Getting rid of sugar

[HazelAustralia]

Hi all,

Does anyone have any practical tips about getting rid of sugar out of your diet? I have been wanting to do that but I can't get a plan together that I have been able to implement. Any ideas or stories about your experience would be really welcome.

best wishes
H.

[Kentucky]

Sugar is extremely hard to get out of your diet. Its found in the most unexpected places like white bread and gatorade. I've been controlling my sugar intake by cooking my own food. It takes a little longer but you have more control of what you are eating. Most of my worries of sugar come from high fructose corn syrup and regular sugar. Look into a more diabetic diet and that will help you.

Best wishes,
Kentucky

[Mike]

Hi HazelAustralia,

Carbohydrates are complex sugars and converted to glucose by bodies.

Glucose is sugar. If you reduce your carb intake, you will reduce your sugar levels.

Rice, pasta, bread, starch and potatoes are all very high in carbs (sugar), as are sugary drinks, candy and so on.

To reduce glucose levels (blood sugar), you need to reduce the amount of carbs eaten per day. Carbs are in everything. Counting carbs is a good practice.

I'm a diabetic and try to keep my daily carb intake below 100.

To do this, I don't ear sweets and watch my intake of bread, rice, pasta and starches (potatoes, corn and so on). I also watch my fruit intake and don't drink fruit juice.

Best wishes, Mike

[Jorah]

Easy to say but not easy to do....      but
Don't eat flour products, sugar products and processed food. Not easy in today's society where every nastiness is promoted on TV, media etc. some salad dressings the first item is sugar.
I do have some fruits but try to stay away from the very sweet ones...
The closest I come to processed starches is 1 oz of dry oatmeal in the morning or fibre one sweeten with sucralose.

[Bree]

I read labels and try not to buy items with more than 4 gr. sugar and it depends on what type of sugar.  I try to stay away from the artificial sweeteners and use stevia almost exclusively.  I order my stevia from Amazon in liquid form and keep refrigerated.  They have flavors like vanilla creme, chocolate... all kinds of flavors (the plain one is not my favorite).  I use it to sweeten coffee, tea, yogurt (buy plan and sweeten with stevia), oatmeal, you name it.  It also comes in powder form for cooking and packets for on the go. Some people like it, some don't. This has dramatically reduced sugar intake.

Google "smart sweeteners" and you kind find out a lot of alternatives.  Another thing I do is order miracle noodles... it's pasta without carbs and sugars.  There's a knack to learning how to use it as a substitute. 

I try to snack on things like almond butter which gives me a sweet fix without the sugar load.

I still do eat sugars but have dramatically reduced intake by using the steps above.  Good luck!

[Lukey]

Its not hard to get sugar out of diet if you eat whole foods like I have for 33 years. the only sugar I eat is in fresh fruit and veggies. I just eat "bland" foods and I don't mind it a bit. After a while you appreciate whole foods more and you don't mind not having sugar. I just eat animal proteins, eggs, cultured dairy & veggies, veggies, fruit, nuts, and seeds. I don't eat legumes or grains.

[Mike]

That's pretty much my diet as well (though I watch the fruits).

Best wishes, Mike

[sapphire101]

Hazel I was soooooo good about staying away from sugar during treatment and now I have done plenty of backsliding.
You are inspiring me to get back to my health habits again.

Sugar is hard on our livers and I started by eliminating all added sugar (even honey, agave, stevia) and carefully reading labels to avoid corn syrups. Then expanded this to include staying away from white refined flours and pastas.

I kept whole fruits and avoided juices. Included high fiber grains and nuts even though this has some fats.

Bree where do I find these 'miracle noodles'?

[MaryC]

Eliminating sugar would be such a huge deprivation for me!  No alcohol - not a problem!  Low fat - not a problem since I really don't enjoy fat-laden or greasy food anyway.  But say goodbye to sugar?!?  I read somewhere that the liver treats sugar like alcohol and it can be equally damaging!

My diet consists of mainly whole foods, lots of fruit and vegetables, but I always have a little chocolate or sugary treat every day.  Something I enjoy and look forward to.  I've never thought much about it since I don't have a problem with my weight, but now, as I am trying to protect my Hep C- damaged liver, I am wondering if I need to cut back or even give it up??

[Mike]

As with most things, moderation is key. Sugar is no exception. A piece of candy or chocolate once in while won't damage the liver.

However, excessive sugar (including carbs, which are compound sugars) can impact liver health.

Simply put, sugar is converted to glucose and used by the body as energy. Glucose that is not burned off or utilized as energy is quickly converted to cellulose i.e., fat.

Fat is stored throughout the body, including the liver. Fat stored in the liver can cause damage at the cellular level and lead to scarring (fibrosis and cirrhosis) and is called fatty liver disease.

We know HCV can damage the liver. Indeed, we know that HCV does not need any additional help in the process i.e.,  fatty liver disease + HCV =  .

Best wishes, Mike

[Jorah]

Bree where do I find these 'miracle noodles'?

There are 2 types of these noodles, one is made out of tofu another made from a yam (glucomann) they're both very low calorie and low carb. Keep in mind its not like a regular pasta noodle but if you're on a low carb diet it does the trick.  They're commonly known as shirataki noodles. Here's a link to give you an idea.

http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/products/p/shiratakinoodle.htm

[Bree]

Bree where do I find these 'miracle noodles'?

Sapphire, I just saw your question on this thread.  Congrats, by the way, on SVR.  That's awesome!  J

Jorah added a great link with info on low calorie, low carb noodles.  They don't taste exactly like regular noodles but I like them and it gives me a pasta fix.  They take on the flavor of whatever sauce or veggie or whatever you mix them with.  You can google Miracle Noodle and see their website and how to prepare, etc.  I find Amazon has them cheaper with free shipping.  I would say try to get them or something similar at a health food store to try them and see if you like them.  Nasoya light has a nice brand of Shirataki noodles but those stay refrigerated so shipping is expensive... unless you local health food store has them.  There is also the tofu noodles. 

[sapphire101]

Congrats right back at you Bree your numbers are looking mighty fine!
I have looked at the local health food stores without success. Thank you Jorah for link and I may have to go cyber shopping.
I will report back once I try them.

Been laying low lately and not on the forum much. Knocked down by another virus - this time the common cold. It has been well over two years since I have been this sick. 
Maybe big pharma can take on this challenge next.