Completely eliminating sugar [elimination process] [cravings]
Has anyone done this? It seems to me that sugar is the enemy and I have to get rid of! A few months ago I was not eating (much) and my sugar cravings disappeared! I felt so healthy . it was great! But as I slowly let it creep back into my life, has brought with it sorrow, binging, confusion and stress! : Eek:
Any tips on how to start this process of elimination? And I even eliminate “sugar free” things from my diet to wean myself of the sweet taste too? 
Reply:I am a vegetarian , this sounds like a good paln for you , I am trying to cut out sugar gradually, and also white products , is it because of the carb level you are doing it as for as the white products!!
Reply:Kathleen DesMaisons has a couple of books out talking about sugar addiction. In her most recent book, The Last Diet You Will Ever Need (or something like that), she outlines a gradual program for eliminating sugar. I second this recommendation – Her books are great, Potatoes not Prozac would be a great primer if you're looking to kick the sugar habit.
Nat
Reply:hey, just want to say that I'm 24 yrs old female who started my sugar free lifestyle in my early teens. (very hard but was going to do this for health) started out by cutting out white flours, sweets, juices stuff like that and now years later, have solved lots of problems I had. Allergies gone, weight is good and feel great. I still occasionally have something sweet(dark chocolate or something) but I now know what my body can handle and what bothers me, i have a new lifestyle and i don;t even notice anymore untill someone says how can you eat healthy all the time?:). I do have fruit occasionally but follow the glycemic index(mostly berries) do not eat a lot of artificial sugars either except for stevia or the occasional sugar free product. Eat lots of veg, free range meat, some beans, low fat cheeses, lactose milk(or grind up almonds in the blender) fruit -stuff like that-just think clean. Its hard and you really need to want it, if you fall off get on again and continue. You can do it and I wish you luck.
ps-supplementing L-glutamine has helped me with sugar cravings and soreness from weight lifting:)!!!
Reply:Just don't cut fruit sugar out completely… your body needs glucose and fructose to survive.
You do not want to end up going into diabetic mode and have extremely low blood-sugar
Reply:Fruits do have sugar…fructose. I will still eat fruit in moderation, but truthfully, even the sugar from fruit can spark a craving in me for other kinds of sugary things…like chocolate!!
Today I am going to eat my 3 meals…not have anything sweet…and HOPEFULLY work out…
If only I could do this everyday!!!
Reply:Kathleen DesMaisons has a couple of books out talking about sugar addiction. In her most recent book, The Last Diet You Will Ever Need (or something like that), she outlines a gradual program for eliminating sugar.
Reply:Has anyone done this? It seems to me that SUGAR is the enemy and I have to get rid of it! A few months ago I wasn't eating (much) sugar and my cravings disappeared! I felt so healthy…it was great! But as I slowly let it creep back into my life, it has brought along with it anguish, binging, confusion, and STRESS!
Any tips on how to start this elimination process?? And should I eliminate even "sugar free" things from my diet to wean myself from the sweet TASTE as well??? LS, sugar addictions can occur – this is actually a hypoglycemic response. By that I mean that after consuming sugar, the blood glucose levels spike, resulting in overproduction of insulin, which causes cravings for more sugar several hours later. Certainly eliminating refined sugar products from the diet will help to control this, but it is not the only strategy. Once you rebalance the glucose levels there is no reason to eliminate natural sugars from your diet (for example, fruit and milk). To get off this glucose/insulin rollercoaster it would be extremely helpful to balance the carbs you eat throughout the day. 40-50% of your calories should be from healthful carbs, and you cannot eat them all at once – each meal and snack should have its fair ration. Also, it is critical that you consume smaller meals, more frequently throughout the day. And finally, always consume protein WITH carbs – it helps to convert carbs into glucose more slowly so you don't get the sharp spikes in blood glucose levels.
Do you often feel lightheaded and shaky? This is a sure sign of hypoglycemic response, but so are the intense cravings you have.
To answer your other question – YES, granular artifical sweeteners and sugar alcohols can effect your blood glucose levels and can trigger metabolic effects similar to consuming the real thing… the only difference is the calories per gram. Remember, many artificial sweeteners come from real sugar sources that have been chemically altered.
You can not wean youself from a sugar addiction – its cold turkey or not at all. Its the nature of the beast. There is one strategy that may help: immediately upon waking up eat 1 piece of whole fresh fruit (an apple or orange, for example). Then exactly 20 minutes later eat your regular breakfast (without sugar). Then, do not eat fruit (or any sugar) the rest of the day. Refer to my other post to you (under the "BINGE" thread) for my recommendations on how you should modify your diet. Also remember, that sugar = carbs, but carbs does not = sugar. There are many healthfuk carb sources that you should continue to include in your diet.
Reply:I am starting a litle at a time , cookies , etc. buy some sugarless products,take a little at a time! fruits have sugar , good kind I Suppose , good luck !!! day by day progress! :wave:
Reply:Utah-I believe it! I have read many things about sugar addiction. I am the all or nothing type—I either eat a ton of it or none of it. Having sugar in my diet in moderation is almost impossible (unless, of course it is coming from fruits). I am going to try and cut it out and see what happens. I know that my energy will skyrocket and my mood will, too. Perhaps I'll check out that book!
Reply:LS – There is such thing as a chemical addiction to sugar (and white flour as well). There is a book on the subject called "Food Addiction: The Body Knows" by Kay Sheppard. Anyway… in some people, sugar can act like a drug, causing an actual chemical reaction in the brain and body. It can cause all of the symptoms you mentioned and others. My mother is addicted to sugar and when she eats it, she gets very lethargic and craves more and more. When she cuts sugar completely out of her diet, she has more energy, motivation, and loses her cravings.
Check out the book. It might help – whether to give you some valuable information, or to discover that your problem has nothing to do with it.
Lori