Quitting sugar

[Molly]

Anyone here quit sugar? I've been lowering my sugar intake for years and have tried to quit sugar totally with limited success. But I think I'm getting close now.

I was born with a sweet tooth and didn't think I'd ever, ever, ever, ever be able to quit sugar. But I've heard that which you are most resistant to is what you need to do the most.

I'm on an anti-inflammatory diet due to arthritis. Sugar is highly inflammatory so it makes no sense to eat sugar than take an anti-inflammatory. Best to cut sugar.

I found the best way is to cut gradually rather than go cold turkey. The cravings get less and less. I am down to 1 square of 70% dark chocolate per day.

I've discovered a few things. I eat more fresh fruits and crave them more than chocolate (NEVER thought I'd say that!). When I do backslide a bit, I actually get sick to my stomach and sometimes get a headache.

Benefits include weight loss, feeling better and sleeping better. I maintain a weight range of 130-135 lbs.

I wish I could say I was pain free - I'm not but pain is less and I need less Advil.

I would be interested in hearing from anyone else who has quit sugar. If anyone wants to but is struggling, let me know and I will help you. I will be happy to share my struggles, failures and successes.

[19Sandy]

I try to avoid sugar too, I am not sure it is possible to avoid completely. I do wish I weighed 135 though.

[catherine]

I gave up sugar for Lent one year. I enjoyed the challenge. It was a long time ago so I can't remember if I felt much differently--but I was generally young enough to feel good most of the time anyway. The one permanent residual effect was that I could never go back to putting sugar in my coffee (including artificial sweeteners). Now I can't stomach the sweetness of it.

One thing to be aware of if you are doing it to reduce the inflammatory effect of it--sugar is in ALL processed foods in one way or another--if not sucrose, high fructose corn syrup. You probably know that, but just thought I'd mention it because that was another thing I gave up for Lent one time: high fructose corn syrup. I literally had to learn how to cook because there was NOTHING, and mean nothing, in the supermarket that didn't have it in it. Things are better now, but I was amazed to read the labels and see that it was in stuff you would never imagine.

I also have a sweet tooth, and it is hard to give it up completely. Maybe treat yourself to an organic dark chocolate square now and then.

[Molly]

Catherine - I do avoid processed foods and pretty much have to make everything from scratch. I don't like to cook, so my meals are simple. A meat, steamed vegetable, baked sweet potato, salad with vinegar and oil dressing (impossible to find bottled dressing without sugar), etc. There are some wonderful soup mixes from a company called Cooke Tavern that do not have sugar. You can find them online. They are my winter staple. I add extra veggies, especially kale from our garden.

Sometime in a pinch, or if I have a meal out, I have to accept that I'm going to get some added sugar. But that is only occasional, not every day.

[catherine]

That's great, Molly. Have you felt a big difference in your arthritis? I know you said it has helped, but I'm just wondering if it has been a meaningful difference in your pain. I don't have arthritis, but I'm very interested in how food choices affect our health.

[Tammy]

Sugar is my only addiction

[ToomuchStuff]

Sugar is my only addiction

Really? I would have thought breathing ranked up there.;)
Since our bodies convert food glucose, I know one day I will give up both sugar and breathing.:laff:

[frugal-one]

I have been using Truvia (https://www.truvia.com/about/ingredients) in baking. Supposedly, it is a natural sugar that does not spike blood sugars.