How To Quit Sugar

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Anti-sugar fever seems to be on the rise. Especially now, since sugar has been linked to Cancer.

Last week, a friend who does not have type 2 diabetes asked me about my diabetes diet: “How many carbs can you eat without raising your blood sugar?” Another pal is on a 21-day-cleanse – no sugars allowed. And folks in my neighborhood recently formed a support group for going cold turkey on sugar, which one member claimed is harder than giving up cigarettes: “No one wants you to smoke, but they’re happy to see you eat a slice of birthday cake.”
This is a blog post from WebMD, but I want to stick my personal opinion in here. "I think that sometime in the future medicine will know for sure that refined sugar might be one of the causes for most of our health problems." I know that sounds a little vague and I'll explain. Sugar, the real sugar, isn't the same as refined sugar that you buy in the stores. The real sugar is the sugar in produce and in dairy products. The granulated sugar you buy and what manufacturers use to make the foods we eat is refined sugar. Know the difference because it's the refined sugar that people are starting to catch on to. There is evidence that refined sugar is linked to the growth of cancer cells. Refined sugar has additives and it has to. In other countries, all manufacturers don't use refined sugar, they used sugar cane which is pure sugar without chemical additives. 
With the publication of books like Gary Taubes’ The Case Against Sugar, in which he blames sugar for health problems like obesity, heart disease and, of course, diabetes, the health-conscious are taking heed. Yes, I agree, but sugar isn't the only problem we have with processed foods. Yes, you see sugar in everything including foods that aren't sweet. So what's the deal? Some research indicates that sugar can cause a food dependence.  This might be the reason you see sweeteners on all the food labels. Is there any reason we need sugar in white bread? I looked in cookbooks and I don't see it on the list of ingredients. When you make pasta from scratch you don't add sugar to the flour. Why is a sweetener in the list of ingredients? Lately, things have changed, you don't see any sweeteners on the package label. Because if the percentage added is small enough they don't have to list it. 
I have to admit, all of the hysteria is kind of amusing to me. To treat my type 2 diabetes, I abandoned sugar ages ago, so not eating the sweet stuff is second nature to me by now. Scanning labels for sugar’s aliases – glucose, simple syrup, fruit sweetener – has also become an ingrained habit. And after years of listening to people question my choices – “Are you sure you can’t have a bite?”, “One cupcake surely won’t hurt?!” – the idea of people without type 2 diabetes jumping onto the anti-sugar wagon seems tinged with irony.
Although I’m no† convinced that "sugar is the root of all evil" or the root of all disease, I’m also pretty sure that it’s not just “empty calories.” And while some diabetes groups preach sugar can be eaten “in moderation” my personal glucose monitor doesn’t agree.
So how hard is it to abandon sugar? That depends, I think, on how much sugar you’re accustomed to eating. If you’ve got a five-Coke-a-day habit, you’re probably going to have a rougher patch than if you only indulge in dessert on weekend nights.
Think about your situation, "do you have a food dependence?" It might not be sugar, it might be salty foods or fatty foods, but any of these can cause a food dependence and can cause health problems.
Wherever you fall on the sugar spectrum, if you are thinking of going cold turkey, (that's really the best way) here are a few tips:
  • Seek support. Support groups can help if you’re having trouble going it alone. Talking about what you miss – chocolate chip cookies, mint ripple ice cream, a sugar high – might make it easier. After all, misery loves company.
  • Journal. Keeping a journal can keep you honest. Dieters have had a lot of success jotting down their daily intake. Logging your daily sugar intake before you try to stop might be a similarly powerful wake-up call.
  • Read labels. Sugar lurks in the darndest places – from sugar-cured bacon to low-calorie fruit spreads to sugar tobacco-cured cigarettes. Familiarize yourself with its many guises and read carefully.
  • Substitute. If you need a hint of sweetness, I find frozen blueberries can do the trick. Or a little whipping cream mixed with vanilla. While you don’t want to trade in everything for artificial sweeteners, if you like the taste, ten-calorie Jello can make a good transition treat.
  • Forgive yourself. Going cold turkey on sugar isn’t easy. If you do give into a Oreo cookie today, remember that there’s always tomorrow.
Sugar is a habit and can be just as bad or as addictive as cigarettes. The problem with sugar, like anything else like salt or fats, the body can only process small amounts of it in a day. So, if you have a weight problem you probably have been consuming too much sugar or other sweeteners, salt or animal fat which is also in dairy products. Once your liver becomes saturated with anything you have been eating in excess, your liver will slow-down functions. In other words, work slower than normal. When that happens, the liver will turn more animal fats and sugars into body fat and process less than normal. That’s why you add body fat.
Once your liver has slowed down that’s when you have to stop “sugar” altogether.
You can tweet me with questions at #ray0369
I write several blogs and e-books, check out some of my other sites.
If you really want to lose your body fat than look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books.
There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $1.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.
My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. I’ll give you a discount coupon you can use at checkout. (PJ42H) not case-sensitive the price is $1.99 w/coupon

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