Diabetes Community

Since being diagnosed with D2, I have brainwashed myself. Whenever I go by the bakery cases in the restaurants, or the candy shelves in the grocery stores I see little skull and crossbones on all of the surgary wonderful sweets I used to like so well. I used to love a good napoleon, or a Milky Way Dark, or dark chocolate covered cherries. Not any more, I know that they are well beyond the ability of my body to handle them. So far I have been able to pass them by except for the one piece of dark dark chocolate that I allow myself everyday. I don't worry about hidden sugars in dressings and other things, just know that I am best off with small amounts of even them. When I use salad dressing it is usually 1/2 of what is in the container as I always get it on the side.

I encourage everybody to check out Dr. Lustig's video in my blog post. It really changed my views on how much sugar I'm willing to tolerate personally and for my children.

I have used stevia rather than other sources of sweetness for deserts and smoothies, to good effect. Even for my children.

Anyone else making progress on the sugar issue?

Michael Dansinger, MD

Watched the 1 1/2 hr long video "The Bitter Truth" at this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM

An interesting damnation of sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and their effects on the enzymes in the liver with the by products. It also talks about high insulin being a problem. hmmm seems we have heard this before. Talks about the low fat diet from the 70 and its effects on our heart disease problem. Whole video worth a watch. Thanks!

Well, on the date I decided to stop my Janumet & Metformin (1-8-09), naturally I knew I couldn't get away with my usual load of sugar per day. My coffee now has only 1/4 tsp in it & my dark chocolate is 1 - 2 squares maybe once or twice/week instead of the whole bar. No more maple syrup, honey, Snicker's, Tootsie Rolls or M&M's either. They've all been replaced by 2 - 4 apples or oranges/day. Also, when I shop at "Trader Joe's" now, I skip that aisle where that Mango Soy ice cream is. (I don't need to be reminded of how good it is). I used to go through a carton/week.

I do believe sugar is addictive for some people - at least it is for me.

I have given up sugar altogether 4 months ago. I do not use sugar substitutes either. My taste buds have become very sensitive now and I enjoy the natural taste of foods, and no longer crave for sweet things.

From what I have read, it is the leptin resistance that reduces the sensitivity of taste buds and makes you crave for sweet things, and once you regain leptin sensitivity, the craving for sugar goes away.

Dr Rosedale presents a few of his perspectives on the harmful effects of sugar (and excess insulin) in this "must-read" article below:

http://www.drrosedale.com/resources/pdf/Insulin%20and%20Its%20Metabolic%20Effects.pdf

~ Manoj

I know it was and still is for me ,I quit soda pop all together except a diet coke once a week 12oz can and the sugar bowl is empty in our house and the salt is spareingly .I am now trying to give up sweet treats on a occassion and it is hard,But I look at it like this. if I can quit that soda pop than I can quit sugar,I am not even using splenda anymore,I have put down the salt shaker and picked up some natural seasons like garlic onion powder and chili powder and fresh cilantro I eat a slice of vidalia onion with dinner for my season.no salt .That was rough I had like 6 salt shakers around the house, slipper

Never had an issue with sugar - carbs were my "candy", however NOW that they are "forbidden" to me, I find myself dreaming of pie.

At times I dream of my mother's strawberry roll, or 7 layer german chocolate cake!

Rebitzman, doesn't pie have sugar in it?

"Rebitzman, doesn't pie have sugar in it?"

Yeah, it does. That's why he's only dreaming about it.

There is a joke among the general Jewish community that somehow pork is no longer treif as long as it is consumed within the confines of "Chinese Food"*

Maybe pie and sugar work the same way?

Actually - I only DREAM of pie - I'd never actually eat it. Much.
______________________________________

*For the record - I do not so subscribe and neither does my spouse (who is a rabbi - which MAY explain why I do not so subscribe)

He said he never had an issue with sugar. That's why I was wondering why he was dreaming about pie...which has sugar in it.

Now me...I LOVED things with sugar, but never fudge, too sweet for my tastes. I could eat brownie bites, Hostess cupcakes,
chocolate cake, M & M's with nuts, peppermint patties, chocolate covered caramels, etc.

I have cut way down(for me) on sugar, no candy(did try the sugarless ones, too many carbs), no cake, except for a birthday piece of low carb cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory, and once in a while pancake syrup(a few drops )mixed with the no sugar one, (and only a little bit of that). I have been having since my diagnosis, one bar of the Quaker Oats 25% less sugar bar, chocolate chip, but since I got sick with food poisoning a few weeks ago, can't even "look" at those anymore and have no desire to eat them. I am eating fruit now,(strawberries, blueberries, an apple) which tends to send up my blood sugar numbers, so I have to be careful with that. I "was" also using the no sugar added Dreyer's ice cream, 1/2 cup, last summer, and may use that this summer, too, depending on my blood sugar numbers.

So, even though I've cut WAY BACK from my old habits and cravings/addictions to sugar, I still once in a while have lesser evil ones. I try to stay away from Diet Cokes, too, but once in a while have those when I'm at parties. It's been a struggle for me to totally change. I'm like Xring, and put visual "bad" pictures when I walk by the candy, cake, bagels, bakery, potato chip departments at the supermarket. I either avoid the aisles or walk really quickly past them.

Nope. I am not addicted to sugar. I have never been a big "sweets" eater. When I was growing up, we almost never had dessert and those habits followed me into adulthood (whenever that happened...probably about age 30).

These days, I have one packet of Splenda with my breakfast cereal. And I have a diet Dr. Pepper now and then, when the weather is hot

I do use real sugar on occasion when I am cooking. Sometimes it is necessary to achieve the proper texture or level of caramelization.

David