SS and healthy eating: Why avoid powdered milk?

[Wifezilla]

So what do I use instead of white sugar in my coffee? Is the raw sugar any better?

Stevia or erthyritol (birch sugar).

Local raw honey is also a good option.

Whatever you do, don't use agave nectar. It is chemically the same as high fructose corn syrup.

As for the creaminess part, here are a few options....

Heavy cream
Coconut cream (unsweetened)
Almond milk (unsweetened)

 

[freemotion]

Whatever you do, don't use agave nectar. It is chemically the same as high fructose corn syrup.

Sorry, I beg to differ. Just as a carrot or a peach is very sweet, but the impact on your body is not the same as a Snickers bar, even if they have similar amounts of sugar or will convert the carbs into sugar in your digestion. Same with sweeteners, they may look similar in some ways, but the body recognizes them and utilizes them in different ways. Here is a quote that a quick google search found:

"Glycemic Value of Agave compared to other sugars:



SUGARS

Organic Agave Nectar 27

Fructose 32

Lactose 65

Honey 83

High fructose corn syrup 89 [Pers. corres. w/Prof. Brand Miller]

Sucrose 92

Glucose 137

Glucose tablets 146

Maltodextrin 150

Maltose 150

Glycemic Load of our Agave Nectar 1.6"

From: http://www.blueagavenectar.com/glycemicindexofsugars.html

This site also has a great explanation of the glycemic index and glycemic load and how they relate to weight gain.

 

[ORChick]

A long, long time ago, when I was in (the Irish equivelent of) 7th grade, all my friends were giving things up for Lent. I, the only American in the school, desperately wanted to fit in, so I searched for something I could give up too, and settled on sugar - that is, added sugar to my morning cereal, tea, etc. It was horrible! But I persevered, and got through it, and poured the white stuff onto the cereal, and into the tea as soon as Easter came. And almost threw it all back up again on the dining room floor! And have never taken sugar in tea, coffee, or on cereal since, nor do I like sugary drinks. And the older I get the less enjoyment I get out of other sweet things. In other words, instead of trying to find a substitute for your sugar habit, why not just give it up cold turkey for awhile? It will be painful, but you may find as I did that the taste for it disappears. Of course, I've been telling DH this for decades, but he prefers his sugar

 

[Wifezilla]

I know you focus on GI, but it's treatment of fructose is a major flaw. While it does not raise blood sugar, but it does place a huge load on the liver where it converts to triglycerides. It is inflammatory, increases body fat, and is a major contributor to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Used very sparingly, it shouldn't be an issue, but I don't touch it and do consider it right on the same level with HFCS.

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE52254920090303?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18395287
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/551796_2
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=302539

 

[freemotion]

When I teach the LGI classes, I teach "occasional cheats" which I define as ONE serving once or twice a month. That means one piece of cake at a wedding, a couple of chocolate chip cookies, or a small dish of ice cream (microscopic by today's standards!) So thanks for getting me to clarify....I'm not talking about replacing the average American's 1/2 pound daily sugar and HFCS intake with another sweetener. I'm talking about taking it down to 1/2 pound or less per YEAR. If at all.

One thing I've learned while teaching this stuff is that if you tell people they can never have sugar again, they shut down and won't listen. It is a major addiction. Most people have to let go gradually, and learn the why's and wherefore's in order to stick with it. Develop a revulsion for it, which takes time, as you are now swimming against the tide of advertising propaganda.

Cold turkey is best, as the cravings will go away much more quickly. Not everyone can or is willing to do this. Just like other aspects of ss living, it is a journey, and every step in the right direction is to be applauded.

 

[me&thegals]

Oh, man. Another reminder of something I really need to work on. I have a GREAT diet as far as healthy, lean, real meats, fresh eggs and milk, lots of fruits and veggies, whole grains. But I really eat a LOT of sugar. I would have a hard time making it from lunch to supper without a sugary treat, much less an entire month!

Can anybody comment on how they have gotten rid of sugar? I once tried the South Beach diet only to try to break that addiction, but I used fake sweeteners instead, which are gross and kept me still wanting sweetness.

 

[Wifezilla]

It is a major addiction.

No kidding. They just recently did a rat study that showed sugar was as addictive as heroin!

Can anybody comment on how they have gotten rid of sugar?

By making sure I had plenty of healthy fat in my diet. I still use sweeteners, but stick to mostly erythritol. Sometimes splenda. I was RAISED on sugar and don't know if I will ever lose my sweet tooth entirely, but I have WAY cut down on sweeteners over the last 2 years.

Keep in mind that grains are also sugars. Anything that breaks down in the digestive system to glucose is sugar. Wheat, rice, corn, potatoes...it's all sugar.

If you are eating lean meat under the impression that it is healthier for you, it's not. If you are eating lean meat because you like it, make sure you cook it in a good fat or oil, or coat it in butter, or dip it in blue cheese dressing or something

 

[freemotion]

Oh, man. Another reminder of something I really need to work on. I have a GREAT diet as far as healthy, lean, real meats, fresh eggs and milk, lots of fruits and veggies, whole grains. But I really eat a LOT of sugar. I would have a hard time making it from lunch to supper without a sugary treat, much less an entire month!

Can anybody comment on how they have gotten rid of sugar? I once tried the South Beach diet only to try to break that addiction, but I used fake sweeteners instead, which are gross and kept me still wanting sweetness.

Yup, you are in some ways wiping out your great diet with all the sugar.....but it is still better than a high-sugar diet and a high-garbage diet! So you are half-way there.

I agree with some of wz's comments and disagree with other comments.....so read all the research yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Remember that a lot of the damage done to your body is "silent" for years or decades, then when it rears its ugly head, you are in mucho big trouble. Keep your kids healthy, too, as these habits start young, and the damage starts very young, too. Educate, educate, educate. Keep your kids aware of your research and your struggle. Watching my folks struggle with smoking when I was 5 or 6 made such an impression, I was never even slightly tempted, nor were my siblings. Plus we were taught religious reasons to keep our bodies clean, very powerful.

So, back to sugar....alternative sweeteners will keep your taste for sweet very high, and you will still have high cravings and will binge more often when under stress or at an event where it is acceptable (all major holidays, celebrations, etc!!!) Rat studies and people studies have proven this. People who were told to eliminate "diet" drinks from their lives and change nothing else lost significant weight. Rats who were given sugar water, artificially sweetened water, and plain water were offered something sweet. The first two groups gorged until it was gone. The water group nibbled a bit then left it.

The absolutely best way to reduce or eliminate your craving for sweets is to go cold turkey. The average person loses the cravings in 4-6 weeks. I absolutely agree with wz about the fats. People who eliminate sugar usually try to eliminate fat, too. We need healthy fats to live. Think fat-soluble vitamins. If you steam your carrots and don't add butter, you will not get the fat-soluble vitamins from the carrots. Doesn't mean drown them in butter, either!

Leave the skin on your chicken....and eat it. Don't buy "lite" anything. Avoid trans and hydrogenated like the plague. Most veg oils are not good for you, either. Stick with extra virgin olive oil, real butter, and other animal fats, all in moderation. Coconut oil is great, too. Sesame oil is good, too, but don't heat it too much, or it oxidizes (as do most veg oils, creating free-radicals.)

As for the grains, that is where wz and I differ, too. Our cells run on glucose, so of course we turn carbs into glucose. The key is to use foods that take a lot of work for our bodies to get them into glucose, and to do so slowly, rather than a big rush of sugar in our blood. That wreaks havoc with many systems and creates big trouble, whether you are diabetic or not.

Still, we don't need to eat grains in every meal, not even every day or every week. I will have a sandwich with sprouted grain bread 2-3 times a week. The other carbs I use are beans, yams (remember a serving is 1/2 cup, not a gigantic yam all to yourself!), some home-made pasta (again, 1/2 cup serving) and maybe 2-4 servings per day, max. And no processed grains like white flour. Oh, and the veggies corn and peas are in the carb category. Use white potatoes sparingly, and with the skin and some fat like a bit of butter and/or sour cream (full fat, of course!)

Hope this clarifies it a bit.....

 

[Wifezilla]

it is still better than a high-sugar diet and a high-garbage diet! So you are half-way there.

Exactly!!!

We need healthy fats to live. Think fat-soluble vitamins. If you steam your carrots and don't add butter, you will not get the fat-soluble vitamins from the carrots.

Leave the skin on your chicken....and eat it. Don't buy "lite" anything. Avoid trans and hydrogenated like the plague. Most veg oils are not good for you, either. Stick with extra virgin olive oil, real butter, and other animal fats, all in moderation. Coconut oil is great, too. Sesame oil is good, too, but don't heat it too much, or it oxidizes (as do most veg oils, creating free-radicals.)

As for grains, FM, you are actually sprouting or soaking them. This is going to great reduce any potential damage.

Using grains or other starches in general is really a YMMV thing. By the time I hit 40, I had done too much damage eating what I thought were healthy whole grains. Commercially prepared whole wheat is a highly processed food whole or not. Had I discovered the works of Sally Fallon and Weston Price in my 20's or 30's, I probably could have grains more often.

As for Yams...YUMMM!!! I get cravings for these on rare occasions. (might need vitamin A) When I do, I bake one up, DROWN it in butter and enjoy

 

[me&thegals]

If you are eating lean meat under the impression that it is healthier for you, it's not. If you are eating lean meat because you like it, make sure you cook it in a good fat or oil, or coat it in butter, or dip it in blue cheese dressing or something

I'm eating lean meat because I'm eating our own chickens, fish caught by fishing and some storebought, venison and elk. We used to have good-fat grassfed beef, but we used the last of that.

We get plenty of fat in nuts, oil and dairy. Thanks for the info!