Goodbye, Sugar
Since reading William Dufty�s Sugar Blues (reservations apply) in May, I have been on a refined-sugar-free �diet.�
I say �diet,� but not to indicate a short-term decision. Rather, I plan this to be a life-long pattern. Even within a month, I noticed a number of personal health improvements which have since greatly encouraged my effort.
�Chronic insomnia resolved.
�Better quality of sleep.
�No more unexplained headaches.
�Fewer muscular aches.
�Improved bacne.
�Disappearance of sugar cravings.
�Less hunger.
�No more sudden mood swings in the morning and afternoon.
I don�t consider myself as having had a high-sugar diet before the Big Change. I found, however, that I could no longer have any store-brought bread (fortunately we bake our own with honey), fruit jelly (even �fruit-juice� sweetened), YoBaby� yogurts (organic sugar is still sugar), very salty foods (refined salt is made with dextrose, a sugar, so I use unrefined salt in my own cooking), and even homemade whole-grain cookies and baked goods made with sugar. I have no more sugar in my tea, no more brown sugar on my applesauce, and not nearly as much orange juice. (Fruit juices have a concentration of natural sugars, which in high quantities can also upset body chemistry. If we were eating the actual fruit, the fibrous pulp would fill us before we had too much of the sugar. Likewise, if you were to eat fresh sugar cane [as I did recently in Cuba] or fresh sugar beets, you would find it difficult to eat enough to disrupt your chemical balance; the fresh stuff comes not only with plenty of fiber but also with vitamins and minerals absent in the refined sugar product.)
This not a sugar-free diet but a right-sugar diet. I get all I need of the right kinds of sugar by eating fruit, and by judicious use of raw honey and real maple syrup. Other wholesome options would be blackstrap molasses and whole stevia. Rapadura (unrefined, dried whole cane sugar) is best as an occasional treat in moderate amounts, if desired. That all said, fruits really are sweet enough to satisfy a palate not dulled by refined sweeteners.
What sugars do I eliminate / avoid? I check food labels for:
[The labels �organic� or �natural� make no difference in my elimination process. Organic high fructose corn syrup (it does exist) is still an unnaturally refined product that wreaks havoc on the body�s chemical balance.]
[Where the following occur naturally in a whole food (fructose in a peach, glucose in a whole grain), they are acceptable.]
�corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup
�cane sugar (granulated, powdered, etc.)
�beet sugar, date sugar, grape sugar
�brown sugar
�turbinado sugar, raw sugar
�evaporated cane juice, cane juice crystals
�agave syrup
�fructose, fruit juice concentrate
�sucrose, dextrose, glucose, maltose, maltodextrin
�aspartame, saccharin, other artificial sweeteners
If I make an exception, however small, the effect is immediate. Before I�ve even swallowed, my heart beats faster and I have a tingling sensation at the back of my head. Also, my brain seems to go in high-drive without actually being able to accomplish anything. ;-) These effects occur even when the �exception� is unintentional.
COMMENT ON THIS POST BY SENDING AN EMAIL TO THE HANDMAIDEN.
ELISSA said...
Hmm... interesting post. I really do admire you for this lifestyle change, and I can definitely understand why you did it. I have really been trying to cut down on much of my sugar intake, though I don�t know if I could ever really completely eliminate refined sugars from my own diet. So do you make yourself meals apart from those of the rest of your family? Or has your whole family gone sugar free?
Tanks for this post. I really enjoyed it!
Tuesday, August 17, 2010Â Â Â 03:17 PM
HANDMAIDEN said...
My family�s sugar intake, on the whole, is, comparatively, very low, so I have had little difficulty in avoiding sugar while at home. I enjoy the same dinners as my family does. (Breakfast and lunch here tend to be a bit more of a free-for-all.) I don�t really have to make my own separate meals, because these home meals very rarely contain refined sugar. (In fact, the only dish I can remember that we sweeten is the tomato sauce�with honey.) I brought my own food to the table once or twice, I think, but I didn't like the feeling of exclusivity.
If I have a hankering for dessert, I choose one of the many recipes using honey or maple syrup, and I make it for everybody to share. Otherwise, I cheerfully skip the ice cream that is usually served.
I think the potential problems of having a diet usually occur because one�
*criticizes or looks down upon the others, cloaking herself in superiority
*plays the martyr when the others enjoy a "forbidden" treat, making the others feel either guilty or annoyed
*makes everyone else work frantically to find foods or prepare meals that the she will deign to eat
I try to avoid each of these.
When we all went to an ice cream shop recently, everyone had their vanilla and chocolate cones, and I had a package of (sour) apple slices. I honestly didn't care, and because I didn't make a fuss or prevent others from enjoying ice cream, no one else cared either.
My family usually doesn't mind my choice, though they laugh (or groan) at my strictness. It means one less person to include when dividing the occasional M&M's treat! Sometimes my siblings have chosen to voluntarily forgo certain foods because "they have too much sugar."They are intrigued that I've taken such a strong and consistent stand, and it makes them questioning and thoughtful.
Another important note... When we eat a meal with another family, I do not ask the hostess whether something has sugar, because I think that is unnecessarily troublesome to her. (1 Corinthians 10:27) If it is a buffet, it is very simple for me to make selections least likely to contain sugar. I'll forgo dessert if I can do so with grace and tact. Otherwise, I choose to enjoy it. People come before food.
My father has expressed interest in the entire family going sugar-free, but he has not met enthusiasm in all quarters. We shall see how the matter progresses.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010Â Â Â 04:59 PM
ELISSA said...
Thanks for your lovely comment! I really appreciate the part where you said "When we eat a meal with another family, I do not ask the hostess whether something has sugar, because I think that is unnecessarily troublesome to her" and that "People come before food.� One of my dad's pet peeves with many people that eat healthy is that they do put food before people. You had mentioned in a post a long time ago, that you didn't allow your food choices to come between fellowship with friends, and he though that was really great.
What kind of honey do you use? I recently bought raw honey, and I am in love with it, but I haven't been able to find it organic. But from the little I know, it still seems a better choice the the more processed honeys out there. One of my favorite snacks is organic greek yogurt with raw honey! Mm!
Have you ever heard of GNOWFGLINs (God's Natural Organic Whole Foods Grown Locally In Season) eCourse? I just signed up, and Mom and I will be enjoying taking the course over the next few months. In case you haven't heard of it, here's the link. http://gnowfglins.com/ecourse/ �Elissa
Tuesday, August 17, 2010Â Â Â 10:43 PM
HANDMAIDEN said...
Every so often, my family purchases two gallons of raw orange blossom honey through the local health food co-op. I do not believe it is certified organic, but the producers do not use chemicals. I have asked my mother to purchase wildflower honey next time, if it is available. Multi-flower honey is more natural (wild bees do not limit themselves to one species; single-flower honey is possible only in a large mono- crop), and we can enjoy the attending benefit of exposure to a wide variety of pollens.
Yes, you are correct in surmising that raw honey (though not organic) is still far superior to the processed counterpart. Heating honey destroys or partially destroys the yeast and enzymes responsible for activating vitamins and minerals in the body. Filtering removes the bits of pollen and propolis also beneficial to health. All of these benefits are preserved in raw and unfiltered honey.
I do believe I had briefly examined GNOWFGLIN some time ago, but I visited again. It's great! Thank you for the link; I have it bookmarked now.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010Â Â Â 04:31 PM
Tuesday, August 17, 2010