!!

[Londoner]

The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

Day 2 - mood is unstable and just had the worst workout for a while.

Rice tonight, no other starch or sugar though.

[allankay]

The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

Wow everyone is taking this so seriously that I feel like I need to step up my game....

[NoSugar]

The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

Londoner;1582049 wrote: Day 2 - mood is unstable and just had the worst workout for a while.

Rice tonight, no other starch or sugar though.

Hi, Londoner

I was wondering how you decided to eat some starches and not others. Is this part of the "safe starch" thing I've heard about?

I eat all kinds of squash, sweet potatoes, some rice or white potato occasionally (I'm just not wild about them or might eat more), beets, carrots -- I guess basically root vegetables and some rice. I don't eat most of the other grains, including corn.

Anyway, I was just wondering what underlies your choices.

I hope you're feeling better and have a plan for this weekend (I know I'm harping on you but like I said, you're close in age to my kids ).

[NoSugar]

The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

lifechange;1581727 wrote: I have NO problem with brown rice, especially round corn, wild rice, quinoa, oats, buckwheat (don't really like it, though!, amaranth, millet or corn. None of those have gluten, do they? Otherwise my theory is shot! Is TMI too much information? must be.
Great to see you!!

Hi, Life - yes, that is what TMI means. So... that hasn't caught on among English speakers in Germany yet :H???

The grains you eat are gluten free ones so your ideas about what you should eat might be on the right track. There are a few others such as montina but I'm not sure if you even can get that overseas. For years I did pretty well eating grains as long as they were GF but over time, even those started causing some trouble. Plus, things like oats that are not contaminated with wheat are difficult to obtain in the US.

Hey, Allan - you were the instigator !!! Are you on track for your 23 Nov goal?

[skullbabyland]

The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

By the way... I highly recommend the latest episode of The Joe Rogan podcast with Dave Asprey. A lot is said about sugar, gluten, food cravings, weight, willpower, etc. Even if it seems too wacky/outside the norm for many peoiple's taste, a lot of good stuff is covered. Search it out!

[skullbabyland]

The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

NoSugar;1582057 wrote: Hi, Londoner

I was wondering how you decided to eat some starches and not others. Is this part of the "safe starch" thing I've heard about?

I eat all kinds of squash, sweet potatoes, some rice or white potato occasionally (I'm just not wild about them or might eat more), beets, carrots -- I guess basically root vegetables and some rice. I don't eat most of the other grains, including corn.

Anyway, I was just wondering what underlies your choices.

I hope you're feeling better and have a plan for this weekend (I know I'm harping on you but like I said, you're close in age to my kids ).

NS- you're totally correct. From all I've read (which is quite a lot at this point), the "safest starches", ie, best carbs, are fruits/veggies (of course), but also sweet potatoes and yams, and rice. White rice is actually better than brown (the opposite being a myth), but both are fine in moderate doses. If you're a pasta addict, switching to rice pasta will make a big difference. Some ancient grains such as quinoa etc are OK. Gluten (and sugar of course) are the biggest causes of inflammation and obesity etc. Most soy and corn should be avoided too because of GMO/mycotoxins.

I could be wrong about any of this, but all I've read from multiple sources backs this up, so this is how I eat my carbs/grains. They're all basically "complex carbs", ie good, not "simple carbs", ie bad.

[lifechange]

The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

What's going on here? This thread's hoppin' tonight!!
Allan, jump back in! Full force! Don't give up!

Skull, In what way do you mean that white rice is better than brown? I'd always thought white rice was stripped of its outer layers which hold the nutrition? That's why I never eat it! Damn! For myself, I find one of the best grains for my stomach is round grain brown rice-- and quinoa. And I love oats-- But basically I'm with you all on getting carbs from veggies. And beans-- I love puy lentils and mung beans and black beans-- actually I love all beans but I am trying to keep them under control!! I've also cut all soy-- even organic. And what about corn if it's not GMO? Popcorn? That's one of my emergency foods!
I know what GMO is, NS!:H I swear, I'm out of it!

see you all tomorrow..

[NoSugar]

The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

You are lucky to live in the EU where GMOs are banned! That genie is out of the bottle here for many crops, including corn and soy. There is no going back for us now .

There are several anti-nutritional properties in brown rice that have been removed from white rice. The most compelling argument to me is that essentially all cultures throughout the world for whom rice is a staple eat white rice - over time they learned to process the rice to be as health-promoting as possible. I have friends from those regions who think it is "totally gross" that we eat brown rice!

I'd say it is a good idea to be pretty skeptical about all the nutritional dogma of the last 30-40 years.

[Londoner]

The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

I just find white rice digests a lot easier for me. No GI distress. And I eat 200g of it at a time. I only eat starches because it is the most convenient way to give me the carbs I need to fuel my heavy strength sessions. And I only have them at one meal per day - hence the quantities.

Oats don't work for me. Bread is okay, but I find it is addictive and them I feel the problems.

Everyone is different and can handle things that others can't.

But honestly, bone broth is a miracle to my digestive system. In particular the glutamine and gelatin work wonders for but health. But some organic bones and chicken carcasses and leave in a slow cooker with some veg and you have a nutritious warm winter drink. Also seems to help kill my sugar cravings too.