We Need Your Help To Be Sugar Free!!

[midi]

Anybody else out there notice that when you cut all processed foods out of your diet, your appetite comes back and you eat less? I found with things like ice cream, I ate and ate and ate. When I made fruit/nut ice cream, I only ate a bit in comparison to my usual binging.

 

[Mary]

Been hearing more about soy... and I really use it as a supplement for no dairy. I guess i should look into rice milk or i also use almond milk.... hmmm.....

Mmm. My favorite milk alternatives are unsweetened oat milk and plain hemp milk. There are other non-dairy options as well in the health store near me, as well as goat's milk, non-homogenized cow's milk and raw cow's milk. If you look, maybe you can find a way to do some exploring!

Mary

 

[Mary]

Wee, I was at an event today with the yummiest looking brownies and fruit juice. I stuck to sandwiches (I ate the most whole grain thing I could find) and water. Tough stuff!

Good practice for tonight. I'm going to a show, and they always sell homemade cake on the break. I usually get a couple of pieces. But not tonight!

:)

Mary

 

[Mary]

Was just rationalizing having a slice of cake tonight, thinking it's a "special occasion." Then, pouty, that I could have picked a better time to go no-sugar. Now I'm reminding myself that there is no "good time" to stop eating sugar. There's always a holiday, a birthday, or a special eat-out or a special candy. In a year, I won't remember that slice of cake, but I will still have the knowledge gained from this period of time.

Mary

 

[gdf]

Hi Mary,

I figure a slice of cake once in a while is not too bad, or a brownie. It's that constant feeding your body of sugar that is the killer. We used to bring donuts to work almost daily so you'd get your cup of coffee and grab a donut and then a couple hours later be hungry and say get another one around ten AM. Then eat lunch which was starchy and full of carbs. We were all suffering and got together and decided to stop bringing in these high-sugar foods for meetings, breaks, etc. We started bringing hummus and healthier chips/veggies for dipping. Bowls of cut up fresh fruit. Veggie trays. Anti pasta trays with meats, cheeses, etc.

Here's a tip/thought. When we have birthday cakes at the office (and we still do once a month), go for a piece in the middle to avoid tons of gooey icing found on the corners. Then, turn to the group and ask if someone wants to share a piece and 9 out of ten times someone will--they just want an excuse not to eat a whole piece. When eating out, same strategy--share a desert. One slice of cheese cake and an extra fork/plate. Most wait staff will oblige.

You might like a book called Eat Right for Your Type by Dr. Peter D'Adamo.

Cheers!

Gina

 

[cherryblossom]

I just wanted to wish you both luck in giving up sugar and also to the others who have posted here who are trying to change what they consume. Good on you all! Staying strong and keeping your will power is tough enough at the best of times, but throwing PTSD into the mix, makes it all the harder, because we tell ourselves that chocolate/ sugar/ caffeine/ what ever helps with our anxieties and stressful times. It's all psychological of course, almost a crutch. I congratulate you on trying to change things and break bad habits. You should be very proud of yourselves for every peice of chocolate or cake that you reject. And more importantly, if your will power fails once in a while, don't beat yourself. Just pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start again!

 

[cat]

Thanks for your continued support everyone, its really helping.

I'm feeling quite proud of myself, I managed to get through yesterday without any sugar at all. Reading your posts has made me take a look at everything I eat & i've been investigating the Mediterranean diet which was how I was eating for the year before ptsd kicked in and how much more energy I had (although some of it was just adrenalin)

So I'm going to change to a Mediterranean diet as I'm sure it will be easier to maintain my sugar levels. Going through my store cupboard I found a number of things that before ptsd would not have been in there:

• chocolate - only used to be a treat about once a month, now craved for daily
• white bread
• white pasta & rice
• snacks- crisps, peanuts
• cheese - another addiction since I've been veggie, just lazyness really
• fruit yogurts - going back to plain yogurt
• dried fruit which I love but probably eat too much of
• white flour & sugar
• Ribena( blackcurrent squash) its lovely but full of sugar- that is going to be a tough one to be without

Other than the dried fruit that I will eat in moderation the rest of my list can go home with my daughter, I already feel better for knowing they aren't there to tempt me.

Breakfast this morning is going to be home made granola with plain yogurt & an apple. Lunch, wholemeal pitta with hummous, roasted peppers & salad. Dinner - fish with spinach & rice. And no sugar!

If anyone is interested in the Med diet i found some good information on the Patient UK website, it includes a tick chart to monitor what you eat to get you started. I'm looking forward to my new diet & hope to lose some weight in the process!

Mary - how do you get on at the show, hope the stress of going didn't tempt you to visit the cake stall!

 

[Mary]

Great job, cat!

The show was fantastic! I managed to avoid the cakes and pies. However, I did have two chocolate truffles in the car. I have a whole long rationalization/excuse that I'm not going to go into. I'm just going to begin again.

Thanks for asking. :)

Mary

 

[midi]

On fruit smoothies, if anybody is interested... I've had a hard time searching for plain yogurt without any additives and yeah, making it myself is much better... but...

A friend suggested almond milk instead of yogurt, which is healthier anyway. Ok, so to make almond milk, I soaked 1 cup of almonds in water over night, then put it in the blender with 3 cups water. The pulp was strained out and put aside to put in with steel cut oat cereal. I used part of the almond milk with banana, raspberries, and blueberries and wow, it really is nice! It's a great alternative to dairy...

Say NO to truffles and YES to whole grains and veggies!

 

[Artista]

MADE almond milk!!! I am bowing to you. I used to do a lot of self prep stuff when I was vegetarian and pre-kids now I admit, not so much. I should get back into the habit perhaps. I am all about simplicity right now. Effort involved at times seems too much to add to the effort it takes to handle current mental state but some days I look to busy myself with tasks and chores and I could start to add trying this. So cool you made your own... i was wondering how you milk an almond! Much safer than a cow. HA.

 

[James B.]

Cat, that seems really great what you are doing. Very inspiring everyone!

Had a couple bad surgar joneses last few days. Both times after swimming more than I had in a while. Had no fruit, so just drank some water and the craving left in a minute of so. My mal-adaptive dietary habit is still clinging, but so far doing good. Boy, it sure is funny how after eating candy of something, how my anxiety/fear seems to go right up.

 

[Mary]

Just an update...

I have cut most sugar out of my life. I've eaten a few chocolates and had some birthday cake on my birthday. I've cut out fruit juices and introduced whole fruit. I'm eating far less chocolate than previously. I've totally cut out Mountain Dew.

I had a green tea smoothie a few days ago and couldn't even finish it. It tasted too sweet! This is a smoothie I previously judged mild in the sugar department.

I am noticing that if I have a little bit of something sweet but low-key (like "Eden Organic apple butter") in the AM, it curbs my cravings for the rest of the day. And if I'm really craving something, a small chocolate does it for me, where I used to have a ton. So, small changes.

I am calmer. That's really good.

Mary

p.s. - I am also impressed at the home-made almond milk! I think I'm going to give it a try. :) Love steel cut oats!