Has anyone quit taking sugar and coffee?

[neonlight]

Hi,

Has anyone stopped taking sugar and observed changes in your health? I’ve read that reducing sugar intake increases alertness, as well as helps in slimming down.

I have stopped drinking coffee to reduce caffeine, I am now on day 40 of no coffee.

[Hirondelle]

@diapasoun recently did a sugar-free challenge and noticed some effects!

[NorCal]

I started the Paelo diet about almost 2 years ago, of which eliminating sugar is a component.  Although I do still drink coffee.

It greatly improved our mood and health.  My wife's BP had previously been creeping up, and it since normalized.  I lost about 25 pounds over 3 months.

I'm not sure how much of this is sugar vs grains, but I'd imagine sugar was a big piece of it.

[I'm a red panda]

I couldn't give up fruit, so there is no way I could stop sugar.

I've never been a coffee drinker. I have less than 3 cups a month, and only at last resort.  Just not a fan.

[GuitarStv]

No, I haven't given up sugar.  As mentioned, it's present in large quantities in fruit and vegetables . . . and you should be regularly eating both.

I was a very regular coffee drinker in university (about a pot to a pot and a half a day - ten to fourteen cups).  I quit cold turkey.  First week was very hard, second week was crappy but not as bad.  By the third week I was feeling fine.  I still use caffeine occasionally these days, but no more than a one cup a couple times a week, and primarily before a long bike ride as an athletic performance enhancer.  That one cup has a bigger noticeable impact on me now than five or six cups used to.

[MDfive21]

i quit teh caffeine in a bid to reduce or eliminate migraines.  to a degree it's worked.  there are other migraine triggers but at least i know i'm cutting out one source.  in general, i feel more steady and not on a mental and physical roller coaster every day from the stimulant and coincident withdrawal effect.  no edgy feeling, no dragging if i didn't get the coffee.

check out the keto thread for plenty of stories and info about quitting sugar and the benefits derived from it.

[EvenSteven]

I've upped my caffeine intake at work for the last seven months due to the birth of a child and a resulting interruption of continuous sleep. I have found that about 48 hours after my last cup (so around Sunday afternoon) I get a withdrawal headache. Looking forward to a full nights sleep sometime in the hopefully near future.

[diapasoun]

I did a no-added-sugar month in March. I wasn't super super diligent about it -- like, I had creamer one day that had 2g of added sugar, I had jam one day, that sort of thing, and I definitely continued to have 1-2 cups of fruit a day and plenty of veggies -- but it was definitely a change, and it definitely illuminated some things for me.

The biggest thing for me was how free I felt from my sugar cravings. I'd had a not-great relationship with sugar for a while (not eating it and then bingeing, basically) and I didn't realize how much headspace I was taking up shaming myself over eating sugar. All of a sudden, when sugar was available and I passed it up... I felt longing sometimes, but also this wide open space that was lack of shame. I was truly amazed at how much time I wasn't spending needling myself for eating a food my ancestors would have screamed at me to eat.

I also noticed that my gut was generally happier. I've usually only noticed an effect on my stomach happiness from acid, but I could tell that my gut was happier at the end of the month than at the start.

I've now been Back On The Cane Juice, but I'm finding that my relationship to the white stuff is much better now. I'm not really feeling cravings; the only time I feel that crave-and-shame spiral are when I'm at, say, a baby shower where there's a crapton of beautiful home-baked pastries. I also find that my gut now can't handle sugar as well; I really notice if I've had a bunch. My boyfriend and I shared a 12 oz milkshake the other day and it definitely made me nauseated. So, whoops on that, though it certainly helps to prevent huge cravings when I imagine how sick I'll feel after eating something. :P

I may do a periodic no-added-sugar month in the future; certainly if I find myself getting into that bad headspace again.

*****

Re coffee -- I used to be a very regular coffee drinker, 2-3 cups a day. I gave myself acute gastritis by doing this, and then ended up with chronic gastritis when I just.wouldn't.quit. After catching a bad stomach flu which made the gastritis a bit of a nightmare, I just... stopped. I like the taste a lot, but the acid is just too much (even cold brewing a low-acid coffee). I have coffee maybe once a week now, as a Saturday morning pleasure type thing, and often drink decaf when I do.

I do, uh, drink an inordinate amount of tea. Like I go through a few pounds of loose-leaf tea a year. So, I'm definitely not off the caffeine. Still, I find that even two pots of tea doesn't make me jittery in the way that coffee makes me jittery. Something about coffee really zings me, while tea is a much gentler boost.

[One]

I have quit caffeine several times but it’s very addictive. It’s been about a year since I’ve had any. The good things are that I sleep better now, I have to urinate less often, and it is clear vs yellow from dehydration. I’m not jittery now and the heart doesn’t race. The bad things are that you tire more easily and get hungry easier because caffeine seems to depress the appetite.  Overall I feel better.

I try to eat real food in moderation.  Try not to add sugar to anything but don’t worry about eating fruit.  Just eat real food in moderation and everything is fine. Forget all the B.S. diets and paleo crap.  Eat whole foods, mostly vegetables and cut out as much refined oils, refined sugars, and any man made foods as possible.

[Just Joe]

I have a major sweet tooth. I know if I cut back on sugar for a while, everything sweet tastes too sweet. I basically can't do drive-thru milkshakes anymore. I too noticed the no-caffeine weekends end with a headache.

Sugar is my addiction... Am learning to conquer it.

[Askel]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UZJRR8OHhY

[RetiredAt63]

I haven't quit caffeine but I have totally stopped drinking coffee (regular or decaf).  I switched to tea.  My stomach lining is happier, my taste buds miss the coffee.

[Laserjet3051]

In all seriousness, exactly what do you mean by "stopped taking sugar?" Are you talking about not adding sugar to food, or about not eating processed food with added sugar, or not eating any food with sugar. If the latter, as a poster above pointed out, that would require not eating any fruits or vegetables of any sorts; even lettuce has 0.3g sugar per serving. No plants of any sort in the diet? Sounds awful.

[wenchsenior]

In all seriousness, exactly what do you mean by "stopped taking sugar?" Are you talking about not adding sugar to food, or about not eating processed food with added sugar, or not eating any food with sugar. If the latter, as a poster above pointed out, that would require not eating any fruits or vegetables of any sorts; even lettuce has 0.3g sugar per serving. No plants of any sort in the diet? Sounds awful.

Yes.  There's a shit-ton of research on 'added' sugar and processed carbs.  They are not good for us in a whole bunch of ways, full stop.  But whole fruits, veggies, grains, beans etc, which contain sugar and carbs, are good for us b/c they also contain tons of nutrients and fiber, and many people don't eat enough of them (barring specific allegies, etc.).  Generally, it's always a good idea for health to reduce intake of processed food and added sugar.  Specific benefits that any individual feels are going to vary.  Most people have more energy b/c they stabilize their blood sugar more easily once they reduce sugar intake.  Many people have diabetes, prediabetes, or simply sub-optimal insulin function that may or may not be related to being overweight, which can lead to all sorts of long term health issues (including hormonal imbalances that can affect energy, appearance, fertility, etc).  Cutting added sugar and processed carbs can improve that.  In very specific cases, cutting sugary fruit might be helpful as well, but your average person probably doesn't need to worry about eating too much fruit.

[GuitarStv]

Yes.  There's a shit-ton of research on 'added' sugar and processed carbs.  They are not good for us in a whole bunch of ways, full stop.

Processed carbs and added sugars are certainly over-consumed by many people who don't need them on a regular basis (and avoiding them as a general rule works for a lot of people). . . but heavily processed fructose and glucose are significant performance enhancers when taken in certain types of endurance sports and can be used (in combination with proteins) to aid muscle recovery and enhance muscle growth.

[wenchsenior]

Yes.  There's a shit-ton of research on 'added' sugar and processed carbs.  They are not good for us in a whole bunch of ways, full stop./quote]

Processed carbs and added sugars are certainly over-consumed by many people who don't need them on a regular basis (and avoiding them as a general rule works for a lot of people). . . but heavily processed fructose and glucose are significant performance enhancers when taken in certain types of endurance sports and can be used (in combination with proteins) to aid muscle recovery and enhance muscle growth.

Ok, noted.  Nothing works when I've bonked at the top of a mountain better than a straight up shot of gatorade.  However, I suspect only a tiny fraction of the population actually needs non-whole-food sugar ingestion on any kind of regular basis.

[Laserjet3051]

In all seriousness, exactly what do you mean by "stopped taking sugar?" Are you talking about not adding sugar to food, or about not eating processed food with added sugar, or not eating any food with sugar. If the latter, as a poster above pointed out, that would require not eating any fruits or vegetables of any sorts; even lettuce has 0.3g sugar per serving. No plants of any sort in the diet? Sounds awful.

Yes.  There's a shit-ton of research on 'added' sugar and processed carbs.  They are not good for us in a whole bunch of ways, full stop.  But whole fruits, veggies, grains, beans etc, which contain sugar and carbs, are good for us b/c they also contain tons of nutrients and fiber, and many people don't eat enough of them (barring specific allegies, etc.).  Generally, it's always a good idea for health to reduce intake of processed food and added sugar.  Specific benefits that any individual feels are going to vary.  Most people have more energy b/c they stabilize their blood sugar more easily once they reduce sugar intake.  Many people have diabetes, prediabetes, or simply sub-optimal insulin function that may or may not be related to being overweight, which can lead to all sorts of long term health issues (including hormonal imbalances that can affect energy, appearance, fertility, etc).  Cutting added sugar and processed carbs can improve that.  In very specific cases, cutting sugary fruit might be helpful as well, but your average person probably doesn't need to worry about eating too much fruit.

I've been a practicing research scientist for over 30 years with a strong command of energy catabolism/metabolism. What exactly in my post made you inclined to believe I dont already know the obvious, which you stated above. Are you sure you meant to direct your response to me?

[wenchsenior]

In all seriousness, exactly what do you mean by "stopped taking sugar?" Are you talking about not adding sugar to food, or about not eating processed food with added sugar, or not eating any food with sugar. If the latter, as a poster above pointed out, that would require not eating any fruits or vegetables of any sorts; even lettuce has 0.3g sugar per serving. No plants of any sort in the diet? Sounds awful.

Yes.  There's a shit-ton of research on 'added' sugar and processed carbs.  They are not good for us in a whole bunch of ways, full stop.  But whole fruits, veggies, grains, beans etc, which contain sugar and carbs, are good for us b/c they also contain tons of nutrients and fiber, and many people don't eat enough of them (barring specific allegies, etc.).  Generally, it's always a good idea for health to reduce intake of processed food and added sugar.  Specific benefits that any individual feels are going to vary.  Most people have more energy b/c they stabilize their blood sugar more easily once they reduce sugar intake.  Many people have diabetes, prediabetes, or simply sub-optimal insulin function that may or may not be related to being overweight, which can lead to all sorts of long term health issues (including hormonal imbalances that can affect energy, appearance, fertility, etc).  Cutting added sugar and processed carbs can improve that.  In very specific cases, cutting sugary fruit might be helpful as well, but your average person probably doesn't need to worry about eating too much fruit.

I've been a practicing research scientist for over 30 years with a strong command of energy catabolism/metabolism. What exactly in my post made you inclined to believe I dont already know the obvious, which you stated above. Are you sure you meant to direct your response to me?

Uh, I was backing up what you said. Sorry if it was unclear. ETA: It WAS apparently unclear, so to clarify...I agree with your response to the OP, but I'm not certain the OP finds 'the obvious' to be obvious.  That's why I spelled it out.

[Laserjet3051]

Thank you for the clarification.

[John Galt incarnate!]

I haven't quit caffeine but I have totally stopped drinking coffee (regular or decaf).  I switched to tea.  My stomach lining is happier, my taste buds miss the coffee.

I used to drink 1 cup of coffee (black w/ sugar) in the winter if it was a dreary and unusually cold morning.

I quit coffee and switched to  tea w/ sugar & cinnamon.

[ketchup]

Yes.  There's a shit-ton of research on 'added' sugar and processed carbs.  They are not good for us in a whole bunch of ways, full stop.

Processed carbs and added sugars are certainly over-consumed by many people who don't need them on a regular basis (and avoiding them as a general rule works for a lot of people). . . but heavily processed fructose and glucose are significant performance enhancers when taken in certain types of endurance sports and can be used (in combination with proteins) to aid muscle recovery and enhance muscle growth.

Ok, noted.  Nothing works when I've bonked at the top of a mountain better than a straight up shot of gatorade.  However, I suspect only a tiny fraction of the population actually needs non-whole-food sugar ingestion on any kind of regular basis.

I know a couple office bros that fancy themselves gym bros (they're not - guts instead of guns, and it's been years) that will drink an absurd amount of powerade, Monster energy drinks, chocolate milk ("it's hydrating"), and other similar garbage at work.  Nobody needs that crap when they're sitting on their ass at an office job for eight hours.

Personally, I don't have added sugar or coffee that often, but I can definitely "feel it" when I overdo it on sugar (usually goodies at work - the grocery store bakery stuff or donuts or whatever don't interest me, but I'll have plenty of homemade snickerdoodles if someone brings them in).  My appetite gets all out of whack for about the next 24 hours, similar to when I short myself on sleep.

[I'm a red panda]

In all seriousness, exactly what do you mean by "stopped taking sugar?" Are you talking about not adding sugar to food, or about not eating processed food with added sugar, or not eating any food with sugar. If the latter, as a poster above pointed out, that would require not eating any fruits or vegetables of any sorts; even lettuce has 0.3g sugar per serving. No plants of any sort in the diet? Sounds awful.

Yes.  There's a shit-ton of research on 'added' sugar and processed carbs.  They are not good for us in a whole bunch of ways, full stop.  But whole fruits, veggies, grains, beans etc, which contain sugar and carbs, are good for us b/c they also contain tons of nutrients and fiber, and many people don't eat enough of them (barring specific allegies, etc.).  Generally, it's always a good idea for health to reduce intake of processed food and added sugar.  Specific benefits that any individual feels are going to vary.  Most people have more energy b/c they stabilize their blood sugar more easily once they reduce sugar intake.  Many people have diabetes, prediabetes, or simply sub-optimal insulin function that may or may not be related to being overweight, which can lead to all sorts of long term health issues (including hormonal imbalances that can affect energy, appearance, fertility, etc).  Cutting added sugar and processed carbs can improve that.  In very specific cases, cutting sugary fruit might be helpful as well, but your average person probably doesn't need to worry about eating too much fruit.

Interestingly, when I had gestational diabetes with my second pregnancy, I could eat 1/2 cup of fruit loops with a cup of skim milk or 4 dunkin donut munchkins for breakfast and stay well below a 110 (not sure the units, sorry) 2-hour post-prandial reading
But if I hate half a banana (a full banana was considered 2 servings of carbs), I was over it.  I basically had to give up fruit entirely.

I'm not diabetic though, so I can't really say how fruit affects things for people who live with this for more than 16 weeks of their life.

[neonlight]

I haven't quit caffeine but I have totally stopped drinking coffee (regular or decaf).  I switched to tea.  My stomach lining is happier, my taste buds miss the coffee.

Actually I didn't quit caffeine either, I am still on tea and occasionally chocolates - both which have some degree of caffeine. But I've stopped coffee altogether.

[neonlight]

In all seriousness, exactly what do you mean by "stopped taking sugar?" Are you talking about not adding sugar to food, or about not eating processed food with added sugar, or not eating any food with sugar. If the latter, as a poster above pointed out, that would require not eating any fruits or vegetables of any sorts; even lettuce has 0.3g sugar per serving. No plants of any sort in the diet? Sounds awful.

I should have been more precise, my goal is to quit sugary things like cakes etc. Natural sugar such as fruits and vegetables are definitely still on my list.

It's sometimes a challenge, a small piece of cake at work, a tidbits to bite at home. These all adds up to the sugar in take. These are the ones I want to eliminate fully. As I speak my table has some jams, a cake, refined bread etc etc, of which all I want to quit. I need to try harder.

[partgypsy]

After reading "Sugar blues" I followed a no-added sugar diet for 4 years. It was actually very healthy way to live, because it cuts out a lot of fast food, and needed to do things like make my own bread, granola, soup, salad dressings, etc. However once I graduated college and back in the real world, I totally fell off the wagon.

It's hard to know how much it improved my health, because at the time my overall diet and lifestyle was pretty healthy. It reduced my sugar craving but did not eliminate them.

If think if you can restrict your sugar intake it is good for your health, and it makes it easier to eat better overall because you just have to say no to a lot of things.

If you don't want to go all the way but want to reduce your sugar, you can make a rule any baked goods (aka sweets) in the house are homemade, and eliminate any added sugar in beverages. I've done various forms of that to limit my sugar intake. Neonlight, if you can make sweets at home, reduce the sugar and substitute whole wheat for half of the flour, and bring those treats to work when you want a treat. 

The only thing  that made my sugar craving disappear, was a brief (8 week) period of time I was doing crossfit light. Instead of craving sugar I craved protein instead. I have to keep to a pretty intense level for it to happen to me unfortunately.

As far as coffee I drink it a couple times a week, but I drink tea every day. Like another poster says, you actually get the benefits of coffee (alertness, performance) MORE if you don't drink it regularly. For me at least drinking tea gives me the pleasure and benefits of caffeine without the downside (crashes, withdrawal headaches).   

[neonlight]

After reading "Sugar blues" I followed a no-added sugar diet for 4 years. It was actually very healthy way to live, because it cuts out a lot of fast food, and needed to do things like make my own bread, granola, soup, salad dressings, etc. However once I graduated college and back in the real world, I totally fell off the wagon.

It's hard to know how much it improved my health, because at the time my overall diet and lifestyle was pretty healthy. It reduced my sugar craving but did not eliminate them.

If think if you can restrict your sugar intake it is good for your health, and it makes it easier to eat better overall because you just have to say no to a lot of things.

If you don't want to go all the way but want to reduce your sugar, you can make a rule any baked goods (aka sweets) in the house are homemade, and eliminate any added sugar in beverages. I've done various forms of that to limit my sugar intake. Neonlight, if you can make sweets at home, reduce the sugar and substitute whole wheat for half of the flour, and bring those treats to work when you want a treat. 

The only thing  that made my sugar craving disappear, was a brief (8 week) period of time I was doing crossfit light. Instead of craving sugar I craved protein instead. I have to keep to a pretty intense level for it to happen to me unfortunately.

As far as coffee I drink it a couple times a week, but I drink tea every day. Like another poster says, you actually get the benefits of coffee (alertness, performance) MORE if you don't drink it regularly. For me at least drinking tea gives me the pleasure and benefits of caffeine without the downside (crashes, withdrawal headaches).

You have inspired me to start a “no cake, no cookie, no tidbits” regime similar to my current no coffee regime.

[bacchi]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UZJRR8OHhY

Comedy-fucking-gold. Thanks.

[John Galt incarnate!]

After reading "Sugar blues" I followed a no-added sugar diet for 4 years. It was actually very healthy way to live, because it cuts out a lot of fast food, and needed to do things like make my own bread, granola, soup, salad dressings, etc. However once I graduated college and back in the real world, I totally fell off the wagon.

It's hard to know how much it improved my health, because at the time my overall diet and lifestyle was pretty healthy. It reduced my sugar craving but did not eliminate them.

If think if you can restrict your sugar intake it is good for your health, and it makes it easier to eat better overall because you just have to say no to a lot of things.

If you don't want to go all the way but want to reduce your sugar, you can make a rule any baked goods (aka sweets) in the house are homemade, and eliminate any added sugar in beverages. I've done various forms of that to limit my sugar intake. Neonlight, if you can make sweets at home, reduce the sugar and substitute whole wheat for half of the flour, and bring those treats to work when you want a treat. 

The only thing  that made my sugar craving disappear, was a brief (8 week) period of time I was doing crossfit light. Instead of craving sugar I craved protein instead. I have to keep to a pretty intense level for it to happen to me unfortunately.

As far as coffee I drink it a couple times a week, but I drink tea every day. Like another poster says, you actually get the benefits of coffee (alertness, performance) MORE if you don't drink it regularly. For me at least drinking tea gives me the pleasure and benefits of caffeine without the downside (crashes, withdrawal headaches).

You have inspired me to start a “no cake, no cookie, no tidbits” regime similar to my current no coffee regime.

Though my consumption of cake/cookies/donuts/candy/soda was not excessive I decided to reduce it.

It wasn't difficult as I never had cravings for sweets.

[FIREstache]

Coffee is good for you, although it's best not to have too much caffeine, so I drink mostly decaf, which still gives the same health benefits.

I eat sweets with some regularity, but I don't overdue it.  Everything in moderation.

[neonlight]

Coffee is good for you, although it's best not to have too much caffeine, so I drink mostly decaf, which still gives the same health benefits.

I eat sweets with some regularity, but I don't overdue it.  Everything in moderation.

Certainly, everything in moderation.

Today I had two cups of tea with milk, each time with a small teaspoon of sugar. I am stopping at that today :)

[BTDretire]

 About 5 years ago I stopped putting sugar and cream in my coffee.
I drink about 16oz of coffee in the morning.
 As I got older I just had less of a sweet tooth.
Although if there is ice cream in the house, I'll be eating it.

[partgypsy]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UZJRR8OHhY

Hilarious!