15 ms·

A Month Without Sugar

285 points by tokenadult 10y ago

shorttime 10y ago
Another year, another demon food. It seems every few years we switch it up, now it's sugar, before it was glutten, then it was fats, then it was carbs. It seems like nobody really has a clue what is "good" for us. The only thing that makes sense to me anymore is eating a balanced diet from a variety of food sources while also maintaining a decent exercise regimen. Not over doing it, frequently, is also an important aspect. I've found it's OK to eat junk food once in awhile, as long it's not a habit.
- mdgrech23 10y ago
  Could not agree w/ this comment more. Writing a New York Times article suggesting people count calories, weigh their food, and exercise 3-5 times per week is boring and doesn't sell. The public is dying for a guru w/ a new methodology or academia to emerge w/ a new "scientific breakthrough" to save them from the obesity epidemic. The answer is simple but yet so many people refuse to believe eating less calories than their body needs is the cornerstone to weight loss.
  - crikli 10y ago
    Agreed. You cannot outwork a shitty diet BUT refined sugar is the cornerstone of most shitty diets.
  - zeta0134 10y ago
    Honestly, I think the reason most authors tend to have so much success with the new fad diet of the week is that for the month or whatever that they run the diet, they're actually monitoring their food intake and making an effort to eat more balanced meals. The diet itself seems almost irrelevant. Just the simple act of paying attention to what you eat (counting calories is an excellent starting point) will help more than anything, as you'll more easily recognize poor trends in your food choices, and the awareness will encourage you to diversify your diet.
  - munificent 10y ago
    A couple of years ago, in a show of solidarity with my wife, I did a Whole 30. It's a 30 day elimination diet that cuts out all sugar (except for naturally occurring in whole fruit). I'm in my thirties and very slim. The Whole 30 lets you have as much fat, meat and calories as you want. I plowed through eggs, homemade mayo, meat, and other calorie dense food. I'm skinny enough that I don't have much weight to lose. Even so, I dropped ten pounds effortlessly. I don't know if this generalizes to other people and their physiques, but it was enough to convince me that sugar/simple carbs really do correlate more directly to my waistline than just counting calories does. I'm sure what the right metric to pay attention to is. My hunch is that it's glycemic load. Either way, I cut down on my sugar and carbs since then, and I've lost of a lot of the middle-aged Dad belly I was starting to develop. I don't count calories at all. It seems to work for me.
    - cheald 10y ago
      Honestly, I think it's just calories in vs calories out. There's all kinds of things to consider like glycemic load and digestion speeds and all that, but at the end of the day, you lose fat when you eat less than you burn (see: the Twinkie diet). I think way too many people focus on things like glycemic load and the "kinds" of calories they're eating as some kind of magical weight loss/gain formula, and lose track of the overall quantity. I've lost more weight just counting calories and ignoring micronutrients, glycemic load, etc than I ever did trying to micromanage glycemic load and micronutrients. Fats are a lot more satiating than carbohydrates (ie, sugars) - I could easily put away 4000 calories of goldfish crackers in an evening, but I would be insanely full, uncomfortable, and possibly even sick if I tried to eat 4000 calories of proteins or fats. My go-to craving-killer snack is peanuts - they're high calorie on the label, but a handful of them takes the edge off my craving in a way that chips and crackers and candy don't.
    - iopq 10y ago
      I'm in my thirties and I don't want to lose weight. I also ate several hundred grams of sugar every day in December. Didn't gain a single pound. This is because my calories were still about the same, only the composition changed.
    - chris_7 10y ago
  - shorttime 10y ago
    Not sure why you're being downvoted but I agree with you.
- zdean 10y ago
  The dose makes the poison with sugar as with anything else. That being said, I think most people encounter sugar at doses that are clearly poisonous to their bodies: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/06/08/is-sugar-really-bad-for-you-it-depends/?_r=0 http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/06/08/is-sugar-really-bad... (see the section: Why is it a problem to have too much sugar?) However, I get your point. I think the conflicting (and often industry driven) public health messages we've gotten at least over my lifetime and probably for decades before have made people dubious of new health/health harm claims around whole classes of foods. For me, I like to follow Michael Pollans advice of "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." http://michaelpollan.com/reviews/how-to-eat/ http://michaelpollan.com/reviews/how-to-eat/
- quickben 10y ago
  Here is an actual, biochemical take on the subject of refined sugar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM Here is probably what happened to advertise fat as bad in the first place: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/13/well/eat/how-the-sugar-industry-shifted-blame-to-fat.html http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/13/well/eat/how-the-sugar-ind... The first link I can't argue with, the second one maybe. We do need balanced diets, but, natural balanced diets. Throwing pure sugar into it, isn't making it balanced of any sort.
  - victorhooi 10y ago
    Your first link is to a video from Robert Lustig. You should probably have mentioned that his viewpoints are quite controversial, and there's hardly yet a scientific consensus on them. You shouldn't post his videos as the gospel truth.
    - vixen99 10y ago
      Bottom line: fructose (50% of ordinary sugar) is not metabolized in the same way as glucose (the other 50%). The latter is used by just about every cell in the body whereas the liver is mainly responsible for handling fructose. This organ also metabolizes other things like alcohol and paracetamol. Overloading the liver is not a good idea. Anyone can read up on what 'overloading' means for any of those or other nutrients and go figure. None of this is controversial though the definition and effects of 'excess' fructose obviously are, for any individual.
    - quickben 10y ago
      I apologize but I do not track controversies that much as I don't have the time for all that. Also, I'm a programmer, not a biochemist, so: If I go to wikipedia, I get https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Lustig https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Lustig And I see nothing about controversies there. If I google about the term for a bit, I see no scientific rebuttals of his points in that video. I mean, it's biochemistry, if he's that much wrong (he seems quite educated) then some of his science is also wrong; would you be so kind to provide few links of rebuttals to his research papers or whatever you are reading. I would greatly appreciate if you stick to actual scientific papers, as I really don't have time to get dragged into the whole USA 'omg hes from <political party> and that's why he states his pro [trump/hilary] views. TLDR: I honestly don't know about any controversies streaming from that video, but would like to read the scientific rebutals, if any, with respect to that guy's work.
- geoka9 10y ago
  I think the article describes a good approach because it sets you on track to improve your diet overall, by making you used to the relative lack of sugar in unprocessed (healthier) foods.
- psyc 10y ago
  This seems like false equivalence. Has refined sugar ever not been considered harmful in the last few decades? I'm not aware of any controversy here.
  - taeric 10y ago
    You'd be surprised. In general, I think sugar has been known as something that you had to consume "in moderation." But, this is akin to the false belief that moderation can fix most any problems. My favorite example is a survey that asked people which one saved more money, turning the lights out an hour earlier every day, or switching to higher efficiency lights. The vast majority thought turning lights out earlier would have higher impact, which is incredibly wrong. So, the same with sugar for many right now. Many think that they can get by with more "moderation" and skipping a desert.
    - mistermann 10y ago
      > The vast majority thought turning lights out earlier would have higher impact, which is incredibly wrong. Is it? Based on what timeframe and power cost? When I was last light bulb shopping it seemed to me not upgrading was more cost effective < 5 years at least.
      - taeric 10y ago
        If you add cost of bulbs, it gets a little closer. However, energy costs are laughable in the difference. From a sixty to hundred watt bulb to a nine to fourteen is a huge difference.
        mistermann 10y ago
        You're right: 60 watts x 24 hrs/day = 1440 watt hrs = 1.44 kwh/day, @ $.10/kwh = $.15 / day $5/LED bulb / $.15/day = 33 days to pay off
        taeric 10y ago
- overgard 10y ago
  It's definitely confusing but let me put on my conspiracy hat here for the moment and point out that it's in the interest of a lot of multinational corporations to keep people confused. The science on things like artificial sweeteners is a jumbled mess. If you happen to believe a calorie is a calorie, triscuits seem as good as brocolli, in certain amounts. But triscuits are a lot tastier and a lot more profitable because they dont spoil. I guess my point here is every article you read on this subject, you have to be careful of what their motives are.
- prodmerc 10y ago
  > eating a balanced diet from a variety of food sources while also maintaining a decent exercise regimen Now you're talking crazy shit, son, how could that ever work?! /s
- TACIXAT 10y ago
  Celiac here, gluten, sugar, sodium nitrites, monosodium glutamate, caffeine, all these wreak havoc on my body. A lot of people are addicted to these, and a lot of people can see great health benefits by giving them up. Passing them off as demon food fads does little good and little to educate people. I used to joke on gluten free. I barely knew anything about it. Here I am now saying it changed my life. Being less dismissive might help others to find out about their health conditions sooner.
daveguy 10y ago
> There were certainly times when I didn’t enjoy the experience. I missed ice cream, chocolate squares, Chinese restaurants and cocktails. But I also knew that I’d get to enjoy them all again. > The unpleasant parts of a month without sugar are temporary, and they’re tolerable. Some of the benefits continue long after the month is over. If you try it and your experience is anything like mine, I predict that your new normal will feel healthier and no less enjoyable than the old. This is the extent of the results. NONE of the benefits, expected or experienced are discussed! The rest is just telling you what to avoid and what to eat. The sugar naturally occurring in fruit, vegetables and dairy are allowed. Author also claims that you can't eat things that have 0g sugar listed because that just means less than 0.5g. You have to read every ingredient for -ose, honey, sugar, agave, etc. That seems a bit ridiculous if you are allowing fructose from an apple (~19g). Reduce sugar in favor of grain and calorie balance among fat, carb, protein with reduced total intake is generally good. Diets like these are replacing one extreme with another.
- truth_sentinell 10y ago
  Yes, but is unlikely that you overdose your daily sugar intake with fruits whereas with a can of coke or a bag of ships you're already overdosing. Besides that, fruits have nutrients and other elements that help fight the possible downsides of the fructuose.
  - cheald 10y ago
    You'd be really surprised - fruits contain a lot of sugar. Dried fruit and fruit juices (which many people think of as "healthy") can zip you past sugar quotas in a hurry. Honestly, I think it's probably just easiest to limit carb intake overall. Don't bother with the nonsense about subtracting fiber and all that, just set your carbohydrate goals for the day and stay under that. Sugar-heavy foods tend to get naturally eliminated in such a routine because the calorie-to-satiation ratio sucks.
    - chillacy 10y ago
      Just adding on as to one of the reasons: we've bred fruits over thousands of years to be packed with sugar. http://www.sciencealert.com/here-s-what-fruits-and-vegetables-looked-like-before-we-domesticated-them http://www.sciencealert.com/here-s-what-fruits-and-vegetable...
ruminasean 10y ago
I've done 4 months without sugar in any form (added or even fruit). I've lost almost 40 lbs, I feel great, I'm about the weight I was in HS (I'm middle aged). And even though I'm vegetarian and accustomed to being the weird one as far as food as concerned, not eating any sugar in any form really is exceptionally isolating. Any diet will have you feeling left out, but man. Sugar is a bitch.
- mrinterweb 10y ago
  I find it helpful to hear success stories like yours. I'm obese, and I need to correct that. I believe sugar is one of the primary culprits. I'm going to attempt again to remove sugar from my diet for a month. I removed sugar from my diet for a couple weeks, and the weight loss results were very satisfying. It is a hard diet to do though. I found that eating out was very tricky, and that shopping at the grocery store was also challenging. It required meal planning, and just thinking of most food in the grocery store as non-edible. There are good documentaries, books, etc. on why sugar is so bad for us. I really enjoyed the documentary ["Fed Up"](http://fedupmovie.com http://fedupmovie.com).
  - tomerico 10y ago
    If you get motivate when reading success stories (I know I do), you should check out http://reddit.com/r/loseit http://reddit.com/r/loseit
  - EpicEng 10y ago
    Sugar is definitely a culprit, but really, it's all about calories in v calories out. Eliminating large amounts of processed sugar will help as the calories can quickly add up and you'll experience a big insulin spike afterward, but if you just moderate, keep most of your food healthy, and stay at a caloric deficit, you'll lose weight. Extreme diets (i.e., 'eliminate X completely') tend to fail because they're hard to sustain.
    - CharlesW 10y ago
      > …really, it's all about calories in v calories out. In the absolute sense, you're absolutely right. But in my experience sugar tends to stoke a desire for more, in which case the form calories take is a crucial factor for success. (Caveats: I know what works for me but couldn't tell you how much of the effects of eating sugar are physiological vs. emotional, etc.) [EDIT: Typo]
edoceo 10y ago
There is a good movie about it: Fed Up Made me watch my processed foods, and especially sugar intake. Still think balanced diet and exercise are a very good idea
- sdfin 10y ago
  I learned about that documentary thanks to a previous HN thread. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the topic. The amount of sugar added to many processed foods is insane.
henrik_w 10y ago
On the subject of sugar, there is a review of Gary Taubes' new book "The Case Against Sugar" in the Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/01/the-sugar-wars/508751/ https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/01/the-sug...
RUG3Y 10y ago
I went three months without sugar while dieting. That ended at a birthday party, where I had a tiny piece of chocolate cake. The cake immediately made me ill. I started sweating and became dizzy. After that I was convinced that sugar is awful for our bodies.
- dragonwriter 10y ago
  Honestly, I've heard similar effects from just about everyone whose avoided any category of food for an extended time and then reintroduced a food that was in the avoided category (whether it's meat, sugar, or any of a number of other things.) The effect you describe may be more a sign that eating things the body isn't prepared for are disruptive, rather than the harmfulness of the particular avoided food. (Even where the avoided food actually is harmful.)
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
- lukeman 10y ago
  After five-ish years of mostly sticking to Paleo I have a similar reaction (heart palpitations + general awful feeling) when I eat something like pizza or drink a beer. Not an issue when I eat fries or other simple carb cheats, but it's enough to remind me why I gave up this stuff in the first place.
DoodleBuggy 10y ago
Giving up sugar, junk food, and refined carbohydrates is not particularly difficult. It requires some effort and minimal self control. You will definitely feel a lot better if you avoid sugar and carbs, and probably lose weight too.
- mrinterweb 10y ago
  I don't know about "not particularly difficult". Eating out is really tricky, so it is best to assume you can't eat out. Finding groceries that don't have added sugar is also tricky. I guess you can get into a routine of what foods you know are safe to eat. I don't think it is a very easy diet. I do think it is a very healthy and effective diet though.
  - DoodleBuggy 10y ago
    Eating out is fine, stick to restaurants and choose healthier meals and always avoid pizza joints, buffets, and fast food. > Finding groceries that don't have added sugar is also tricky Also easy to avoid: if it isn't fresh from a plant or animal, you probably shouldn't eat it. Or at least eat much less of it and be discerning about what's in it and where you buy it from. You can generally assume that if something is refined, processed, or often even packaged, it likely has added junk you really should not be eating.
    - mrinterweb 10y ago
      The problem with eating out is often you don't know what ingredients they are using. Does the bread they use have added sugar. Is the dressing on that salad full of sugar? There are so many unknowns with eating out, that it is not easy to avoid sugar when eating out. Generally speaking, food that you did not make, is going to likely have unwanted sugars. Buying fresh is not exactly easy because that means going to the grocery store every day or thereabouts. I'm not going to argue that buying and eating fresh food isn't better for you, but it is certainly not easier. It takes some practice to find the foods that work for you that don't have added sugar. It does get easier, but I would not say it is an easy diet considering how much food you need to avoid.
b212 10y ago
Around the age of 13, the lazy side of me figured out that in life you can actually gain something by not doing something else. This was the day when I decided I wouldn't touch the alcohol or cigarettes (not to mention soft and hard drugs). Ever. I've tried alcohol since then maybe two times actually and I've never been drunk, never tried to smoke, I don't even drink coffee (just don't like the taste of it). Anyway, it took me 27 years to realise I've been addicted to sugar the whole time. I dropped refined sugar from my diet last February, I'd say I'm quite strict here as I've ate sugar only two times in these 11 months (one traditional Christmas Eve dish and one for Easter). Maybe a few times more when I wasn't sure what I was eating (eating out). My sugar problems became really obvious when I was super strict about my oral hygiene yet I was spending thousands of dollars yearly on dentists. I was getting a few cavities filled yearly for the last 10 years or so. It seemed normal to me but the red flag was a cavity between my incisors, it was tiny, I couldn't even see it but every time I ate something with refined sugar I felt this particular type of pain you got when you have a cavity in your teeth. I could barely feel it with any other food, but sugars - hell yea, it was just simply painful. And then I got scared and thinking "damn, I'm 27 and I've already had root canal treatment once - and now this?". I've been reading a lot about people who have super healthy teeth because they don't eat that much sugar (or no refined sugars at all) and somehow without sugar tooth decay is processing very slowly if at all. During the last 11 months I've seen my dentist twice and looks like if I will keep sugar out of my diet I'd just have to replace my fillings every few years or so. No new cavities, no signs of teeth decay, I feel like a new man. What's even better I'm reading ALL the product labels before I eat anything now and I'm generally MUCH better because I've dropped refined/palm oils too. I'm living in Poland and our food is dirt cheap and of superb quality, anyway it really opened my eyes in many cases, when I was for example looking for sausages and about 50% had sugar in them, when and why the heck we decided to put sugar in our meat?! :( Same goes for bread and so much processed food you'd be surprised. (if you're planning of dropping sugar it won't be easy - the first 3 weeks were nightmare for me, but I got by eating sweets sweetened with sorbitol, aspartam etc. - after that it was just like a walk in the park - I don't even miss Nutella sandwiches I used to eat every morning - try oatmeal with nuts and honey or in the worst case - mascarpone sandwiches with some honey on top of it - delicious :D)
- chris_7 10y ago
bogomipz 10y ago
I'm not sure what to make of this article , the author states: >"I have done so in each of the last two years, and it has led to permanent changes in my eating habits. It wasn’t easy, but it was worth it." But then also states: >"There were certainly times when I didn’t enjoy the experience. I missed ice cream, chocolate squares, Chinese restaurants and cocktails. But I also knew that I’d get to enjoy them all again." What happened to the permanent changes in easting habits mentioned in the first passage? Is this a "yo-yo diet" then? I also found this puzzling: >"I now know which brands of chicken stock, bacon, smoked salmon, mustard and hot sauce contain added sugar and which do not." Why can't the same awareness be achieved by simply reading the nutritional summary posted on the back of all food items before putting them in your cart or basket while grocery shopping?
- ScottBurson 10y ago
  > Why can't the same awareness be achieved by simply reading the nutritional summary posted on the back of all food items before putting them in your cart or basket while grocery shopping? It can be, and I've done so, but I can see that some people may benefit from focussing on the issue intensely for a month.
davymac 10y ago
If you consider this, make sure to consider whether or not you think you may be self-medicating with sweets. I quit sugar for about 2 months and went into an inexplicable depression where I was having suicidal thoughts. Sugar is a bastard. As others said the benefits of resetting the taste buds were pretty incredible. Black coffee instead of sugarcoated Starbucks is actually enjoyable to me now.
- greenyoda 10y ago
  "I quit sugar for about 2 months and went into an inexplicable depression" I wonder if tapering down sugar consumption gradually instead of abruptly quitting would lessen this effect by giving the brain time to adjust? It might be similar to how people need to taper down their dosage of Prozac rather than just stopping it.
  - davymac 10y ago
    Exactly. Mind you that's probably only because I didn't realize I used it to psychologically self-medicate. Most people would probably be well served if they cut it off cold-turkey, others may need a step down approach like me.
- coldtea 10y ago
  >I quit sugar for about 2 months and went into an inexplicable depression where I was having suicidal thoughts. Hmm, I had the opposite. Cut sugar for ~2 months, lost 20 pounds, never felt better. Was doing a variation of the low-carb Atkins-style diet. Had to stop it because I got gout from eating too much meat though, but looking to restart it with adjustments for that.
bluedino 10y ago
Many years ago I remember reading a syndicated health column in the newspaper by Dr. Peter Gott, and at the end of many of his columns he advertised his "No Sugar, No Flour" diet book. Turns out it's still for sale to this day - https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/peter-h-gott-md/dr-gotts-no-flour-no-sugartm-diet/9780446511094/ https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/peter-h-gott-md/dr-... It's a simple way to avoid sugar and flour in your diet, therefore removing a lot of carbohydrates and therefore calories. A few years ago I tried it (with the addition of no dairy, as that was how I remembered it), and I lost 30lbs in 3 months. Of course, like any diet if, you don't permanently change your lifestyle you will gain the weight back, and as I one-by-one started back with the bread and sweet foods and snacks, it all came back.
deleted 10y ago
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puissance 10y ago
I did something similar last year and quitting sugar cold turkey was probably the most difficult thing I've ever done in my life. I documented my experiences over each of the four weeks: http://avadhutp.github.io/no-sugar-challenge-week-1-update/ http://avadhutp.github.io/no-sugar-challenge-week-1-update/
kyriakos 10y ago
I find the whole idea hard to understand. Coming from a family with diabetics I grew up knowing the effects of sugar on health and been avoiding it. I do eat fruit just not a lot, unsweetened dark chocolate (a couple of squares a week maybe) and occasionally try cakes but I restrict myself to a couple of teaspoons. I try to buy bread that contains no sugar but if I am eating out I don't get picky about it. I don't feel like I'm missing something and I find it weird when I see people downing cakes, energy drinks, jams, juices etc. To me avoiding sugar doesn't feel like something I need to think about, it feels normal. I can't be alone I'm sure there's others doing the same. Where I'm getting at is that your sugar intake is affected by the environment you were brought up and its something one can change. It's not a compromise.
- coldtea 10y ago
  >To me avoiding sugar doesn't feel like something I need to think about, it feels normal. Only because, as you say, you "come from a family with diabetics". Not exactly the most common experience growing up (even if there are many diabetics, there are less that know it, and even fewer than do something about it -- statistics I've seen say there are about 9% diabetics, of which about 25% is undiagnosed). So, I don't understand what you find "hard to understand". That most people don't share the same experience?
  - kyriakos 10y ago
    I find hard to understand why it feels so hard to avoid eating sugary food.
spodek 10y ago
> I now know which brands of chicken stock, bacon, smoked salmon, mustard and hot sauce contain added sugar and which do not. Sriracha: why do so many people like it? It's 20% sugar. No wonder. Here's the label: http://joshuaspodek.com/why-sriracha-hot-sauce-tast http://joshuaspodek.com/why-sriracha-hot-sauce-tast
- koralatov 10y ago
  The green-topped bottle in the linked piece is 20g sugar per 100g, but I've seen some in the UK that are 25g or even 30g. I don't eat the stuff myself, but know a lot of people who do and they often put on quite a lot -- definitely more than 1/96th of a bottle serving.
  - matthewdgreen 10y ago
    If you like the taste of Sriracha, buy the same brand's "Chili Garlic Sauce". Same flavor without the sugar. See: https://www.amazon.com/Huy-Fong-Chili-Garlic-Sauce/dp/B0016L34GO https://www.amazon.com/Huy-Fong-Chili-Garlic-Sauce/dp/B0016L...
- Dylan16807 10y ago
  A sauce is probably the best place to put sugar. A tiny amount goes a long way.
- RandomOpinion 10y ago
  If you're avoiding sugar but want a similar sauce, what you want is "chili garlic sauce" that comes from the same manufacturer (Huy Fong) in a jar with a green lid. http://www.eatitatlanta.com/2008/10/30/chili-sauces-explained-sriracha-sambal-oelek-and-chili-garlic-sauce/ http://www.eatitatlanta.com/2008/10/30/chili-sauces-explaine...
peter_retief 10y ago
Sugar is really not needed in the human diet and is in fact harmful. Its also highly addictive and is the reason for metabolic syndrome, which is a range of illnesses like diabetes, certain cancers, dementia, stroke, heart disease, hypertension some have even made a link to Alzheimer's. If you were to do one good thing for yourself or your family cut way back on sugars and High Glycemic Carbohydrates. This is not my opinion this is well known scientific fact
- tonyedgecombe 10y ago
  Type 2 diabetes, type 1 has different origins.
  - peter_retief 10y ago
    Diet is as important for type 1 as it is for type 2 diabetes
spodek 10y ago
Better than "without sugar", I recommend avoiding foods with fiber removed, which includes sugar, also white flour, corn syrup, fruit juices, and most aisles of the supermarket. At least I found it better. It forces you to a lot more fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Plus it doesn't feel like an arbitrary division. Looking back, it seems weird to take fiber out of food. It makes things taste sweeter and extends their shelf lives, but at the cost of complexity of flavor, texture, and nutritional value. Since avoiding foods with fiber removed, my diet has become more varied, fresh, cheaper, more delicious, and I eat more food. The biggest surprise was that stopping using olive oil, which I had allowed at first, felt natural and I don't miss it. As a result, I eat to stuffed almost every meal. At 45, my ab definition started coming in after the change for the first time, despite my eating more food.
- orcdork 10y ago
  Just out of curiosity, what kind of delicious food do you eat that does not contain sugar or olive oil?
  - spodek 10y ago
    The ingredients of the stew cooking right now are: lentils, pumpkin, kale, habanero, jalapeno, onion, parsley, nutritional yeast, water, cabbage, salt. I make these stews a lot with what's in season through my farm share and from the local farmers market. Usually about 20 minutes preparation time for 6 or 7 meals. Guests are uniformly surprised at how delicious they are and how easy they are to cook. I cooked with almost none of those ingredients before starting avoiding fiber-removed foods. Now I'm amazed at how sweet and juicy vegetables and fruit are. Breakfast was oats, apple, chia seeds, nuts, apple, water. Lunch was leftover stew made of: split pea, onion, cabbage, jalapeno, kohlrabi, a beet, water, nutritional yeast, carnival squash, salt. Snack was a vegetable salad of kohlrabi, onion, apple, vinegar, nuts, salt, pepper. Another snack was a persimmon and an apple.
    - ruminasean 10y ago
      I've never been able to only eat one persimmon, alas.
suprgeek 10y ago
I have been following the low/no sugar approach for a coupe of years. Some results (some may/may not be directly attributable just to low sugar) 1) Most restaurant foods, even the savory section, have an undercurrent of sweetness that is almost overpowering 2) I cannot eat any commercial cakes/cookies even on very special occasions, the sweetness makes you gag 3) No more post lunch slump - this one was surprising to me 4) Birthdays/Anniversaries are awkward during the "food time" 5) No colas/juice/shakes/smoothies; yes to Coffee,tea,lime water with honey or just Water - I started to have spare change much more often so now i invest in the occasional top shelf vodka :) 6) Dropped about 6 Pounds in the first six months 7) Less jittery-ness thru the day All-in-all positive effects with some social awkwardness
- vacri 10y ago
  > lime water with honey Unrelated, but about a week ago I was shown a jar of honey where the beehive was next to a small patch of flowering garlic. It was bizarre - the jar smelled strongly of garlic, almost overpowering, but there was no taste of garlic in the honey itself. Curious.
- k__ 10y ago
  I did it too, but since I didn't step away from artifical sweeteners, I didn't get the "too much sugar" experience. Also, since I replaced sugar with caffein, I still get the jittery-ness thru the day.
- yourapostasy 10y ago
  Ways I successfully avoid the social awkwardness you mentioned: 1) If present with an SO, say you are sharing theirs. 2) Take the proffered sugar, make eating-cadence motions with the spoon/fork but instead of eating, mash it a bit. After a few times, hard to tell at a glance whether or not someone has eaten it. Discreetly set down, walk away. 3) Or do the more advanced version, when you realize rarely does someone really observe and care that you eat a food, and being seen in the give-and-take transaction with you is far more socially significant: take, dab with utensil, discard. 4) Decline with a wry "doctor's orders". YMMV, might be accompanied by increased risk of one-sided conversation over health issues, especially if giver is elderly relation with lots of such.
zizzles 10y ago
I do not know what is so difficult about not eating sugar. If "without sugar" means no added artificial sweetener or added sugar (as according to this article) then I have not consumed sugar for many many years; the same goes for our ancestors, farmers, etc. I do not know if this is a case of crack-like addiction, or a case of "what is the point? you only live once, you should indulge in pleasures" either way it need not be difficult if you simply, as an example, substitute your candy for fruits (fruit cultivation is a far-cry from what it used to be, but I do not want to get into an argument about this) Despite all of this, take it from me: The benefits are overrated Ironically and amusingly enough, I was my happiest (and seemingly healthier) when I was a little boy running around all day outside eating candy or chocolate to my hearts content.
- prodmerc 10y ago
  > Ironically and amusingly enough, I was my happiest (and seemingly healthier) when I was a little boy running around all day outside eating candy or chocolate to my hearts content. That's a dangerous thought that everyone has. You were indeed happier and healthier, because you had a new body that could heal more faster, and your metabolism was through the roof. After 25, wear and tear starts to become noticeable, metabolism slows down, physical damage heals slower, pain lingers for way longer, you get less endorphins. But these days everything is over-sweetened, fucking bread is sweet as hell for some reason. So cutting down on sugar is more than just not putting it in your tea/coffee and not eating cookies.
Havoc 10y ago
Cutting out 95% of sugar is easy. Cutting out 100% is really fkin hard and not worth it in my opinion.
- stephengillie 10y ago
  Don't focus on cutting out sugar. Focus on eating more protein and nutrients (target specific vegetables), and leave carbs and fats as filler - as a waste of time.
daegloe 10y ago
After suffering from digestive and autoimmune issues since adolescence, and having a very difficult 2015 (in and out of hospitals), I took the bold step of drastically altering my diet. I've been sugar free, grain free, soy free, alcohol free and dairy free (save for soft goat cheese and Greek yogurt) for 1.5 yrs now. It wasn't an easy adjustment to make, but I was at rock bottom. The improvement has been dramatic and life altering.
markharper 10y ago
Cutting out sugar to the level described in the article and expecting a long list of health benefits is just as extreme as diets from the low fat craze were 20-30 years ago. It amazes me that this kind of misinformation continues to thrive.
- prodmerc 10y ago
  Whatever happened to just eat less, exercise often? Oh that's right, it's so simple that no one believes it works.
  - vacri 10y ago
    'eat less' is not the same as 'eating a balanced diet'. There's plenty of people out there who eat a small but terrible diet. I knew a guy in IT once who lived on a diet of basically chips and Coke. He was rail-thin, but his doctor diagnosed him with scurvy (!)
    - prodmerc 10y ago
      Well, I am assuming people eat normal food. Like, you know, bread, cheese, eggs, meat, tomatoes and potatoes... Who the hell lives on chips and Coke...
      - tonyedgecombe 10y ago
        "Who the hell lives on chips and Coke.." Half the developed world it seems.
  - WillPostForFood 10y ago
    Exercise makes your hungry, so it is particularly hard to eat less when exercising more. So it doesn't work for most people, because they aren't able to to both. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/11/28/why-do-i-gain-weight-when-i-exercise/ http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/11/28/why-do-i-gain-weigh... The problem, most scientists agree, is that exercise makes us want to eat. Many studies have shown that if people start a new exercise program, their bodies begin to pump out much higher levels of various hormones that increase appetite. This reaction seems to be most pronounced if someone starts a new, moderate, aerobic exercise routine. (There are hints in some studies that intense exercise, such as interval training, may dampen appetite. But the relevant studies have been few and small.)
sandstrom 10y ago
I think the US would benefit from better labeling of food. Here is a comparison of EU vs. US labels: https://www.foodlabels.com/nutritionfacts-examples-5.htm https://www.foodlabels.com/nutritionfacts-examples-5.htm Some differences: - sodium vs. salt - 'per serving' vs. per 100g (in the US candy is often specified as multiple servings per container, deflating the numbers) - fiber included under carbohydrates (granted, there are issues with EU labeling too, but I think it has some advantages)
- vacri 10y ago
  The "of which" lines on the EU version are particularly weird - simple indentation like on the US version is more readable. On a tangent, here in Australia, goods in supermarkets now have to have their prices also listed in 'per 100g' (or per volume). It makes price comparison much easier, and no longer are you trying to figure out what the breakdown is for a 527ml bottle of Foo Cleaner against it's 483ml competitor.
  - metafunctor 10y ago
    In the EU version, it's quite easy to find the "sugars" line, which directly gives you the percentage of sugars in the product. This makes it really easy to compare products by sugar content. If that's what you're looking to do, it doesn't matter much that sugars are (or are not) grouped under carbs.
    - coldtea 10y ago
      Just don't put that much confidence in what those labels say: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hE2lna5Wxuo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hE2lna5Wxuo
edtechdev 10y ago
If you think there's a chance your blood sugar might be high, you can get an A1C test kit at the pharmacy or grocery store or Amazon (or visit your doctor, of course). That tests your average blood sugar level over the past 3 months or so.
mtw 10y ago
I did this for a whole year - Oct 2015 to Oct 2016. Cold turkey like the author. It's nothing extraordinary. Or at least nothing as challenging as launching a startup. It's all about willpower and willing to do the extra work. I found only eating what you cook, and sticking to whole natural foods (un-processed) makes this extremely easy. I didn't manage a total of three or four times. Those were social events: a wedding, a birthday, and during a trip to another another country. In terms of benefits, you lose quickly a lot of weight, and perhaps a bit more energy during the day. Overall a very interesting experience. I would say thought that if you're looking for a healther lifestyle, committing to regular moderate or intense exercise has a better ROI than cutting sugar.
TheAceOfHearts 10y ago
Since a few years ago I reduced my sugar intake by quitting certain types of drinks and meals. The biggest impact was when I cut out soda, which ended up giving me a huge energy boost. American foods are just way too sugary. I traveled to Japan a few years back and was amazed by how little sugar some of their candies have. After spending two weeks there, when I came back home I was a bit shocked at how overwhelming most foods felt. I can't speak for any alleged health benefits, but my personal strategy is to regularly cut down on certain foods every few months. That gives you a chance to sorta reset your taste buds, so when you come back to a type of food it's almost as if you're tasting it for the first time. I don't know if it's just a placebo effect or if there's a scientific explanation behind it, but I find it enjoyable, so I'd suggest others give this sort of harmless experimenting a try.
bubblesocks 10y ago
I've tried cutting sugar, and various other diets before, but they all got to be too time consuming and irritating for me. What did work for me was simply tracking my calories using Under Armour's My Fitness Pal website. The site is easy to use, and I quickly discovered that drinking a soda and eating a bag of chips left me starving at the end of the day, whereas eating grains and vegetables didn't. Just by counting calories, I naturally gravitated to healthier foods. I lost about 45 pounds too. I'm not trying to diminish anything the author said. I think eating healthier foods is a worthy goal. I only share my experience in case others, like me, find adhering to prescribed diets and digging through ingredient lists too difficult, and want something a bit easier.
- stephengillie 10y ago
  I used the MyFitnessPal app before Under Armour bought them. It was a great way to learn how many calories each food is really composed from. But the downside was seeing that "I have a few hundred calories left" at the end of a day, almost like it was encouraging me to snack, making me hungry when I wasn't.
ums 10y ago
The links and wording of this article makes me feel like I'm reading an ad. > When I needed a midday treat, a Honeycrisp apple, a few Trader Joe’s apricots or a snack bar that fit the no-sugar saved me. Why not just "apricots"? Why does it have to be Trader Joe's apricots?
- Ensorceled 10y ago
  Indeed, "dried apricots" or "fresh apricots" would be a far more useful description.
- coldtea 10y ago
  >Why does it have to be Trader Joe's apricots? Probably because the author doesn't have a Whole Foods nearby, and the kind of people that get to write for NYT always want to tell us where they shop their organic stuff.
tptacek 10y ago
If you do this --- and it's a good idea, as anyone who has done the "keto" thing can probably attest (it really does persistently alter your habits), you should probably cut out beer too.
randyrand 10y ago
Lets get something straight. He did not avoid sugar. And no one should. Food falls into 3 main categories: Carbs, proteins, fats. Carbs fall into 2 categories, Sugars and Starches (which are just a chain of sugar molecules). Yes, it is possible to survive for awhile on just protein and fat, but NO ONE should be doing that. Sugar is necessary and good for you.
agentgt 10y ago
I used to do various ketogenic like diets as well as avoiding eating sugar (except after working out) and nothing so far has worked better than Intermittent Fasting (i.e. Only eating with in a small window time wise of a day). I would have tried it sooner but it seemed so contrarian to traditional dieting.
wallace_f 10y ago
I did this when training for my first marathon - in the last 2 months I quit sugars completely, and it's totally anecdotal but my endurance improved significantly. Case in point: my training partner was a friend who had run cross country for 10 years beginning in high school. He was also faster than me for the entire year of training, up to the very last month when I finished the marathon 20 minutes(!) ahead of him.
fallinghawks 10y ago
> I missed ice cream, chocolate squares, Chinese restaurants and cocktails. I'm a bit mystified how "Chinese restaurants" fits in to this list -- could someone explain? Did the author at some other point in time give up Chinese food for a month, or is he suggesting that Chinese food all has added sugar? (Personally, I can think of only a few Chinese dishes that typically have sugar added, and it's maybe a tablespoon at most for a dish that would serve 2-4 people.)
- twblalock 10y ago
  A lot of American Chinese restaurant food has sugary sauces.
  - fallinghawks 10y ago
    News to me. I guess he means Panda Express or something like that. Thank you
gbil 10y ago
I'm really confused on including Honey in the list unless we are talking about processed honey or something like that. Is it so common in the US that the honey you buy is processed and not raw?
sandyjenkins 10y ago
I find my taste buds adjust after a period of time, I also look for products that are my favourite foods only sweetened with stevia. I found one healthy candy called SmartSweets, gummy bears only using stevia that are natural and they've really helped me.

285 points by tokenadult 10y ago

Another year, another demon food. It seems every few years we switch it up, now it's sugar, before it was glutten, then it was fats, then it was carbs. It seems like nobody really has a clue what is "good" for us. The only thing that makes sense to me anymore is eating a balanced diet from a variety of food sources while also maintaining a decent exercise regimen. Not over doing it, frequently, is also an important aspect. I've found it's OK to eat junk food once in awhile, as long it's not a habit.

mdgrech23 10y ago
Could not agree w/ this comment more. Writing a New York Times article suggesting people count calories, weigh their food, and exercise 3-5 times per week is boring and doesn't sell. The public is dying for a guru w/ a new methodology or academia to emerge w/ a new "scientific breakthrough" to save them from the obesity epidemic. The answer is simple but yet so many people refuse to believe eating less calories than their body needs is the cornerstone to weight loss.
- crikli 10y ago
  Agreed. You cannot outwork a shitty diet BUT refined sugar is the cornerstone of most shitty diets.
- zeta0134 10y ago
  Honestly, I think the reason most authors tend to have so much success with the new fad diet of the week is that for the month or whatever that they run the diet, they're actually monitoring their food intake and making an effort to eat more balanced meals. The diet itself seems almost irrelevant. Just the simple act of paying attention to what you eat (counting calories is an excellent starting point) will help more than anything, as you'll more easily recognize poor trends in your food choices, and the awareness will encourage you to diversify your diet.
- munificent 10y ago
  A couple of years ago, in a show of solidarity with my wife, I did a Whole 30. It's a 30 day elimination diet that cuts out all sugar (except for naturally occurring in whole fruit). I'm in my thirties and very slim. The Whole 30 lets you have as much fat, meat and calories as you want. I plowed through eggs, homemade mayo, meat, and other calorie dense food. I'm skinny enough that I don't have much weight to lose. Even so, I dropped ten pounds effortlessly. I don't know if this generalizes to other people and their physiques, but it was enough to convince me that sugar/simple carbs really do correlate more directly to my waistline than just counting calories does. I'm sure what the right metric to pay attention to is. My hunch is that it's glycemic load. Either way, I cut down on my sugar and carbs since then, and I've lost of a lot of the middle-aged Dad belly I was starting to develop. I don't count calories at all. It seems to work for me.
  - cheald 10y ago
    Honestly, I think it's just calories in vs calories out. There's all kinds of things to consider like glycemic load and digestion speeds and all that, but at the end of the day, you lose fat when you eat less than you burn (see: the Twinkie diet). I think way too many people focus on things like glycemic load and the "kinds" of calories they're eating as some kind of magical weight loss/gain formula, and lose track of the overall quantity. I've lost more weight just counting calories and ignoring micronutrients, glycemic load, etc than I ever did trying to micromanage glycemic load and micronutrients. Fats are a lot more satiating than carbohydrates (ie, sugars) - I could easily put away 4000 calories of goldfish crackers in an evening, but I would be insanely full, uncomfortable, and possibly even sick if I tried to eat 4000 calories of proteins or fats. My go-to craving-killer snack is peanuts - they're high calorie on the label, but a handful of them takes the edge off my craving in a way that chips and crackers and candy don't.
  - iopq 10y ago
    I'm in my thirties and I don't want to lose weight. I also ate several hundred grams of sugar every day in December. Didn't gain a single pound. This is because my calories were still about the same, only the composition changed.
  - chris_7 10y ago
- shorttime 10y ago
  Not sure why you're being downvoted but I agree with you.
zdean 10y ago
The dose makes the poison with sugar as with anything else. That being said, I think most people encounter sugar at doses that are clearly poisonous to their bodies: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/06/08/is-sugar-really-bad-for-you-it-depends/?_r=0 http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/06/08/is-sugar-really-bad... (see the section: Why is it a problem to have too much sugar?) However, I get your point. I think the conflicting (and often industry driven) public health messages we've gotten at least over my lifetime and probably for decades before have made people dubious of new health/health harm claims around whole classes of foods. For me, I like to follow Michael Pollans advice of "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." http://michaelpollan.com/reviews/how-to-eat/ http://michaelpollan.com/reviews/how-to-eat/
quickben 10y ago
Here is an actual, biochemical take on the subject of refined sugar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM Here is probably what happened to advertise fat as bad in the first place: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/13/well/eat/how-the-sugar-industry-shifted-blame-to-fat.html http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/13/well/eat/how-the-sugar-ind... The first link I can't argue with, the second one maybe. We do need balanced diets, but, natural balanced diets. Throwing pure sugar into it, isn't making it balanced of any sort.
- victorhooi 10y ago
  Your first link is to a video from Robert Lustig. You should probably have mentioned that his viewpoints are quite controversial, and there's hardly yet a scientific consensus on them. You shouldn't post his videos as the gospel truth.
  - vixen99 10y ago
    Bottom line: fructose (50% of ordinary sugar) is not metabolized in the same way as glucose (the other 50%). The latter is used by just about every cell in the body whereas the liver is mainly responsible for handling fructose. This organ also metabolizes other things like alcohol and paracetamol. Overloading the liver is not a good idea. Anyone can read up on what 'overloading' means for any of those or other nutrients and go figure. None of this is controversial though the definition and effects of 'excess' fructose obviously are, for any individual.
  - quickben 10y ago
    I apologize but I do not track controversies that much as I don't have the time for all that. Also, I'm a programmer, not a biochemist, so: If I go to wikipedia, I get https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Lustig https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Lustig And I see nothing about controversies there. If I google about the term for a bit, I see no scientific rebuttals of his points in that video. I mean, it's biochemistry, if he's that much wrong (he seems quite educated) then some of his science is also wrong; would you be so kind to provide few links of rebuttals to his research papers or whatever you are reading. I would greatly appreciate if you stick to actual scientific papers, as I really don't have time to get dragged into the whole USA 'omg hes from <political party> and that's why he states his pro [trump/hilary] views. TLDR: I honestly don't know about any controversies streaming from that video, but would like to read the scientific rebutals, if any, with respect to that guy's work.
geoka9 10y ago
I think the article describes a good approach because it sets you on track to improve your diet overall, by making you used to the relative lack of sugar in unprocessed (healthier) foods.
psyc 10y ago
This seems like false equivalence. Has refined sugar ever not been considered harmful in the last few decades? I'm not aware of any controversy here.
- taeric 10y ago
  You'd be surprised. In general, I think sugar has been known as something that you had to consume "in moderation." But, this is akin to the false belief that moderation can fix most any problems. My favorite example is a survey that asked people which one saved more money, turning the lights out an hour earlier every day, or switching to higher efficiency lights. The vast majority thought turning lights out earlier would have higher impact, which is incredibly wrong. So, the same with sugar for many right now. Many think that they can get by with more "moderation" and skipping a desert.
  - mistermann 10y ago
    > The vast majority thought turning lights out earlier would have higher impact, which is incredibly wrong. Is it? Based on what timeframe and power cost? When I was last light bulb shopping it seemed to me not upgrading was more cost effective < 5 years at least.
    - taeric 10y ago
      If you add cost of bulbs, it gets a little closer. However, energy costs are laughable in the difference. From a sixty to hundred watt bulb to a nine to fourteen is a huge difference.
      - mistermann 10y ago
        You're right: 60 watts x 24 hrs/day = 1440 watt hrs = 1.44 kwh/day, @ $.10/kwh = $.15 / day $5/LED bulb / $.15/day = 33 days to pay off
        taeric 10y ago
overgard 10y ago
It's definitely confusing but let me put on my conspiracy hat here for the moment and point out that it's in the interest of a lot of multinational corporations to keep people confused. The science on things like artificial sweeteners is a jumbled mess. If you happen to believe a calorie is a calorie, triscuits seem as good as brocolli, in certain amounts. But triscuits are a lot tastier and a lot more profitable because they dont spoil. I guess my point here is every article you read on this subject, you have to be careful of what their motives are.
prodmerc 10y ago
> eating a balanced diet from a variety of food sources while also maintaining a decent exercise regimen Now you're talking crazy shit, son, how could that ever work?! /s
TACIXAT 10y ago
Celiac here, gluten, sugar, sodium nitrites, monosodium glutamate, caffeine, all these wreak havoc on my body. A lot of people are addicted to these, and a lot of people can see great health benefits by giving them up. Passing them off as demon food fads does little good and little to educate people. I used to joke on gluten free. I barely knew anything about it. Here I am now saying it changed my life. Being less dismissive might help others to find out about their health conditions sooner.

daveguy 10y ago

> There were certainly times when I didn’t enjoy the experience. I missed ice cream, chocolate squares, Chinese restaurants and cocktails. But I also knew that I’d get to enjoy them all again. > The unpleasant parts of a month without sugar are temporary, and they’re tolerable. Some of the benefits continue long after the month is over. If you try it and your experience is anything like mine, I predict that your new normal will feel healthier and no less enjoyable than the old. This is the extent of the results. NONE of the benefits, expected or experienced are discussed! The rest is just telling you what to avoid and what to eat. The sugar naturally occurring in fruit, vegetables and dairy are allowed. Author also claims that you can't eat things that have 0g sugar listed because that just means less than 0.5g. You have to read every ingredient for -ose, honey, sugar, agave, etc. That seems a bit ridiculous if you are allowing fructose from an apple (~19g). Reduce sugar in favor of grain and calorie balance among fat, carb, protein with reduced total intake is generally good. Diets like these are replacing one extreme with another.

truth_sentinell 10y ago
Yes, but is unlikely that you overdose your daily sugar intake with fruits whereas with a can of coke or a bag of ships you're already overdosing. Besides that, fruits have nutrients and other elements that help fight the possible downsides of the fructuose.
- cheald 10y ago
  You'd be really surprised - fruits contain a lot of sugar. Dried fruit and fruit juices (which many people think of as "healthy") can zip you past sugar quotas in a hurry. Honestly, I think it's probably just easiest to limit carb intake overall. Don't bother with the nonsense about subtracting fiber and all that, just set your carbohydrate goals for the day and stay under that. Sugar-heavy foods tend to get naturally eliminated in such a routine because the calorie-to-satiation ratio sucks.
  - chillacy 10y ago
    Just adding on as to one of the reasons: we've bred fruits over thousands of years to be packed with sugar. http://www.sciencealert.com/here-s-what-fruits-and-vegetables-looked-like-before-we-domesticated-them http://www.sciencealert.com/here-s-what-fruits-and-vegetable...

ruminasean 10y ago

I've done 4 months without sugar in any form (added or even fruit). I've lost almost 40 lbs, I feel great, I'm about the weight I was in HS (I'm middle aged). And even though I'm vegetarian and accustomed to being the weird one as far as food as concerned, not eating any sugar in any form really is exceptionally isolating. Any diet will have you feeling left out, but man. Sugar is a bitch.

mrinterweb 10y ago
I find it helpful to hear success stories like yours. I'm obese, and I need to correct that. I believe sugar is one of the primary culprits. I'm going to attempt again to remove sugar from my diet for a month. I removed sugar from my diet for a couple weeks, and the weight loss results were very satisfying. It is a hard diet to do though. I found that eating out was very tricky, and that shopping at the grocery store was also challenging. It required meal planning, and just thinking of most food in the grocery store as non-edible. There are good documentaries, books, etc. on why sugar is so bad for us. I really enjoyed the documentary ["Fed Up"](http://fedupmovie.com http://fedupmovie.com).
- tomerico 10y ago
  If you get motivate when reading success stories (I know I do), you should check out http://reddit.com/r/loseit http://reddit.com/r/loseit
- EpicEng 10y ago
  Sugar is definitely a culprit, but really, it's all about calories in v calories out. Eliminating large amounts of processed sugar will help as the calories can quickly add up and you'll experience a big insulin spike afterward, but if you just moderate, keep most of your food healthy, and stay at a caloric deficit, you'll lose weight. Extreme diets (i.e., 'eliminate X completely') tend to fail because they're hard to sustain.
  - CharlesW 10y ago
    > …really, it's all about calories in v calories out. In the absolute sense, you're absolutely right. But in my experience sugar tends to stoke a desire for more, in which case the form calories take is a crucial factor for success. (Caveats: I know what works for me but couldn't tell you how much of the effects of eating sugar are physiological vs. emotional, etc.) [EDIT: Typo]

edoceo 10y ago

There is a good movie about it: Fed Up Made me watch my processed foods, and especially sugar intake. Still think balanced diet and exercise are a very good idea

sdfin 10y ago
I learned about that documentary thanks to a previous HN thread. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the topic. The amount of sugar added to many processed foods is insane.

henrik_w 10y ago

On the subject of sugar, there is a review of Gary Taubes' new book "The Case Against Sugar" in the Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/01/the-sugar-wars/508751/ https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/01/the-sug...

RUG3Y 10y ago

I went three months without sugar while dieting. That ended at a birthday party, where I had a tiny piece of chocolate cake. The cake immediately made me ill. I started sweating and became dizzy. After that I was convinced that sugar is awful for our bodies.

dragonwriter 10y ago
Honestly, I've heard similar effects from just about everyone whose avoided any category of food for an extended time and then reintroduced a food that was in the avoided category (whether it's meat, sugar, or any of a number of other things.) The effect you describe may be more a sign that eating things the body isn't prepared for are disruptive, rather than the harmfulness of the particular avoided food. (Even where the avoided food actually is harmful.)
deleted 10y ago
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lukeman 10y ago
After five-ish years of mostly sticking to Paleo I have a similar reaction (heart palpitations + general awful feeling) when I eat something like pizza or drink a beer. Not an issue when I eat fries or other simple carb cheats, but it's enough to remind me why I gave up this stuff in the first place.

DoodleBuggy 10y ago

Giving up sugar, junk food, and refined carbohydrates is not particularly difficult. It requires some effort and minimal self control. You will definitely feel a lot better if you avoid sugar and carbs, and probably lose weight too.

mrinterweb 10y ago
I don't know about "not particularly difficult". Eating out is really tricky, so it is best to assume you can't eat out. Finding groceries that don't have added sugar is also tricky. I guess you can get into a routine of what foods you know are safe to eat. I don't think it is a very easy diet. I do think it is a very healthy and effective diet though.
- DoodleBuggy 10y ago
  Eating out is fine, stick to restaurants and choose healthier meals and always avoid pizza joints, buffets, and fast food. > Finding groceries that don't have added sugar is also tricky Also easy to avoid: if it isn't fresh from a plant or animal, you probably shouldn't eat it. Or at least eat much less of it and be discerning about what's in it and where you buy it from. You can generally assume that if something is refined, processed, or often even packaged, it likely has added junk you really should not be eating.
  - mrinterweb 10y ago
    The problem with eating out is often you don't know what ingredients they are using. Does the bread they use have added sugar. Is the dressing on that salad full of sugar? There are so many unknowns with eating out, that it is not easy to avoid sugar when eating out. Generally speaking, food that you did not make, is going to likely have unwanted sugars. Buying fresh is not exactly easy because that means going to the grocery store every day or thereabouts. I'm not going to argue that buying and eating fresh food isn't better for you, but it is certainly not easier. It takes some practice to find the foods that work for you that don't have added sugar. It does get easier, but I would not say it is an easy diet considering how much food you need to avoid.

b212 10y ago

Around the age of 13, the lazy side of me figured out that in life you can actually gain something by not doing something else. This was the day when I decided I wouldn't touch the alcohol or cigarettes (not to mention soft and hard drugs). Ever. I've tried alcohol since then maybe two times actually and I've never been drunk, never tried to smoke, I don't even drink coffee (just don't like the taste of it). Anyway, it took me 27 years to realise I've been addicted to sugar the whole time. I dropped refined sugar from my diet last February, I'd say I'm quite strict here as I've ate sugar only two times in these 11 months (one traditional Christmas Eve dish and one for Easter). Maybe a few times more when I wasn't sure what I was eating (eating out). My sugar problems became really obvious when I was super strict about my oral hygiene yet I was spending thousands of dollars yearly on dentists. I was getting a few cavities filled yearly for the last 10 years or so. It seemed normal to me but the red flag was a cavity between my incisors, it was tiny, I couldn't even see it but every time I ate something with refined sugar I felt this particular type of pain you got when you have a cavity in your teeth. I could barely feel it with any other food, but sugars - hell yea, it was just simply painful. And then I got scared and thinking "damn, I'm 27 and I've already had root canal treatment once - and now this?". I've been reading a lot about people who have super healthy teeth because they don't eat that much sugar (or no refined sugars at all) and somehow without sugar tooth decay is processing very slowly if at all. During the last 11 months I've seen my dentist twice and looks like if I will keep sugar out of my diet I'd just have to replace my fillings every few years or so. No new cavities, no signs of teeth decay, I feel like a new man. What's even better I'm reading ALL the product labels before I eat anything now and I'm generally MUCH better because I've dropped refined/palm oils too. I'm living in Poland and our food is dirt cheap and of superb quality, anyway it really opened my eyes in many cases, when I was for example looking for sausages and about 50% had sugar in them, when and why the heck we decided to put sugar in our meat?! :( Same goes for bread and so much processed food you'd be surprised. (if you're planning of dropping sugar it won't be easy - the first 3 weeks were nightmare for me, but I got by eating sweets sweetened with sorbitol, aspartam etc. - after that it was just like a walk in the park - I don't even miss Nutella sandwiches I used to eat every morning - try oatmeal with nuts and honey or in the worst case - mascarpone sandwiches with some honey on top of it - delicious :D)

chris_7 10y ago

bogomipz 10y ago

I'm not sure what to make of this article , the author states: >"I have done so in each of the last two years, and it has led to permanent changes in my eating habits. It wasn’t easy, but it was worth it." But then also states: >"There were certainly times when I didn’t enjoy the experience. I missed ice cream, chocolate squares, Chinese restaurants and cocktails. But I also knew that I’d get to enjoy them all again." What happened to the permanent changes in easting habits mentioned in the first passage? Is this a "yo-yo diet" then? I also found this puzzling: >"I now know which brands of chicken stock, bacon, smoked salmon, mustard and hot sauce contain added sugar and which do not." Why can't the same awareness be achieved by simply reading the nutritional summary posted on the back of all food items before putting them in your cart or basket while grocery shopping?

ScottBurson 10y ago
> Why can't the same awareness be achieved by simply reading the nutritional summary posted on the back of all food items before putting them in your cart or basket while grocery shopping? It can be, and I've done so, but I can see that some people may benefit from focussing on the issue intensely for a month.

davymac 10y ago

If you consider this, make sure to consider whether or not you think you may be self-medicating with sweets. I quit sugar for about 2 months and went into an inexplicable depression where I was having suicidal thoughts. Sugar is a bastard. As others said the benefits of resetting the taste buds were pretty incredible. Black coffee instead of sugarcoated Starbucks is actually enjoyable to me now.

greenyoda 10y ago
"I quit sugar for about 2 months and went into an inexplicable depression" I wonder if tapering down sugar consumption gradually instead of abruptly quitting would lessen this effect by giving the brain time to adjust? It might be similar to how people need to taper down their dosage of Prozac rather than just stopping it.
- davymac 10y ago
  Exactly. Mind you that's probably only because I didn't realize I used it to psychologically self-medicate. Most people would probably be well served if they cut it off cold-turkey, others may need a step down approach like me.
coldtea 10y ago
>I quit sugar for about 2 months and went into an inexplicable depression where I was having suicidal thoughts. Hmm, I had the opposite. Cut sugar for ~2 months, lost 20 pounds, never felt better. Was doing a variation of the low-carb Atkins-style diet. Had to stop it because I got gout from eating too much meat though, but looking to restart it with adjustments for that.

bluedino 10y ago

Many years ago I remember reading a syndicated health column in the newspaper by Dr. Peter Gott, and at the end of many of his columns he advertised his "No Sugar, No Flour" diet book. Turns out it's still for sale to this day - https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/peter-h-gott-md/dr-gotts-no-flour-no-sugartm-diet/9780446511094/ https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/peter-h-gott-md/dr-... It's a simple way to avoid sugar and flour in your diet, therefore removing a lot of carbohydrates and therefore calories. A few years ago I tried it (with the addition of no dairy, as that was how I remembered it), and I lost 30lbs in 3 months. Of course, like any diet if, you don't permanently change your lifestyle you will gain the weight back, and as I one-by-one started back with the bread and sweet foods and snacks, it all came back.

deleted 10y ago

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puissance 10y ago

I did something similar last year and quitting sugar cold turkey was probably the most difficult thing I've ever done in my life. I documented my experiences over each of the four weeks: http://avadhutp.github.io/no-sugar-challenge-week-1-update/ http://avadhutp.github.io/no-sugar-challenge-week-1-update/

kyriakos 10y ago

I find the whole idea hard to understand. Coming from a family with diabetics I grew up knowing the effects of sugar on health and been avoiding it. I do eat fruit just not a lot, unsweetened dark chocolate (a couple of squares a week maybe) and occasionally try cakes but I restrict myself to a couple of teaspoons. I try to buy bread that contains no sugar but if I am eating out I don't get picky about it. I don't feel like I'm missing something and I find it weird when I see people downing cakes, energy drinks, jams, juices etc. To me avoiding sugar doesn't feel like something I need to think about, it feels normal. I can't be alone I'm sure there's others doing the same. Where I'm getting at is that your sugar intake is affected by the environment you were brought up and its something one can change. It's not a compromise.

coldtea 10y ago
>To me avoiding sugar doesn't feel like something I need to think about, it feels normal. Only because, as you say, you "come from a family with diabetics". Not exactly the most common experience growing up (even if there are many diabetics, there are less that know it, and even fewer than do something about it -- statistics I've seen say there are about 9% diabetics, of which about 25% is undiagnosed). So, I don't understand what you find "hard to understand". That most people don't share the same experience?
- kyriakos 10y ago
  I find hard to understand why it feels so hard to avoid eating sugary food.

spodek 10y ago

> I now know which brands of chicken stock, bacon, smoked salmon, mustard and hot sauce contain added sugar and which do not. Sriracha: why do so many people like it? It's 20% sugar. No wonder. Here's the label: http://joshuaspodek.com/why-sriracha-hot-sauce-tast http://joshuaspodek.com/why-sriracha-hot-sauce-tast

koralatov 10y ago
The green-topped bottle in the linked piece is 20g sugar per 100g, but I've seen some in the UK that are 25g or even 30g. I don't eat the stuff myself, but know a lot of people who do and they often put on quite a lot -- definitely more than 1/96th of a bottle serving.
- matthewdgreen 10y ago
  If you like the taste of Sriracha, buy the same brand's "Chili Garlic Sauce". Same flavor without the sugar. See: https://www.amazon.com/Huy-Fong-Chili-Garlic-Sauce/dp/B0016L34GO https://www.amazon.com/Huy-Fong-Chili-Garlic-Sauce/dp/B0016L...
Dylan16807 10y ago
A sauce is probably the best place to put sugar. A tiny amount goes a long way.
RandomOpinion 10y ago
If you're avoiding sugar but want a similar sauce, what you want is "chili garlic sauce" that comes from the same manufacturer (Huy Fong) in a jar with a green lid. http://www.eatitatlanta.com/2008/10/30/chili-sauces-explained-sriracha-sambal-oelek-and-chili-garlic-sauce/ http://www.eatitatlanta.com/2008/10/30/chili-sauces-explaine...

peter_retief 10y ago

Sugar is really not needed in the human diet and is in fact harmful. Its also highly addictive and is the reason for metabolic syndrome, which is a range of illnesses like diabetes, certain cancers, dementia, stroke, heart disease, hypertension some have even made a link to Alzheimer's. If you were to do one good thing for yourself or your family cut way back on sugars and High Glycemic Carbohydrates. This is not my opinion this is well known scientific fact

tonyedgecombe 10y ago
Type 2 diabetes, type 1 has different origins.
- peter_retief 10y ago
  Diet is as important for type 1 as it is for type 2 diabetes

spodek 10y ago

Better than "without sugar", I recommend avoiding foods with fiber removed, which includes sugar, also white flour, corn syrup, fruit juices, and most aisles of the supermarket. At least I found it better. It forces you to a lot more fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Plus it doesn't feel like an arbitrary division. Looking back, it seems weird to take fiber out of food. It makes things taste sweeter and extends their shelf lives, but at the cost of complexity of flavor, texture, and nutritional value. Since avoiding foods with fiber removed, my diet has become more varied, fresh, cheaper, more delicious, and I eat more food. The biggest surprise was that stopping using olive oil, which I had allowed at first, felt natural and I don't miss it. As a result, I eat to stuffed almost every meal. At 45, my ab definition started coming in after the change for the first time, despite my eating more food.

orcdork 10y ago
Just out of curiosity, what kind of delicious food do you eat that does not contain sugar or olive oil?
- spodek 10y ago
  The ingredients of the stew cooking right now are: lentils, pumpkin, kale, habanero, jalapeno, onion, parsley, nutritional yeast, water, cabbage, salt. I make these stews a lot with what's in season through my farm share and from the local farmers market. Usually about 20 minutes preparation time for 6 or 7 meals. Guests are uniformly surprised at how delicious they are and how easy they are to cook. I cooked with almost none of those ingredients before starting avoiding fiber-removed foods. Now I'm amazed at how sweet and juicy vegetables and fruit are. Breakfast was oats, apple, chia seeds, nuts, apple, water. Lunch was leftover stew made of: split pea, onion, cabbage, jalapeno, kohlrabi, a beet, water, nutritional yeast, carnival squash, salt. Snack was a vegetable salad of kohlrabi, onion, apple, vinegar, nuts, salt, pepper. Another snack was a persimmon and an apple.
  - ruminasean 10y ago
    I've never been able to only eat one persimmon, alas.

suprgeek 10y ago

I have been following the low/no sugar approach for a coupe of years. Some results (some may/may not be directly attributable just to low sugar) 1) Most restaurant foods, even the savory section, have an undercurrent of sweetness that is almost overpowering 2) I cannot eat any commercial cakes/cookies even on very special occasions, the sweetness makes you gag 3) No more post lunch slump - this one was surprising to me 4) Birthdays/Anniversaries are awkward during the "food time" 5) No colas/juice/shakes/smoothies; yes to Coffee,tea,lime water with honey or just Water - I started to have spare change much more often so now i invest in the occasional top shelf vodka :) 6) Dropped about 6 Pounds in the first six months 7) Less jittery-ness thru the day All-in-all positive effects with some social awkwardness

vacri 10y ago
> lime water with honey Unrelated, but about a week ago I was shown a jar of honey where the beehive was next to a small patch of flowering garlic. It was bizarre - the jar smelled strongly of garlic, almost overpowering, but there was no taste of garlic in the honey itself. Curious.
k__ 10y ago
I did it too, but since I didn't step away from artifical sweeteners, I didn't get the "too much sugar" experience. Also, since I replaced sugar with caffein, I still get the jittery-ness thru the day.
yourapostasy 10y ago
Ways I successfully avoid the social awkwardness you mentioned: 1) If present with an SO, say you are sharing theirs. 2) Take the proffered sugar, make eating-cadence motions with the spoon/fork but instead of eating, mash it a bit. After a few times, hard to tell at a glance whether or not someone has eaten it. Discreetly set down, walk away. 3) Or do the more advanced version, when you realize rarely does someone really observe and care that you eat a food, and being seen in the give-and-take transaction with you is far more socially significant: take, dab with utensil, discard. 4) Decline with a wry "doctor's orders". YMMV, might be accompanied by increased risk of one-sided conversation over health issues, especially if giver is elderly relation with lots of such.

zizzles 10y ago

I do not know what is so difficult about not eating sugar. If "without sugar" means no added artificial sweetener or added sugar (as according to this article) then I have not consumed sugar for many many years; the same goes for our ancestors, farmers, etc. I do not know if this is a case of crack-like addiction, or a case of "what is the point? you only live once, you should indulge in pleasures" either way it need not be difficult if you simply, as an example, substitute your candy for fruits (fruit cultivation is a far-cry from what it used to be, but I do not want to get into an argument about this) Despite all of this, take it from me: The benefits are overrated Ironically and amusingly enough, I was my happiest (and seemingly healthier) when I was a little boy running around all day outside eating candy or chocolate to my hearts content.

prodmerc 10y ago
> Ironically and amusingly enough, I was my happiest (and seemingly healthier) when I was a little boy running around all day outside eating candy or chocolate to my hearts content. That's a dangerous thought that everyone has. You were indeed happier and healthier, because you had a new body that could heal more faster, and your metabolism was through the roof. After 25, wear and tear starts to become noticeable, metabolism slows down, physical damage heals slower, pain lingers for way longer, you get less endorphins. But these days everything is over-sweetened, fucking bread is sweet as hell for some reason. So cutting down on sugar is more than just not putting it in your tea/coffee and not eating cookies.

Havoc 10y ago

Cutting out 95% of sugar is easy. Cutting out 100% is really fkin hard and not worth it in my opinion.

stephengillie 10y ago
Don't focus on cutting out sugar. Focus on eating more protein and nutrients (target specific vegetables), and leave carbs and fats as filler - as a waste of time.

daegloe 10y ago

After suffering from digestive and autoimmune issues since adolescence, and having a very difficult 2015 (in and out of hospitals), I took the bold step of drastically altering my diet. I've been sugar free, grain free, soy free, alcohol free and dairy free (save for soft goat cheese and Greek yogurt) for 1.5 yrs now. It wasn't an easy adjustment to make, but I was at rock bottom. The improvement has been dramatic and life altering.

markharper 10y ago

Cutting out sugar to the level described in the article and expecting a long list of health benefits is just as extreme as diets from the low fat craze were 20-30 years ago. It amazes me that this kind of misinformation continues to thrive.

prodmerc 10y ago
Whatever happened to just eat less, exercise often? Oh that's right, it's so simple that no one believes it works.
- vacri 10y ago
  'eat less' is not the same as 'eating a balanced diet'. There's plenty of people out there who eat a small but terrible diet. I knew a guy in IT once who lived on a diet of basically chips and Coke. He was rail-thin, but his doctor diagnosed him with scurvy (!)
  - prodmerc 10y ago
    Well, I am assuming people eat normal food. Like, you know, bread, cheese, eggs, meat, tomatoes and potatoes... Who the hell lives on chips and Coke...
    - tonyedgecombe 10y ago
      "Who the hell lives on chips and Coke.." Half the developed world it seems.
- WillPostForFood 10y ago
  Exercise makes your hungry, so it is particularly hard to eat less when exercising more. So it doesn't work for most people, because they aren't able to to both. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/11/28/why-do-i-gain-weight-when-i-exercise/ http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/11/28/why-do-i-gain-weigh... The problem, most scientists agree, is that exercise makes us want to eat. Many studies have shown that if people start a new exercise program, their bodies begin to pump out much higher levels of various hormones that increase appetite. This reaction seems to be most pronounced if someone starts a new, moderate, aerobic exercise routine. (There are hints in some studies that intense exercise, such as interval training, may dampen appetite. But the relevant studies have been few and small.)

sandstrom 10y ago

I think the US would benefit from better labeling of food. Here is a comparison of EU vs. US labels: https://www.foodlabels.com/nutritionfacts-examples-5.htm https://www.foodlabels.com/nutritionfacts-examples-5.htm Some differences: - sodium vs. salt - 'per serving' vs. per 100g (in the US candy is often specified as multiple servings per container, deflating the numbers) - fiber included under carbohydrates (granted, there are issues with EU labeling too, but I think it has some advantages)

vacri 10y ago
The "of which" lines on the EU version are particularly weird - simple indentation like on the US version is more readable. On a tangent, here in Australia, goods in supermarkets now have to have their prices also listed in 'per 100g' (or per volume). It makes price comparison much easier, and no longer are you trying to figure out what the breakdown is for a 527ml bottle of Foo Cleaner against it's 483ml competitor.
- metafunctor 10y ago
  In the EU version, it's quite easy to find the "sugars" line, which directly gives you the percentage of sugars in the product. This makes it really easy to compare products by sugar content. If that's what you're looking to do, it doesn't matter much that sugars are (or are not) grouped under carbs.
  - coldtea 10y ago
    Just don't put that much confidence in what those labels say: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hE2lna5Wxuo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hE2lna5Wxuo

edtechdev 10y ago

If you think there's a chance your blood sugar might be high, you can get an A1C test kit at the pharmacy or grocery store or Amazon (or visit your doctor, of course). That tests your average blood sugar level over the past 3 months or so.

mtw 10y ago

I did this for a whole year - Oct 2015 to Oct 2016. Cold turkey like the author. It's nothing extraordinary. Or at least nothing as challenging as launching a startup. It's all about willpower and willing to do the extra work. I found only eating what you cook, and sticking to whole natural foods (un-processed) makes this extremely easy. I didn't manage a total of three or four times. Those were social events: a wedding, a birthday, and during a trip to another another country. In terms of benefits, you lose quickly a lot of weight, and perhaps a bit more energy during the day. Overall a very interesting experience. I would say thought that if you're looking for a healther lifestyle, committing to regular moderate or intense exercise has a better ROI than cutting sugar.

TheAceOfHearts 10y ago

Since a few years ago I reduced my sugar intake by quitting certain types of drinks and meals. The biggest impact was when I cut out soda, which ended up giving me a huge energy boost. American foods are just way too sugary. I traveled to Japan a few years back and was amazed by how little sugar some of their candies have. After spending two weeks there, when I came back home I was a bit shocked at how overwhelming most foods felt. I can't speak for any alleged health benefits, but my personal strategy is to regularly cut down on certain foods every few months. That gives you a chance to sorta reset your taste buds, so when you come back to a type of food it's almost as if you're tasting it for the first time. I don't know if it's just a placebo effect or if there's a scientific explanation behind it, but I find it enjoyable, so I'd suggest others give this sort of harmless experimenting a try.

bubblesocks 10y ago

I've tried cutting sugar, and various other diets before, but they all got to be too time consuming and irritating for me. What did work for me was simply tracking my calories using Under Armour's My Fitness Pal website. The site is easy to use, and I quickly discovered that drinking a soda and eating a bag of chips left me starving at the end of the day, whereas eating grains and vegetables didn't. Just by counting calories, I naturally gravitated to healthier foods. I lost about 45 pounds too. I'm not trying to diminish anything the author said. I think eating healthier foods is a worthy goal. I only share my experience in case others, like me, find adhering to prescribed diets and digging through ingredient lists too difficult, and want something a bit easier.

stephengillie 10y ago
I used the MyFitnessPal app before Under Armour bought them. It was a great way to learn how many calories each food is really composed from. But the downside was seeing that "I have a few hundred calories left" at the end of a day, almost like it was encouraging me to snack, making me hungry when I wasn't.

ums 10y ago

The links and wording of this article makes me feel like I'm reading an ad. > When I needed a midday treat, a Honeycrisp apple, a few Trader Joe’s apricots or a snack bar that fit the no-sugar saved me. Why not just "apricots"? Why does it have to be Trader Joe's apricots?

Ensorceled 10y ago
Indeed, "dried apricots" or "fresh apricots" would be a far more useful description.
coldtea 10y ago
>Why does it have to be Trader Joe's apricots? Probably because the author doesn't have a Whole Foods nearby, and the kind of people that get to write for NYT always want to tell us where they shop their organic stuff.

tptacek 10y ago

If you do this --- and it's a good idea, as anyone who has done the "keto" thing can probably attest (it really does persistently alter your habits), you should probably cut out beer too.

randyrand 10y ago

Lets get something straight. He did not avoid sugar. And no one should. Food falls into 3 main categories: Carbs, proteins, fats. Carbs fall into 2 categories, Sugars and Starches (which are just a chain of sugar molecules). Yes, it is possible to survive for awhile on just protein and fat, but NO ONE should be doing that. Sugar is necessary and good for you.

agentgt 10y ago

I used to do various ketogenic like diets as well as avoiding eating sugar (except after working out) and nothing so far has worked better than Intermittent Fasting (i.e. Only eating with in a small window time wise of a day). I would have tried it sooner but it seemed so contrarian to traditional dieting.

wallace_f 10y ago

I did this when training for my first marathon - in the last 2 months I quit sugars completely, and it's totally anecdotal but my endurance improved significantly. Case in point: my training partner was a friend who had run cross country for 10 years beginning in high school. He was also faster than me for the entire year of training, up to the very last month when I finished the marathon 20 minutes(!) ahead of him.

fallinghawks 10y ago

> I missed ice cream, chocolate squares, Chinese restaurants and cocktails. I'm a bit mystified how "Chinese restaurants" fits in to this list -- could someone explain? Did the author at some other point in time give up Chinese food for a month, or is he suggesting that Chinese food all has added sugar? (Personally, I can think of only a few Chinese dishes that typically have sugar added, and it's maybe a tablespoon at most for a dish that would serve 2-4 people.)

twblalock 10y ago
A lot of American Chinese restaurant food has sugary sauces.
- fallinghawks 10y ago
  News to me. I guess he means Panda Express or something like that. Thank you

gbil 10y ago

I'm really confused on including Honey in the list unless we are talking about processed honey or something like that. Is it so common in the US that the honey you buy is processed and not raw?

sandyjenkins 10y ago

I find my taste buds adjust after a period of time, I also look for products that are my favourite foods only sweetened with stevia. I found one healthy candy called SmartSweets, gummy bears only using stevia that are natural and they've really helped me.