In my introductory post about food, I mentioned that my husband lost 20 lbs. after being diagnosed as gluten intolerant, which forced us to get off the processed food wagon and start eating “real” food. He then lost another 20 lbs., and I lost 10 lbs., by making an effort to reduce the amount of sugar in our diet. That’s it. At first, my husband was not overly thrilled at the idea of giving up sugar, until I pointed out two things:
- There would be no exercise involved in this weight loss plan. (We are a fairly active family in that we are constantly going up and down stairs in our 2-story house, but we do not like exercise just for the sake of exercising. If you were to drop us off at a health club, you might as well quote Lord Denethor in Return of the King, “Go now and die in what way seems best to you.”)
- There is overwhelming evidence that sugar is the real culprit behind our health and obesity issues in this country, not fat as we’ve all been led to believe. (Fat is my hubby’s favorite food group. Why else would it be at the top of the food pyramid?)
Hormone Problems Aren’t Just a Girl Thing
Insulin is the primary regulator of fat tissue. Sugar and processed carbs cause a spike in insulin levels, which causes your body to store fat. Only when insulin levels are low will your body release fat to be used by your cells. Sugar and processed carbs also fail to trigger the hormone, leptin, which is what tells your brain that you’re full. Proteins, fats, and complex carbs trigger leptin. The higher the insulin goes, the harder it is for your brain to recognize leptin. Without the right amount of leptin, you will crave food when you’re not hungry, and your body will automatically store fat in your abdomen. High fructose corn syrup interferes even more in this process and makes your brain think you’re starving, which causes you to eat more. For the whole story of why high fructose corn syrup is so dangerous, and the truth about sugar vs. fat, watch the video presentation by Dr. Robert Lustig at http://www.healthyplanetdiet.com/hfcs.html. It’s pretty long and technical, but very thorough.
Even if you are at a healthy weight, like me, there’s still evidence that excess sugar can lead to serious health complications. According to research documented in “The Belly Fat Cure,” by Jorge Cruise:
- Sugar consumption is linked to metabolic syndrome, which is an umbrella term for conditions like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, inflammation, and heart disease.
- Certain forms of cancer – pancreatic, colon, and breast cancer – have been linked to excess sugar. Cancer cells feed on glucose, which comes rushing into the blood when we consume sugar and refined carbs. Cut down on sugar, and you starve cancer cells.
- Type 2 diabetes is caused by overproduction of insulin from too many sugary foods, which wear out your cells to the point that they forget how to respond to insulin.
- Your immune system suffers when too much sugar is consumed because sugar interferes with your white blood cells so they can’t work properly. If you feel like you’re coming down with something, cut out sugar. In 10 months of eating a reduced sugar diet, I’ve only had one, 3-day mild cold.
- Wrinkles (that’s right ladies, I’m hitting where it hurts) are caused by damage to the proteins collagen and elastin, and excess sugar is linked to higher amounts of the modified proteins responsible for the damage. The good news is that damage can be reversed by reducing sugar – I noticed a visible improvement in my skin after cutting out excess sugar.
I don’t use sugar substitutes because saccharin, aspartame/Nutra Sweet, and sucralose/Splenda are excitotoxins that literally “overexcite” and cause degeneration to the neurons in the brain. They are also made in a lab, not in nature, so they don’t pass the “real foods” test. Here is where I depart from Jorge Cruise, who highly promotes stevia and sugar alcohols as alternatives to sugar. For one, they’re expensive, and I just don’t like the taste. Instead, I prefer to choose naturally sugar free foods for the majority of my meals, and indulge in my most favorite sweets on the weekend. I would rather eat good, quality desserts in small amounts occasionally, and experiment with reducing the amount of sugar in baked goods, than use artificial sweeteners or set myself up for failure by banning sweets altogether.
How does all this relate to joy?
Our body, mind, and spirit are all connected. When one area is out of balance, it affects the others. The main reason why I’m currently cutting back on sugar is because too much sugar causes me to crave food when I’m not hungry. Simply put: cut out sugar and the cravings disappear. I hate feeling like a slave to cravings, and I don’t want any food to be my master. Romans 6:13 exhorts us to, “offer the parts of your body to [God] as instruments of righteousness.” In the context of this passage, Paul is talking about not being a slave to sin. Now, I don’t think eating sugar is a sin. If God didn’t want us to eat sugar, he wouldn’t have made two plants – sugar cane and sugar beets – entirely for the purpose of giving us this sweet gift from heaven. God ordained times of feasting in the Old Testament, and desserts should be enjoyed during times of celebration (which is why we eat desserts on Sunday – it is a day of celebration). The problem comes when we feast every day, which is what the typical American diet is all about. We live in a society that is centered on feeding our every desire. The enemy knows how to enslave us by twisting things that God created as good (sugar, material possessions, sex) into addictions (uncontrollable food cravings, going deeper into debt because of a love affair with stuff, lust and pornography) that keep us more focused on feeding our desires than reaching out to God. That’s why I believe God not only asks for our hearts, but wants us to offer our bodies to Him. How can I deny myself, take up my cross, and follow him (Luke 9:23), if I can’t even deny myself a cookie? Joy comes from finding our fulfillment and satisfaction in the Creator, not in his creation.
So here is what we did to break free from the sugar addiction and lose weight, and what we continue to do to maintain health most of the time (we’re not perfect, and won’t be slaves to a diet, either):
- Aim for less than 15 grams of added sugar per day, Mon. – Fri. (or every day, if you want to lose serious weight). You’ll need to start reading labels, but you’ll soon discover just how much sugar is added to everything from ketchup to crackers. Not all foods are the same, so check labels of several brands and start switching to those with less sugar. (By the way, “reduced fat” and “light” items are often the highest in sugar, so skip those and go for the full-fat variety. Fat is not the enemy.)
- Swap cheese for milk, because milk sugars have the same effect on insulin and leptin, but cheese has all the calcium without the milk sugar. You can add milk back in later, but initially you’ll want to cut back if you’re trying to lose weight.
- Drink lots of water – you will be really thirsty at first, when your body is flushing fat out of your system.
- Switch from an American style breakfast, where everything is sweet, to a more European breakfast (examples below).
- For weight loss, limit carb servings (preferably complex carbs) to 4 or 5 per day (around 20 g. carbs each).
- Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables (which is also a departure from “The Belly Fat Cure,” but necessary for overall health).
Sound impossible? Here’s proof that it’s not:
Helpful tips for success:
- Have healthy, low-carb snacks on hand for when you get the munchies. My go-to snack is a handful of nuts because they have protein and health benefits. (I like Planters lightly salted mixed nuts, to keep salt in check.) A cheese stick is another good snack.
- When you’re first trying to break the sugar addiction, try chewing sugarless gum after dinner. It satisfies the habit of chewing on something (while you watch TV).
- Have some good quality dark chocolate on hand for when you want to indulge. It’s lower in sugar than milk chocolate, generally, and has some health benefits. I like having a small peppermint patty after dinner because the mint flavor signals to my brain that I’m done eating for the day. (You could also try brushing your teeth for the same effect with less sugar.)
- Buy lots of eggs and yummy breakfast meat because a breakfast that has some protein in it will make all the difference in your level of hunger later. Remember, proteins trigger leptin (to help you feel full), but not insulin (which makes you store fat).
- Cut out sugary beverages. Substitute an orange wedge or piece of fruit for juice. Replace pop with tea or water flavored with a lemon wedge. Several kinds of tea are naturally sweet, and have the added bonus of antioxidants that boost your immune system. Replace sugary coffee drinks with half-and-half or unsweetened vanilla almond milk (a favorite of ours). Diet pop and sugar free creamers are just chemical cocktails. If you absolutely have to add sweetener to your drink, try stevia or a little honey and gradually cut back on the amount until you can tolerate unsweetened drinks. It is possible to retrain your taste buds, but it can take time.
By following this plan, my husband lost about 2 lbs./week, and I lost 1 lb./week, for 2 months. After adding occasional desserts back in, our progress slowed to 1 lb./week for him and 1/2 lb./week for me. But he has kept the cravings at bay, and weight off mainly by continuing to eat healthy, low sugar breakfasts. I put on a few pounds over the holidays, but am off of sugar again and currently back to losing 1/2 lb./week. I believe a low sugar breakfast is the key to losing weight. A sugary breakfast sets you up to crave sugar for the rest of the day. So to get you started, here is a sample of breakfasts we typically eat, including weekend treats (recipes included):
- When I traveled in Europe, I found the typical breakfast to be bread, meat, cheese, and tea or coffee. So I regularly eat a piece of whole grain toast (I look for brands with 2 or fewer grams of sugar per slice and no high fructose corn syrup) or English muffin with a slice of cheese (cheddar, provolone, whatever I have on hand), and 2 or 3 slices of nitrate-free ham, like Hormel Natural brand lunchmeat. I put the cheese and ham on top of the toast, and heat it in the microwave until the cheese is melted. To substitute for juice, (which is high in fructose/sugar without the fiber God intended to be packaged with it), I cut up a large orange into 8 sections and eat 1 or 2 with the toast. A good, gluten free bread that’s low in sugar, but has some fiber and decent taste (but only if toasted) is Ener-G brand Light Tapioca Bread (only the light, not regular tapioca bread). It’s reasonably priced at Amazon.com.
- Breakfast burrito made with scrambled eggs, a little shredded cheddar and crumbled bacon or nitrate-free sausage (we like Jimmy Dean light turkey sausages that you can heat in the microwave for 30 sec.) in 2 corn tortillas. Before filling, put a little shredded cheese on the tortilla and heat it in the microwave for 10-20 seconds. That will make it pliable for rolling, and help it stick together.
- Breakfast scramble made with O’Brien hash brown potatoes and chopped onion (optional) cooked in a little oil with a light dusting of Lowry’s Season Salt (which is GF). When potatoes are almost done, add chopped sausage links, and scramble a few eggs in the middle of the pan in some butter. Stir it together and remove from heat. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and cover until cheese melts. You can also add vegetables, depending on what’s in season. I like to add some chopped zucchini when everyone starts giving you the bounty from their garden.
- Eggs or sausage and a whole grain toaster waffle (we like Nature’s Path or Van’s frozen GF waffles) with butter. If you can’t stand them with just butter, you can do peanut butter, although peanut butter has some sugar. For a less expensive option, you can also make homemade waffles with a whole grain pancake mix, and freeze them to reheat later.
- Naturally sweetened oatmeal (we use Bob’s Red Mill GF oats, but old fashioned oats work) made with apple juice (I watch for good deals on small juice boxes containing 100% juice to use for oatmeal when I don’t have a large bottle on hand). Yes, this has natural sugar, but adds variety and nutrients. Substitute apple juice for half the water. Add a dash of salt and a generous sprinkling of cinnamon. If desired, grate ¼ of an apple into the oatmeal and add 1 tsp. ground flax (which I store in the freezer) for added fiber and Omega 3 fat. I also like to stir in some chopped pecans for protein, and a handful of dried cranberries for a flavor kick. Microwave according to package directions.
- Nitrate-free bacon (Hormel Natural) and whole grain pancakes (we like Bob’s Red Mill GF pancake mix) with butter, raspberries or sliced strawberries (fresh or frozen berries that have been thawed), and whipped cream. I like to mash the strawberries with a fork, creating a bit of juice, and top with light whipped cream from a can. If you can make homemade whipped cream it will cut out some chemicals, but the can is quicker. Berries are lower in sugar than other fruits, and even counting the sugar in the berries, you’ll save about 30 grams of sugar by substituting them for syrup. Plus, it tastes like an indulgence – especially if you cook the pancakes in the bacon grease after cooking the bacon on your griddle. Mmmmmm….grease.
- Sunday morning treat – Berry cobbler (modified from my mother-in-law’s recipe) made with a package of frozen mixed berries poured into an 8×8 pan. Combine 1½ c. oats, ½ c. whole grain flour (GF sorghum blend is preferable, but any GF blend will do, as would whole wheat flour), ¼ c. brown sugar, dash salt, ½ tsp. cinnamon, ¼ tsp. baking powder, ¼ tsp. xanthan gum (optional, for GF flour only). Stir together, then add ¼ c. melted butter or oil. I like to also mix 1 T. ground flax with 3 T. hot water to make flax gel, which is an egg substitute and provides the health benefits of flax along with the binding properties of an egg, but this is optional. Stir together and spread over berries. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla yogurt (instead of ice cream – this is breakfast). I like Dannon natural vanilla yogurt in the 32 oz. tub (no funky ingredients) or Mountain High yogurt, which is also natural and has a little less sugar than Dannon. You can substitute just about any fresh or frozen fruit (chopped Granny Smith apples with a little extra cinnamon, peaches, fresh berries), but frozen fruit is easiest this time of year.
If you’d like examples of lunch and dinner options, leave a comment so I’ll know if this is an area of interest to my readers. Break the sugar addiction, and discover just how joyful eating can be!
I am enjoying the blog. Great idea!
Thanks, Mom. And thanks for the yummy cobbler recipe I shared. We enjoyed it yesterday!
This is great information! I sent your link to my husband to read too. We are definitely going to try and cut out/cut back on sugar. And yes please share other mealtime ideas. I have two small children (5 and 3) and would love ideas for healthy meals for them.
Awesome, Kristi! My goal is to get weekly menu plans up, but since they will mainly focus on dinner, I wanted to address breakfast first because that is the biggest way to cut out sugar initially (besides cutting back on desserts). My kids eat what we eat, although my son still drinks milk (my daughter can’t have cow’s milk, so she does almond milk). I’ll let them have a small piece of candy if they ask for it, because they are not on a diet. But they’re content with small portions, which is the important thing. We don’t talk about “good” vs. “bad” foods, but teach them how to limit less healthy choices. As a result of cutting back sugar, they have stronger immune systems, too. I’m thrilled you’ll be sharing this adventure with us!
I will definitely try the recipes with my family. They sound great! Your blog is done very well!
Love this! We do pretty well with meals here but have a harder time passing up sugary snacks. (I have a serious addiction to dried mango; I tell myself the fiber and vitamin C make up for at least some of the added sugar… 🙂
I’ve noticed that the days when we do have a sweeter breakfast, I crave sugar the rest of the day, but if I don’t have the sugar to start with, it’s easier to pass it up later too. I’d be very interested in other meal and possibly snack ideas you’re willing to share. Thanks!
Ah yes, my family loves dried mangoes, too. Have you tried dried apricots? They don’t have any added sugar. I like the California ones best – if you can find them – rather than the Mediterranean kind, because they have a little more tang. Other low sugar snacks include pretzels, nuts (both are best when mixed in Chex Mix…), popcorn, and tortilla chips with a little melted cheddar and salsa (avoid salsa with added sugar).
You’re absolutely right about sweet breakfasts setting us up for sugar cravings throughout the day! Thanks for posting your comment – I’ll be sure to post more meal ideas.
Yes, HFCS is pure evil. Thanks for that. I didn’t know the science/neurology behind it all that well until tonight. And the sugar paragraphs were enlightening. Thanks for that too.
You could do a whole post on nitrates. Scary stuff.
More before/after pictures please. 🙂
“Real food and stairs” could be the title of a pamphlet that actually helps people. If pamphlets still existed.
More blog posts please.
Um… Please, no. I think being outed once is enough for me. Now, if someone ELSE would like to share their before and after pictures, demonstrating their own results from eating real food and cutting back on sugar, I’m sure Brenda will gladly out them, too, for the good of all.
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Thanks for the info – we are just starting our journey into the GF world – could you send me the lunch and dinner ideas? 🙂
Welcome to the GF world, Suzanne! I have 3 posts with menu plans which you can find by typing “menu plan” in the search box, as well as a whole week of breakfast, lunch, and dinner ideas in this post – https://joyfulchoices.wordpress.com/2012/04/02/gluten-free-low-sugar-menu-plan-for-weight-loss/
The gluten free lifestyle takes some getting used to, but we eat even better now than we used to. So hang in there – it WILL get better!
🙂 Brenda
I would like to thank you for the efforts you’ve put in writing this site. I am hoping to see the same high-grade blog posts by you in the future as well. In truth, your creative writing abilities has inspired me to get my own, personal blog now 😉
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