30 Sugar Free Day's

[DeeBee]

30 Sugar Free Day's

Well, I still haven't had any sugar but I'm finding week 3 harder than day1!! I eventually crumbled under pressure and had a cup of coffee the other day and it tasted WONDERFUL but made me feel slightly queasy afterwards so I have no plans of having another cup any time soon.

I have also lost weight. I don't know how much because I don't own a scale but I can feel it in my clothes. My jeans feel a bit loose around the tummy area and there is even less of my passion handles to hold on to YEEHHAAHH!!!

I must tell you that I am pretty bored of drinking just water day in and day out -- I'd love some suggestions of other healthy drinks to try.

How is everyone else coping?

[Gold]

30 Sugar Free Day's

[QUOTE=LilBit;691922]Re: our 30-day SF stint, I had hoped to taper even more this week (reduce coffee to zero) but I'm holding steady instead. It's *that week* and I'm quite frankly the PMS Queen from H_ll! They should feature me on one of those "dangerous animal" shows in which the host cautiously approaches the creature, arms out, speaking to the camera in a hushed whisper, "Here she is. We don't want to disturb her as she nests in her natural habitat, waiting for the unsuspecting boyfriend to wander past and become her next meal. Notice the bloating through her torso, the wild hair, and the dark gray sweatsuit that indicate she's ready to attack at a moment's notice."
QUOTE]

Do you mean like this?

Rat-eating plant named after David Attenborough | Mail Online

(I haven't posted the actual picture as it won't be to everyone's taste)

I thought that when I get to 30 AF days, which will be this Sunday that I would like to join you in 30 sugar free days. Is anyone else starting from the beginning?

I read a very interesting book about sugar a couple of months ago, "Sugar Blues" by William Dufty. It was interesting that hundreds of years ago as sugar became cheaper it was used to adulterate beer to speed up the fermentation process (I think), brewers caught doing this were pilloried, paraded through the village. It made me wonder whether the alcoholic beverages of today are perhaps more damaging than in the past due to the great number of additives, sugar being one.

[greeneyes]

30 Sugar Free Day's

DeeBee;696127 wrote: I must tell you that I am pretty bored of drinking just water day in and day out -- I'd love some suggestions of other healthy drinks to try.

You can put a water pitcher in the fridge and put fruit slices in it. Doesn't have to be a lot to impart a bit of flavor. Seltzer & lime? Decaf iced teas? Lots of tasty herbal ones available.

[LilBit]

30 Sugar Free Day's

Gold;696227 wrote:
Do you mean like this?

Rat-eating plant named after David Attenborough | Mail Online

Why, yes! The second picture even looks like me when I'm PMSing! :H And if the rats were dipped in chocolate, i would probably have wanted to eat them, too.

Last week was a rough one for me, as far as the SF thing goes. I confess to reverting back to 2 half decaf coffees a day and a cocoa at night -- but only for a few nights. Now, I'm back to my taper, reducing the coffee and trying to make due without the cocoa.

Great for you, Deebs, on the weight loss. Woohoo!! That's wonderful! And hang in there. You are our standard bearer. As for non-ho-hum drinks, I love Gerolsteiner (German) mineral water (add lemon). It seems to be fizzier than the other mineral waters and it has a lot of naturally occuring magnesium. Feels like a treat. I also make a pitcher of decaf tea every day and have a decaf orange spice hot tea, just to mix it up.

Well, we're over halfway through SF August. Good for us! Sunday, I watched my BF snarf down two bottles of champagne, three beers, three containers of Chinese takeout, two slices of pizza, and a bag of chips. After that, he passed out in the chair, snoring loudly for two hours. When he woke up, he complained, "I feel so bloated!" like it was some great mystery that the bloat had just happened to him. Geez! It underscored how much better I feel with a good diet and staying AF. I just shook my head.

[DeeBee]

30 Sugar Free Day's

I've been reading up on the 14 Superfoods -- amazing how much oomph we can get from eating the right foods!!

Here's a very brief summary for those interested:
Beans ? lower cholesterol, combat heat disease, stabilize blood sugar, reduce obesity, relieve hypertension and lessen the risk of cancer.
Blueberries ? lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer, and help maintain healthy skin to reduce the sags and bags brought on by age.
Broccoli ? boosts the immune system, lowers the incidence of cataracts, supports cardiovascular health, builds bones and fights birth defects.
Oats ? lower cholesterol, reduce the risk of coronary heart disease & Type II diabetes, high in fiber and protein.
Oranges ? support heart health and prevent cancer, stroke, diabetes and a host of chronic ailments.
Pumpkin ? helps lower the risk of various cancers (lung, colon, bladder, cervical, skin, and breast) and supplies nutrients necessary for healthy, youthful skin.
Wild Salmon - lowers the risk of heart disease and cancer.
Soy ? helps prevent cardiovascular disease, cancer, and osteoporosis, and helps relieve menopausal and menstrual symptoms.
Spinach ? decreases the chance of cardiovascular diseases, a host of cancers, age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.
Tea ? boosts the immune system, helps prevent cancer and osteoporosis, lowers the risk of stroke, promotes cardiovascular health.
Tomatoes ? lower the likelihood of cancer, raise the skin?s sun protection factor and seem to play a role in preventing cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.
Turkey ? a perfect example of a Twenty-First Century ?healthy? protein source, extremely low in fat, and provides multiple nutrients which help build a strong immune system.
Walnuts ? reduce the risk of developing coronary heart disease, diabetes and cancer.
Yogurt ? promotes strong bones and a healthy heart, another health promoting protein source, and a great source of calcium.

[Sunbeam]

30 Sugar Free Day's

Hi Deebs,
I just love the superfoods info. Lists by different authors vary, but they collectively give me guidance for what foods I mostly eat. I don't each much pumpkin for example, but other winter squashes are I believe just about as good nutritionally. Different kinds of beans vary, with darker having more vitamins. I was amazed to learn that dried beans have TWICE as much of everything (protein and vitamins) in comparison to canned.

[DeeBee]

30 Sugar Free Day's

I didn't know that about beans Sun! Thanks for sharing.

What I love about the SuperFoods list is that it's all NORMAL FOODS. Nothing fancy or expensive. It's really just everyday foods that many of us forget about or don't realise the true value of.

For eg I didn't know just how nutritious tomatoes were. Tomatoes are a wonderful source of licopene. Studies have shown that licopene plays a role in heart attack prevention. A good daily amount of lycopene is about 22 milligrams. You can get this from ? cup of tomato puree, one cup of tomato juice or about 2/3 cup of tomato sauce. You get more lycopene from cooked tomato products than raw tomatoes.
Of course, fresh tomatoes are still beneficial, and packed with wonderful nutrients (not to mention delicious). Just remember the one rule of fresh tomatoes: don't put them in the refrigerator. The refrigerator destroys not only the flavor, it also destroys the nutrients.

And as an added bonus, researchers are also finding a link between tomatoes and protection from UV damage from the sun—which could also mean looking younger simply by eating tomatoes.

[Sweaty Betty]

30 Sugar Free Day's

DeeBee - I'd love not to put my tomatoes in the fridge, but they'd be festering in a couple of hours if I didn't. (I'm obviously still lurking!)

[DeeBee]

30 Sugar Free Day's

Hey gang,
Well the month is nearly up and I'm chuffed to say that I stuck to my guns and had NO sugar for a whole 30 days!
I can really feel the benefits in that I have definetly shed a couple of kilo, my jeans are not quite as snug and I don't have that bloated feeling anymore.
I managed to cut out wheat/flour/bread from 90% of my diet and I think this has played a huge role in the "bloated" feeling.
Unfortunately I've had a bit of a rough ride emotionally this month so can't really say whether my moods have stabilized or not .... on second thought, I only really had one bad day so yeah, maybe my moods have leveled out.

Well, as mentioned at the beginning of the month I embarked on this quest with the goal of making it a lifestyle change so onward and upward for the next 30 days.

Is there any one still with me?

[DeeBee]

30 Sugar Free Day's

Here is a great link to the Radiant Recovery website but specifically for Sugar Sensitivity and how it is related to other addictions (like AL)
Radiant Recovery

Can Sugar Really Be Addictive?


Yes, you can get addicted to sugar, sweet foods, and white-flour products (which your body responds to as if they were sugars). This addiction is physiological and affects the same biochemical systems in your body that are affected by addictive drugs like morphine and heroin.

You can actually get "high" on sugar. Eating it can make you feel euphoric immediately. If you don't have your regular sugar "fix," you can experience withdrawal symptoms, such as irritability, headaches, and other flu-like symptoms. Your body can become physiologically dependent upon the effect the sugars have on you.

Your body has a special biochemistry. As a result, you have a different response to sugar than a person with a normal biochemistry. Your heart sings at the sight of a newly opened box of chocolates. Your molecules jump to attention when you get a whiff of bread fresh from the oven. This yearning, however, is not about greed. It is the biochemical response of a sugar-sensitive person.

The good news about biochemically-based behavior is that you can change what and when you eat and your behavior will change. You do not have to pursue years of psychotherapy to get results. You can start changing what you eat and feel better right away.

[DeeBee]

30 Sugar Free Day's

Hmmm, where have all the Sugar Busters disappeared to I wonder......

[DeeBee]

30 Sugar Free Day's

Here is an interesting article on the Sevenpointfive website about the link between Candida and sugar -- this is something I've suffered from for years and have found huge relief by cutting out sugar in my diet.

Candida
Candida Albicans is a fungal form of yeast growth in the body. We all have an amount of Candida, which is usually kept in the digestive tract by friendly bacteria. However some may experience a much larger amount of yeast in the blood.
One of the ways Candida manifests itself is in the well known ways of fungal infections. Thrush is a prime example. Also a craving for sweet things or itchy, scratchy eyes can be a sign of Candida.

Some of the symptoms it produces are:

Depression
Anxiety
Sudden mood swings
Lack of concentration
Drowsiness
Chronic fatigue
Insomnia
Poor memory
Headaches
Light headedness
Swelling and pain in the muscles and joints.
Why does it become harmful? And how does it get out of the digestive tract?

The colon has a mucousal lining, which keeps yeast and bacteria inside. The mucous membrane is kept moist and effective by friendly bacteria. Usually antibiotics will kill these bacteria as well as the bad bacteria it is meant to kill. Or through being acidic, the lining can get damaged, allowing the yeast to escape the digestive tract, into the blood.

[scrubbly]

30 Sugar Free Day's

Deebs, I'm here, I'm here!

I didn't do so hot on the grains part of things, but I did kick sugar about 95% to the curb, and did get rid of dessert, period, and candy, which for me was a huge step.

And I lost FIVE POUNDS since the beginning of August. I'm CHUFFED as you would say, and so glad that you got me on this bandwagon!

I've been watching and reading your progress too, and so glad for you and your success as well. Bring on those skinny jeans girl!!!! Way to go!

Wonder where Lil Bit is?....I know she was doing fairly well too....did you see a month-end status from her?

[DeeBee]

30 Sugar Free Day's

Oh there you are
Congrats on the weight loss Scrubbs! Every little pound counts.
I haven't seen nor heard from LilBit for quite a while -- we'll have to flush her out!

[LilBit]

30 Sugar Free Day's

DeeBee;711436 wrote: Oh there you are
Congrats on the weight loss Scrubbs! Every little pound counts.
I haven't seen nor heard from LilBit for quite a while -- we'll have to flush her out!

Hi Guys. I'm here. And "flushing out" sounds like exactly what I need. :H I was hit with a knarly work deadline and had to work for two weeks straight of gruelling 12-14 hour days to complete a technical paper. I had to put everything aside during that time, including my hiatus from caffeine and, to some degree, from sugar (which I literally used for fuel to stay awake). I met the deadline, and the paper was a great success, but now I feel like "death on a biscuit." Even had a little mini AL binge at the end of it all. Yuk! Back to the drawing board on all fronts. :upset: At least, it underscores how much better I was feeling without the sugar. I also need to find some other way to accomplish such crazy work marathons because they usually occur once or twice a year, out of the blue -- some muckety muck decides they want a work product, and Yours Truly jumps on the hamster wheel!

Thanks for thinking of me.