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    Sugar’s Effect on your Health

    With an increase in the availability of convenience foods, and the fact that sugar is added to most food products, it?s no wonder that many individuals suffer from obesity, sugar cravings, anxiety, chronic fatigue, diabetes, hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar), low energy symptoms and tooth decay.

    Sugar and refined carbohydrates (these have the same effect as sugar) are found in biscuits, sweets, cakes, pies and ice cream as well as products like salad dressings, tomato sauce, meat seasonings, and even some medications and Vitamin Supplements, making it one of the most overused and addictive additives in the World.

    When we put sugar into our body, it is broken down into its simplest form, glucose. Eaten in small amounts, sugar products aren?t harmful, but with a full day of toasted sandwiches, hamburgers, jam doughnuts, fizzy drinks and chocolates, the pancreas struggles to release enough insulin to keep the body?s blood-sugar levels at a healthy level.

    Insulin also promotes the storage of fat, so that when you eat foods high in sugar, you're allowing for rapid weight gain and elevated triglyceride levels, both of which have been linked to cardiovascular or heart disease.

    By eating more foods that have a Low Glycemic Index we can help to promote a slower release of glucose and insulin in the blood and therefore keep energy levels on an even keel. These include oatmeal porridge, sweet potato, whole-wheat spaghetti, apples, pears, lentils and chickpeas.
    The Glycemic Index is a measure of how a certain food product affects the blood-sugar levels in the body, with each food being given a numbered rating. The lower the rating, the slower the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream. A high rating means that blood-glucose levels are increased quickly, which stimulates the pancreas to secrete insulin to reduce blood-sugar levels. Lentils have a low rating of 40 on the Glycemic Index, and white bread has a high rating of 100 on the Glycemic Index.

    You can also reduce sugar cravings by adding more proteins like fish, chicken and meat to your meal. Eat regular meals to prevent blood-sugar fluctuations. Cinnamon aids blood sugar regulation. It tastes naturally sweet and is the perfect seasoning when you're trying to reduce your sugar intake.

    However, the best source of sweetness must come from fruit. There are so many varieties of sweet fruits; enough to satisfy the sweetest tooth. If you can make up 80% of your diet with fresh fruit and vegetables, you should be able to get all the sweetness you need naturally without any additives.
    "The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it"

    #2
    Sugar’s Effect on your Health

    This is a very important topic for those of us in recovery. While I am always hesitant to share an opinion (tee hee) I will just say that for me, sugar is poison. Watching my fater die of Diabetes is gruesome, and I was headed in that same direction with all the booze and junk food. I hope it's not too late for me. I know that sugar cravings (which are really alcohol cravings) are strong in the early days, and there is a time and place to do whatever is necessary NOT to pick up a drink. But once we get our AF footing, IMO it's a great idea to wean off the sugar and other high GI foods (i.e. stuff with processed white flour, etc.)

    Thank you Dee Bee!

    DG, the quiet one with no opinions whatsoever.
    Sobriety Date = 5/22/08
    Nicotine Free Date = 2/27/07


    One day at a time.

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      #3
      Sugar’s Effect on your Health

      Great information deebee. A little while back I posted a couple juice recipes using a juicer in holistic healing that were for the reduction of sugar cravings.
      sigpic
      Thoughts become things..... choose the good ones. ~TUT

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        #4
        Sugar’s Effect on your Health

        I'm less worried about cane sugar than about high fructose corn syrup. Corn syrup is everywhere. It's even hard to buy pasta sauce without it. Soda pop, cereal (even Special K has it), cookies, crackers; if it's in a package it probably has corn syrup in it.

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          #5
          Sugar’s Effect on your Health

          This is always the most interesting topic to me. I have spent a lot of time thinking about which came first for me ... sugar addiction or alcohol addiction. I really believe they are so closely related. The only difference to me is that I probably am safer on the road while on a sugar high than drinking alcohol .... but not by far ... LOL!

          I continue to work on the sugar connection. I am for the first time in my life able to go periods of time without simple carbs ... but haven't figured out how to live 100% without. It's much harder than quitting alcohol, because like you said, SUGAR is in EVERYTHING! Even fruit can set me off!!

          Thanks for the post ... it all fits in the big plan of getting this beast off my back forever!
          AF since Jan. 1, 2008 .... It all began right here


          Raise your hopeful voice, you have a choice, you made it now.


          (from the Movie "Once")

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            #6
            Sugar’s Effect on your Health

            Thank you DeeBee for that post. I am going to see if I can find a glycemic index and try to incorporate more low index foods into my diet.
            Livingfree, I too think I was addicted to sugar when young. I would eat huge bags of sweet, loads of coke, crisps, ice cream, condensed milk etc. When I started to drink, the sweets went out the window and the wine glasses came in!!?
            Amelia

            Sober since 30/06/10

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              #7
              Sugar’s Effect on your Health

              It is starting to make more and more sense to me. I too, as a kid, ate sweets as if they were going out of fashion -- don't get me started on condensed milk!! LOL.

              Here's an interesting website with all the info on low GI.

              The Glycemic Index

              DG, I am sorry to hear about your Dad.
              A good friend of mine, her husband has recently been diagnosed with diabetes (Type 1) and he went on a bender the other night -- so stupid! He doesn't understand just how dangerous it is for him to drink AL.
              "The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it"

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                #8
                Sugar’s Effect on your Health

                I don't know if anyone has mentioned this (I skimmed the posts here -- in a hurry), but a natural sweetener that is also actually good for you is Stevia (extract from the Stevia plant). It is highly concentrated, so you only need a tiny bit (remember this when you see the price), and it has no calories and won't hurt your teeth. Basically, it is a perfect replacement for sugar and the main reason it is not mainstream is the usual -- the sugar manufacturers do everything to prevent it.
                Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life... And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

                Steve Jobs, Stanford Commencement Adress, 2005

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                  #9
                  Sugar’s Effect on your Health

                  Funny enough I was at the health shop yesterday stocking up on my Xylitol and saw the Stevia. Someone here, has recommended it to me before but I turned my nose up at it when I saw the price -- exactly double the price of Xylitol.
                  But now that you say that Beatle I'll give it a try -- thanks for the info:-)
                  "The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it"

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                    #10
                    Sugar’s Effect on your Health

                    I am about to try Stevia, actually. Thanks for the thread etc Dee, and thanks Beatle.

                    'I am part of all that I have met, yet all experience is an arch wherethro', gleams that untravelled world whose margins fade, forever and forever when I move'

                    Zen soul Warrior. Freedom today-

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                      #11
                      Sugar’s Effect on your Health

                      good info deebees thanks


                      :congratulatory: Clean & Sober since 13/01/2009 :congratulatory:

                      Until one is committed there is always hesitant thoughts.
                      I know enough to know that I don't know enough.

                      This signature has been typed in front of a live studio audience.

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                        #12
                        Sugar’s Effect on your Health

                        I have seen Xylitol here - is it a safe sweetener? Although when the booze came in the sweets went out.
                        make the least of the worst, and the most of the best - everyday.

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                          #13
                          Sugar’s Effect on your Health

                          AMELIA;633426 wrote: . When I started to drink, the sweets went out the window and the wine glasses came in!!?
                          That was me Amelia! And when I stopped drinking the sugar called me right back ... I have really been working on it but seems to go hot and cold. I'm ready to start taking it seriously now!
                          AF since Jan. 1, 2008 .... It all began right here


                          Raise your hopeful voice, you have a choice, you made it now.


                          (from the Movie "Once")

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Sugar’s Effect on your Health

                            jessie;637652 wrote: I have seen Xylitol here - is it a safe sweetener? Although when the booze came in the sweets went out.
                            Hi Jessie,

                            I buy my Xylitol from Dischem and it's on special for R69 for 500g. I don't get that aftertaste that some of the artificial sweetners normally give.
                            Xylitol is low GI and is a natural substance found in fibrous vegetables and fruit, as well as in corn cobs and various hardwood trees like birch.
                            I am going to try Stevia the next time I get to the shops as I believe the health benefits far outweight the Xylitol -- I also saw it at Dischem.
                            "The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it"

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                              #15
                              Sugar’s Effect on your Health

                              Here is the Wiki entry on sugar alcohols (of which Xylitol is one) for more general information Sugar alcohol - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. One note of caution for Xylitol is that it can be toxic to pets so be careful where you store and place things containing Xylitol.

                              For baking, I like a combination of Erythritol and Stevia. As the Wiki article points out, you tend to not get the strength of sweetness with the sugar alcohols (this is especially true with Erythritol) as you do with other artificial or natural sugars.

                              One of the reasons I like "E" is that I get HORRIBLE and I mean BAD gastric side effects with other sugar alcohols especially anything sweetened with Malitol. I have no problems of this nature at all with "E."

                              Baking and cooking with "E" takes some getting used to as it doesn't disolve as easily as sugar and likes to re-crystalize in some foods - seems to be the less liquids the more re-crystallization? Here is a site with some awesome recipes substituting "E" and Stevia in place of sugar or even chemical sweeteners like aspartame or chemically altered sweeteners like Splenda (Sucralose). Her recipes are fairly low carb and gluten free as well. She also offers up some dairy free and even a few egg free recipes. I really like this site and have tried several things. Healthy Indulgences

                              I had to get used to the notion that these things are NOT substitutes for the real thing - in other words to me, they don't have exactly the same taste and texture as their wheat & sugar counter parts. They are good alternatives - definitely better than living completely without bread and sweets, at least to me. The biscuit recipe from that site using almond flour instead of wheat flour was in incredible find for our gluten / sugar free household!

                              Way more info than was asked for...

                              DG
                              Sobriety Date = 5/22/08
                              Nicotine Free Date = 2/27/07


                              One day at a time.

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