Is sugar a drug?

[tractor]

Thinking through some additional changes I should make in my life, I have determined that I eat too much sugar. I am not fat, nor am I diabetic, but having been mildly successful giving up red meat in 2012 (cut out about 95 percent of my consumption) I've decided it's time to cut back on my sugar intake. The problem is I LOVE SUGAR, the thought of even cutting back a little has me scared. How will I make it through the day, what can I do to control my cravings?

OK, so it might be stupid, but I would like to at least cut my intake in half. No more cookies, candy bars, hard candy, cake. Have you ever done this? Any advice?

[thyme4change]

Define drug.

Define sugar!

Does it include sucrose - so no fruit? How about bread, which is just simple carbs. What about soda pop or beer?

[BeenThere...DoneThat...]

...yeah, define drug...

...and life could be pretty tasteless with all the oses removed...

[BeenThere...DoneThat...]

...oh, and you could switch to sugar-free beverages, cookies, ice cream, and such... that would be how I'd do it...

[Deleted]

Yes, it is. A dangerous one too. Addictive and physically & mentally harmful.

[thyme4change]

My husband gave up fast food. He just went cold turkey and gave him his 5x per week habit of hitting the Jack, the King, the clown or whatever for lunch.

I think in the first year, he ate fast food 3 times - all when we were traveling with our young kids - so we had McD's on a road trip, or in an airport or whatever. But not in his normal daily routine. After all that time, he can barely eat it now. It tastes so salty and weird, and often will make his poop liquid afterwards. So, I'm sure it can be done. Somehow I think your situation will be harder. It isn't like we kept a KFC drive up window in our kitchen.

[tractor]

Maybe I need to focus on staying away from all the extras that I consume everyday, like cookies and chocolate. I blame my mom, she baked everyday when I was at home, and I just got used to having sweets all the time. I've been out of her house for almost 25 years now, but I still expect a steady flow of sweets in my diet each day. I think I can so it, breaking the life long habit is going to be the hard part.

[Deleted]

Sugar is evil.

[Reckless Roselia]

Sugar is addictive and sugar is sweet. Consuming too much of sugar is toxic to the health.

Is sugar a drug? Yes it is.

[thyme4change]

My father eats a cookie every day. One cookie. He gets his sugar, and keeps his health. He is the fucking poster child for self discipline.

[BeenThere...DoneThat...]

Dec 28, 2012 13:54:42 GMT -5 @joey said:

Sugar is evil.

[weltschmerz]

I'm addicted to sugar in the form of fructose. I love fruit, and it's good for me.
Cake, candy, chocolate....not so much.

[Deleted]

Dec 28, 2012 13:34:16 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

My husband gave up fast food. He just went cold turkey and gave him his 5x per week habit of hitting the Jack, the King, the clown or whatever for lunch.

I think in the first year, he ate fast food 3 times - all when we were traveling with our young kids - so we had McD's on a road trip, or in an airport or whatever. But not in his normal daily routine. After all that time, he can barely eat it now. It tastes so salty and weird, and often will make his poop liquid afterwards. So, I'm sure it can be done. Somehow I think your situation will be harder. It isn't like we kept a KFC drive up window in our kitchen.

"Liquid poop" is evil!

[Reckless Roselia]

Dec 29, 2012 3:22:00 GMT -5 weltschmerz said:

I'm addicted to sugar in the form of fructose. I love fruit, and it's good for me.
Cake, candy, chocolate....not so much.

I'm eating a lot of fruits too now to have my skin to glow. Let me guess, you love mangoes? They have to be the sweetest ones. Especially the honey ones.

[Deleted]

I don't think sugar is a "drug" . But like anything too much of anything can have health consequences. I don't like sugar substitutes. I will take my chances on real sugar. I dont' think it is the evil people make it out to be. I think Corn Syrup is far worse. I prefer to buy things with cane sugar rather than corn syrup.

[weltschmerz]

Dec 29, 2012 4:58:20 GMT -5 Reckless Roselia said:

Dec 29, 2012 3:22:00 GMT -5 weltschmerz said:

I'm addicted to sugar in the form of fructose. I love fruit, and it's good for me.
Cake, candy, chocolate....not so much.

I'm eating a lot of fruits too now to have my skin to glow. Let me guess, you love mangoes? They have to be the sweetest ones. Especially the honey ones.

I love them all. Pineapples, pears, pomegranates and persimmons. Mangoes and mulberries. Blueberries, blackberries and bananas.
I'm hooked.

[Deleted]

I just can't eat a lot of fruit. It upsets my stomach. I eat tons of veggie but there must be some thing in it i can't digest.

[Deleted]

Well, we can be given sugar directly into the veins so it is used as a drug.

[Apple]

I'd start by cutting down. I went from two pops+ a day, to just one at lunch. Now I don't even drink that one half the time (I think I had two this last week).

Sweets--if you have them three times a day, go to just twice a day, then once. Then you may find you can have some every couple days.

Try replacing with fruit. I like fruit, but don't eat it "plain" as much as I should. However, I love these smoothies and have one almost every day (normally I don't have to add any honey, but when I throw in too many frozen cranberries I add a little)-- www.theyummylife.com/Oatmeal_Smoothies I don't really follow any of the exact recipes, just do 1 cup liquid (juice/milk), 1/4 cup or so yogurt, 1 cup frozen fruit, and the 1/4 cup oatmeal, 1 1/2 tsp chia seeds. Oh, I'll add a little vanilla or maybe some spices if it sounds good too.

[Deleted]

If you have been in the hospital over the course of your life, you HAVE had it injected in the from of dextrose containing IV fluids.

[Deleted]

I used to love chocolate. But, after having kids my cravings have switched to salty.

[Deleted]

Dec 29, 2012 12:13:49 GMT -5 @lonewolf said:

Dec 29, 2012 12:04:56 GMT -5 @shooby said:

If you have been in the hospital over the course of your life, you HAVE had it injected in the from of dextrose containing IV fluids.

OH! So maybe that's why I always get so sick when I'm in the hospital!

[grits]

Sugar can be a drug. If you have a certain makeup, it can alter your behavior. I use it when my coworkers are about to drive me to a hissy fit. I hit the machines, and I'm starting to buzz.

[Reckless Roselia]

Dec 29, 2012 11:53:00 GMT -5 weltschmerz said:

Dec 29, 2012 4:58:20 GMT -5 Reckless Roselia said:

I'm eating a lot of fruits too now to have my skin to glow. Let me guess, you love mangoes? They have to be the sweetest ones. Especially the honey ones.

I love them all. Pineapples, pears, pomegranates and persimmons. Mangoes and mulberries. Blueberries, blackberries and bananas.
I'm hooked.

Wow, that's pretty neat, Weltz. How many a day do you have them? It would be cool to see your diet of fruits.

I love mangoes and pineapples.

Bananas make your bum fat, well mine anyway so I stay away from that fruit.

[Reckless Roselia]

I love sour + sweet compared to salty + sweet.

[Artemis Windsong]

Nothing says lovin' like something from the oven was the mantra in the 60s and 70s. We were kids and it's not our fault.

I became an Adele Davis fan in the 70s. Sugar was poison as were soft drinks. I had a lovely, pure diet then went on vacation. Fast food almost landed me in the hospital. From there I decided to trash up the diet a bit to keep my self from an episode like that again.

My Dad was one of those self-discipline guys and ate a candy bar and sweet something everyday so he did not feel deprived and eat the entire bag of cookies.

Tuvia is a reasonable sugar substitute. I had been using it on my microwave french toast. Several days I forgot to put it on but did remember the cinnamon. I didn't miss the sweet.

If cookies and cakes are a must have, try substituting I Can't Believe It's Not Butter for the butter part with one half the fat suggested as applesauce. Look for the least of the "evils" like oatmeal raisin cookies.

For cake mixes use sparking water for the liquid and skip the eggs/oil. The cake isn't as high but tastes fine. Also, pumpkin can be added instead of the oil/eggs/liquid.

There are several books out on eat this not that and cook this not that. Making our favorites more healthy with less calories.

End of grammas nutrition lecure. There is a tip jar called exalt.

[Apple]

The pumpkin is really good with a spice cake mix (or just a white or yellow cake mix and add your own spices for flavor).

I've done a can of coke or other pop in my cake mix as well--I've heard you can use diet also.

I've mixed truvia with the sugar I put in my coffee. A couple packs of truvia in a couple cups of sugar and I can cut the amount I put in my morning coffee in half.

[Deleted]

Dec 29, 2012 12:18:53 GMT -5 grits said:

Sugar can be a drug. If you have a certain makeup, it can alter your behavior.

Indeed, all food elicits some manner of physiological reaction. There's no baseline of sobriety.