Abstaining from sugar

Weepsie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120062049#Comment_120062049

Yeah its very different though. Natural sugar Vs processed

the_amazing_raisin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120062049#Comment_120062049

Different types of sugar, and in different concentrations

MayoSalmon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120060343#Comment_120060343

Every cell needs Oxygen and Glucose aka Sugar to operate...all 30 trillion of them.

Biology 101.

The Continental Op

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120067919#Comment_120067919

The human body can survive without eating any sugar.

https://healthyeating.sfgate.com/types-carbohydrates-turn-sugar-3322.html

When you eat starchy foods, the starches are broken down into sugars, including glucose, maltotriose and maltose, by an enzyme called amylase found in your saliva and small intestine. These compound sugars are further broken down into simple sugars by other enzymes, including maltase, lactase, sucrase and isomaltase.

https://www.theborneopost.com/2010/01/10/human-body-can-survive-without-sugar-intake/

“The body has its own system to produce sugar after these carbohydrates are broken down,” said Dr Wong of Normah Medical Specialist Centre, adding that a person need not take excess glucose from refined sugar.

“We don’t need any sugar intake for our body,” he reiterated.

deirdremf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120060222#Comment_120060222

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120062024#Comment_120062024

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120062049#Comment_120062049

When people say "sugar" they generally mean refined sugar - sucrose. There are lots of other "sugars" around, but sucrose seems to be the worst of them. Or at leastthe worst of the commonly available ones!

markmoto

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120067919#Comment_120067919

Cells can use either glucose or fat. The difference fat burns clean and glucose, producing waste that human body has to deal with. Build up of waste over the years is one case of cancer. Some cells actually need a very little glucose, which human body can produce enough, hence carbohydrates are non essential food source. Burning fat as energy increases the number of mitochondria, which increases the potential energy-output of your cells.

More oxygen available to the cells while on the ketogenic diet as well.

markmoto

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058277034/abstaining-from-sugar

I did for 6 months. Best time if my life. Sharp thinking, memory 100 %, weight back to normal.

Zak Flaps

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120072147#Comment_120072147

Don't you mean "of" and sharp "thinking", my sharp friend?

markmoto

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120072163#Comment_120072163

Spot on. Looking for proofreading job? : )

MayoSalmon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120072143#Comment_120072143

A high fat, low carbohydrate diet is not natural to humans, and long-term or permanent ketosis is not a natural state for the body.

The body while in a Ketogenic state is sick and deprived of nutrients. The body is being starved of sugar and is using its last mechanism for survival by producing ketones.

No population in thousands of years of human history has ever lived in a permanent state of ketosis but here we are today thinking 1. that is even possible and 2. that it is in any way beneficial for us. Hilarious

MayoSalmon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120068137#Comment_120068137

Carbohydrates are sugar, and sugars are carbohydrates.

The Continental Op

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120074074#Comment_120074074

You obviously enjoy a spoonful or two of rice or perhaps pearl barley in your tea?

Fugded

I drastically reduced my sugar 2 years ago. I still have the odd treat when it suits but I used to be an addict. And what people are saying on here is right. All carbohydrates have sugar. It's in everything, not just sweets

Cill94

Avoiding sugar/carbohydrates in the form of fruit, vegetables, rice, pasta, etc is a bad idea. These foods provide important nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

Limiting your intake of highly refined carbohydrates is a good idea. These are foods that are usually packed with added sugar, lots of cals, and very little nutrients i.e sweets, sugary drinks, etc.

You do not however have to eliminate the latter entirely for good health. Just moderate it to the odd treat.

marilynrr

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120074020#Comment_120074020

You can be fat adapted without being in ketosis

the_amazing_raisin

So I'm curious what people do when avoiding sugar and eating out? Do you avoid the dessert menu and opt for a coffee instead, or go for it since you're indulging yourself anyway?

Since the new year I've been cutting down on the chocolate and sweets, eating fruit salads in the evening

In general I'm doing fine, although I'll have the odd small chocolate bar once every day or two. Not really missing anything, although I still like a bit of sweetness on my porridge so I'm putting a spoonful of honey or maple syrup on it, along with some fruit. I figure since it's natural rather than refined sugar, and sweeter per calorie, I can have a small amount and it should be fine

I do like to have a nice dessert the odd time. I wonder do they lose their appeal when cutting out the sugar, if your sense of taste adapts to different things?

MayoSalmon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120109446#Comment_120109446

Well you would need to be because ketosis is sustainable nevermind adding aerobic exercise into the equation. The best marathoners in the world are eating 90% vegan diets not the other way round for obvious reasons.

Kurooi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120074020#Comment_120074020

Have to call BS on the "not normal to humans" - what is "normal"? we're an adaptive species we eat what is available. We created our own food stuffs from animals we raise to crops we engineered.

And today we're nearly all living on processed food supermarket garbage. There is nothing natural about our diet. There is a significant overlap between keto and paleo diets though, so if someone is going keto and pushes more meat, nuts, vegetable into their diet they're eating more natural than the rest of us.

markmoto

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120113284#Comment_120113284

Deep sea divers and mountain climbers prefer to use ketones as prime fuel for obvious reasons as well : )

MayoSalmon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120113352#Comment_120113352

This is how conceited human beings are now that we try to do the complete opposite of what our metabolic systems have been built to do over thousands of years. Reminds me of the wokies you feed their cats and dogs vegan diets.

Kurooi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120113399#Comment_120113399

Okay go on, what is that natural diet? What exact food items are we built to eat name a few.

marilynrr

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120113284#Comment_120113284

We don't all want to be marathon runners and as @markmoto said other athletes prefer other diets.

I was plant based for a few months, it was expensive and impossible to hit my protein target without a ton of soy. The sheer amount of food I had to eat actually stressed me out.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120113399#Comment_120113399

Most people want to eat food that they like, while also feeling healthy and staying in good shape, and for some people they get that with a keto diet. People often cannot lose weight after they gained it, whether it's to do with hormonal issues or a very rigid weight set point etc. or whatever it is. Many many people try to lose weight with basic calories in, calories out approach with healthier carbs, protein and veg etc. and it doesn't work for them. So this desire to overhaul the diet completely arises out of a problem, not conceitedness.

Cill94

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120114134#Comment_120114134

 Many many people try to lose weight with basic calories in, calories out approach with healthier carbs, protein and veg etc. and it doesn't work for them. So this desire to overhaul the diet completely arises out of a problem, not conceitedness

Manipulating calories isn't actually just an 'approach', it's literally the physical mechanism by which every diet works - including keto.

With keto you just manipulate those calories without consciously trying to. This is not hard when you've eliminated an entire macronutrient (carbs), which tends to limit your food choices to lower calorie, more satiating foods (those high in fat and protein).

I think you're confusing this for calorie counting - which is a dieting strategy. It's totally fair to say this doesn't work for everyone.

marilynrr

@Cill94

No, I'm not confusing it with calorie counting.

Many who switch to keto don't count calories or they only start to count them later on.

They use keto to make the switch, to get used to a new way of eating, to break addictions and eating habits and break the power that food has over them..

The Continental Op

I'm being watched ........ this came up in as a suggestion to watch in youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPyFIvCvh8U

Cill94

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120117687#Comment_120117687

I get that, I'm just saying that whether you 'count' calories or not doesn't change the science of how fat loss occurs.

marilynrr

@Cill94

The fat loss is the final part, there are a lot of individual differences in people that will impact how efficient their bodies are at burning fat.

Juran

I find fasting is key to weightloss. It works for me, and quickly. Also, I cut out refinded sugar and processed foods. Diet consists of home cooked meals, lots of veg, chicken, fish, eggs, and red meat once a week. I try to keep pasta, rice and potatoes to small portions. A bit hard to start, but after 2 weeks you dont feel like anything sweet. In fact you will hate the taste of a biscuit or choc bar once you get into it. Water, tea and coffee are my friends. After dinner, i have a mint chewing gum to close my appetite.

AllForIt

Reading this might inspire one to drop the sugar

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/04/05/health/added-free-sugars-health-effects-study-wellness/index.html

This is quite shocking too, I used to put honey in my porridge the odd time and would feel ill afterwards; now I know why.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/farming/arid-41108305.html

Juran

Folks - what benefits do you find when you abstain from sugar and processed foods, including alcohol? I am 2 weeks into no sugar, no processed food and low carb diet, which is fish, chicken, lots of veg, eggs and my carbs/sugar is mainly boiled potato, brown rice or homemade brown bread. I used to do short spells of fasting, but now I am trying to part fast, but to really focus on cutting out added sugars, processed food, etc. I posted back in March this year when I was on a fasting program, I went on holidays and my program went out the window. I am starting again, but this time I'm not as strict and the focus is on the type of foods not on 'no foods'.

Benefits I see within days:

-good sleep - I don't wake up to pee at night, I sleep through the night, I have not suffered insomnia like I used to.

-clear head - able to focus during the day at work and at home

-not tired during the day

-weightloss - my clothes feel very loose already - a lot would be water at first, but still its a loss

-less bloating in the face, fingers and feet. My shoes feel so loose.

-taste bud - I like the taste of foods I found bland before eg. white fish, broccoli, tomatoes. I enjoy fruit more, but I only have 2 pieces a day at most.

When I abstain from alcohol, I don't feel like sweet or salty food - so to my, this is key. The longer I abstain from sugar, I don't even feel like sweet food. Its probably how my grandparents felt - they never ate sweets or biscuits or processed foods, so I guess they never bought them or thought of them - but they loved cabbage, turnips, fish ie. proper natural food. Only after 2 weeks, I am starting to feel like that. I made cabbage stir-fry the other night, it felt like the best thing I ever tasted.

I went to a supermarket yesterday, and was hit by the specials as I walked in the door - processed cereals, processed protein bars, biscuits, multi-pack crisps and sweets. Before I'd stop and have a look, yesterday I walked by thinking yuck.

I believe I get enough sugar from fruits, brown soda bread / brown rice /spuds and certain veg. like carrots.

Anyone else find that the longer you stay away from sugar, the less you want, and also the easier it gets ?