Comments | ontd_political: The bitter truth about sugar

ms_maree in ontd_political

The bitter truth about sugar

Mar 28, 2012 10:20

It's addictive, potentially harmful and absolutely everywhere. But is sugar really a poison that should be kept out of vulnerable hands?

Recently an American doctor called Robert Lustig has been calling for laws that restrict sugar as if it were alcohol or tobacco. Like many people, I suspect, my initial reaction upon hearing this was: give me a ( Read more... )

food, obesity, health, world health organization

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joshlymanftw March 28 2012, 01:24:11 UTC

Uuuuugh. In my office, we have a clientele that requires easily accessible snacks - so we ALWAYS have sugary stuff around. 100 calorie packs, sodas, candy, chocolate... it's SO HARD to not just run over to the cabinet and grab a mini-hersheys thing every time I need a pick me up. I've been eating SO. MUCH. SUGAR. since I started working there.

Has anyone here been successful in cutting out sugar, and if so, HOW did you do it?!?

ms_maree March 28 2012, 01:29:14 UTC

I'm a month in being sugar free (specifically fructose free). I went cold turkey because I know I'd be deluding myself if I tried to cut it out gradually but I'm sure it's different for other people.

The first four days were hell. I got headaches, I couldn't sleep, I was irritable and I felt hungry all the time.

The next week it was okay, I still felt irritable but the headaches went away and I started sleeping. I know it takes about 3 to 4 weeks to really get over physical addiction, so I had to slog it out.

I found in the second week I wasn't hungry at all, so I had force myself to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. But then after that second week my appetite returned. I found I got really hungry, but when I ate I got full faster so I wasn't eating as much. Now I'm sleeping all through the night and no longer having broken sleep, my anxiety is far less and my PMS symptoms are practically non-existent.

But it's early days yet...so I'm still struggling with the chocolate cravings. I think I'll be fine if I do another

hinoema March 28 2012, 05:10:00 UTC

When I get chocolate cravings i make my own chocolate/ cocoa with organic cocoa powder, whey protein (preferably goat milk whey) sweetened with stevia and a bit of healthful oil like coconut. It tastes great and is a great sugar free chocolate.

coping mechanisms ms_maree March 28 2012, 01:33:18 UTC

One of my coping mechanism (because I was also sitting next to a chocolate vending machine) was to bring nuts and berries to work (strawberries mostly). Every time I had a craving for chocolate I ate nuts and strawberries. I put the tin between myself and the machine and I refused to look at it. (ETA refused to look at the vending machines)

I also avoided the confectionary aisle in the supermarket.

confectionqueen March 28 2012, 15:03:06 UTC

Almonds have been a god-send for me for the past week. a tiny handful is so filling! And then after that I forget I even wanted anything.

keeperofthekeys March 28 2012, 02:34:25 UTC

I was, at one point. Now I'd say I'm "reduced" sugar, since I can't seem to quit some pre (and okay, post) workout chocolate. But I don't sugar anything else (breakfast, coffee/tea, yogurt, snacks, no other desserts ( ... )

astridmyrna March 28 2012, 04:48:10 UTC

For one, substitutes and slowly weaning myself. I went from "I must have grande java chip frap" to "tall java chip frap" to "tall mocha frap" to "venti ice tea with all sweetner" and slowly reducing the sweetner where I just have 2 pumps instead of six, or it's too sweet.

Also, get in the habit of making your own candies/cookies/cakes. They're less sweet than the packaged stuff, and soon you don't crave it as much. Since you're surrounded by sweets at work, take carrot sticks or celery sticks and chew on that so your body knows it's eating when there's food around.

confectionqueen March 28 2012, 15:08:20 UTC

This isthe same for me. I can quit things cold turkey, but I can slowly cut down of it -I went from a large Icedcapp at TimHortons everyday to a medium homemade French Vanilla cappuchino everyday(I use their mixture, but use less than the recommended amount )

Baking has been the best solution for me eating healthier! I just wish I didn't have the cleanup to deal with...

mandragora1 March 28 2012, 08:26:00 UTC

I went low-carb, which means cutting out all sugary stuff. I still eat chocolate (dark, with at least 70% cocoa content - the stuff that's actually good for you, in small quantities) but try not to eat or drink anything else that's got sugar in it.

I've never liked either tea or coffee so no problems there with sugar. I used to drink loads of low-calorie lemonade (UK version, so similar to Sprite and 7-Up) but switched to water. Which I now actually like better and find lemonade not nice at all.

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