Author Topic: 31 Days no sugar  (Read 3409 times)

MrThatsDifferent

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31 Days no sugar
« on: May 01, 2017, 03:30:59 AM »
Read a story on Buzzfeed about someone who went 30 days without sugar and thought, what the hell, I should do that! So for May, no added sugar, just natural in fruits and milk. No white rice either. Wish me luck, I'm gonna need it.

ringer707

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Re: 31 Days no sugar
« Reply #1 on: May 01, 2017, 06:18:18 AM »
I read that same article and found it very intriguing. I'm not going to try to cut it totally, as it would likely result in me accidentally strangling someone, but I am going to work on seriously cutting back. I need to stop seeking out my office manager's candy bin for an afternoon treat...

Malaysia41

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Re: 31 Days no sugar
« Reply #2 on: May 01, 2017, 06:42:56 AM »
If you are at all interested in the biochemistry of how your liver metabolizes glucose vs fructose, you may find this video from a Dr. Lustig of the Univ. of California of some use:

The Bitter Truth

bullet points I remember at the moment:

- Glucose (with a 6 atom ring) is the energy of life; it's metabolized easily by every cell in the body.
- Fructose (with 5 atom ring ) can only be metabolized by the liver.
- Sucrose is 50% glucose and 50% fructose.
- High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is generally50% glucose and 50% fructose.
- (so from a biochemisty perspective, sucrose (table sugar) == HFCS)

- much of the glucose is stored as glycogen in the liver. This is normal and good. What's not stored as glucose is burned for energy in the Krebs cycle in the mitochondria. This triggers the fat creation / fat storage pathways when a lot is being burned.
- nearly all of fructose triggers fat storing pathways, but also creates uric acid (gout), and other blood toxins.
- Fructose stifles the signals that tell your brain that you're full... so you keep eating.
- The effects of fructose processes in the liver are very similar to those of methanol (like a shot of whiskey) but without the buzz.
- it's a volume issue. Only a small portion of glucose actually gets metabolized in the liver. And the metabolic process produces waste products that are not good for you body in high amounts. 100% of fructose, on the other hand, is metabolized by the liver, creating many more waste products, even some that glucose metabolism doesn't make.  The liver catches a bit of a break with methanol, as the brain processes about 10% of it (thus the buzz). Not so with fructose.
- remember table sugar and corn syrup are 50/50 glucose/fructose. That's a big load on the liver when consumed at every meal in the amounts that are present in otherwise seemingly sugar free foods.

-fructose as found in fruit is fine for you. It's in small amounts and is absorbed into the liver slowly as it comes with lots and lots of fiber. Fructose in sucrose, on the other hand, hits the liver all at once and is toxic in the sheer load it introduces. Fruit doesn't trigger the negative satiation signalling, nor creates the massive amounts of toxic byproducts in the blood. 

So imagine my horror at the BBQ last night in Northern Italy when I saw this on the table:



The marketing pitch on the side was doubly horrifying:
Italiano:


English:


Good luck with your sugar fast! I too have cut out all processed food with added sugar or added HFCS. Like - forever. A bit of dark choco now and then, however, sure. Or a small piece of a home made pastry - of course.
« Last Edit: May 03, 2017, 09:56:55 PM by Malaysia41 »

stackorstarve

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Re: 31 Days no sugar
« Reply #3 on: May 02, 2017, 12:08:01 PM »
You may not see any significant results with this, and also demonizing one nutrient/vitamin/food is not the best route especially when the research on nutrition is often limited and flawed.

Let's be clear. I'm not saying you shouldn't try it. It may end up working for you. But it would be surprising if you saw real results and moreover if would be a stretch to declare the cause of any results to decreased consumption of sugar.

There's a doctor that looks at the research on various health topics and has a YouTube series about it. Here is one of the videos that explains this in more detail: https://youtu.be/p18WGG7Cpro

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4alpacas

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Re: 31 Days no sugar
« Reply #4 on: May 02, 2017, 12:17:46 PM »
You may not see any significant results with this, and also demonizing one nutrient/vitamin/food is not the best route especially when the research on nutrition is often limited and flawed.

Let's be clear. I'm not saying you shouldn't try it. It may end up working for you. But it would be surprising if you saw real results and moreover if would be a stretch to declare the cause of any results to decreased consumption of sugar.

There's a doctor that looks at the research on various health topics and has a YouTube series about it. Here is one of the videos that explains this in more detail: https://youtu.be/p18WGG7Cpro

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I've done something similar for added sugars and artificial sweeteners.  I found my eating habits improved.  I was forced to stop eating so much processed food (almost everything has a type of added sugar), and I started preparing more of my food at home.  Now, I try to avoid processed foods as much as possible, but I would be hard-pressed to turn down a homemade dessert!  :D

Good luck, OP!

Malaysia41

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Re: 31 Days no sugar
« Reply #5 on: May 02, 2017, 12:35:32 PM »
You may not see any significant results with this, and also demonizing one nutrient/vitamin/food is not the best route especially when the research on nutrition is often limited and flawed.

Let's be clear. I'm not saying you shouldn't try it. It may end up working for you. But it would be surprising if you saw real results and moreover if would be a stretch to declare the cause of any results to decreased consumption of sugar.

There's a doctor that looks at the research on various health topics and has a YouTube series about it. Here is one of the videos that explains this in more detail: https://youtu.be/p18WGG7Cpro

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I don't know; a few hundred years ago, our species consumed nowhere near this amount of instantly absorbed fructose. We know our liver does not metabolize it well. IMO, if you were to pick one dietary molecule to demonize, after alcohol, sucrose (half of which is fructose) is a solid candidate.

If a person eats mostly processed foods, I suspect they'll see real differences in how they feel after 30 days of cutting out anything with added sugar.

I'm looking forward to MrThatsDifferent's observations after a month.

Slow&Steady

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Re: 31 Days no sugar
« Reply #6 on: May 02, 2017, 12:49:28 PM »
Hello, I am a sugar addict.  I had a physical yesterday and was shocked by the number on the scale so your post is very time appropriate for me.

About 4 years ago I lost around 30 lbs and felt great.  We decided to have a kid and I let pregnancy be a complete excuse to totally ruin all my good eating habits.  One of those good eating habits was saying NO to extra sugar. 

So today I got up early to do some body weight exercises, dug out my old calorie (and nutrient) counting app, took a walk during lunch, and got my tea with OUT sugar.  I found when I lost weight the last time it was much more maintainable if I focused on small changes, so I am not necessarily going to try to avoid all sugars in prepared food but I can easily stop drinking sugar and eating late night sugary snacks.  I will join you in a 31 day limited sugar challenge.

My calorie app (too bad it doesn't break it down into type of sugar)shows:
May 1: 79 grams of sugar

stackorstarve

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Re: 31 Days no sugar
« Reply #7 on: May 02, 2017, 12:54:35 PM »
You may not see any significant results with this, and also demonizing one nutrient/vitamin/food is not the best route especially when the research on nutrition is often limited and flawed.

Let's be clear. I'm not saying you shouldn't try it. It may end up working for you. But it would be surprising if you saw real results and moreover if would be a stretch to declare the cause of any results to decreased consumption of sugar.

There's a doctor that looks at the research on various health topics and has a YouTube series about it. Here is one of the videos that explains this in more detail: https://youtu.be/p18WGG7Cpro

Sent from my LG-H811 using Tapatalk

I don't know; a few hundred years ago, our species consumed nowhere near this amount of instantly absorbed fructose. We know our liver does not metabolize it well. IMO, if you were to pick one dietary molecule to demonize, after alcohol, sucrose (half of which is fructose) is a solid candidate.

If a person eats mostly processed foods, I suspect they'll see real differences in how they feel after 30 days of cutting out anything with added sugar.

I'm looking forward to MrThatsDifferent's observations after a month.
I mean I'm not saying that it can't work or it doesn't work. I'm just saying that research doesn't really point one way or another. Anecdotal evidence doesn't really provide solid support and really shouldn't be the basis for nutritional diets. But basically, I'm saying there is the possibility that it won't help at all and just to be prepared for that possibility.

Also just because we didn't do it millennia ago doesn't necessarily mean it's unhealthy. We didn't have advanced medicine back then and that's turned out to work rather well for us.

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« Last Edit: May 02, 2017, 12:57:38 PM by stackorstarve »

CdnChris

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Re: 31 Days no sugar
« Reply #8 on: May 02, 2017, 01:25:22 PM »
Over the last couple of years I've reduced my sugar consumption mostly through food choices; no more bottled (sweetened) iced tea and if I order a latte I get it without any flavour, eat less processed food and more of the same.

Anecdotally (my experience?), I definitely feel better and I find it is far easier to maintain a healthy weight.

Good luck with your May challenge!

Slow&Steady

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Re: 31 Days no sugar
« Reply #9 on: May 03, 2017, 12:30:01 PM »
My calorie app (too bad it doesn't break it down into type of sugar)shows:
May 1: 79 grams of sugar
May 2: 44 grams

Secretly Saving

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Re: 31 Days no sugar
« Reply #10 on: May 03, 2017, 03:48:10 PM »
I'll join you all!  In February I cut out basically all sugar in the form of sweets and white carbohydrates.  It was definitely an addiction.  I'm shooting for an entire year without ice cream, candy, sweet drinks etc.  I don't limit fruit, but I don't crave it, so my fruit intake has been low as well.  I find that sugar creeps up into other things - salad dressing, barbecue sauce... I haven't worried about these too much, but I plan to start to look at them, so this will be my focus for the next 30 days.

Hotstreak

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Re: 31 Days no sugar
« Reply #11 on: May 03, 2017, 04:36:45 PM »
Good luck everybody!!  I've been on a low/no added sugar diet for a long time.  I might have something sweet as a small snack once a week or so, like a pastry or a bit of honey.  Overall energy levels are more stable, not tired after lunch, sleep better, better mood.  In my experience a vast majority of people who cut sugar from their diet end up feeling and looking better for it.  It can suck at first when you initially deprive your body of sugar, but if you stick with it for a week or so things will get better! 

Malaysia41

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Re: 31 Days no sugar
« Reply #12 on: May 03, 2017, 09:55:53 PM »
I'll join you all!  In February I cut out basically all sugar in the form of sweets and white carbohydrates.  It was definitely an addiction.  I'm shooting for an entire year without ice cream, candy, sweet drinks etc.  I don't limit fruit, but I don't crave it, so my fruit intake has been low as well.  I find that sugar creeps up into other things - salad dressing, barbecue sauce... I haven't worried about these too much, but I plan to start to look at them, so this will be my focus for the next 30 days.

Sugar's in nearly everything that's been processed in some way. Even peanut butter. Sheesh - peanut butter doesn't need sugar! I'm living in Italy right now, and even here, it's difficult to find a loaf of bread in the grocery store that doesn't have added sugar.

I guess I didn't say in my Fructose post - but I'll join you all too. I guess I can fire up my old fitness pal app and start tracking. Good luck!

Slow&Steady

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Re: 31 Days no sugar
« Reply #13 on: May 04, 2017, 07:11:31 AM »
It appears that I looked at the wrong spot yesterday for my sugar intake.  I looked at the amount remain before I exceeded the goal they set for me, not the total I actually reached, so I had to edit my May 2 number. I am now very aware of why I was really really wanting something sweet yesterday, hopefully I can keep that craving pushed down.

My calorie app (too bad it doesn't break it down into type of sugar)shows:
May 1: 79 grams of sugar
May 2: 18 grams
May 3: 19 grams

Livingthedream55

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Re: 31 Days no sugar
« Reply #14 on: May 22, 2017, 12:53:20 PM »
Joining! I read "How Not to Die"   by Dr. Michael Gregor and immediately quit all artificial sweeteners and am tracking my intake of all other sugars.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rNY7xKyGCQ

My goal is no more than 25 grams of added sugar daily so I am now eating:
Lots more plant-based whole foods, i.e. food with one ingredient!
No salt, no sugar all natural peanut butter
Bread with no sugar (Ezekials)
Making my own spaghetti sauce

I am using a scant amount of date sugar occasionally when baking. Yesterday I made a batch of really good Banana Walnut muffins - here is the recipe. Next time I will try to reduce date sugar in half and see if there is any noticeable difference.

DRY INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
1 ¾ cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup date sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

WET INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup raisins
3 ripe bananas
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup almond milk

Mix 1 tbsp ground flaxseed in 3 tablespoons water in a small cup, set aside for 5 minutes, it will thicken (this will make a flax "egg"). In one bowl, mash bananas, then add applesauce, almond milk and raisins. In a separate bowl, add all remaining ingredients. Now add your flaxseed gel and mix all your wet and dry ingredients together. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

I used paper muffin liners. The muffin will stick a bit when first out of the oven (because there is no oil) but once cooled they come out of the paper liners just fine.
 


« Last Edit: May 23, 2017, 08:38:06 AM by Livingthedream55 »

 

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