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Cutting sugar today.

Old 02-04-2015, 03:49 AM
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Cutting sugar today.

I'm still having a lot of brain fog and trouble concentrating and remembering. I'm finding it frustrating. I've been reading about PAWS and sugar is linked to contributing to it. It fires up the same reward system in the brain, plus then you crash from the sugar high. I want to do everything I can to heal and feel better, so as much as I have enjoyed my daily ice cream the time has come to let it go..... I will fall back on it if I ever get a really really bad craving but I'm finding exercise to be my best motivator to stay quit. After I eat sugar I usually feel kind of crappy with low energy but after aerobics I feel wonderful and alert.

I know I've read others saying they are giving up sugar. How did it go and did it help?
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Old 02-04-2015, 07:03 AM
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I cut back on sugar after a while into Sobriety, but in the beginning I had problems with low blood sugar which caused dizzy spells, so I had to keep an eye on that, also something sugary was a great pick me up some days!!

The goal is Sobriety at the end of the day, so whatever works for you!!
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Old 02-04-2015, 07:27 AM
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When you say cut out sugar, what does that entail? Are you speaking of processed sugar? Thanks.
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Old 02-04-2015, 07:49 AM
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Fisher. It would be hard to cut all sugar but I'm going to cut out ice cream, cookies, muffins. I never really ate them while drinking but I'm eating them daily now. I'm noticing a direct link between my mood, energy level and thought processes after I eat them. I will still have some honey in my tea but it's a different kind of sugar. So yes the processed crap. The sugar in fruit and pasta and such I'm not going to tackle just yet. But the junk has got to go!
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Old 02-04-2015, 08:22 AM
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Good for you, Zenchaser. I'm also trying to cut back on the three white poisons: sugar, flour and salt. And just processed junk in general that has become the standard American diet (SAD).
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Old 02-04-2015, 08:24 AM
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I cut the junk food out of my diet a couple weeks ago and I feel great. Still a little sugar in my coffee, cereal for breakfast, so I do put some sugar in me. But as you said, no more sweets for sweets' sake, ice cream, muffins, cookies. My own experience with that has been positive.
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Old 02-04-2015, 08:38 AM
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Large amounts of fructose (like in HFCS) is hell on your liver in much the same way as alcohol is, so cutting back on it can only bring good things.
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Old 02-04-2015, 08:43 AM
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Really you are going to cut out Sugar... sorry have to roll on the floor with laughter. for a minute... Ed was up to 4 pounds of white sugar 3 pounds of brown sugar honey by the bottle and candy ice cream and Hostess products until about 2 years ago.. kids and beans let me tell you about drugs and drink what will you go to next..
he can go thro 14 bags of Cheetos in a week or 9 huge bags of preztels in a week. not to mention junk foods that are to be lower in cal.. hahaahhah
puddings jello yogut stuff and then cheese.. give up

Try to just do a tiny bit instead.. balance balance balance meat potatoe veg and a little cake not the the whole dinner for one person...

stop just for a minute take a good look at your life.. what have you got piles of
books clothes DVD's flash drives toys cars food junk junk junk and what for. you can only wear so many clothes and when the DVDS hit 400 in your house .. what are you really watching.. to pack and move for us.. Ed has 19 WWI trunks with comic books 11 trunks with magazines 500 boxes of books and that is not counting the library we have that has books on selves.. and two rooms of clothes.. 4 boxes of hats gloves scarves shoes people shoes don't even get me started.. when he is reading there are 4 tv's playing and 5 computers running.. can he handle it all. why ... what is he really enjoying not a damn thing... and the computers and tvs run all night long... go to turn one off and guess who the crazy person is...

Food ... just wish we could go back to dinner on a big blanket on the living room floor after work for the day. with hot food for two. something on tv and just the two of us rolled up in the blanket... and then sleep he slept like a baby.. and I always felt better the next day.. wish I could get him to balance just for a whole 30 days so we could have 1 day that was like that so long ago... I can dream... so can you....
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Old 02-04-2015, 10:57 AM
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Holy Ed eats a lot of crap!!
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Old 02-04-2015, 11:37 AM
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Zen - good for you! I think anything we can. Do that is good for our bodies is going to help us with recovery.

I've significantly changed my diet in the last month or so. But I'm being conscious that abstaining from alcohol is more important than my diet right now. I think sugar does sometimes help take the edge off of cravings, so i'll indulge if I think it will help. But sugar can also cause a crash so after indulging.

What i've been doing is to concentrate on eating healthy. A green smoothie for breakfast and well balanced, natural, homemade meals for lunch and dinner. As long as I have good food in me, I dont worry about what else I add to my diet. So if I want chocolate, I eat it. But i'm not experiencing any "crashes". I think that's because I've stabilized my blood sugar thru a healthy diet.

Anyway...for what its worth.

(And I dont know if its related...but it feels to me like it is...I haven't had much for cravings...certainly not like I've experienced in the past)
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Old 02-04-2015, 11:40 AM
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I had helped me to cut back, oh yes. I have focused on eating fruit instead of cake and ice-cream. It also helps to remember that if I eat fat and protein first, I'll become satiated and my moods are more stable.
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Old 02-04-2015, 11:48 AM
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The Whole30® Program - As featured in the New York Times bestselling book, It Starts With Food
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Old 02-04-2015, 12:12 PM
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ah my Dear Friend you have said volumns in this.. and so very true...
someone once said Ardith Ann how can you be so happy in the mornings..
I don't eat after 7pm ever... not even when temped.. nope.. and balance would sit with my Great GrandDad for hours.. we did fruit cheese a little saugage and bread.. in mid day.. Dinner at 5pm slowly enjoy your food Ardy He would say enjoy the conversation of the people around you and take time to savor a bite.. for the animal that gave of its life and the vegs that gave of their systems so you remain should be apperiated.. Great Grand Dad Samual Quilling was 101 when he passed away from a fall on a wet kitchen floor. in 1978....true true in Life it is the balance of the notes of Life that hold us all so true. ardith ann.


Originally Posted by SoberJennie View Post
I had helped me to cut back, oh yes. I have focused on eating fruit instead of cake and ice-cream. It also helps to remember that if I eat fat and protein first, I'll become satiated and my moods are more stable.
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Old 02-04-2015, 12:20 PM
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I enjoyed that story, Ardy He sounds wise. And fortunate to live past 100!

My great grandfather lived to be ninety-something. He was the tallest person in our family as well. I'm the tallest female on that side of the family, so I'm hoping and fingers crossed that I got some of his good genes (as he had plenty of bad too), lol.
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Old 02-04-2015, 02:23 PM
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Originally Posted by Titian View Post
Large amounts of fructose (like in HFCS) is hell on your liver in much the same way as alcohol is, so cutting back on it can only bring good things.
I think that fructose may be a real catalyst with respect to some of the "non-alcoholic cirrhosis" which seems to become somewhat prevalant lately.

My brother-in-law has never drank enough to keep a bird alive, but he was in the hospital last year with cirrhoisis, GI bleeding and esophageal varices.

I know someone else who never drank and who received a liver transplant for the same reason.

I recently read that high levels of fructose badly overload the liver and impede its function.

That is apparently in stark contrast to sucrose, which the liver metabolizes very well.
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Old 02-04-2015, 02:27 PM
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I have always avoided fructose because it makes me feel lousy. I had no idea about it causing that kind of liver damage!! That's terrifying.
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Old 02-04-2015, 03:39 PM
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Hi Zen, good post(s)

I'm a month and a bit sober and also eating more sweet stuff

I agree with Milly4 - stopping alcohol is object no:1 even at the expense of eating some additional 'junk' or sugar laden rubbish (especially as booze has lots of sugar in it)

Longer term it's definately worth cutting down and going to the trouble of finding out how much sugar there is in stuff we buy from the supermarkets. I'm a Brit and so no doubt eat a typical western or english speaking diet where even staples like bread are loaded with sugar and salt.

I read somewhere that for all of human history the main struggle has been to find enough to eat so it's no suprise we can't adapt overnighti
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Old 02-04-2015, 03:51 PM
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I cut down on sugar and made drastic dietary changes roughly six months in to my sobriety. Only good things will come out of it. Increased energy, better mood and a general well being. I was very sugar addicted and it can be real bad for you. I encourage you to make sure that you are well on your way with your alcohol addiction battle, then I would concentrate on other things that need changing. It worked for me.
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Old 02-04-2015, 06:25 PM
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I'm cutting it out too. No more daily ice cream, candy, desserts, etc. I ate a lot in the beginning when I quit drinking cause it helped with cravings. But I need to move on now and lose some weight. I also believe that sugar was making me feel lousy. It's an addiction that has to be controlled.
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Old 02-04-2015, 06:51 PM
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It's funny I am only six days down. Before quiting I was a pretty mindful eater. I actually am vegan. So dark chocolate and a few organic natural sugars like maple syrup and dates are in my diet. But since quitting I am eating all sorts of junk. I had cheese balls(the artificial Cheetos like things)and diet Pepsi. Lol. I think my fingers are still stained orange. Oh my god it was so good. I have this beautiful bunch of kale and kolerabbi waiting for me but I just want onion rings and chocolate cake
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