Comments on: Sugar is the New “S” Word

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 17:32:19 +0000

Hey there. This is my first time on your website. One of my friends posted this link on my facebook, and told me it should be encouraging. I have been on a 30 fast from sugar, and am on day 28. I listened to your whole video message and I am highly encouraged. It is a HUGE thing to do. A complete lifestyle change. And I do feel so much better. I have been sleeping better, and I have seen good changes in my moods. I found a website by a Dr. Olson called “30 Sugar Free Days”. The program not only takes all refined sugar out of the diet, but also any food that acts like sugar in your body. Grains, breads, pastas, rices… and so on. This has been a long journey, but a great one with everything I have learned. the only thing that concerns me is that you are still going to use honey and maple syrup. those are medium and high on the glycemic index. They will continue to make your body have cravings for more sugar, thus making it more difficult to ’stay on the wagon’. Although losing weight was not a factor in me starting the fast… (addiction was), I have lost 9 lbs. and a pant size. I am more alert now, and find physical work and exercise not such a difficult thing anymore. Be encouraged!! You are a good mom for doing this!! Just think how much healthier not only you, but your family will be Thank you so much for sharing. It is good to be accountable to others.

By: Michelle

Michelle — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 16:58:05 +0000

Hi Donielle. What a pleasure to find your blog! This post in particular was very relevant for me and my family. Antibiotics, eczema and candida are all struggles for me and my 2 babies. Cutting out all sugar is definitely something worth trying. It will be interesting to be more aware and see how much we are actually consuming even though in my mind we only eat honey and maple as well. For years my 3 year old has had terrible eczema and I can’t get a Dr. to help when I mention that I know it’s a candida-related issue. 15 mo. old baby boy just started showing his own eczema patches after completing a round of antibiotics. Both are on BioKult, but it’s not enough because they’ve been on it for 4-5 months now and still have symptoms. I will be following you on your journey! Thanks again for sharing!

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 05:32:26 +0000

Thank you for the link on agave. I had no idea! I really need to research these things more…Yikes! We’re definitely giving up the agave nectar!

I need to start over on the sugar purge since I gave in yesterday. sigh.

By: donielle

donielle — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 14:49:20 +0000

@Heather @ Not a DIY Life, Reading labels is such a pain! Right now I can’t even have ketchup, cause both the storebought and my homemade have either HFCS or rapadura in them. Now I just have to REMEMBER that fact. I get so used to doing things a certain way I just grab and go.

And salad dressings are next on my list to figure out, I’m sick of the junk in them!

So how are you doing?

By: Heather @ Not a DIY Life

Heather @ Not a DIY Life — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 21:33:16 +0000

I actually went off of sugar right after Christmas to kick off my desire to lose weight and get healthy this year. I feel SO much better when I am not eating all that sugar! My stumbling block is remembering to read labels, even some salad dressings have HFCS in it! yuck!

I’m looking forward to learning more about substituting natural sugars too. I feel like that needs to be our family’s next step in our real food journey.

By: Deanna

Deanna — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 20:34:31 +0000

@Jennifer, Donielle’s right… Agave isn’t 100 % natural though it is low on the glycemic index. It’s very refined. The Aztecs used to use it, but obviously theirs (called aguamiel) wasn’t refined. I wish I had access to it.
I use agave in my hot drinks only which is 1 cup of coffee in the morning and 1 cup of herbal tea in the evening. I end up using less than a tbs a day. I started using it because I needed a natural, low GI sweetener for my hot drinks and steevia tastes nasty to me and honey was causing my fasting blood sugar to be 100-105 which is HORRIBLE (though I do ocassionally use honey for it’s health benefits).
Agave, for my specific uses, fits the bill. I wouldn’t necessarily use it for much other than that because it has no nutritional benefits. But since replacing honey in my hot drinks (which I will never give up ) with agave my fasting blood sugar has been below 99. It’s not as healthy as honey or coconut sugar but not as bad as asparatame or another chemical sweetener.

By: Sarah Bauer

Sarah Bauer — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 17:34:49 +0000

Donielle, this is a great idea! I’m working on getting my family away from so much sugar too. The refined stuff is easy to avoid, since we don’t buy processed foods (except for occasional chocolate and Pepsi for my hubby – the one thing that really helps him kick migraines, go figure). I’ve also heard about the coconut oil and other fats actually helping reduce your craving for sugar. I’ve notice that when I have a sugary something, it takes a lot less to satisfy my “sweet tooth”.

I also have eczema and have one child that does too, so this maybe something we need to tackle. I definitely need to make kefir and everyone needs to drink some every day. Thanks for the ideas!!

By: Christy

Christy — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 13:59:00 +0000

Donielle,

Hope you are doing well with staying off all refined sugar.

I wanted to let you know that I have done pretty well for the first day of not eating anything with refined sugar. Today is day 2. I have a problem coming up though and hope you can help me come up with a plan. I am helping out with our youth group at church and our winter advance is coming up. We will be leaving on February 12th and coming home on February 14th. Of course they will be having nothing healthy to eat the entire time we are there. I would like to plan ahead and take all the food I can with me, so I don’t have to eat what they are eating, but I am not sure if that is doable. I know I can make coconut bread, pancakes and muffins for breakfast, but I am not sure what to do for all the other meals.

Thank you for your input!!!

By: donielle

donielle — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:09:03 +0000

@Jennifer, I actually stay away from Agave Nectar due to it not being as “natural” as touted. It’s actually quite refined.
Here’s some great info on it: http://www.foodrenegade.com/agave-nectar-good-or-bad/

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 22:12:53 +0000

Another natural sugar substitute is Agave Nectar. I don’t care much for the taste of honey, but I love the agave nectar. It comes from the Agave plant and has a lower glycemic index (no crashing after eating! yay!).