Sweet Poison - going sugar (fructose) free, anyone?

[Epacris]

It’s kind of complicated, you really need to read the book/s to “get it” properly (I’ve read the book and I’m still trying to “get it” I keep having to re-read sections). Basically he breaks sugar into good sugars (mostly glucose and lactose) and bad sugars (mostly fructose). You can eat whatever you want, you just have to limit fructose to approximately less than 10g per day.

OUT:
Anything with sugar (sucrose, which is half fructose).
Juice and dried fruit (I still haven’t quite managed to comprehend me giving up fruitcake, that bit just can’t be true, totally in denial about that one).
Honey and Maple syrup

You can use some sweeteners, he explains which ones and why in the book.
You can have fruit but you need to limit it to no more than two pieces per day and try to stick to low fructose/high fibre fruit like pears and berries (grapes are bad).

That’s all I can think of for now.

[misty]

Basically he breaks sugar into good sugars (mostly glucose) and bad sugars (mostly fructose).

That doesn't sound quite right???
Fructose is the natural sugars you find in things like fruit. Glucose is the sugar which is derived from things - ie, your white sugar, etc - which are added to processed foods (along with surcrose).

To me it would make more sense to avoid the glucose and surcrose and try to make sure any sugar intake consists of those healthier sugars like fructose.

[Epacris]

Yeah Misty, his argument is almost completely the opposite of that (what you just said) and he does back it up with quite a bit of scientific research, as well as lots of compelling (although anecdotal, which he freely admits) case studies. Like I said, you really need to read the book, I can‘t possibly explain all the technicalities of it all here.

[misty]

hhhmmmm....

Well good luck with it, anyway.

[jackrose]

I did it! I gave up sugar in October last year and it was liberating! I finally shifted the excess weight from 2 pregnancies and got back into my pre-preg clothes, ditched the sugar induced mood swings and high/low sugar cravings and felt generally healthier and more energetic.

I highly recommend giving it a go. I had always tried to keep away from sugar with the idea that it was generally not very good for health but slipped into some pretty sad habits with babies and kids (pretty common story I imagine). I found it hard to find the motivation to stick at being 'good' with food but after reading the book I had a new understanding of the hidden sugars which would undo any efforts I might make in getting off sugar. My new enthusiasm made it easy to avoid temptation although I didn't go cold turkey as the book recommends, just gradually reduced my intake and changed brands where necessary to avoid products with too much added sugar. Pretty soon I was happily passing up cake with my coffee, mayo on my sandwich and ice cream with the family without even a hint of second thought. Liberating!

I have relaxed my stance since but I still don't have any sugar in my tea (a weak point previously) I can't stand products with sugar added and can still turn down dessert without a problem. I guess I just enjoy the food I want to eat now without being attracted to the stuff over sweetened so my palate has changed for the better. I don't think about it much anymore and am so glad I gave the theory a go.

I say go for it Epacris, I will be cheering you on from the sidelines!

[Epacris]

Ahhh jackrose... that’s what I want to hear!

Actually in the book he says women do better cutting down the sugar and men to better going cold turkey. Interesting to hear your experience with that. And your “before” story sounds just like me too, hopefully (for me) our “after” stories will match as well.

And for anyone interested but not up to ploughing through a book or two just at the moment, the conversation hour interview is a great place to start. David Gillespie - ABC Conversations with Richard Fidler

[nothing2lose]

Fructose can be more harmful than glucose for a couple of reasons...
When glucose enters the bloodstream it is regulated by insulin but fructose is processed by the liver. The liver can't process too much so it turns it to fat and sends it into the bloodstream as a trigylceride. This in turn can result in liver disease, heart disease, insulin resistance and type two diabetes.
High fructose diets also contribute to weight gain because they bypass hormonal controls which tell your body you are satisfied when eating.

[jackrose]

Excellent! I think that approaching it with a strong motivation is helpful as sugar is a pretty hard habit to crack. It is also nice to know that being militant in the short term is worthwhile as you can relax a little later and still benefit. (Of course I am not talking eat a packet of tim tams relax )

I just remembered there was a thread about this earlier, you may find some more support here.