Sugar addiction

fozzybear

fozzybear

fozzybear

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Joined
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I've recently been trying to cut out sugar from my diet by having sweeteners in my tea and generally eating healthier (high fibre diet). Having 36 jaffa cakes in one sitting wasn't doing me much good! :p

The problem is that I feel like crap. I'm irritable, tired and cannot concentrate. I've probably made the mistake of cutting it out all of a sudden rather than doing it slowly.

I just need some recommendations of snacks (low or zero sugar content) that could curb my craving. I seem to be eating oranges and rice pudding (yes, they have sugar in) at the moment. I haven't had chocolate or biscuits for around a week now.

I'm tempted to go back to having just 1 teaspoon of sugar in my tea and take it from there. I swear my body and mind is slowly shutting down. :eek:
 
You cant just reduce it, go cold turkey and in a few days youll be feeling better. Cut out the fruit and anything else with sugar to begin with and brake the cycle.

Dont worry about calorie intake to start eith, just eat high protein.

Once youve broken it and insulin response is reset then you can modify the diet.
 
Glaucus said:
You cant just reduce it, go cold turkey and in a few days youll be feeling better. Cut out the fruit and anything else with sugar to begin with and brake the cycle.

Dont worry about calorie intake to start eith, just eat high protein.

Once youve broken it and insulin response is reset then you can modify the diet.
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What sort of thing could I eat for dessert or pudding if I cut out oranges and other sweet stuff?

I might have to eat more apples, peaches and melon. They have less sugar than oranges don't they?
 
Dont, why do you need a pudding every day.
There still high in sugar, you are better giving up sugar totaly for say teo weeks, before rein troducing some, to break the cycle.
 
I'm reading Rob Wolfe's book on the Paleo diet, whilst the actual diet may not be everyone's cup of tea his explanations in regard to grains, sugars and sweeteners are very good.

Maybe see if you can pick up a copy.
 
I really don't like the paleo diet. On the one hand, I agree with most of what it tells you to eat but on the other I find the "science" behind it to be incredibly flawed/junk-y.

@OP

Whilst it may make cravings less bad if you reduce things slowly you are likely to find it much easier to be strict with yourself if you go cold-turkey, as suggested above. It sounds like you've already started reading up on things like sugar content in food so keep doing that to expand your options. Quite a lot of nuts are quite decent as sweet-tasting snacks so a small handful could be a good go-to thing.
 
Why don't you try dropping snacks? You shouldn't need them, you body will have ample energy reserves in terms of glycogen and fat. It is not normal to need regular doses of sugar. I would suggest that you eat fruit after a meal and quit snacking.
 
EdwardTeach said:
Why don't you try dropping snacks? You shouldn't need them, you body will have ample energy reserves in terms of glycogen and fat. It is not normal to need regular doses of sugar. I would suggest that you eat fruit after a meal and quit snacking.
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As above, most fruit is loaded with sugar. Quitting snacking is great but eating a load of sugars/simple carbs isn't great.
 
Eating oranges is certainly better than biscuits and sweets. Just don't eat oranges constantly throughout the day, because you need to give your saliva time to reset the natural pH of your mouth.

Try eating raw carrots and unsalted nuts and seeds. Carrots will taste boring at first because they are subtley sweet, but you will get used to it.
 
I've given up sugar successfully after I started the keto diet, it was difficult and I had severe cravings for something substantial and sweet. I started using the liquid form of Stevia in my black coffee which worked well, I also sorted the cravings by having a small amount of natural peanut butter mixed with artificial sweetner and whipped cream. It's substantial enough to satiate the craving for something like cake that you can chew on.

I don't really miss sugar anymore now, the liquid stevia is pretty concentrated and has a sugar-like taste.
 
Its not a simple as people make out.

The sugar/getting fat cycle is deeply ingrained in most people and trying to get out of it is stupidly difficult.

what I will say is that you are poisoning your self with what your currently doing and I dont use that word lightly. the sweeteners that your using all have a huge amount of side effects. you would be healthier just by using honey and reducing it over a few weeks to adjust your need for sweetness.

What you are going through is a refined carb/sugar detox, if youve cut out sugary things like jaffa cakes then physically/mentally you are going to crave them.

these are some of my tips from a former sugar junky....

Water...lots!

Fruit (minimally) people are right its laden with sugar but...its better than a mcflurry.

Proteins (Lots) hugely filling and satiating.

Fat (Lots) things like peanut butter, very high in fat (get the raw no added sugar versions) and really filling, I quite like cashew butter myself on sliced apple.

not to teach you to suck eggs but your bread intake will have a huge effect on the amount of sugars/carbs you are eating.


The sugar detox isnt fun, but once you feel you have a handle on it, its a great feeling.



rotters
 
This happens to me every so often. I eat a few sugary foods... then a few more... then it becomes routine. Then I go on a diet and cut out all sugary food and it resets my desire for sugary food.

I do use artificial sweeteners in my tea/coffee and I know some people are dead against them but not always sure why. Pretty much all the food safety agencies around the world have deemed the common ones to be safe.
 
Imy said:
What are the side affects? I don't recall experiencing any.
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1. Aspartame
What's in it: Phenylalanine, aspartic acid and methanol.
Reported side effects: Headaches, fibromyalgia, anxiety, memory loss, arthritis, abdominal pain, nausea, depression, heart palpitations, irritable bowel syndrome, seizures, neurological disorders, vision problems, brain tumors and weight gain.
Concerns: Phenylalanine and aspartic acid directly impact brain and central nervous system functions; evidence shows they play a role in mood disorders, memory problems and other neurological illnesses.
Methanol is converted into formaldehyde when metabolized. Makers of aspartame say methanol and its byproducts are quickly excreted. But research has found measurable amounts of formaldehyde in the livers, kidneys and brains of test subjects after ingestion of aspartame.
At high temperatures, phenylalnine breaks down into diketopiperazine (DPK), a known carcinogen. Phenylalnine is especially dangerous for people with the hereditary disease, phenylketonuria.
2. Aceslulfame-K
What's in it: Acesulfame-K is a potassium salt containing methylene chloride, a known carcinogen.
Reported side effects: Long term exposure to methylene chloride can cause nausea, headaches, mood problems, impairment of the liver and kidneys, problems with eyesight and possibly cancer. Acesulfame-K may contribute to hypoglemica.
Concerns: Of all artificial sweeteners, acesulfame-K has undergone the least scientific scrutiny. Early studies showed a potential link between the sweetener and development of multiple cancers in laboratory animals.
3. Sucralose
What's in it: Sucralose is a synthetic additive created by chlorinating sugar. Manufacturers say the chlorine in sucralose is no different from that in table salt. Fact: the chemical structure of the chlorine in sucralose is almost the same as that in the now-banned pesticide DDT.
Reported side effects: Head and muscle aches, stomach cramps and diarrhea, bladder issues, skin irritation, dizziness and inflammation.
Concerns: Research has shown sucralose can cause shrinking of the thymus gland, an important immune system regulator, and liver and kidney dysfunction. A recent study by Duke University found sucralose reduces healthy intestinal bacteria, which are needed for proper digestion and can impact the effectiveness of prescription and other drugs.
4. Saccharin
What's in it: Saccharin is a sulfa-based sweetener; its primary ingredient is benzoic sulfimide.
Reported side effects: For those with sulfa allergies, saccharin may cause nausea, diarrhea, skin problems or other allergy-related symptoms.
Concerns: Early safety studies of saccharin showed the sweetener caused bladder cancer in rats. The FDA recently lifted the requirement that saccharin be labeled as a probable carcinogen on food packaging.
The link between saccharin and bladder cancer has contributed to saccharin being the most investigated of all artificial sweeteners. To date, no connection between saccharin and bladder cancer in humans has been proven.

Switching out artificial sweeteners for all-natural, low-sugar substitutes is a smart option; you just might feel better.
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In summary, almost all of the side effects mentioned in the post above are unlikely to be experienced by the vast majority of people.

Any sweetener that is used in food is likely to be safe unless you start massively ODing on it.

Pro tip. Google anything you like and add "side effects" afterwards and on the first page you'll almost certainly find something that could be used to stir up hysteria.
 
FrenchTart said:
In summary, almost all of the side effects mentioned in the post above are unlikely to be experienced by the vast majority of people.

Any sweetener that is used in food is likely to be safe unless you start massively ODing on it.

Pro tip. Google anything you like and add "side effects" afterwards and on the first page you'll almost certainly find something that could be used to stir up hysteria.
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And not backed up by clincial trials.
 
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