Going to Battle with Sugar

[blackforest]

I’ve HAD it with the sugar addiction! Has anybody here successfully weaned your family from sugar? Specifically, I’m seeking to cut back on added, refined sugar.

If so, did you move incrementally or cut everyone off at once? What sorts of snacks did you provide and pack around to activities? (We’re a vegetarian family, but go ahead and share the meaty ideas because your ideas may help lurkers). What kind of resistance did you encounter? Did anyone try to undermine your efforts - e.g. grandparents - and if so, how did you handle it?

 

[TC3033]

I’m probably the wrong one to answer on this one, but being around fitness and nutrition for almost 20 years, it’s a little of a pet peeve…sugar addiction isn’t really a thing.

Nearly everything has sugar in it (if it has carbs…it has sugar, incl veggies). Fructose, Lactose, Sucralose…it’s all sugar.

Call me one to undermine the efforts, but what sort of stuff are you trying to get rid of?

If the activity we’re packing treats around involves something with activity (which for us…it usually does) it’s normally something like a solid trail mix with a mix of fats, protein, and carbs (sugar) for energy.

 

[TK421]

I’m assuming you’re talking about added sugars?

The key is to cut off the supply, which is what you buy at the grocery store. If you yourself are tempted at the grocery store, then make sure you have a nice, satisfying meal before you shop. Shopping while hungry puts us in a weakened state of mind and we tend to buy things that we normally wouldn’t buy.

IMO, I also rely on my willpower as little possible, no matter what it is I’m trying to do. So I would have a plan on how to replace those cravings with something else that is also satisfying. So instead of candy or soda or whatever, buy tasty fruits that can also satisfy a desire for something sweet. Berries can be pretty expensive but you ought to be able to buy a big bag of oranges or lemons or grapefruit or whatever for a good price.

There’s a delicious chocolate pudding you can make from chocolate cocoa powder (no sugar) and avocado as your base. Just look around for various recipes that don’t involve pouring in sugar.

Peace.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Not clear if you’re trying to cut out all refined sugar, or just sugary snacks like cookies, candy, processed foods with lots of sugar, etc?

If you’re just trying to cut the sugary snacks, that’s not too hard, you can just push more fruit and fresh veggie type snacks etc.

If you’re trying to cut ALL the refined sugar, then you might run into an issue of non-sugary snacks being more pricey, although you can probably alleviate some of it by shopping produce sales. You’d also have to get rid of cow’s milk (Lactose) and any juice you’re not squeezing yourself (maybe you’ve already gotten rid of these things) and try to buy bread that doesn’t have a ton of sugar added to it. I’ve gone completely refined/ added-sugar-free and refined-flour-free at times and it causes a mega headache for a few days and then one has to make sure to stay on the wagon because falling off once makes it hard to get back on. Not sure what would happen if you just cut out all the sugar but left the refined flour. Anyway if you’re cutting sugar that drastically you want to make sure there’s enough protein in the rest of the diet because that will stop any “side effects” like headaches and such. Like with most substances, if you go without the sugar long enough you won’t want it any more.

 

[blackforest]

I’m assuming you’re talking about added sugars?

Yes - excess, refined sugar. Thank you - I’ll edit my post to reflect that.

There’s a time and a place for home-baked goods, and for those, I’d like to work more with ingredients like dates, honey, and coconut sugar.

I’m probably the wrong one to answer on this one, but being around fitness and nutrition for almost 20 years, it’s a little of a pet peeve…sugar addiction isn’t really a thing.

It’s controversial. There’s a sizable body of research to the contrary. But I’m not starting this thread to veer off into that debate.

I’m thinking along your lines of trail mix, but my kids get finicky about nuts. If that’s all that’s available, however, they may change their tune.

Anyway if you’re cutting sugar that drastically you want to make sure there’s enough protein in the rest of the diet because that will stop any “side effects” like headaches and such.

That may be why my gut is telling me to take an incremental approach. My children need to be functional during the day for lessons, sports, etc.

 

[Rhubarb]

Since I hit like, 30, sugar stopped being so appealing to me. But I find that sour hits a lot of the same cravings I used to have when I was a kid.

My favorite right now is Sweetarts. They’re like, 60 calories a serving and like, 13g of sugar. Which isn’t bad for a pick-me-up every once and awhile. They’re tart too, so you can’t just throw down a whole roll at once. (at least I can’t) They’re also like, 3 servings to a roll so at 180 calories for the whole roll, you’re still way better off than you are with other candy.

 

[ThomasMT]

My own little tidbits, to help you get started. No soda or juices. Get in the habit of drinking water. Forget about artificial sweeteners, they are garbage. Cut out white flour… stick to whole grains. Those changes alone will make a huge difference.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

No soda or juices. Get in the habit of drinking water. Forget about artificial sweeteners, they are garbage.

^^I agree with this. Not that I don’t occasionally indulge in some pop with sugar, some pop without sugar, or some juice, but I try to make it an occasional thing like once a week maximum. Sometimes I have a bad week and need to drink 2 or 3 but I always end up “feeling it” if I have too much, even if it’s diet soda. Most days I try to drink about 4 pints of water instead. I just use regular tap water and keep filling up bottles for the fridge as I empty them.

 

[ThomasMT]

some pop with sugar, some pop without sugar

Another alternative that I like is soda mixed with seltzer, to cut down on the sugar. I find it to taste better than the diet versions.

 

[MNathaniel]

I’m single, but my suggestion for weaning myself (and others who visit) off added/refined sugar (or anything dietary you no longer wish to include) would be to supply myself/them with bountiful, tasty, healthy alternatives. You want them to actually salivate when they think of your new foods, and consider it a satisfying thing genuinely worth looking forward to.

Definitely, having fruit around is great. If you’re open to having ANY refined sugar product still in the house, dark chocolate chips might be a nice addition to certain things?

There are plenty of whole foods vegan desserts. Frozen bananas mashed into smooth ice cream (you can mix in cocoa, coffee grounds, or whatever additional flavour you like). There’s a great recipe online for a kind of ‘vegan reese’s pieces’ that tastes nothing like what it’s called, but is genuinely rich, filling, sweet and tasty (basically it’s a combination of dates, cocoa, and whatever nut butter you like).

Personally I think the best thing you can do is make sure you’re supplying lots of healthy whole-foods ‘fixes’ for those sweet teeth, and over time your family will find it less and less worth it to sneak alternative candies etc in. They’ll be getting their sweetness needs met, and if anything a refined sugar will be rare, therefore you’ll have accomplished the “much cut back” goal.

In my experience, cutting out refined sugars helps everything else suddenly taste better, too. It can be its own reward in many ways.

Oh also about other family members – in my family, my mom despises “alternative” foods, and just wants people to eat “normal”. But my cunning workaround was to just find legitimately tasty alternatives that she likes to eat for its own sake (not just a ‘substitute’ food) and now she actually asks me for recipes sometimes. I think that’s the big secret, is we have to do the extra work of making sure people are getting all the good flavour and texture they want, just with more nutrients and less junk included. People don’t really have a motivation to “cheat” if they’re still getting something genuinely good (just different).

 

[MNathaniel]

Also, “Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.” If you are even eating healthier at a 90/10 ratio, or 80/20, that’s still a big improvement. Don’t get discouraged if you (or a family member) occasionally feels the need to sneak in some old comfort food. Stress is unhealthy, too. Ideally you want this move to be comfortable and organic (organic in the sense of, a smooth and natural transition, no one feeling like it’s unpleasant and awkwardly forced on them). Make some changes with love, get creative, and whatever you do, don’t ignore the importance of tastiness and (depending on your family) variety!

Boredom is a killer of any dietary change. When the new thing starts to feel like a chore, and isn’t equally tasty or satisfying in terms of mouth-feel, we’re tempted to go back to what’s familiar (and tasty). So instead you want to really stock your shelves, prepare, gather recipes, and make sure your new food is making you genuinely happy, not just healthy. That’s the path to a sustainable change.

 

[Peeps]

I love sweets and I come from a family of sugar-lovers. Something to remember is that both of my parents (R.I.P.) were children during the Great Depression and my mother came from a poor trash family in the South–11 children in the family, and a wife-beating father.

So sweets were a glorious treat for my parents.

When I was growing up in the 1960s, NO ONE gorged themselves on sweets, and we children would never have dreamed of eating huge quantities of sweets. My mother cooked a cake, a pie, and cookies on Saturday (baking day), and on Saturday evening, my dad would bring ice cream home and we would all have a dish of ice cream while watching Jackie Gleason and Lawrence Welk–a SMALL dish of ice cream! Sometimes with Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup.

But that cake,pie, and cookies lasted ALL week in our family. Dad worked 3rd shift at a factory, and took a sweet treat to work with him every night–does anyone else remember those Tupperware pie-shaped containers that held just one slice of pie?

And when my brother and I had cookies, we had one cookie, usually as an after-school snack (or late after noon snack in the summer a few hours before dinner, but usually we had popsicles from the ice cream man during the summer).

It was only when I got older and went to college in the late 1970s that we started seeing “binges” on sweets–entire packages of Oreos eaten, or giant ice cream treats at the Baskin Robbins. I got caught up in it–it’s easy to do. My biggest weakness is soda–I just don’t like any other beverages, especially water. I don’t like coffee or tea, and juices hurt my stomach. (I do like whole fruit, though.)

But in the last several year, I’ve returned to doing sweets the way we did them in the 1960s–as a treat, not a “snack.” E.g., I made a French chocolate cake a few weeks ago, and we just finished it two nights ago. We ate 1 very thin piece every few days (not every day), and even served it for a dinner for my parents-in-law.

My point to this post is to suggest not “battling with sugar,” but practicing moderation. I started doing this seriously last summer, when I knew that I would be having knee replacement surgery within a year. I still have sweets, but very small amounts–instead of eating a whole package of Peeps (my favorite candy!), I eat one a day–one Peep! I keep the package in a ziploc bag, and they stay fresh for a few weeks. I order a small cone instead of three scoops. I don’t order dessert after a restaurant meal. I don’t buy donuts, although if someone brings them in, I will eat one (but I don’t eat the breakfast that I brought in). And biggest change of all–ONE 12-oz sugar soda a day, and diet soda (which I love, too!) the rest of the day.

Sugar is a food, and it is yummy!

One more thing–my dad died at age 84 of cancer (probably acquired from working in a factory around chemicals with no protective gear). A few weeks before he died, we asked him if there was anything he would have done differently. He said with a smile, “I wish I had eaten more.”

O

 

[Gingersnaps4]

I’m probably the wrong one to answer on this one, but being around fitness and nutrition for almost 20 years, it’s a little of a pet peeve…sugar addiction isn’t really a thing.

I can say from personal experience that this is wrong. I have been in fact addicted to sugar. Feeling a physical craving/compulsion for it and even getting up in the night to Eat sweets at times etc. It may be psychological rather than chemical, not sure, but it is a type of addiction either way. Your brain releases certain hormones when you eat sweets, so I think part of it probably is physical.

That being said, OP, I have given it up sweet junk food for lent. It hasn’t been easy but I have healthy substitutes such as Greek yogurt made with no added sugars, topped with granola. Protein bars with no sugar, smoothies sweetened only with frozen fruit, etc.

For my family, they still eat sugar but not constantly. I make a lot of fruit trays as a treat for them, they have that for dessert more than anything else.

 

[1ke]

I’ve HAD it with the sugar addiction! Has anybody here successfully weaned your family from sugar? Specifically, I’m seeking to cut back on added, refined sugar.

Yes, I threw out/gave away everything that has sugar in it, from ketchup to peanut butter to spaghetti sauce, and more.

You have to shop natural foods, but even then be very careful. Only certain natural brands are truly sugar free— like Laura Scutter and Smucker’s Natual peanut butter but not Jif Natural. And you have to do things differently like keep the PB in the fridge.

Otherwise you have to make your own stuff from scratch so it doesn’t have sugar added. Sugar is added to tomato dishes to cut the acidity. So, there’s a trade off.

Read labels scrupulously. And even then, you need to learn all the other words out there that mean “sugar”.

 

[blackforest]

My point to this post is to suggest not “battling with sugar,” but practicing moderation.

I think this goes back to the controversial question of whether or not sugar is an addiction. Addictions can’t be cured with moderation. I know that when I went off sugar some years ago, tasting something as simple as a piece of cake felt overwhelming sweet. My taste buds had acclimated to less sweet foods, so the cake seemed gross. I know that there are less sweet desserts out there that rely on fruit and natural sugar alternatives like honey and date syrup. (I personally can’t stand stevia. It tastes like aspartame to me).

I’ve worked my way back into sweets, unfortunately, so it would be nice to change myself in order to be a good model for the kiddos.

You have to shop natural foods, but even then be very careful.

Yes, the “natural” processed foods can be just as bad as the conventional ones!

 

[GLam1761]

Sugar is addictive not only physically, but psychologically!!
Ever since refined sugar had been linked to diabetes and
obesity, It has appeal to those who are more vulnerable,
those who are curious and who don’t care.

 

[Sarcelle]

May I suggest a more radical method?

Cut out snacking.

Three meals a day are enough for adults although children may have one small snack like fruit or cut up vegetables.

Shop in the perimeter of the grocery store and avoid processed food as much as possible. Even the savory ones contain added sugars. I noticed that on a container of plain cottage cheese there was even added sugar. Plain cottage cheese!

 

[Sarcelle]

So instead of candy or soda or whatever, buy tasty fruits that can also satisfy a desire for something sweet. Berries can be pretty expensive but you ought to be able to buy a big bag of oranges or lemons or grapefruit or whatever for a good price.

Frozen berries are a bargain.

I’ve been enjoying some frozen blueberries which I thaw and put on some plain Greek yoghurt as a dessert. They’re extra sweet and no added sugar needed.

However if nothing but cookies will do here’s a recipe that may work for you. No added sugar but from the bananas or from the added optional mix ins like dried fruit or extra dark chocolate chips. It’s also vegan.

 

[Sarcelle]

In my experience, cutting out refined sugars helps everything else suddenly taste better, too. It can be its own reward in many ways.

I have noticed that my taste buds have reset and I can taste things better. The cravings have also disappeared.

 

[TC3033]

There’s a sizable body of research to the contrary.

I’d honestly love to see it. I haven’t seen a peer reviewed study on it, showing addiction, that has been very good. Usually stuff out in the blogosphere.

I can say from personal experience that this is wrong. I have been in fact addicted to sugar. Feeling a physical craving/compulsion for it and even getting up in the night to Eat sweets at times etc.

Scientific studies say different. I have to ask…why did you go straight to sweets and not strawberries, oranges, grapes, etc…which are basically water and sugar?

Addictions can’t be cured with moderation. I know that when I went off sugar some years ago, tasting something as simple as a piece of cake felt overwhelming sweet.

Like I said above…what about fruit. When you were “addicted” could you moderate fruit (which is basically all sugar) or strictly sweets?