* This post has been updated.
You can read more about this below… Meantime, over this New Year shutdown period, I’ve come across a few reads and things that you might be interested in if you’re thinking of quitting sugar. Momentum is building, more and more people are working out that sugar is the missing link in their weightloss woes, and more and more scientists – reluctantly! – are confirming that sugar is toxic and causes many of our health issues.
US sugar consumption…Australia is much the same.
This UK study finds giving up sugar can take 20 years off your looks…”results in weeks”. Take a look at it.
For the first time, a direct link has been established between the amount of sugar circulating in the blood and how old a person looks….They found that those with higher blood sugar looked older than those with lower blood sugar. In fact for every 1mm/litre increase in blood sugar, the perceived age of that person rose by five months.
I found it interesting the study was done in conjunction with a cosmetic company, given this quote from one of the scientists:
There is no point in spending lots of money on expensive skin creams if you are eating a diet high in sugar,’ says Dr Aamer Khan, a cosmetic dermatologist who is also medical director of the Harley Street Skin Clinic. ‘Yes, you can protect and moisturise your skin from the outside with creams, but you need to feed and stimulate the growth of good strong skin cells from inside too and sugar will sabotage that.’
This review of Dr Lustig’s new book (stay tuned for mine!) shares news that should come as a relief to many: sugar tricks our brains to overeat and get fat. It’s not about weakness of will.
It is, he says, a hormonal issue, triggered by eating too much sugar.
He points the finger of blame at the hormone leptin, which acts like an appetite thermostat.
As one of two ‘hunger hormones’ in the body, leptin works to decrease the appetite (it’s partner, ghrelin, increases appetite).
When you have had enough to eat, your fat cells release leptin, which effectively dulls the appetite by instructing the brain that it’s time to stop eating.
But Professor Lustig warns that our sweet tooth is sending this process haywire. Read more here.
Additionally, I kinda forgot to post this link after I was on A Current Affair a while back. Figured today was a good time to share it.
Melinda and Maria both quit sugar via my program. Just so you know…
Click here to watch the clip, or click on the image below.
And to get hold of the I Quit Sugar ebooks, go here.
Link doesn’t work.
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January 2nd, 2013 at 12:13 pm
Fixed, thanks Ash.
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January 2nd, 2013 at 12:36 pm
Nope. Still doesn’t work. I can pin it, but as I want to open it that doesn’t help much.
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Hi Sarah,
HNY to you.
I tried to watch the ACA IQS segment but it didn’t work.
I’ll try again later just in case its my computer.
Keep up the good work!
Kind Regards,
Anastasia
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January 2nd, 2013 at 12:12 pm
Fixed, thanks Anastasia
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January 2nd, 2013 at 12:15 pm
I still can’t get it to work Sarah
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Yeah its not working
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still not working…
cheers
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Sarah, it’s seems to just be a static picture, not linked. If you’re a WordPress blog, you can search Tentblogger plugins, there’s one to easily input videos which will also incorporate video play into your RSS feed.
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Trawled aca… You can view it here: http://aca.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8563843
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Thanks Taryn; I just had a static picture too which wasn’t working, but have just watched it via the link you’ve posted.
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I definitely agree that refined, processed sugar is bad, but I don’t agree that we shouldn’t eat fruit. Personally, I think we should eat what nature grows, straight from the source, anything man made should be avoided.
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January 8th, 2013 at 7:30 pm
It really depends as some people just cannot handle fructose, in any forms! I for one love fruit but really keep it to a moderate level and prefer to eat blueberries, raspberries and strawberries instead of an apple. I also don’t eat fruit every day… I guess it is a personal opinion but Sarah doesn’t endorse a no fruit diet, she says it is best to stop eating any fruit while you reset your taste-buds then you can bring back in what you like.
I stopped eating fruit for two whole weeks while I was resetting and found it very easy! Not at all a stress, just had vegetables in place of when I would snack on fruit.
Everyone is different and no one method works for everyone so just experiment with your own diet and find what works.
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Hi Sarah, you look so gorgeous and healthy in that clip. I quit sugar a while ago thanks to your inspiring ebook and program. My parents too. We all felt terrific. However I have since about 6 months ago moved to a high raw diet of mainly vegetables, leafy greens, some nuts and seeds and lots of fresh fruit. Each morning I have a huge green smoothie for breakfast (usually consists of frozen banana, leafy greens and water, possibly other fruit such as fresh dates). I always thought that sugar, including that in fruit, was not good for me. However I was surprised to find that my health and my weight were not compromised. In fact I feel better than ever. Out of curiosity, have you ever tested your theory and added fresh apples, bananas etc to your daily diet?
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January 3rd, 2013 at 4:52 pm
Cassandra – totally off topic, but I clicked through from your blog to your website (http://www.cassandraallen.com/ )
Your illustrations are beautiful!
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January 4th, 2013 at 7:31 am
Thanks!
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Great segment, i wish I hadn’t watched their other videos though! The one advocating for sugar was a little frustrating to watch! It failed to acknowledge that fruits are actually seasonal, but due to modern agriculture we can eat fruit year round, whole and as juice. This is why fructose in a natural product is something to be wary of.
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Hi,
i just downloaded your book, im so confused could you offer a list of things you can eat. perhaps common things. arent all carbs sugar? so no carbs at all? alot of this just confuses me. haha thanks
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Hi Sarah,
Will you be doing any seminars in 2013?
Sarah
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January 4th, 2013 at 12:14 pm
im not sure, what are the seminars? im very new to all of this haha . im quitting sugar more to balance my insliun levels and hormones than anything else.
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January 4th, 2013 at 3:19 pm
Hey Sarah,
Once we have anything concrete re any events, I’ll be sure to let you all know!
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Hey Sarah, you didn’t actually link the UK study, just the Daily Fail write-up. Here’s a link to the research paper: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11357-011-9339-9
Surprising that the research was done by Unilever, who own companies like Streets Ice Cream and Dove. You’d think they would have a vested interest in the opposite being true!
I think that it’s just more proof of what we already know – you are what you eat. Anecdotally, I was a beautician for several years and touched many a skin, and the combination of giving up sugar + more good fats that is recommended in IQS is better than any overpriced cream on the market.
Bonus, too, that giving up sugar = happier hormones = less break-outs.
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Beer is fructose free, but it still raises your insulin level, so very bad for you.
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[...] For the first time, a direct link has been established between the amount of sugar circulating in the blood and how old a person looks….They found that those with higher blood sugar looked older than those with lower blood sugar. In fact for every 1mm/litre increase in blood sugar, the perceived age of that person rose by five months. -via [...]
I gave up sugar in the summer of 2011 as part of my recovery from severe Post-Concussion Syndrome. In the summer of 2011, I met one particular healer who guided me away from sugar in most forms, apart from raw honey (used sparingly) and fruit. I do not use artificial sugars either. It was official June 13th when I gave up the white, sweet stuff. A few weeks after that, after months of no cognitive activity, on July 1st, I started reading again.
However, it was not until nearly a year later that I made the connection between the sugar and the cognitive activity. When I told a friend why I gave up sugar last, she said told me that every time she has gotten a concussion, which I believe was three or four times, she always knew to give up sugar because it made her headaches and other symptoms worse.
It was interesting to me that once I gave up sugar, after months and months of pain from simply looking at a page of a book, I was free. I still don’t touch the stuff, and I advise many of my clients to do the same…I am with you on this one!
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Hi Sarah,
I have been following the IQS program since early December (I know! Silly time to start before Christmas but it’s been going well) and I am so happy to say my hormonally induced migraine, for which I need Immigran, did not arrive this week. This is the first month in as long as I can remember where I haven’t needed medication. Happy happy happy happy. And thank you!
Kate
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Love hearing stories like this – inspiring!
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Hi Sarah. I’ve been following yr posts for the last few months. I bought yr books and hoping to quit sugar this year. The only problem I’m finding so far is that some of the ingredients can b quite expensive. I live in nz. Coconut butter and raw chocolate nibs can b very expensive. I tried to order online which isn’t cheap and u also end up with variable qualities. Any tips abt stocking up on things in nz ? Any comments from kiwi readers are also appreciated
my goal is to feel better and not allow sugar to b addictive which on a bad day, can easily be. Thank u 
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Hi Sarah,
I am now in week 3 of IQS and was just wondering if there are any veggies you should steer clear of?
I don’t want to accidentally sabotage all my efforts!
Thank you!
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Dear Sarah,
I should preface my comments by saying that I am absolutely not in favour of refined sugar consumption nor am I a stooge of the so-called “establishment.” However, I contend the anti-sugar hype is quite overblown. Unfortunately, confused consumers have no clue who to trust or what to believe anymore. As a scientist with formal training in clinical nutrition and exercise physiology, research experience in obesity/diabetes, and 22 years in the industry, I take issue with much of the anti-sugar movement on a number of points (most of which are conveniently neglected by the mainstream media).
1) While sugar is outcast as a metabolic villain (i.e., poison), the resultant obesity stemming from sugar consumption is predominantly a question of QUANTITY. Most people in first world societies eat excessive amounts of refined garbage and, due to the level of refinement, these foods pass through the digestive tract quicker, leaving the individual hungrier sooner and therefore more likely to overeat. So it is more a case of coincidence than cause and effect.
Responsible nutrition advice holds that individuals should be consuming a nutrient-rich diet which includes items such as wholemeal breads, fruits, vegetables, lean cuts of protein, etc. The logic behind this is that the food leaves the GI tract slower and therefore leaves the dieter feeling fuller for longer and, consequently, less likely to overeat.
2) The abysmally high levels of physical INACTIVITY have been virtually ignored by the anti-sugar camp. Most adults are woefully sedentary and stuck in desk jobs which do not give them ample opportunity for basic movement. This is particularly relevant because the local and systemic conditioning level of the individual (i.e., athlete vs. couch potato) will have an impact on how he/she handles a given diet. In other words, while a trained athlete should still be consuming a nutrient-rich diet, he/she is still unlikely to store even refined sugar as fat due to their high metabolism. Conversely, a sedentary office jockey has comparably less lean tissue (muscle) and, whatever muscle he/she does have, it is likely to be comparatively smaller and deconditioned with a reduced level of insulin sensitivity or lipoprotein lipase (impaired blood glucose and fat metabolism, respectively). It is also easier for the latter to overeat on less kilojoules.
I would like to close by saying that I am wholeheartedly in favour of REDUCING refined sugar intake because, well, people simply eat too darn much of it. It crowds out other nutrient dense foods and sets the perfect stage for obesity and all its evil offspring. However, I am against sugar alarmism (i.e., David Gillespie, Lustig, etc) which cherry picks data out of context, does not provide a balanced overall view, and only serves to scare people about food. On a side note, I do believe the food industry has a lot to answer for in all of this.
I am including some links to articles which you or your readers may find interesting:
1) http://www.drbillofhealth.com/nutrition/is-sugar-bad-for-you-sifting-through-the-sugar-wars
2) http://www.drbillofhealth.com/nutrition/sugar-alone-does-not-cause-obesity
3) http://www.drbillofhealth.com/nutrition/you-are-what-you-eat-but-careful-who-says-so/
4) http://www.drbillofhealth.com/nutrition/reading-understanding-food-labels
I hope you take my comments as constructive and helpful in maintaining an air of balance about the great sugar debate. Please feel free to get in touch if you should care to discuss further.
Kind regards,
Bill Sukala,PhD
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January 8th, 2013 at 7:47 pm
I have done IQS and actually QUIT sugar for two whole weeks – in the forms of fruit, processed foods and adding it into my food. I found it easy to do and not at all detrimental to my health. It actually put food back into perspective for me. I had the worst relationship with food and couldn’t FEEL good about any of my food choices.
I used Sarah’s guide as just that… a guide! I found what worked for my body after I reset my taste-buds. Food was different after I had done it. It isn’t something I live and die(t)! by but I do prescribe to the eat whole food, eat less processed food, eat lots of vegetables and don’t be scared of fat school of thought.
Another point you raised is exercise and I agree with you – wholeheartedly! People do need to move more. When I was addressing my food issues, I also began doing light jogging and exercise at home – I couldn’t afford a gym and I didn’t want anyone to see me! It was amazingly helpful in keeping me on track to change my whole diet.
Sarah – I would love to see your response to this, but I don’t feel like you are a sugar alarmist… I just took your guide as a guide!
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Hi Sarah,
not sure if this is the right pace but been trying to find a palce to ask you a few IQS questions.
Lemon ? is this okay as substitute to balsamic and in hot water. Bread and cracker what are your thoughts on this and are there any in particular to avoid or that you recommend.
Thank you so much so excited to start this
Thanks
Tine
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I can vouch for this!
When I first dropped sugar I think I mentioned how after exercise I used to drink a sports drink and would cramp the next day, at the time that was really my only reason for dropping sugar. But it’s been well over a year (not a total quitter, still smash Frosty Fruits from time to time ) and I was just going through some photos and noticed the difference.
I’m not really that fussed about dieting to look different but I must say shedding the fat as a result of quitting sugar was a pleasant surprise when going over the old pics.
I quietly went about quitting, just kind of shifted really not consciously keeping list or tally.
After about 6 months I could taste the sugar in things and was turned off, like when I smell cheap tequila (that was a “I’m never drinking” night).
My advice to sceptics is just friggn try it, I was really surprised, get Sarah’s book if you’re stuck for ideas of what to eat, but it starts with dropping what you know has sugar.
I can see the difference now, no more dark circles under my eyes and a respectable 4 pack.
Good one Sarah, keep up buzz.
Pro Basket-baller Steve Nash is a testament to IQS http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxqNxhePnnc
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Sarah, you just commited a very low act. Just so everyone knows Mariah did not do your program. Yes she did cut out sugar but she did not do your program. Please be honest with your readers or karma will come and bite you in the backside
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For those out there in any doubt about the dangers of fructose, watch Dr Lustig’s lecture on UCtelevision. It is very clear.
http://youtu.be/dBnniua6-oM
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