Sugar: Take it Away Marjory!
Do you remember that show where Oprah comes out on stage pulling a wagon full of blubber to celebrate her weight loss?
Years later I saw her in an interview where she said that she had fit into those jeans for only a couple of hours after that show. Now, her normal, heftier frame shifted on the couch, emphasizing that she would probably never be that light again.
I am not especially overweight and my diet is exemplary. I have been working to make slow deliberate dietary and exercise changes over time. First I started eating organic foods for the increased mineral content that is often lacking in commercially produced foods. I am careful to buy and grow high quality, “clean” meat, grown pesticide free, with no GMO feed, and free-range grass fed when possible; also not given antibiotics that would end up in my body. I have cut out wheat and rice, and for the most part, pies and cakes thankfully don’t interest me. I am becoming immune to cookies and brownies, although I do succumb sometimes. I rarely eat any grains or legumes, except my homegrown corn, of course!
I regularly consume extremely high quality, nutrient dense foods (many of which I have grown myself). This includes organs and meats (both raw and cooked), green juices, bone broths, fermented foods, fresh and dried herbs and teas, lots of fresh vegetables, wild foods, sprouts, raw butter when possible, olives and avocados. I also take some supplements just because.
Now I have one last area that needs some cleaning up.
Chocolate. I just love eating the cocoa, cacao (dried bean-like seeds used to make cocoa) and sugar in chocolate bars. And I don’t mean just a little bit. Many of you have written that 1 or 2 squares of high quality chocolate are all you need. I am just not the “oh just a bit” kind of person, not when it comes to sugar. I am all-or-nothing, whole hog, deep end jumping kind of person. I eat (confession time) at least one of those big bars and sometimes two a day! I am not saying I am proud of myself.
And even with those levels of sugar and chocolate coming in, my health is superb. I am getting stronger and more flexible. I move more joyfully and with clearer focus every day.
Why worry about this last thing? I mean my health is improving and I am getting stronger each year.
I went to my dentist and she told me I had at least one major infection going on in a tooth, at the root. I had no idea that with almost no symptoms, anything was really wrong.
Do you recall that in my Alternatives to Dentists video I talked about how I healed up my abscessed tooth? I did. That infection swelled up, was huge and painful. I used the simple techniques and got it all down to what I felt at the time was complete healing of the tooth. I certainly had complete use. I am concerned now, years later, that I did not heal the entire infection and a low level of infection may have stayed there all these years. Or even that the tooth may possibly be dead. My dentist told me it is surprisingly common for people not to know and have a dead tooth in their mouth, sometimes for years.
But apart from the tooth health issue, you know what? I love the rushes I get when eating chocolate! But I am not happy at all about how my energy level swings. I intend to get a blood sugar meter to see if there is a correlation. My guess is “yes”.
So I want to quit eating sugar and chocolate. I want to see what levels of excellence in health that I can reach. That tooth was a message that this is the next step in my personal quest for excellence.
I can quit sugar; I have done it a hundred times before! Well that may be a slight exaggeration. The point is, ultimately I failed, and the more times you fail at something, the harder it is to believe you ever can succeed. So I am feeling like I need to have a better plan, to do things differently this time than I ever have before.
I am taking the plunge, and writing out my full plan here. I have pieced this together from a combination of all the responses you generously shared on my other post, as-well-as from my own experiences and intuition. This is my plan; let’s hope it works!
I believe the key to success will be to slowly and gradually introduce supportive habits before cutting off the supply.
1) Show myself the truth. I am signing up for a free account on www.myfitnesspal.com and developing the habit of journaling everything I consume. I think it will take about two to three weeks for this journaling to become an established routine. I will not put any pressure on myself to quit eating the sugar yet, but just watch. I am thinking also that recording how I feel after eating various foods will make smart decisions easier to make later on.
2) Create a little ritual for myself to acknowledge this change I am seeking, and to connect with a greater power for support and guidance. (I encourage you too, to seek and find a spiritual practice to encourage you mentally. But please remember, you can just make one up to use mentally, that resonates with your own belief system and wishes.)
Maybe we will share favorite mantras and prayers in some future post. This will be a time to be open-minded and to go easy on yourself and others. The journey into the spiritual side of a life is a very personal one. Part of the journey is to learn not to harshly judge yourself or others.
3) I have noticed that I feel really good when I do short bursts of intense exercise. I do get a fairly sizable amount of walking, lifting, and general moving just in the process of growing my own food. But I have a reluctance to do sprints, even though I feel really great when I do them. I really do not understand what testosterone is, but the way people describe it, I believe that you make it inside of yourself when you do sprints. It feels good and produces a sense of physical power and confidence. I am going to need that!
When I heard Joe Mercola speak, he talked about a system of intense exercises called the Sprint 8 System developed by Phil Campbell, which fits the bill for me. I want to spend another two to three weeks establishing the routine of doing Sprint 8 on Mondays and Thursdays every week.
If you do not have an exercise machine, you can use similar timing and frequency (interval training) with any form of exercise you can do, such as walking, jogging, swimming, stair stepping, or bicycling. No matter what your level of fitness or un-fitness :-), you start where you are and build up with intervals of greater intensity and distance, i.e. walk all the way to the mailbox once, then twice, then at greater speed.
HERE is a good article for beginners, seniors, or someone who just has marginal current fitness, on how to step it up a notch and create your own interval training routine.
While I am getting the habits going for the journaling and exercise going, I will also work on these items below.
There were so many comments about HFCS (high fructose corn syrup), fruit, honey, etc., that I am going to write up an article on exactly what I mean by sugar, since it is a confusing topic. For example, while honey is a much better choice than refined white sugar, especially raw, never heated honey with its enzymes intact, it is still sugar. And, as so many of you pointed out, eating white flour is the same as eating sugar. So just to make sure we are all on the same page, I will write up an explanatory paper on sugar. Much study in this area comes down to low glycemic index, doesn’t it? If you have some personal experience with this, please share it below, mentioning “Step 3, Low Glycemic”.
4) Find an accountability partner and/or support group. Now I would not really recommend that you publicly declare your intension to quit sugar publicly on the internet (like me), as it does sort of add some accountability pressure!;- But I will find and choose an ally to report to, and to be able to call on for help (hopefully day and night). But of course, I am never going to need help! LOL But I do know that sometimes just making it through that next moment, like the after church coffee time, is all that counts. I, You and I can do it!
5) Research the program Dr. Mark suggested on destroying the yeast bacteria in the gut that contribute to sugar cravings. He mentioned “Laurisidin or herbal products” and I want to find out more about what these things are. If anyone has any experience with either of these, or links to useful sites with good information, please write them in the comments section, referring to “Step 5”.
I have just learned that Laurisidin or “monolaurin is a natural, plant-based medium chain saturated fatty acid extracted from coconut oil.” It has an average of 4.25 out of 5 stars given by 62 Amazon reviewers, and HERE is a little summary of what it does and how it is used.
I look forward to hearing your results if you have used it for addressing your sugar addiction, referencing “Step 5”.
6) Research a nutritional supplement program that would support the transition from sugar. Lynn wrote in mentioning chromium picolinate and cinnamon. I have heard of some other mineral deficiencies correlating to sugar cravings and I hope to find which those are, to be able to remedy the situation. I have learned that many supplements can be harmful if not combined with certain other synergistic minerals, so I think it would be best to get a real nutritionist involved here. Anyone having good links for information please do post them with a reference to “Step 6, Supplements”.
7) Snacks: Start implementing Leana’s suggestion to get set up with alternative snacks like Paul’s pickle idea, and I have heard that soaked (and gently dried on low or no heat) nuts in very few numbers (3-6), chewed well, can add important fats and proteins, and quell cravings. You just cannot go overboard. This would be a once a day or every few days thing, if you are seeking the weight loss aspect especially. I have noticed that occasionally licking a lemon or lime has helped me reduce cravings. Kitty suggested substituting fresh fruit or veggie sticks for chocolate and candy bars, and Jan envisions the spoonfuls of sugar in desserts she is tempted by and instead grabs small amounts of fruits with nuts. If you have a favorite, please add it to the comments section and reference “Step 7, Snacks”.
8) Visualizations: Tracy suggested “seeing a cube of Sevin dust” (i.e. poison of some kind), instead of the pretty, tempting sugary sweets in your minds eye. It would be good to understand exactly what is going on when you eat sugar—like to the blood stream, the cells, etc. How does it cause damage? I wonder if it is like giving meth to a bunch of derelicts living in my gut. If you know the process, can describe it in specific visual detail, and can write a brief description of some aspect of the effects for all of us to use as a tool, please do so in the comments section, referencing “Step 8, Visualizing”.
Beyond that, I will plan to piece together a more detailed report on the damaging effects of sugar as I find more pieces of the puzzle.
9) Resting/Diversion: Something I have noticed about my use of sugar is that sometimes I hide it (hide that I am using it—speaks to its addictive qualities, doesn’t it?), and that I use it to keep myself going when I really should rest. So what I am going to do is declare a date for the sugar to be cut off and I will plan a light schedule for the weeks following, allowing myself to rest when I need to rest. Now I have never been good at laying down for long, so I will get a couple of really good books for my iPod that will help to keep my body down when it needs to rest. Has anyone read “50 Shade of Gray” yet? I have been intrigued by the vague descriptions I have heard. Hmmm, or maybe I should get a few lighthearted and fun titles. If you’ve got a suggestion, let me know, referencing “Step 9, Diversion”. Thanks!
10. General Hints and Tricks:
I know from experience that coming off sugar can be depressing at times, so I will set it up so I do not have to make any major decisions (wish me luck with that!) or have any public appearances for the week or so once I start.
Stephana and Anita also reminded me to keep myself hydrated; I agree. We are talking water, not soda or juice, obviously. And Mary suggested going mostly raw; veggies can make great natural, low sugar, super charged juice that would be very acceptable.
Remembering to breathe deeply is one of those “duh, yes” things that just seems too simple. But feeling tired can be a direct result of not having enough oxygen going in.
I am thinking of wearing a special bracelet for a few weeks, to help to remind myself to drink water and breathe deeply.
Others recommended to reduce or eliminate caffeine and eating more protein. (We will have a future report on what constitutes quality proteins.)
Recognize you have a problem, clean out the pantry of the temptations, avoid the church or community supper snack table and have cherry tomatoes, celery sticks and carrots, good oils, fish and poultry ready and waiting at home.
Use limited amounts of healthy or healthier sweeteners such as stevia, xylitol, and raw (unheated) honey (enzyme rich), avoid artificial sweeteners; make fresh green veggie smoothies or green juice to up your nutrient profile.
Watch how what you eat makes you feel. Be observant: do you need a nap right after eating? Try eliminating those things, reintroducing them one at a time, and see what happens.
There were so many books you wrote in and suggested. Here is the list and I will see if I can pick one or two to read:
Tom recommended Super Immunity and Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman
Kate suggested The Body Ecology Diet by Donna Gates
Many titles on sugar being poisonous such as:
Sugar Blues (William Dufty, 1986)
Sweet Poison: Why Sugar is Making Us Fat (David Gillespie, 2008)
Sugar Suicide: Why Sugar is Killing You and What You Can Do About It (Robyn Jantzen, 2013)
Tami suggested numerous titles by Suzanne Somers in a lovely post that unlike many others does include some grains.
Collette suggested Kathleen DesMaisons books Potatoes Not Prozac (her favorite), and The Sugar Addicts Recovery Program. And Collette, I am going to look at the 7 step program you mentioned.
11. Further Investigations: I invite you to further explore these other frequently suggested solutions to sugar addiction suggested by our fellow community members:
Low carb (high fat) suggested by Dr. Don and Carol; Leslie (Paleo)
Reduced or no grains/low grains by Dr. Mark and Olivia
High fat, low carb, eliminating grains and sugars, having very occasional fruit by Robert and Darlene (gluten free)
I have already been implementing some of these practices as I mentioned in the introduction.
So I am going to go for this with everything I have. Ruthetta, your comment about a 12 step program and your success since 1996 is incredibly inspiring.
The plan I’ve made I feel is a really good one which incorporates every trick I can think of.
And I take to heart the comments Baba wrote about surrender: too strong of an attachment to an outcome creates a polarization and ultimately, failure. So I am open to the possibility I am destined to be like Oprah.
I do believe in the power of good thoughts and prayer – so if you have a spare moment to offer good wishes, I and everyone else who is going on this journey sure appreciate it.
Marjory Wildcraft is an Expedition Leader and Bioneer Blogger with The [Grow] Network, which is an online community that recognizes the wisdom of “homegrown food on every table.” Marjory has been featured as an expert on sustainable living by National Geographic, she is a speaker at Mother Earth News fairs, and is a returning guest on Coast to Coast AM. She is an author of several books, but is best known for her “Grow Your Own Groceries” video series, which is used by more than 300,000 homesteaders, survivalists, universities, and missionary organizations around the world.
COMMENTS(0)
Step 7, snacks: Best of luck to you on your challenge! I think you are on the right track. When I did this a few years back, it was recommended that ‘cold turkey’ is the best strategy for a sugar addiction. I felt lethargic about the 3rd day, but by the 4th I was good to go.
I tend to line up with the ‘real foodies’ that recommend plenty of natural fats. I find that the satiating part of fat helps to satisfy a craving. I would eat extra butter, any saturated fats, coconut oil etc. I don’t believe chocolate is the problem – it is the sugar. I advocate using chocolate to help you win this battle.
My FAVORITE snack is to make a simple ‘almond joy bar’. I use a ‘mini muffin’ pan for the mold.
(I’ve never measured this but I will attempt guesses – nothing critical here.)
1/2 C coconut oil
2 Tbls coconut butter (optional, but tasty)
1/3 – 1/2 C shredded coconut (unsweetened, of course)
Melt all this together.
Put a couple or 3 of whole almonds in each space of the muffin pan. Put a spoonful of the above mixture over each. Don’t overfill because we need room for the next layer. Put in freezer briefly (10 min?) to harden for next layer. Meanwhile…
There should be some of the above mixture left over. To this add cocoa pwd – about an equal amount to the coconut oil that is left. (can add more oil and shredded coconut if necessary to make enough to top each muffin space. (equal parts cocoa and oil works well, can adjust to taste)
Top each white coconut/almond bottom with the chocolate/coconut mixture. Put in fridge (or freezer) for a few minutes to harden (doesn’t take long) pop each out with a butter knife – and there ya go!
This is super quick and easy. Very satisfying from all the healthy coconut oil and gets sweeter the longer you go without sugar.
You can add a tiny bit of sweetener – honey, maple syrup etc. but try and make it as un-sweet as you can so that the craving for sugar disappears. Which it will. 🙂
Good luck!!
That recipe sounds awesome. Thanks
Best wishes to you on your sugar free adventure. I was humbled many years ago to discover that I too had an addiction -to sugar. At the time I was seeking a non-drug treatment for my chronic depression.
My life savior was reading and following the advice in Julia Ross’ book The Mood Cure. It was truly life saving. And yes, be prepared for a week to adjust. I removed sugar, white flour and caffeine all at once. I was a teary mess for the first two days, but it got better quickly.
But the good news is I am free from the terrible grip if depression and my dentist appointments are better too!
Karla
Whereas we’re not as far down the road in growing the quality and quantity of veggies as Marjory; I do strive to improve incrementally every day. Big batch of kale coming in nicely this last week.
Must confess a weakness for fruit pie of any kind, and *gasp* Mint Milano cookies… one of the great pinnacles of achievement by civilized man.
Sorry, had to ‘fess up my apostacy.
Mint Milano cookies were my favorite commercially produced cookie. I did finally quit eating them after I found out they had partially hydrogenated fat in them.
I just bought some dark chocolate-covered acai berries for snacking. 🙂
I’ve been following Jorge Cruise for exactly one year. I each very little sugar, no carbs other than vegetables and barely any fruit. My sweetener of choice is stevia. In the past year my husband and I have each lost 21 pounds. My BP medication has been cut in half and I have lost my belly and waist by more than 5 inches.
Unlike most people I eat almost no grains or potatoes and only have an occasional 1/4 cup of rice. Now, according to a new look at diet and Alzheimer’s in “Grain Brain” I see that eliminating sugar and grains and root vegetables and most fruits is the way to go, not only for a healthy body, but also for a healthy brain.
Keep up the good work.
Coming in the house after a long hot sweaty day gardening; I find I do not make good nutrition decisions when I’m pooped, hungry, and blood sugar is low.
My strategy is to concentrate my efforts on the front end: Your attitude and choices during grocery shopping is the key. To slam two cliches together: Deliver us NOT into temptation with an ounce of prevention! If you steel yourself to a rigid discipline when purchasing your non-home-grown food, you can support and protect yourself later when you’re weak and hungry and would tend to make poor choices.
In the late 70’s as an extremely active surfer and SCUBA instructor, I was fortunate to get a good start on nutrition with the book “Let’s Eat Right to Keep Fit,” by Adele Davis. Many of our cohort will remember this as a landmark book in nutrition (good for it’s time; it’s quite dated now). Davis was the first author I’d read who pointed out that processed food was just a money-making scam to peddle cheap commodities (sugar, salt, fat in those center aisles) to an unwary public.
1) It’s a cliche, but don’t shop when hungry. Be strong here and your weakness later at home will be trumped.
2) I’m sure most of Marjorie’s fan base knows: Shop the perimeter of the grocery store, not the interior aisles (where all the processed food is).
3) Forgive yourself with the occasional indulgence; especially dark chocolate! With a solid nutritional base, the rare naughtiness is not something to beat yourself up over…
Hi Capt’n Dave – so good to hear form you. I absolutely love this line
Deliver us NOT into temptation with an ounce of prevention!
I have also noticed in the grocery store, if we don’t take the kids, the bill and the ‘junk food’ is a lot less. They sneak all kinds of stuff into the cart.
I would like to join you on this path. I, too, have made many small changes in diet over the last couple of years and am feeling better. Chocolate and sugar still are my “rewards”, though, and I would like to do away with them. Please keep me informed, as I would LOVE to walk this path together. Thanks!
Thanks Phyllis.
Marjory, I would like to introduce you to the Eat Right 4 Your Blood Type study. Dr’s D’Adamo, Sr. and Jr.
have determined thru lab study that each of the four blood types best survive on certain foods. Some of these foods overlap in each blood type, but uneque foods pertain to each also. Red meat types O and B and some overlap in AB also, but are an avoid for type A’s. Potatoes which are highly beneficial to type O’s are an avoid for type A’s etc. The take away in all of this is your immune system fights avoid foods like it fights
infections in the body. You can find his book on Amozon. P.S. Blackstrap molasses is my highly beneficial sweetiner, sugar is allowed in small amounts as it makes my immune system sluggish for several hours after eating it. Harold
Harold, thanks for that reference. I had read that book a while ago and it reflects the truth we have different needs.
Regarding step 9, rest and diversion: Marjory I think you are really wise to include rest and diversion in this process. I think this is so key, and really shows great understanding and compassion toward your body and the process it will be undergoing to make this change. Great work.
Your list seems well thought out and having a plan is so important to anything you want to accomplish. I don’t eat white sugar (but do eat honey, pure maple syrup, and coconut “sugar” in moderation) and I can tell you from my own experience that anytime I DO get some white sugar (rarely) it tastes GROSS, and leaves a nasty after taste on my tongue and bad breath that I can not brush away! It’s wonderful actually, because that makes me not even want it. (However natural, whole, sweet foods like honey and dates and maple do NOT have that effect on me…they leave no weird after taste in my mouth, and no bad breath!)
Also, whenever I see sugary things it kinda almost gives me a slight headache and makes me a little sick to contemplate eating them–I think it’s my body’s way of saying “that’s toxic to you”.
Now that you have a great desire to kick white sugar, I don’t think it will be a problem for you. Like pretty much anything in life, if the proper motivation is there, then it’s easy. When you are tempted just remember all the reasons you want to quit and it will override that temptation. And hopefully, pretty soon it will taste yucky to you! Your tastes truly do change. Best wishes!
Don’t give up chocolate. There is a dark chocolate that is nutritionally good for you. Here is what is said about the product:
No guilt – Now you can indulge your sweet tooth with delectable dark chocolate and savor cutting-edge science at the same time. That’s because Triple Treat™ Chocolate blends antioxidant-rich cocoa and wild-craft blueberries with probiotics, live bacteria that improve your intestinal balance of good versus bad microorganisms, promoting the immune system and overall health.* All natural, gluten-free, dairy-free, glycemic-friendly, and fair trade compliant. To read more on this, here is the link:
http://www.youngevity.net/product/24130.html
Ingredients
http://www.youngevity.net/images/pdf/YGY-24120-Triple-Treat-SuppFact-0610.pdf
Enjoy…
Hi Cheryl, That looks like it could be a good snack item. I wonder if there is too much fruit in it? I’ll look a the links you sent.
Thanks.
Majorie,
Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks.
Cheryl
Marjory,
Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks.
Cheryl
There is a 12 step program for food addicts that have issues with sugar, flour and quantities. You can find more info and a meeting schedule at foodaddicts.org. The program goes right to the heart of what you described and has worked for hundreds of thousands of people. It’s free and it works for those who are serious about making the change. I would suggest it highly. Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous. I wish you the very best. Thank you for sharing your journey.
That site looks like a great resource. Thanks
Edgar Cayce said that “anything in moderation is good” meaning we can eat and drink anything as long as we never overdo it.
Yes, there are foods and other things bad for you and you should avoid them. I applaud your “sacrifice” in abstaining…and if it makes you feel good…go for it.
Edgar Cayce, again, said: “if you get sick….eat like a cow.”
Funny story on Cayce and clairvoyants.
I grew up near Va Beach, where the world-famous Edgar Cayce Institute is.
So I’m in a bar in college in Norfolk, circa 1979, and meet a girl who claims to be a very talented psychic with the ability to see the unseen, know the unknown, etc. I brighten,and say “So you must know all about the Cayce Institute, about 10 miles from here.”
“I looked all over for it; I could never find it.” she said.
Good thing I was turned away as the beer in my mouth sprayed all over…
Dr. Mercola has a great recipe on his website for making your own chocolate. Very easy and I have experimented with the recipe and found the point where -any more sweetner and it is too sweet, any less and the chocolate is too bitter. I love this chocolate and have found I can not eat store bought chocolate because it is too sweet! This has helped me over the years with my sugar addiction – it is easier to bypass the treats when I know I have my own homemade treat at home. I don’t believe in this day and time any of us are truly over sugar. As with any addiction it is a daily battle.
Good Luck and you have inspired me to tighten the belt and clean up my diet once again. I like the idea of logging what you eat and how it makes you feel.
Dear MW,
Great compilation of our sugar suggestions!
You da Woman!!
My favorite mantra when doing the horrible, awful, icky MERCOLA SPRINTS on my stationary bike: “You CAN DO It!!!!”
And by golly, they are actually helping me lose weight.
Being in the country with no McDonalds has gotten 40 pounds off.
By April, I want to be at my high school weight.
WE CAN DO IT!!!
Yes Virgina, we can do it!
I have tried the Daniel diet successfully, all vegetables only, no wheat or sugar or fruit of any kind. It is a great diet for 30 days at a time. Use it with a beginning fast to rid you of the sugar cravings. Also, a little salt on the tongue after you eat a meal kills the sugar hunger.
Yes, I would like to be updated on your progress. By the way, it is possible to avoid sugar while still consuming cocoa/cacao, which is actually very good for you, full of antioxidants and natural antidepressants. Dr Mercola has a video showing how to make your own sugar-free chocolate using raw cacao, cocoa butter, and stevia. Good luck!
If you want to know why you have these cravings, I urge you to read the book “Wheat Belly” by Dr. William Davis. In it, he shows how eating the kind of hybridized wheat that is grown today causes addictions to wheat products as well as to unrelated foods, one being sugar.
Briefly, it’s because a substance called “gliadin” in modern wheat crosses the blood/brain barrier and goes to the area in the brain where narcotics go. Giving people nalexone, which is a drug designed to get addicts off of opiates, will stop the cravings caused by the wheat as well.
It’s too complicated to go into in this small space, but if you want to know more, I did a review of his book on my website and you can access that at http://www.healthyeatingontherun.com/wheat-belly.html. It will blow your mind, maybe in more ways than one.
Hi Barbara,
Nice review. I don’t eat much wheat – very little. And yes, was aware of much of what you wrote in the review. It definitely isn’t your grandmothers wheat anymore. I also appreciated your comments about all the ‘gluten free’ stuff out there being worse than the wheat itself.
Hi, I’ve been watching your videos, and reading most of what you wrote. I have a raised bed garden which has been watered by rain collected from roof downspouts.
I am growing Broccoli, cauliflower, kale, swiss chard, lettuce, butternut and buttercup squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, and garlic. I tried to grow sweet corn, but had poor results. Cantalope was another disappointment.
I want to comment on diet. Several years ago, I saw Jordan Rubin on TV. I subsequently found his book, “The Maker’s Diet”, and have given several copies to friends and associates. Jordan Rubin practices what he teaches. It worked for the ancients, and it works today. The interesting thing is that he tells why it is best to avoid some things, from a scientific basis.
I see he has a number of his books that are available on Amazon.com. I recommend them to you and all of your readers.
I am interested in following your progress – and hopefully come up with a plan for me.
Hi,my name is Irena. I have solution to your problem , but I would like to talk about it than write which I do not like. I am in Illinois close to Chicago and my # is (number removed for privacy). You can call me between 10 am -9 pm hope my number will be for your info only. Want to say I tried all and did not work until I found this solution 2 years ago and I am cancer surviver for almost 7 years and they gave me few months to live.
Marjory,
An absolutely fabulous book that EVERYONE should read is “Diet Wise” by Dr. Keith Scott-Mumby, a British doctor who long ago discovered that everyone, literally, everyone, has one or two, or possibly many, bad reactions/allergies to some type of food, even very healthy ones. My major personal problem foods are: garlic, green pepper, and red onions. Each of these gives me major stomach pain that lasts at least 24 hours. My other major bugaboo is wheat, which ramps up my level of systemwide inflammation considerably. I’m sure that you have your problem foods, too. And reactions to one’s problem foods can vary considerably in types of symptoms observed, whether very minor or very obvious.
As for sugar cravings/addictions, I found that eating more high-fat food is very helpful. I eat a lot nuts, avocados, and eggs every week. I also am very lucky to have access to raw dairy (milk, butter, cream, yogurt, kefir) from a PA farmer. (BTW, I wouldn’t touch pasteurized dairy (even “organic”) with a 10-ft pole.) Also, I eat only grassfed, pasture-raised beef, chicken, and small amounts of pork/bacon. My main problem is increasing the level of vegetables in my diet on a daily basis, but I’m working on that. I believe that reducing one’s intake of sugar to a minimal level is very important for helping to prevent two scourges of modern life: diabetes and cancer.
Hi Lynn, Yes, I do love fats! LOL. I also agree about your comments on milk and milk products from the store. Pasteurization ad homogenization just destroy the food. And the ‘organic’ standards have been shown to be quite useless in at least one major dairy.
Dill pickels help.
I had a nutritionist tell me one way to kick the sugar cravings was to eat a piece of fruit every 4 hours. Do this for a few days and then increase the time between pieces. You should not have any cravings.
I just found out I am diabetic (type 2) so this article is of great interest to me and would love to have updates on it!!
Giving up sugar should be a breeze compared to giving up wheat and rice. How on earth do you manage that? And why? I eat whole grain breads all the time, and one of the grains is almost always wheat. God said all vegetation was for food, didn’t he? Per Moses. How else can you make matzoth? During Passover it is a requirement to eat matzoth. And brown rice! I just made a mixed brown rice recipe, it was colorful and yummy. What’s wrong with rice?
I do follow kosher laws, no pork, shellfish, skinfish, rodents, reptiles, raptors, etc. Have done so for probably the last 15 years; also eat organic foods wherever possible: milk, yogurt, cheese, beef, fruits and berries eaten whole; and my health is great. I take supplements: calcium, veg-based glucosamine and multi-vitamins. I’m 76 years old, 5 foot 2 inches tall, and weigh 117, which is only 4 pounds more than my best mature “fighting” weight at age 28. I regularly exercise five or six days a week, grooming my horse to ride or drive; tennis once or twice a week; plus daily stretches, push-ups and/or planks. I’m going for 120.
Hi Kitty, my body does not like wheat. When I eat it – I get congested, and if I continue eventually sinus problems or a chest infection develops.
Now I absolutely used to love bread. And I tried every way to make it from grinding my own organic wheat and all the various processes written about by Sally Fallon in her wonderful book ‘Nourishing Traditions”. Although the impact on my body was lessened, it was still there.
With rice I also notice a difficult reaction in my body. And I used to love to eat rice too.
And you know what? As I started to grow more and more of my own food, I realized that growing grains is just hard work. You’ve got to grow the grain, harvest it, separate the chaff, then dry the grains – all of this before you then get to grinding it for baking. It is a lot easier to grow other vegetables, nuts, fruits, and meats.
Corn is a grain I seem to be able to process well, and it grows farily easily here – with a lot of fertility of course.
So you stopped the wheat and rice because it affects your body. That is not how it sounded in the article and like Kitty I was questioning the “why” of it. You should have made that clear in the article that the stopping of the wheat and rice and legumes was because of their negative effects on YOU, not necessarily because everyone should cut them out. I for one believe that moderation is the key to good health, and if something negatively affects you, then by all means do not eat or use it, but please do not leave the impression (or like some “gurus”) tout it as “the only way”.
By the way, the Laurisidin being an isolated compound fits right into my “franken food” category. When you start breaking the natural down into it’s parts, it becomes unnatural and you lose the benefit of all its constituents working together, maybe even causing harm. That is, after all, how pharmaceuticals are derived and then patented. Just my thoughts.
Eowyn,
good point on the Laurasidin.
Soooo…here is a very interesting thing:
Backstory: For a couple of years I have been treated by my favorite practitioner for various things like allergies, colds/flu, hiatal hernia, etc. using TBM (Total Body Modification)with very good results.
Recently I’ve been aggravated by some food allergies, so we began a food protocol that has included testing me for diet related issues and a sugarbeet nematode turned up, its called nematode 16.6. Apparently it survives the processing of the beets and ends up in people’s gut, where it causes SUGAR CRAVINGS. Anyway, he treated me for it and I have to say that I don’t even want breath mints anymore…hmmmm.
Go figure.
Wow, that sounded really simple.
hmmm,
You may be on target reading “50 Shades of Gray.” There was a study done that showed eating chocolate could substitute the chemical satisfaction one gets from sexual intercourse. Here is a link that has an interesting article about it… maybe you might try the inverse?
http://www.sciencemusings.com/2005/03/chocolate-fool.html
Also, maybe going cold turkey is not the answer. My dad used to smoke 2.5 packs or unfiltered Camels per day… He decided to quit. He would get an urge to smoke and decide to go ahead and have one but if he couldn’t find a pack he would go almost crazy – sometimes going out in the middle of the night to buy a pack to arrest his urge. He finally figured out that “wanting” the cigarette was worse than smoking it. IF he had “access” to the cigarettes, i.e. – there was a pack available, it was easier for him to tell himself that he “could” have one if he wanted, because they were handy, but he had a choice and therefore he could “turn down the urge.”
So, what he did was buy several packs of his brand and placed a pack anywhere he might have an urge… bedside table, in his vehicle, locker at work, in the bathroom… you get the picture. Now, he always was within reaching distance and he always had a choice and didn’t go bonkers because he really wanted one. He quit and never went back.
Maybe you could do something similar but add a twist. If you are eating one everyday, why not give yourself permission to eat chocolate and not feel guilty. But, determine to reduce the amount you eat… like one or two blocks per day and a whole bar on Sunday (or whenever).
The days you eat the one or two blocks – become very conscious of what you are doing. Tune out all other activities. Pay attention to the “ritual” of eating those one or two bites. Chew slowly and really enjoy the sensation and taste.
Become aware of the texture, the feel, the taste – every aspect of intentionally enjoying that bite or two of chocolate. Don’t rush the experience.
I read somewhere that the FIRST bite of a really delicious dessert was the best and a person gained the most satisfaction from the first bite. Any additional bites did not substantially improve the sugary experience. Knowing this, tell yourself “This bite is all I really need and I will enjoy it without guilt.” The first bite my become all you need in order to eliminate a big portion of this habit.
You eat well other than this. Why not ratchet down the amount you eat daily and then look forward to eating a full bar once per week and don’t worry about giving up the sugar from chocolate? Yeah, there is sugar in other foods like honey, but hey, honey is about the best sugar you can consume.
Maybe just give up food that act like sugar or contain sugar and choose your vices carefully.
Or, there’s the “50 Shades of Gray” (or the real version that maybe you can substitute instead of chocolate!)
cheers
Jake
Jake, I love it! LOL.
Yes, I do notice that I often just eat the chocolate without any mindfulness at all. Which is quite contrary to my regular habbit of blessing my food before I eat it.
Thanks for all the suggestions.
http://www.raypeat.com re: sugar and much more pertaining to health/nutrition.
A comment regarding step 7 about eating nuts for snacks and if that might cause weight gain.
Almonds for Weight Control
The latest news on nuts comes from a Purdue University study showing that snacking on 1.5 ounces of almonds daily reduced hunger and didn’t lead to weight gain, even though participants continued eating their customary daily diets. The investigators also reported that by eating almonds the study participants boosted their vitamin E levels as well as their intake of healthy monounsaturated fats.
Olivia, thanks for that reference. I love almonds.
Misty Humphrey (www.healthy-transitions,com) in her “Kick Your Sugar Addiction” class told us to take L-glutamine. It is cheap and you can take it several times a day. That was the trick, but the gist of the class was: DO NOT EAT ANY WHEAT AT ALL.
You don’t have to give up sweets entirely. You can make things with Stevia you grow yourself. http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/stevia-plant-zm0z13fmzkin.aspx#axzz2ibOmjkLp Then you can make your own extract to use in your baking and chocolate making. http://www.foodrenegade.com/how-make-liquid-stevia-extract/
I haven’t done this myself, but know of ppl who do. I don’t mind buying it from the store. 😉 Some who want to be self sufficient might like this info.
Good luck on your journey!
Thanks for those links Heather. I have grown Stevia and like it – well in small doses! LOL
I’m not a vegetarian. Far from it. But I got a cheap subscription to Vegetarian Times, because they are chock full of great recipes for cooking delicious vegetable dishes (vegetarian foodies are a great resource!). It has helped me tremendously over the past couple of years as I’ve weaned myself off of carbs and sugars.
Also, check out paleo baking recipes online. I’ve got a great paleo pumpkin muffin recipe, if you’re interested.
Oh, and I almost forgot, Natural Grocers has free health and nutrition magazines at the check outs. I’ve gotten lots of great recipes from those too.
Marjory well I am a diabetic , and your body coverts corn into sugar. Now you mention you like chocolate , here my secret walmart or krogers has sugar free brownies and cake mixes . Walmart has a sugar supplement in which has no sugar in it , now you can tell the differences in the taste of it and sugar for real . On the package it come in ,is yellow and white , with a picture of a big cherry pie on the front ! You find on the same area the sugar is located at , so be careful your body can over produce sugar and the you pig out on sweets or sugar ! You could have heart problems from to much sugar and carbohydrates , starches ,flour all can be converted into sugar ! Which can cause heart problems!So I hope this helps !
Step 5-
Sounds like a Candida die off effect which I have not seen mentioned yet. Not sure about Lauricidin, but I have done Candida diets before. Basically you avoid all sugars, molds, and yeasts for a period of time to starve off the unhealthy bacteria overgrowth in your gut which cause cravings. Combining this diet with some light herbal cleansing to aide digestion and absorption helped me. A blood test is available to indicate whether there is a Candida overgrowth or not. Your diet seems very healthy as it is. Could it all be in your head with the chocolate thing? The poster who mentioned the mindfullness aspect brings up a good point.
I’m glad you’re trying to kick the sugar habit. It is so bad for us in so many ways. It’s hard to believe that something that tastes so good is so bad. I have been reading about sugar cravings and Candida (yeast). Yeast is a fungus that thrives on sugar, therefore your body craves sugar. We all have Candida present in our bodies however when it gets out of control it gets into your bloodstream and causes havoc. Sugar craving is one of the main symptoms of a high level of Candida, and you may not even know you have it. Might be a good idea to have it checked by a doctor, and see if your sugar craving is just a pleasurable need or if it comes from the Candida within. There are Candida Cleanser’s available on line. “They” say when you get rid of the Candida you also get rid of the sugar cravings! I haven’t tried it yet but I’m thinking about it. Good luck!
Thanks Marjory. I’m going to follow your story and incorporate all I can. My sugar is beer.