Why Unfriend Sugar?

Can We Be Friends…?

I don’t normally unfriend anybody. Unless I decide that maybe we’re not really anything beyond acquaintances and I’d rather my feed have more space for people I know well and want to keep up with. Even then, I usually just don’t. But if sugar were a human “friend,” I’d probably have to make an exception, even though I know sugar pretty well. Because I don’t think sugar is my friend or yours.

It shows up everywhere and has friends in pretty high places. It puts forth a polished, glitzy image. But it has a dark side. It looks good on the outside, but has little substance on the inside. It promises lots of pleasure, but later delivers pain in many different forms. Sugar draws you in and causes you to want more and more of it, but it doesn’t give back in any meaningful, lasting way. Some friend!

Sweetness=Good.    Sugar=Bad.

To put it in more specific terms, sugar isn’t good for you. But “good-for-you” or “not-good-for-you,” rarely flies as a convincing argument for dietary decision-making. Or am I the only one with a rebellious streak, inexplicably drawn to things that are bad for me?

For my fellow rebels, in this post I hope to make a convincing argument that it’s worth considering lowering your intake of sugar or eliminating it entirely. And I’m writing this in part to myself for a bit of a reboot after an emotionally-charged year that eventually resulted in some dietary backsliding and a few extra resultant pounds. 

Perhaps I can appeal to your self-preservation instinct, or your desire to avoid pain and suffering…? I believe less sugar helps on both counts.

Vanity is certainly another motivator for those of us who end up not looking our best as a result of befriending sugar. It’s actually the motivator I see used most in weight-loss product marketing. (Everybody loves a makeover!!) Sugar loves to hang around my middle and taunt me.

Or if we can go back to the FB analogy, maybe you’ll want to make room for better things in your life, when you really realize that sugar is not who you thought it was, and your relationship is probably not going to grow. It may be sneaking around behind your back and sabotaging you—would you let a so-called friend get away with that?

Over the Top

In our culture, we’re known for excess. And our sugar consumption is no exception. I found wild disparities between intake numbers from a number of reputable sources, the most optimistic of which were not surprisingly from the Sugar Association (heh, heh). But the consensus at least is that we in the US definitely exceed upper limit of dietary added sugar recommended by the FDA, which is 50g per 2000 calorie diet. How much we exceed it depends on who you ask.

The American Heart Association goes further to recommend no more than 37.5g daily for men and 25g or 6 tsp for women, which in my humble opinion is a much more reasonable place to start, since our population is rife with obesity and insulin resistance.

Since the problem for most of us is not actual teaspoons of sugar we’re adding to our food or drink, but rather grams of sugar added into the pre-packaged food we’re consuming, grams are the best gauge of consumption for most of us, if you’d like to actually track and find out your own daily intake.

There is actually no recommended daily intake, since sugar is not considered a nutrient. In other words, you can totally do without it. There is no compelling reason other than pleasure to actually keep it in your diet. A shocking thought, I know! Not saying I’m anti-pleasure, but you need to see the whole picture to decide.

Truthfully, most of us could benefit from at least a significant reduction, especially considering that the great majority of us have an unhealthy relationship with carbs and sugar to start with.

The Straight Dope

So what’s the lowdown? The real problem with sugar? Why does it taste and FEEL so good if it’s so bad??

First of all, when we consume sugar, we actually do get a surge of dopamine. In fact, the way our body responds to a hit of sugar is very similar to its response to opioids, just on a smaller scale. The dopamine/opioid response in our body keeps us coming back for more. But it’s an inflammatory food. It can directly or indirectly contribute to all sorts of problems, including but not limited to fatty liver, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

It also feeds bad bacteria in our gut, which can begin to outnumber the good. Gut bacterial imbalance is associated with skin issues, fatigue, fungal infections, brain fog, joint pain, hormonal problems and more. Whatever is already going on with your body—we’re all different—the sugar in your diet will generally hurt and not help the situation. And in the meantime, your body will keep asking for more. 

Hidden Danger

To compound the situation, you’re eating sugar even when you’re not eating sugar, so most of us have an unrealistic idea of how much we even consume. What I mean is that if you’re eating anything that is not a whole food or something you made from scratch, it could and probably does have added sugar, in the form of high fructose corn syrup, regular corn syrup, cane sugar, molasses, fruit juice, agave, coconut sugar, rice syrup, or even honey or maple syrup. (All created equal? no. All sugar? yes.) And must be considered especially if you are experiencing issues with sugar intake. And if you’re not yet, you probably will.

If you don’t read anything else this year, start reading labels. And the Bible. (The Bible is certainly more important than food labels.) But when in the grocery store, read food labels. Anything that sounds chemical-ly and ends in —ose is suspect. This is not even to mention the amount of white, refined foods you’re consuming that act just like sugar once you start to digest them.

A powerful visual that I had never thought of before a couple of years ago is the resemblance between the white powder that is sugar vs other drugs. Not saying I have lots of experience with the other drugs… but I know there was lots of white powder in Scarface… Both are refined, addictive, and destructive to your health.

HOW to Unfriend Sugar?

Mindset

If after all that bad news you decide you’d like to reduce or eliminate your added sugar intake, I believe the right mindset is essential.

No Feeling Sorry for Yourself!

If you begin with a deprivation mentality, you’ll surely fail. I think this is what most of us do. We decide we need to make a change for the sake of our health, or in order to feel better, and we decide we must deprive ourselves of the things we really want while everyone else gets to enjoy life. (Boohoo!) We paint ourselves as the martyr: “Y’all enjoy your donuts. I’ll just be over here nibbling on celery and picking it out of my teeth…” I think this attitude invites certain defeat.

If instead, you decide you are doing something special for your well-being because you have been gifted with knowledge that will help you, it makes all the difference.

I think you have to do different to eventually be different. You may have to go against what it looks like everyone else is doing in order to feel good–unlike most everyone else! No one is walking around as the picture of health by accident. Or if by some chance they have gotten there by accident, they won’t stay there. We all manifest imbalance in different ways, but no one really gets away with eating poorly and then actually enjoys good health in the long run, even though it may sometimes seem that way.

Consider Momentary Pleasure vs. Long-term Consequences

As I’ve had to do many different types of diets to try to get to the bottom of health issues I’ve had in the past, my diet has often become the topic of conversation. I’ve had many people tell me (when they’re trying to figure out why in the world I would forego eating something I would certainly enjoy) that they figure they’re going to die anyway. They may as well enjoy the time they have by eating whatever they want. But I’ve found that when my body was needing adjustment, and I went ahead and indulged in things I enjoyed, the pleasure was momentary. But often the consequences were not.

I’m not sure where I heard it, but I adopted the mantra, “I may not add days to my life, but I can add life to my days.” I do believe that I have an appointment with death one day in the future (happy thought, I know!)—mostly because the Bible says so. I don’t believe I’m going to necessarily do anything to change that date. But I know from experience I can affect the way I feel in the time between now and then. I don’t want to feel so bad that I’m wishing for death before it comes!

I of course don’t have total control—none of us do—but if I know there are things I can do to affect my health in a positive way, I not only want to do it, but I feel a spiritual obligation to do it. My body, like everything else I’ve been given, is not my own. It is a vessel to be used for God’s glory. A resource over which I’m a steward.

Do What Feels Good… Or at Least Will Feel Good Later

When I was beginning to experiment with diet to help with some of the issues I was having, I went on a diet that severely limited sugar. That is, both sugar added in ingredients or created by eating empty carbs. By empty carbs, I mean foods like packaged bread, chips, crackers, white rice,  (another post topic unto itself). After some time, I went from waking up each morning aching from head to toe to actually feeling rested. When I experienced the reality of the trade-off, it was no contest. Feeling good wins out hands-down.

Strategy–Know Thyself 

If you’re thinking maybe you should indeed do something about your sugar intake, there are several different approaches you could take. 

Be realistic about how your brain works. And choose how to lower your sugar accordingly.

You Thrive in the Extreme

If you’re an “extreme” kind of person, you could go cold turkey and try to eliminate ALL added sugar across the board in your diet. Click here for a wittily-documented video of a couple that did just that, temporarily in their case.

In the same vein, if you’re someone who doesn’t do things well in moderation (i.e., will-power is a challenge), you may need to stick to some hard and fast rules, and create a system of accountability and rewards for yourself. You could decide to eat NOTHING which has added sugar, or have a hard and fast number, like no more than 5% daily value per serving in the “added sugar” category.

You’re a Happy Medium

On the other hand, you could start small, and just eliminate added refined sugars in the sweet treats you eat, like desserts or snacks. I personally like to take this second approach. I attack the obvious problems first. Then if I still have issues, I can look for the less obvious culprits. For giving up sugar more long-term, this approach may be a little more sustainable.

If this second approach appeals to you, you may be someone who MUST do things moderately because a rule is just an invitation to rule-breaking. If you know that absolutely NO added sugar is going to cause you to want sugar all the more, you need to find a happy medium, and go for better and not perfect.

The one thing to watch out for is that when we create a deficit in one place in our diet, our bodies sometimes unconsciously try to make up for it elsewhere. So if you take the second approach, just make sure you don’t find yourself consuming extra other empty carbs just to make up for the missing sweets (I’ve had personal experience with this, in case you’re wondering…).

Walk on the “Crunchy” Side

A third approach is to have all the sweets you want (within reason, people!). Only use all natural, whole sweeteners, however. Think bananas, dates, or other fruits, or even some acceptable sugar substitutes, and make it from scratch. I’ll share about sugar subs I use further down in this post.

Home-making all my own sweets is limiting for a lazy cook like me. If you’re in relatively good health, and just trying to be proactive, this might be your best bet. On the other hand if you love baking and have nothing but time and a well-stocked pantry, beware…

And Maybe Consider This

For anyone wanting to get started on the road to less sugar, you might consider a total added sugar fast only for a limited amount of time, just to create a realistic awareness of just how much sugar you’re consuming in total. I’ve found complete elimination of certain foods from my diet to be very eye-opening. When you find yourself asking the question, “What in the world am I going to eat??” when you are leaving a particular food out, you know you’ve reached a level of dependence on said food. And it may reveal just how much you’re relying on pre-packaged or fast food (which are problematic in other ways besides just the sugar issue!). 

Know Your Terminology 

Some of the terms we’ve been throwing around probably need clarification, especially the following:

Added Sugars

Added sugars are just sweeteners that are made up of some sort of sugar product and are not already present in whatever the food may be. Tomatoes, for instance, naturally have a sugar content in them because they are fruits. But tomato sauce, ketchup, and pretty much any tomato product you can think of, may have added sugar to enhance the flavor. Conveniently, the FDA labels now include this data on all food packaging. So if your food comes in a package, look for “added sugars.”

Sugar Substitutes

Another important term is sugar substitute. Many sugar substitutes (aka artificial sweeteners) are laden with chemicals and have drawbacks of their own. Examples are Aspartame, Sucralose, Saccharin, Stevia, and sugar alcohols, to name a few. I generally think of sugar substitutes as substances which taste sweet but do not have the same impact on our body as real sugar or even foods that are naturally sweet. Certain substances that are found in nature and minimally refined, I think are okay sugar substitution options in moderation, but I strongly recommend for you to do your own research, and approach all with caution.

Natural Sweeteners

“Natural sweeteners” is a tricky term. Foods that are naturally sweet are certainly better for you than sugar, but can still have their effects. For occasional sweet treats, it’s fairly easy to learn to replace granulated sugar with ingredients like honey or maple syrup, which is slightly better for our systems.

One step better is using natural applesauce, bananas, or dates for natural sweetness that comes with some other benefits like fiber and sometimes vitamins and minerals. However, fruit juice can also be considered a natural sweetener, but it has been stripped of the parts of the fruit that help adulterate the sugar-effect on our systems.

Most natural sweeteners are great options in moderation for young children, whose bodies haven’t begun yet to revolt from poor eating habits. But if you’re like so many of us who are dealing with extra weight, or possibly even pre-diabetic or full blown diabetic symptoms, keeping a high level of sugar intake, only switching to all natural forms is not enough. I have dealt with gut and adrenal issues, food allergies, and inflammation, so I have certainly fallen in this category myself. I found I had to go a little further for healing, and severely limit even natural sugars.

What I Use

When I’ve been the most successful at severely limiting my sugar intake, I’ve used some “go-to” treats that made me feel like I was having something sweet and decadent, but that did not come with all the added sugar. The decadent treats usually call for a sugar substitute. The sweeteners that I most often use are stevia, monk fruit and sometimes xylitol and erythritol. I’ve found some serious sweet-tooth satisfaction on this website, and from these ladies.

Stevia

Not all Stevia is created equal, so I am choosy about which I use. Unless you grow your own, what you buy in stores is generally extracted from stevia leaves, so I like to use organic, to avoid pesticides. Stevia can have an overly sweet, almost bitter taste if overused, and even in the right proportion, is generally just not as pleasing to the tongue as sugar, at least until you get used to it.

It can’t be subbed 1:1 for sugar in recipes—unless it’s combined with other ingredients to make a granular version. Balancing it out with a little salt or often adding vanilla helps to tone it down the bitter aftertaste. There’s a learning curve, so don’t dismiss it after the first attempt to use it. I like the taste of Trader Joe’s powder or drops, and they come in small but mighty quantities, so the price is not bad for how long they last. I have also used Sweet Leaf and Wholesome Organic Stevia brands. But depending on which version you buy, there may be other added ingredients. Again, be label-literate.

Monk Fruit

Another somewhat natural sugar substitute I like is monk fruit sweetener. It has a taste very similar to sugar and, in my opinion, is less bitter in flavor compared to stevia. However, I’ve not actually used it alone. It, too, has to be adulterated with other ingredients to come in a granulated form that can be substituted 1:1 if you’re following a recipe and need a similar amount of bulk to sugar. We use Lakanto brand usually.

Monk fruit has been used (at least in its more natural state) as a food and dietary supplement for centuries in Eastern cultures. It’s quite expensive, however, which may be a blessing—it keeps us using it in moderation at my house.

Sugar Alcohols

The other sugar substitutes that I feel comfortable incorporating into my diet in moderation are Xylitol and Erythritol. They are plant-derived sugar alcohols. Xylitol was recommended to me by a healthcare professional to be taken as a dietary supplement for the benefit of fighting stubborn underlying infection. Xylitol is known to have antimicrobial properties and is used in many dental products. You’ll often find monk fruit blended with one or both of these substances into a blend that can be substituted 1:1 for sugar. Trim Healthy Mama has some good products in this category. Note, however, that sugar alcohols can affect digestion, so they should be consumed with caution.

I find with all three options mentioned, they taste better with foods that already have some natural sweetness on their own, namely anything with fruit as an ingredient. So if you don’t need to cut your sugar in a drastic way for health reasons, you could use some of the natural sweeteners like applesauce, bananas, or dates in moderation, so as not to raise your blood sugar a huge amount, and finish sweetening with a stevia or monkfruit blend.

Final thoughts…

So, ideally, eat more whole fruit in its natural state. It requires little preparation and provides fiber and enzymes which slow digestion and help facilitate it. It’s nature’s best “sugar substitute.” If you have insulin issues, lean more heavily toward berries (lower glycemic index fruits).

In my experience, and I believe that of others, when you cut sugar significantly, your palate adapts and is less inclined toward super-sweet tastes. I find the more I’ve been avoiding sugar, the less I like it when I actually have something very sweet. It’s very easy to slip back into appreciating heavy sweet tastes of course, but just know you won’t always feel as deprived as you may in the beginning. And you may come to prefer less sweet tastes over mainstream sweet foods. Additionally, as you learn to reduce your sugar intake, other foods may also begin to taste more flavorful. I think most people don’t think of their palate as that adaptable, but I believe it’s remarkably so.

And final, final thoughts

To summarize a LOT of information, moderation is best. But sugar wants you to think otherwise. Most of us have gone WAY beyond moderate in our use of sugar. And it may not be more of an unconscious, chemically-based decision than what you think. My best advice is to reduce the amount of sweets you consume overall, and then sweeten the great majority of what’s left with a sugar substitute that works for you, only consuming actual refined sugar on very limited occasions, if at all. Your body will adapt and eventually will thank you.

Blessings,

Disclaimer: I am not a healthcare professional and therefore am not doling out professional advice. I am purely sharing information I’ve gleaned from reading about and experiencing health issues of my own, so please treat it as such. Anything I say should in no way take the place of advice from your own doctor or health care professional. Please consult with them before making any sweeping lifestyle changes.