Honesty corner: I’ve been trying to cheat the system and find a way to eat sugar-free chocolate. A cup of tea and chocolate at 3pm. Real tea. Fake sugar… sadly it’s tougher than the idea suggests.
I figured there had to be one out there that was OK.
The fake chocolate scenario:
- Loving Earth chocolate contains agave, which is 90 per cent fructose. Which is not what you want to be eating. Health food shops are awash with agave-sweetened, “sugar-free” products. Be very aware!
- Cocoa Farm chocolate is sweetened with Maltitol which is one of the common sugar alcohols. More on them in a minute. But note, they’re bad.
So are any fake sugars OK? Yep.
- Dextrose and glucose are both pure glucose, containing no fructose, so your body will detect it and process it.
- The “maltos” – maltodextrin and maltodextrose. These are another variant of glucose, in a longer chain of molecules. When they hit your saliva, they break down to maltose, which is digested as if it were pure glucose.
- Lactose – the sugar in milk products. Again, no fructose and surprisingly sweet once you’re off fructose.
This is a list, from David Gillespie’s “Sweet Poison Quit Plan“:
When he says “your call”, it means the jury isn’t quite out on the safeness, or there are some health issues which you might deem mild enough to ignore
Are the fake sugars really that bad?
In the “your call” column above, David has suggested you can decide if the fake sugars are something you want to go with. But I take head of fact that Saccharin, Cyclamate and Alitame are approved for us in Australia, but NOT in other Western countries like the US and Canada. This says enough! Also, check this out.
What about Stevia?
Stevia leaves contain stevioside (which is 300 times sweeter than sugar) and rebaudioside (450 times sweeter than sugar). The extreme sweetness you taste comes from the steviol. There’s no fructose. Which means it’s safe right? Well, technically, however, researchers still don’t really know what the human body does with the steviol once ingested, and whether it has any detrimental effects.
A lot’s been said about xylitol…what is it?
Xylitol is a sweetener roughly as sweet as sugar, but with about two thirds the calories. It is made by fermenting xylose, which is a sugar found in the embryos of most edible plants. Xylitol is one of two safe sugar alcohols. Our livers eventually convert xylitol to glucose, so it ultimately has no ill effect on humans. Not as nasty as the name sounds.
Surely sugar free chewing gum is alright?
Well, instead of sugar, sugar free gum contains high intensity sweeteners (like Ace K, aspartame, alitame, and sucralose) and then also a range of sugar alcohols (like sorbitol, isomalt, mannitol). These sugar alcohols are part alcohol, part sugar. What you really need to know about them though, is that our bodies can’t ingest more than a half to two thirds of a sugar alcohol. So, what doesn’t get ingested properly into your bloodstream feeds the bacteria in your large intestine, resulting in diarrhoea and gas. Which is why so many of these products warn of a ‘laxative effect’. I’d put chewy in the evil basket.
Why should we go with dextrose?
Basically it’s sugar without fructose. It’s 100% glucose. It can be bought as a powder, from your health food store. On his site, David’s put together some recipes. But he stresses: don’t start eating dextrose until you’ve withdrawn from sugar completely.
Do you have any other related questions? I’ll try to answer them, or have David Gillespie go online and do so!
What does this means sorry? “Hmmm…not too evil but xxx” – porn sugar?
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March 22nd, 2011 at 1:27 pm
the blog’s been updated now
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Huff Post had an article last year about Aspartame. It was fascinating.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/americas-deadliest-sweete_b_630549.html
Now I don’t necessarily agree with everything that’s said in the article but it certainly got me thinking about hidden additives and chemicals that are in ‘low fat’ and ‘low sugar’ products.
Loving your no sugar journey Sarah. I’ve certainly cut back since reading your blog.
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I like the sound of the frusano chocolate from Germany that David mentioned in your video Sarah – if anyone wants to try some I’m making an order and we can split postage.
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March 22nd, 2011 at 4:41 pm
I’d be keen…should I email you at your website Amanda?
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March 22nd, 2011 at 4:46 pm
Yes, Sandy that’s fine – I’ll leave it a few days in case anyone else is interested then I’ll be in touch and let you know delivery costs. I hope it’s good!
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March 22nd, 2011 at 5:29 pm
I am interested in sharing the chocolate costs
Thanks
Jenny N
March 22nd, 2011 at 5:35 pm
Me too!
I like Smart Sugar by CSiRo. It’s a sweetener made with real sugar so it’s only half the calories and tastes like normal sugar. Sometimes it’s hard to find – not all supermarkets stock it – but it’s a good alternative and I feel it’s better than totally artificial sweeteners.
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March 22nd, 2011 at 1:26 pm
Is it sugar, though, as in fructose?
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March 22nd, 2011 at 1:42 pm
It’s CSR that makes smart sugar, not CSIRO….very different.
looks like it’s normal sugar plus stevia. may as well just have stevia or mix your own
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Try brown rice malt syrup it’s a combination of glucose chain molecules. No fructose at all
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March 22nd, 2011 at 4:40 pm
So Rice Malt Syrup is ok? I thought it was on the no-no list? I’d be stoked if it was, because its delicious – it has the sweetness of honey but a yummy caramel flavour, I’ve been using it sparingly when I bake muffins and on yoghurt.
Sarah, does David say anything about rice malt?
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March 23rd, 2011 at 10:46 am
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_rice_syrup
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maltotriose
From this I get it is Glucose, maltose and maltotriose
should be fine!
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I think you have found a new friend Sarah with Peet2424…did you check out his tweets from 20 March? Think you’ll be hearing from him a bit more now. LOL
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March 22nd, 2011 at 1:26 pm
hmmm, no. Who is he?
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After having a little ice-cream and alcohol “treat” on the weekend and coming out with a nasty rash all over my lymph nodes (!!!) I have come to the conclusion Im better off avoiding the stuff altogether. Maybe then I will lose my taste for sweet things, who knows? I hope so!
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March 23rd, 2011 at 10:53 am
I’m with you, Mia. My daughter baked some delicious Dextrose brownies on the weekend, but even just one of those sparked off sugar cravings again.
It is either too soon for me to go near sweetness or I’m just better off forgetting about it altogether.
I have a question for David Gillespie, Sarah. Is there any fructose in Olive Leaf extract? I used to take it during winter for immune support but it tastes suspiciously sweet even though there is no sugar added. Do you have any info on this? Thanks!
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Am trying so hard with the sugar thing. I have been sugar free for 5 days, but today and yesterday all I wanted to do was eat my body weight in chocolate. I broke and had a small teaspoon of honey in my herb tea. Which given my previous relationshipw with sugar was v restrained. Sarah, how do you manage your cravings or haven’t you had any?
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does this mean glucose jellybeans from the chemist are okay? Or are they not real glucose?
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March 22nd, 2011 at 2:21 pm
FYI – Gold Cross Glucojel Jelly Beans. 30% Glucose Syrup. Ingredients Sugar, Glucose syrup, Thickener (1420 or 1400), Flavours, Gum Acacia, Food Acid (Citric Acid),… Glucose is okay, just not the sugar coating!
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March 22nd, 2011 at 3:24 pm
boo! thanks for the info! I find it hard to stop at just one so they’re off the list!
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It pains me to say that I have tried THREE! times to quit sugar and have lasted about 2 or 3 days each time. I have this little moderation issue where a little bit of sugar slips in via sauce or mayo or something and my brain goes ‘nope! You’re screwed!’ and I’m back where I started
not fun. But I will get there…
You’re an inspiration, Sarah.
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January 22nd, 2013 at 10:49 am
Brittany, Dr Jacob Teitelbaum has broken down sugar addiction into different types and addresses each type, with their respective support strategies. It might be of great help to you; have a look at the ‘scroll-through look inside function’ for the book on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Beat-Sugar-Addiction-Now-Cutting-Edge/dp/1592334156/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1358811514&sr=1-1&keywords=beat+your+sugar+addiction#_
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these are a great sugar free alternative!
http://www.netrition.com/lc_specialties_choco_bars.html
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I love and hate this post.
I hate hearing that I should be ditching my sugar-free gum, but love to be a more knowledgeable consumer. Thanks!
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This is a really interesting read. Thank you.
I’m day 6 of quitting sugar and struggling with the cravings. I’ve been avoiding all artificial sweeteners until now, but my oh my, I’d love a sugar-free chocolate bar!
I’m really interested in his safe list – I’d love to know why glucose etc is still ok. It looks like I’m off to buy his book, it would be fabulous to have a few more safe options.
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Hey Sarah,
Why did you say “but he stresses: don’t start eating dextrose until you’ve withdrawn from sugar completely”?
I am doing this challenge for a year, to be completely off sugar, meat, alcohol and tobacco and so far I have kept it!
Its great to read your blog and we have so much in common! e.g. TM, fivefingers, bike…
keep up the nice work!
PS dont know if you’ve read this before, but this is really inspiring! http://www.globalone.tv/group/lawofattractiontv/forum/topics/10-steps-for-transforming
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I don’t know, it still really bothers me to see honey under a title of\ ‘Unsafe’
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March 22nd, 2011 at 7:38 pm
Exactly. Just remember that David’s advise is not always that wise. It’s an overreaction. If David sat with a bunch of nutritionists and told them that a buttery croissant was a better food choice than a banana, he would get laughed at. There is just no need to think so deeply about a little bit of sugar. Great topic, fantastic blog but I’m not buying into his theory at all. Sorry!
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March 22nd, 2011 at 7:50 pm
100% agree
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March 22nd, 2011 at 8:14 pm
If you are trying to avoid fructose honey is a big no-no. That’s a sad fact. Not everyone has to take such drastic measures. That’s cool. Someone like me, with a charming list of auto-immune problems, may actually need to “think so deeply about a little bit of sugar.” I really should be on several types of medication including steroids, be having regular colonoscopies, and have had a section of my large intestine surgically removed by now. I choose to give my doctors the finger and eat ridiculously well instead, because it’s much more fun. That’s cool too.
For me this info is really useful.
Take from it what wisdom that you deem fit for your own life… and dont take advise from nutritionists. Our national food body is owned by Westfarmers, Kelloggs, etc and are hardly impartial!
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March 22nd, 2011 at 8:39 pm
Mia, you sound cool. I completely understand but I wasn’t talking about AI issues. I know nothing about that.
BUT, what’s wrong with nutritionists?? Also, can you explain who and what the food body is? I’m not being a smartarse, I just want to know because I don’t!
March 23rd, 2011 at 10:12 am
If the modern diet wasn’t laced with so much refined sugar then some honey every now and then wouldn’t be a big deal. But if one is trying to break a sugar habit then it’s reasonable to avoid it, especially as my dad’s cardiologist recommends he should avoid as much fructose as possible.
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March 23rd, 2011 at 4:03 pm
Jason, check this out:
http://www.theage.com.au/lifestyle/wellbeing/blogs/chew-on-this/nutritionist-or-dietitian-who-do-you-call/20110321-1c31q.html
Just be cautious of people’s quals when getting health advice. Sure, those with legit quals should definitely be heard, but unfortunately not all of them are legit…
March 24th, 2011 at 7:47 am
Thanks so much for that. I didn’t realize that there was a difference between the two.
Cheers..
Love this post! Have been sugar free for a month now, and haven’t found it all THAT difficult…although I think this is because I am a savoury girl at heart! Try to make me give up my cheese and we’d have issues! I was just wondering (i’ve lent the book to a friend and can’t remember) is coconut water OK? I have a vague recollection of you mentioning it here, and was thinking I’d love to use that! I know coconut milk is Ok so I’m guessing as long as there’s no sugar in the ingredients it’s fine?
And if malt syrup is ok, then this recipe looks mighty delicious, thought you guys might be interested…
http://www.mightyfoods.com/archives/2008/03/recipe-brown-rice-syrup-brownies.html
Thanks!
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I am day two of being sugar-free – I have eaten chocolate every day for the last four & 1/2 years. I craved it in pregnancy, the cravings never left me! I’m mostly interested in the auto-immune aspects of quitting sugar. People have reported a reduction in joint pain and muscle aches after giving up sugar. Has anyone else experienced this? Sarah, would you say that it is helping your auto-immune disease?
I made some lemon and rasberry muffins, with stevia, to get me through day one – they taste like scones. Probably not worth it.
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March 22nd, 2011 at 8:17 pm
Collette, you’re at about the same point as me. I’d also love to hear if it has helped anyone with their auto-immune symptoms – a big reason why I’m quitting. I’ve gone off all grains as well so am trying to find some way of adding some treats into my days to help me keep this up.
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March 22nd, 2011 at 8:22 pm
BIG FAT YES to reduced inflammation! I have Hashi’s too, same as Sarah, and would really find trouble with inflammation. Some days, I would stand up and literally fall over. I remember one night, I was inflammed so badly on one side I couldnt stand for about two hours.
The big things I found that made a difference for me were giving up sugar, as well as caffeine and alcohol. Give it a month and you will notice a huge difference I reckon, even just giving up the sugar. I found the best thing to do is not replace the sugar (it’s just a tease, and painful) but to have more yummy protein foods and fatty foods instead. Life is still pretty good when you can eat creamy mashed potatoes with steak, or potato chips, or guacamole.
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March 22nd, 2011 at 9:21 pm
Mia thanks for that! It’s great to hear (well read…) that quitting sugar has had such an effect on your inflammation! I also have Hashimoto’s (as well as being coeliac and docs suspect a couple of other ai issues….), and no-one ever told me that could be the cause of my inflammation. I knew it was the cause of the carpal tunnel, but didn’t know it could be the widespread stuff as well.
Great, another reason to keep on this track! Thanks!
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March 24th, 2011 at 9:03 am
Oh – I didn’t know there was a link between carpal tunnel and sugar – can you please explain more? Thanks
March 24th, 2011 at 10:47 am
Sorry for the confusion Michelle – I meant that Hashimoto’s can cause carpal tunnel, which is caused by inflammation. I didn’t know that Hashimoto’s can be a cause of inflammation in other areas of the body as well – which is also a problem that I have.
Some of the people are saying that quitting sugar has reduced their inflammation which would be great for me!
March 24th, 2011 at 11:12 am
Oh right! Thanks for clarifying
Thank you! I so totally needed this post, very informative and very easily digested
(bullet points, etc.) – just perfect. I have not yet given up sugar, although I know I need to… and I thought agave was better than honey or regular sugar…
Could you expand more on “but he stresses: don’t start eating dextrose until you’ve withdrawn from sugar completely”?
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Great blog Sarah. Glad to hear xylitol is a safe alternative – my life would be much harder without it! I switched straight to xylitol when I gave up sugar a couple of years ago and even though i didn’t wait until I had withdrawn from sugar, it seemed to do the job anyway. I quickly found products containing real sugar much too sickly to eat. I’m also gluten and dairy free (thanks to my terribly boring gut issues) so xylitol is a big help when making GF muffins for my children, even home made ice cream (dairy or not). I used to be the most ridiculous honey addict. People called me Pooh Bear. That was the hardest thing, saying goodbye to my smooth, sweet golden friend…
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This satisfied my desire for dessert on a fructose free and gluten free diet.
* I swapped sugar for glucose syrup (although hard to mix in, glucose powder would be better
* I swapped self raising flour for gluten free flour and about half a tsp of baking powder
* Swap nutella for a little extra milk and some cinnamon or vanilla essence
* I used rice milk instead of cows milk to make it dairy free as well
Yummo, just make sure you are past the addiction phase, and glucose won’t set you off an a manic sugar hunt! Enjoy!
http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/5-minute-nutella-mug-cake
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So is glucose powder / syrup a better choice than xylitol?
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For the hashi readers, the biggest diff for me, biggest improvement was taking T3 with my T4 (oroxine). Like turning a light on. Your doctor has to prescribe it and it gets made up at a compounding chemist.
Not that I don’t try to eat well, I’ve gone gluten free as research showed me gluten wasn’t good for hashis, but the T3 has made all the diff in the world.
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March 22nd, 2011 at 10:30 pm
Contented Single, I’ve been trying to find a doctor that is open to letting me try something other than just plain thyroxine. You’re doctor wouldn’t happen to be around Brisbane would they?
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March 23rd, 2011 at 8:48 am
Me too Melanie!
I mentioned alternative treatment to my doc and I was simply told there was no such thing… nothing that actually worked anyway.
9 years on and I’m still trying to find alternatives. Have turned to my diet now but I still feel as thought there is a ‘better sense of normal’ out there for me.
I’m in Melbs so if anyone knows any great docs that are open to alternative medication for Hashi’s out there I would love to hear from you!
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March 23rd, 2011 at 8:13 pm
No, I am near Sydney, but here’s a link that might help.
http://www.acnem.org/modules/mastop_publish/
Also you can ask the moderator at the Australian forums pf real thyroid help, here
http://forums.realthyroidhelp.com/viewforum.php?f=6.
Or post on that forum, and someone will help you out.
Took me a long time to find a dr that would think beyond thyroxine. Kept going back to my GP saying I felt like crap, and he’d look at my bloods and say I was fine. I read Stop The Thyroid Madness book and website and found Real Thyroid Help website and learnt that most people need T3, along with thyroxine (T4). Most GPs don’t know this. STTM, recommend dessicated thyroid from pigs, tried this and made my heart go beserk, but some people do well on it. Then found a dr who prescribed T3 (she didn’t like dessicated thyroid), and WOW, what a difference. That great dr has left the area, but she just said go to a dr and ask for a prescription for T3. I used to take 100 ug of thyroxine, now 75 and 5mcg T3.After 10 years on thyroxine only, felt great within a month.
It pisses me off that hashimotos is really common, but drs don’t know much about it and don’t take you seriously. I know what it’s like to feel crap for a long time. I hope you find a good dr and start feeling better. Kris, it’s bullshit that there isn’t anything else that can help.
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March 26th, 2011 at 5:37 pm
Thanks a lot for that!
I actually flew down to Sydney just to see a thyroid doctor down there (that people swear by) and she cancelled on me last minute, cancelled her entire week apparently because she decided on the Friday to move her clinic the next week. They were supposed to call and reschedule and I still haven’t heard, though am reluctant to book another flight.
I did then see another doctor (who is on that list) recently, but during his very expensive hour appointment, he was checking his emails and kept telling me that I had to give up wheat, even after I told him many times that I was coeliac and therefore on a strict gf diet. He also argued with me about one of my symptoms. I left in tears. I’m still umming and ahhing if I try to find someone else or if I go back to him….
After being undiagnosed with both coeliac (27 years of symptoms) and hashimotos (15 years of symptoms), I would so love to find a doctor that is on the ball but also kind. There are a few more on that list in my area, so I’ll check another one out.
It’s great to hear that you’ve got some help.
March 27th, 2011 at 9:03 am
Melanie, I think I know the dr you are talking about in Sydney that cancelled you. If it’s the one I am thinking of, and went to once, you are lucky the appointment was cancelled. Well, known for thyroid issues, but if you read the forums at real thyroid help, there’s also a lot of criticism about this dr. I am so sorry you have been through this. I know how frustrating it is. I found the real thryroid forum a support, though sometimes there’s information overload.
Keep persisting. Good luck. I really hope you get the help you need.
March 27th, 2011 at 10:17 am
Hi Contented Single
I just had a look at a couple of forum thread and indeed, it is the same doctor. When I got the call from the receptionist on the Saturday morning to say that my Monday morning appointment had been cancelled, she told me that she had only just found out the night before and that “yes, many people have flown in for the appointments that I’m now cancelling”. Then I thought that if that’s how she treats her patients, I didn’t really want to see her anyway. So you’re right, it probably was a good thing. I’m going to go and have a better look through that forum now. Thanks again for the link!
March 28th, 2011 at 5:59 pm
Contented Single, I just wanted to drop by and say thank you again for these links. I ended up getting into one of those doctors and he was so lovely! Holistic and open to medication other than just thyroxine, but wasn’t pushy about anything and no feeling of quackery.
Artificial sweeteners containing aspartame or cyclamates are actually listed by the USA army amongst biological weapons and are definitely not good for anyone. The low GI sugar developed in far north Queensland is probably the ‘healthiest’ sugar to ingest but I don’t know if it is still bad for you.
Honey is probably best for it’s additional nutrients and has the added benefit that it contains peroxide which also makes it brilliant for healing ulcers and festering sores.
Processed honey has lost its value and even unprocessed should never be more than warmed to keep its goodness active.
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Hi Sarah,
I just wrote a guest post for Kat Eden’s Body Incredible blog called ‘Love and Chocolate’.
http://www.bodyincredible.com/love-and-chocolate/
(I found Kat through your blog, by the way, so Thank You!)
My post tells all, but in a nutshell I am like you. I love chocolate and life isn’t complete without a taste of the brown stuff every day. I am highly sugar sensitive so I avoid sugar wherever I can. I’ve blogged a few recipes to make your own sugar-free or super-low-to-negligible sugar chocolately treats.
Even better, I have discovered the most phenomenal practically sugar-free, chemical-free, awesome tasting dark chocolate bar off-the-shelf. I’m a Sydneysider living in New York at the moment. I’m not sure if it’s sold in Oz, but you should be able to order online. It’s definitely worth importing!
Michel Cluizel Noir Infini 99%
http://uk.cluizel.com/fr/hight-cocoa-contents/noir-infini-/5/33.html
It comes in 30g blocks and despite being a whopping 99% cacao, it is of such high quality that it tastes naturally sweetish. There’s none of that unsavoury bitterness you find in most dark chocolate over 80% cacao.
If you’re as much of a chocoholic as I am, this thing will change your life!!!
P.S. I avoid all artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols like the plague. After too many years of ingesting those chemicals, I developed serious stomach/digestion issues. Research confirms many are also carcinogenic.
I would prefer to use *tiny tiny tiny* amounts of natural sugar, (fructose), to take the edge off the bitterness of amazing quality dark chocolate when baking my own fudge and choc puddings, and just enjoy it for what it’s worth. This is a far healthier trade-off than artifical sweeteners.
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March 26th, 2011 at 4:55 pm
The choc mentioned is available at Koko Black in Aus (or at least it was last time I was there). It’s about $7 for the block.
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Call me crazy, but I cannot believe that Honey is not on the approved list….
I realise there are a lot of people out there who are quitting sugar for various health reasons BUT I just can’t fathom that replacing natural sugars for crazy chemicals is a good idea. If it is natural, organic, unrefined – its a no brainer.
Putting aspartame before honey is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard.
Not eating fruit is also the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard.
Too complicated! Get back to basics! Just another fad that is harming, not helping our health.
I’m quitting this blog.
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March 23rd, 2011 at 12:28 pm
Crude oil, snake venom and the fungus that turns those brazilian ants into zombies are also “natural.” I agree with you on the aspartame, but the “natural is always better” thing doesnt always work for human digestion. Otherwise we would be out there eating grass with the cows.
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March 23rd, 2011 at 2:25 pm
That’s a ridiculous extension to the argument, obviously anything poisonous although natural is not good for human digestion! And as far as my research goes, natural occurring sugar isnt a poison. Overindulgence is. Those few people who have a sensitivity to fructose should take precautions in the type of sugar they ingest, if any at all.
For the majority of people though, we should look at the amount of sugar that is unnecessary in our diet, but I dont think we need to cut it out completely. We need glucose for our cells to live and work, and we are provided with glucose from various sources of carbohydrates. Simple sugars like fructose, lactose are easily made into glucose, the table “sugar” usually made from sugar cane and sugar beet that is “hidden” in our food and drinks, and the more complex sugars, found in pasta, potatoes etc. that eventually gets broken down to glucose, and is probably considered the healthiest source of “sugar”.
On the whole I agree with Emma (except the quitting the blog bit) I dont understand how fruit and honey can be considered “bad” for you, unless you happen to be sensitive to those sugars. For people who are just wanting a healthier lifestyle, drastically cut down sugar, yes, but quit it completely, no! And especially not from fruit! The vitamins, anti-oxidants and other beneficial nutrients from fruit far outweighs the exposure to a simple sugar!
As with everything in life, moderation is the key. So may people jump on this bandwagon without fully researching whether it is actually necessary for them and can end up doing themselves more harm than good. For people who have a sensitivity, such as those with an AI syndrome, then obviously quitting sugar is a necessary thing. For most people it isnt. Just cut down. A lot!
P.S. Aspartame is evil.
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March 23rd, 2011 at 2:48 pm
Mia,
Oh my God! You really should inform yourself. That is a ridiculous thing to say.
BTW, I’m still waiting for a responce on why we should be aware of nutritionists (for some stupid reason, I thought that people with a sound knowledge of nutrition know what is best for us ) and who the Food Body is.
You can’t just write ill-informed comments because they can be quite dangerous.
March 23rd, 2011 at 7:06 pm
Jason,
i don’t see how that was ill informed. she makes a good point about not always accepting everything natural as better for you.
i’d much rather take a man made, scientifically backed medication than homeopathy.
now i personally am just cutting back on sugar rather than banning it so no extremems for me but i’m curious to know if you could just get all those vitamins and other beneficial nutrients in fruit from vegtables alone.
March 24th, 2011 at 9:43 pm
I actually meant the comments on nutritionists and the food body whatever the hell that is.
April 13th, 2011 at 11:28 am
David Gillispie doesn’t say we have to stop eating fruit. He suggests two pieces a day, and no juice because it is concentrated fructose. Unfortunately, if you are addicted to fructose then it is a good idea to give up honey, because it is almost all fructose (not sure about that, but I know there’s a lot of fructose in it). I’m all for natural things, I love herbal medicine and nutritional medicine, but if, like me, you are addicted to sugar then moderation isn’t necessarily going to work.
Vegetables also have fructose in them, but the fibre in fruit and vegetables help process the fructose.
how about coconut sugar? i developed a recipe for chocolate brownies that are gluten, dairy & wheat free. The only adaptation you would need is replace the organic raw sugar with coconut sugar?
http://www.nutritolavita.com/?p=26
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March 23rd, 2011 at 1:57 pm
You could use Dextrose powder or glucose powder instead? I found 1kg bags of dextrose powder at Big W in the home brew section for $3 . I’ve been making a lemonade for my kids which they love – just juiced lemons, water and enough dextrose powder to sweeten it. For myself, water is best, but the dextrose is a great substitute for sugary soft drinks and sports drinks for active kids!
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March 23rd, 2011 at 2:39 pm
Coconut sugar is about the same Fructose content as cane sugar. maybe a little less but has some amazing other bennefits
Coconut sugar comes from the sap of the coconut palm flower. It has a low Glycemic Index (GI 35) and is high in minerals and amino acids like Glutamic Acid.
Glutamic acid is important in the bodies metabolism and as a Neuro transmitter.
Serving Size 5g
Qty per Serve Qty per 100g
Energy 81.3kj 1625kj
Protein 0.1g 1.2g
Fat : Total 0.1g 1.0g
Saturated 0.0g 0.5g
Carbohydrate 4.7g 93.4g
Sugars 4.5g 90.1g
Sodium 12mg 243mg
Potassium 36mg 715mg
Iron 0.1g 2.05mg
Zinc 0.0046mg 0.092mg
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March 25th, 2011 at 12:04 pm
yum cannot wait to try this!
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i just have a bad feeling that in the future we will find out that dextrose is very bad for us. so many things end up being bad due to the processing involved. I have to say, I am really taken back by anyone saying that the cancer causing fake sugars are a better choice than things like raw organic honey/coconut sugar/organic dates etc.
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March 23rd, 2011 at 7:20 pm
Dextrose is just glucose with a water molecule attached. And glucose is the fuel we run on. Without it we are dead. I agree that extreme caution is wise when it comes to artificial sweeteners and avoiding highly processed foods is always good. Every process a food goes through takes away some of its goodness and upsets nature’s delicate balance of nutrients. I think the point some people are missing is that originally in our pre-industrialised days we wouldn’t be able to get our hands on all these sources of sugar, so we couldn’t easily overdo it. A few dates or a teaspoon of honey once in a while isn’t going to hurt, but we pack it in daily in vast quantities. That’s the problem. We have lost the balance along the way, and we eat more sugar than we know about, as so much is hidden in convenient processed foods, fruit juices and soft drinks. If we really listen to our bodies we know what’s right for them.
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Great blog Sarah! I am currently reading the Sweet Poison Quit Plan and am inspired by your journey so far. I’m looking forward to getting past the addiction phase… But I do have a question.
It may be that sugar presents itself in such small quantities here to not be a bother, but I just looked at the ingredients in my lip balm out of interest – and it contains Stevia among other oils and essences. I have (this time) chosen a certified organic lip balm and am not too concerned about it’s sugar content in particular, but I thought this gives rise to consideration of other cosmetic products (I’m obviously only talking about lipsticks/lip blams/ things that would inevitably be consumed albeit in small amounts). I have heard my fair share of ridiculous statistics in my time about how much lipstick an ‘average woman’ will consume in her life and am wondering if the sugar content of cetain lip products could stack up? Just food for thought I guess.
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What about David Wolfe’s Sacred Chocolate? It’s raw, organic, vegan, medicinal. Tastes great too!
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ohh if anyones a coeliac or allergic to wheat, watch out for dextrose and glucose which can be derived from wheat, and the other one maltodextrin from wheat.
I reckon, cooked fruit, a banana smoothie with honey or agave is pretty healthy and soothing if ur stomachs a little acidy, i mean compared to coca cola and a choccie bar i mean come on sugar is ok if it’s healthy and in small doses.
I cut it out for 6 months and while and i was so depressed and tired and being a coeliacx and trying to go dairy free it’s a bit insane.
I find i need a healthy pick me up now an then. My new one to try is coconut sugar i’m going to try it in some muffins i normally use agave. Anyone tried to eat/cook with it?
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March 25th, 2011 at 3:33 pm
yes yes coconut sugar… incredible stuff! i made the most amazing gluten/wheat dairy free muffins with it. i also put it in my coffee now…
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A great article Sarah.
The Japanese have been using Stevia for over 40 years and the South Americans have been using in for thousands of years! It’s a sweet leafed plant, it’s natural and 300 times sweeter than sugar.
I’ve found a fantastic Stevia based sweetener called Natvia (available in Coles). It tastes beautifully natural and sweet and is SO much better for you than artificial sweeteners.
Stay away from ASPARTAME and SACHARRIN…they’re the next tobacco. Watch this space!
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March 25th, 2011 at 3:40 pm
Fiona, Aspartame and fake sugars are WORST than cigarettes because the general population does not know how bad it is. people actually drink diet drinks and think they are doing something good. they actually have no idea its making them more fat and giving them diabetes and cancer, people seriously wonder why they are sick!
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March 27th, 2011 at 3:12 pm
Irene, where is the proof that they cause cancer? I’ve been honestly trying to find out, but I can’t find any studies with actual evidence that they do.
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March 27th, 2011 at 5:25 pm
good point and great idea for my next blog post… I will pull some research backed info/proof together and get back to you. I just assumed every one knew it was a carcinogen.
How strange that certain types of sugars are approved in Australia yet not in the US – a place where they are so quick to find a ‘pill’ for everything?!
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This has been such an interesting read. I’m in 2 minds about the whole issue of cutting out sugar and after participating in just about every fad diet ever conceived it does feel a little extreme and faddish to me.
Does anyone have any thoughts or info on carob? I’ve been eating organic sugar free carob buttons mixed with almonds as my 3pm snack with tea but as they’re from a big jar at my local organic grocer I’m not too sure what’s in them or whether they’re a good substitute.
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if you want to know about artifical sweeteners read “sweet poison” by janet starr hull.
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I gave up sugar 10 weeks ago now. I have a 6 year old daughter, and given that I was completely deprived of sugar as a child and became a sugar maniac as an adult, I don’t want to do the same with her. She needs to be allowed to be a kid. Soooo, initially (after 4 or 5 weeks) I made one of David’s cake recipes (for a birthday) but my problem was was this – one small piece gave me a sugar high. That delicious, happy, giddy feeling when my blood sugar is soaring. This feeling, I believe, is the main sensation that I was (at least psychologically) addicted to. I wanted more and couldn’t stop thinking about it until it was gone – I gave 3/4 of it away to try and speed up the process.
I didn’t want to go back to craving that feeling, but I also wanted to occasionally eat sweet things, without feeling guilty, or rekindling my addiction. So I did some research and decided to try xylitol. This has been one of the happiest discoveries of my life. I can directly swap it with sugar in most recipes (except those that require caramelisation, or that involve yeast). I don’t have to think about it, it weighs the same and is just as sweet as sugar (actually it’s slightly sweeter, so in theory you can use a little less). I enjoy the sweet taste, but I do NOT get that giddy high that I get when I eat high GI sweeteners (like dextrose, glucose or sugar). Plus I can be happy in the knowledge that it’s actually GOOD for my daughter’s teeth!
So far I’ve used xylitol to make gluten-free orange cakes, hot cocoa’s, muesli bars, hot cross buns (with a little glucose to feed the yeast) & shortbread. I plan to make tomato sauce, sweet chilli sauce and nutella very soon. That’s right, nutella!!
The only downside is the price (it’s approximately $20 a kilo), but for me, it’s a small price to pay. I’m a very happy girl!
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What about his chocolate Sarah http://www.sugarlessco.com/home.htm ?
I found it in IGA Ryde by chance on Friday. Said it only had 0.03g…
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May 9th, 2011 at 4:33 pm
The Sugarless Co. use Maltitol as a sweetener, which is a no no (from memory it’s converted to fructose by the body once consumed). However, Sweet William do a stevia sweetened range which is sugar, artificial sweetener & sugar alcohol free. Haven’t tasted it yet, but will if I ever see it around! Check it out: http://www.sweetwilliam.com.au/index.php/Products/ViewProduct/25
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May 9th, 2011 at 5:39 pm
Doh!!! So sorry, they (the Sweet Williams chocs) have maltitol in them too!!!
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On the Sweet William’s website, it lists the first ingredient of it’s sugarfree chocolate as Maltitol
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this is very very hard, i am already going totally organic, dairy and wheat free. This really doesnt leave much left… im cutting right back on the sugar but at some point im going to have to work out which is worst for my body pesticides, dairy, wheat or sugar
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May 9th, 2011 at 4:58 pm
It’s do-able. We’re now on a Paleo diet – no wheat, actually no grains or seeds at all, no sugar, no dairy. We don’t get organic all the time, but do as much as possible. We actually feel really good on the diet.
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Thanks Sarah for sharing all of this with us.
What I really want to know is if anyone has lost a significant amount of weight. I have been at this for 7 days. My withdrawl symptoms include feeling very nauseated and headaches, which has just spurred me on as I ate a lot of sugar before (and I mean a lot of sugar) so the symptoms just show how adicted I was.
I need to loose about 10 kg to be in the healthy weight range. So I would really appreciate if it has really worked for others.
Thank you,
Lou
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June 10th, 2011 at 6:33 pm
Hi Lou
Good on you for surviving your first week! To answer your question – I’ve been fructose-free for 3.5 months, and I’ve lost 10kg so far, without exercising a day. Stoked! Mind you – my appetite control isn’t terribly good yet so I’ve been combining it with calorie counting to make sure I don’t overeat (I have an app on my iphone). I want to be able to do it without calorie counting, so I’m trying to focus on reducing my portion size and listening to my body. Stick with it – it’s totally worth it.
Good luck,
Michelle
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I’ve lost 9 kilos in just over 3 months, about 1/2kilo a week, sometimes more, sometimes less. However my body is completely transformed because at the same time I gave up sugar I also I started cardio and strength training so I have ONLY lost fat, not muscle, and I’ve gained muscle and toned up too. I’m 169cm and I’ve gone from 76kilos to 67 kilos, and I’m still losing weight slowly. Weight loss is 80-90% diet. I eat whenever I’m hungry but limit my portion sizes to no more than a fists worth each of complex carbs & protein, and as many veggies as I want. My appetite completely changed when I gave up sugar and I now couldn’t possibly eat as much as I used too. Coconut oil and Stevia sweetened protein powder helped me a lot. I ate a lot of cheese initially but craved less as time went on. Keeping my blood sugar regulated was crucial for me in controlling cravings initially, so I ate lots of protein and fats. After a couple of months of not craving sweets foods I started to grieve for them, it was emotional, not physical. I started using xylitol as a sweetener to make hot cocoas and other sweets occasionally and that solved that prob. Good luck, it’s SO worth it!
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Thank you Michelle and Mala
I really needed to hear that. I don’t want to diet as when I do I always put on weight. So I will stick to this and hope it works. I certaining am not overeating like I was. Feeling so sick from the withdrawl has probably helped. And that fact that if you took the sugar away I wasnt eating that much (just heaps of sugar!) Good luck continuing on your journey.
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[...] after reading this article, I have this image on my iPhone and have been checking the labels on food before I [...]
I have a few doubts about replacing fructose with dextrose if following a gluten-free diet, as I was told by my doctor (who diagnosed me with coeliac disease) to avoid dextrose. The little trick he taught me was “dextrIN, the food is in, dextrOSE out it goes”.
Thought I would put that out there for anyone else going sugar free who is gluten intolerant so that they can research it for themselves/check with their doctor.
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September 29th, 2011 at 8:49 am
I agree with you on this point. My own research and personal experience has been that if you have any kind of compromised digestive system, dextrose is not good at all. Being corn-based, it’s very hard to digest. I avoid it at all costs. Stevia seems to be the only completely safe sweet option.
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I’m a bit confused about Dextrose as well. Some books say it is Gluten-free, some others say it isn’t or ‘it depends’.
The ones I’ve been able to find here are:
Coopers Dextrose (coles)
Glucodin (coles)
Brigalow Dextrose Monohydrate – contains Maltose (Big W)
There’s not much info on the packets. It would be nice to find a harmless one made from rice and not wheat or corn.
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[...] written about it before here and here. And the I Quit Sugar ebook features several recipes that call for [...]
[...] is a granulated stevia (my preferred safe sweetener) that can be easily purchased around Australia (in most supermarkets…in the baking [...]
Great information
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I use xylitol in moderation (as it can cause tummy pains and upset if eaten in larger quantities). But now I also mainly use coconut palm sugar. I know it contains some fructose but my kids tolerate it well and it is far more natural and less processed. What is not mentioned about dextrose (glucose) is that it also gives a massive sugar spike! Meaning it is high GI. Coconut palm sugar is low GI – does not give the sugar rush and is therefore less addictive etc to me. It is also WAY better for my kids – their behaviour is far more moderate. Just thought I would throw that in….
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July 18th, 2012 at 2:09 pm
Oh and living earth now has chocolate that is sweetened with coconut palm sugar!
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Sarah, I’d be really interested to hear what your current take is on stevia? I’ve been using it more regularly since I bought the IQS cookbook.
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Sarah, I love your blog. Just wondering how much in agreement you are with David Gillespie, because I have just finished reading this: http://www.nutritionaustralia.org/national/media-releases/response-david-gillespie-behalf-nut-net
The reason I ask, is because I started a business recently called Naturally Sugar Free, because it was so hard for me to find all natural sugarless/no-added sugar products. I note David’s list of no-no’s, but would love to know why he has placed maltilol & inulin for example in the “Unsafe” list.
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Does anyone have an alternative to chewing sugar-free gum? I work at a dentist, I chew gum all day long….what do I do?!?!?!
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September 2nd, 2012 at 5:35 pm
Bec I am the Aussie distributor of the very tooth-friendly Xyloburst range – xylitol based chewing gum, mints, & sours.
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I use Spry products – I love their mints, my boys love the berry ones and my other half likes the gum…. http://www.xlear.com/xylitol-gum.aspx
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We use sucralose as our artificial sweetener of choice. I can’t find any evidence of it being harmful. Is there any?
Cheers
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[...] kilo or in Health Food stores. If you’re still a bit freaked out by the substance some more info can be found here as well as some info on artifical [...]
Just a word of warning on Stevia – some people (like me) are highly allergic to it. If you have an allergy to ragweed or any sticky plant you are at risk. In my case my throat constricts which is quite scary. The problem I have is that people don’t take this allergy seriously – I had one friend point out that it was a natural product therefore I shouldn’t have an allergy. Well to that I say pollen is natural too and yet hayfever season affects a lot of people!
So be cautious with Stevia. And be courteous and tell friends if you have included it in food you are serving them. Personally I’d rather go without any sugar or sweetener at all.
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A lot of the sugars listed are high on the glycemic index. Any thoughts on that?
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Well…Naturally makes sugarfree dark chocolate with erithrytol which, similarly to xylitol, is naturally derived. The chocolate is fantastic!
I think people get caught up in the chemical-sounding names of a lot of the better sweeteners (e.g. xylitol and erithrytol) forgetting that if maple syrup were advertised based on its chemical name, it would be called xylem, doesn’t sound so innocuous now, does it?
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I recently discovered Rice Malt Syrup and love the taste more than honey and have been substituting it here and there into my baking. I have just now been reading that it apparently contains traces of Arsenic! That can’t be good right? I have also found that the jury is still out on Stevia and research is inconclusive as to whether it has good or bad effects on humans. Can we win at all?
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I just bought a heap of sweetleaf stevia but now I see inulin as an added ingredient. Ugh. This is so confusing
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