Thread: Reducing Sugar Intake

I take my tea and coffee with one sugar. It goes on cereals for breakfast and I enjoy my spirits mixed with Coca Cola/Pepsi. Occasionally have a sugar rush with chocolate or ice cream.
Any suitable alternatives, or is the “sugar is bad for you” a myth?

Marry a dentist

These for tea and coffee, honey with serial and coke zero for soft drink/mixer.Still get plenty of sugar from the beer

Originally Posted by Switch

I take my tea and coffee with one sugar. It goes on cereals for breakfast and I enjoy my spirits mixed with Coca Cola/Pepsi. Occasionally have a sugar rush with chocolate or ice cream.
Any suitable alternatives, or is the “sugar is bad for you” a myth?

Not a myth. Linked to obesity, diabetes and increased risk for heart attacks.

One of the reasons why 10 % of the Thai population is diabetic (they load sugar in everything).

Suppose I should add I cut sugar from my diet last year - don't really miss it.

Stevia.

I've been off added sugars for almost an entire year.

Carbs too No noodles, rice, bread, etc.

I know many view this as not living life, but I've come to crave lettuce, berries, kimchi, raw nuts and raw seaweed.


noticeable increase in energy levels, memory is stronger and don't get terribly hungry often

Slowly putting honey back into diet

All sweeteners are arguably bad for you in distinct ways...(?)

When I'm craving sweets, I'll use cinnamon, raisins, dark chocolate, pure maple syrup, dates, other fruits and/or a sweetener. A different sweetener most times (playing into 'everything in moderation' theory), but I do prefer Stevia.

^There is lots of "hidden" sugar (and salt!) in stuff like breakfast cereals, bread, rice, etc already. Cutting down (or out) is a good thing, as you get older especially.

I recently stopped drinking coffee altogether, exchanged for green and oolong tea as my morning cuppa, and got my blood pressure below 120/80 for the first time in a long time.

Yeah. Couldn't shake coffee - just love the taste so much.
But do take decaff only. Starbucks packets ain't bad, tho never been picky bout coffee.

Ave been known to drink sludge happily.

Originally Posted by Cujo

Stevia.

Yes.

Actually regarding coffee it's now understood to not effect blood pressure and in fact reduce the risk of heart attack and diabetes.

Even 7-8 cups of caffeinated? (Me for many years....never checked bp tho)

Many thanks for all the contributions. It does seem to have an adverse effect on health in general, and the Thai consumption point to it as a real problem here.
Always hated any Thai processed foods because of the added sugar, bread in particular.

Just had my first attempt at iced lemon tea. Not bad at all. Trying to avoid fizzy stuff and the unleaded versions of coke/Pepsi all have a bad aftertaste.

My my current weakness for spirits is satisfied by vodka soda and a dash of lime cordial. Only moved to spirits because lagers are too gassy and not real beer anyway.

Never heard of Sevia before. I assume it’s easily available here?

Originally Posted by Switch

I take my tea and coffee with one sugar. It goes on cereals for breakfast and I enjoy my spirits mixed with Coca Cola/Pepsi. Occasionally have a sugar rush with chocolate or ice cream.
Any suitable alternatives, or is the “sugar is bad for you” a myth?

Same, until about 20 years ago. Made the decision to cut sugar out completely. For tea and coffee that was hard for about a week only, then it just became the norm and one sugar in a cuppa became ghastly sweet. Same for cereal. As that habit became embedded, not wanting (or even liking) desserts just happened. I can "take" a dessert or choccy now and then if I've had a toke, but generally all sweet things are disgusting to me now.
It's a matter of breaking the habit, and it really doesn't take long at all. That sweet becomes unpallatable is a fact, and a thing to look forward to.
Lost a lot of weight as soon as I gave up sugar.
As I say, it only takes a dozen or so cuppas with no sugar to get to hate the sweetness.

I would even keep away from stevia. A sweet tooth is an aquired thing and can very easily be unaquired. Very easily. It's much easier to drop sugar than ciggies or alcohol.

I'm pleased to say that my wife has unaquired the sweet tooth, mainly. She now finds Thai curries that have sugar added to be too sweet, and only has one sugar in her coffee. I'll wean her off that one eventually.

Originally Posted by Maanaam

Same, until about 20 years ago. Made the decision to cut sugar out completely. For tea and coffee that was hard for about a week only, then it just became the norm and one sugar in a cuppa became ghastly sweet. Same for cereal. As that habit became embedded, not wanting (or even liking) desserts just happened. I can "take" a dessert or choccy now and then if I've had a toke, but generally all sweet things are disgusting to me now.
It's a matter of breaking the habit, and it really doesn't take long at all. That sweet becomes unpallatable is a fact, and a thing to look forward to.
Lost a lot of weight as soon as I gave up sugar.
As I say, it only takes a dozen or so cuppas with no sugar to get to hate the sweetness.

Yeah - it too a week to get used to drinking coffee black as well. Took a swig of my previous "normal" coffee a while back and it was revolting. I think however I "enjoyed" coffee more then - Not sure how to explain it better - I quite like a coffee now - but I used to love one back then!

As noted, I also cut our all sugar, and that includes most processed goods (I think the only exception is wholemeal bread) -so no cakes, candies, ice-cream etc. Meh - do not really miss them at all.

You get used to it.

Originally Posted by nidhogg

I think however I "enjoyed" coffee more then - Not sure how to explain it better - I quite like a coffee now - but I used to love one back then!

Interesting. I don't recall the greater enjoyment. Perhaps because I just like bitter? I have always chosen a bitter over a draught or lager beer. Your recollection might in fact indicate just how much the "sugar rush" is addictive. Reward centers of the brain etc.
I really do enjoy a well esspressed Doi Tung coffee.

Used to heap sugar into each individual cup of coffee. Until I found out I had diabetes. Also loaded up my iced tea with sugar.

No I'm not giving up my coffee!

Now I put one packet of stevia and one packet of sugar in the raw(turbinado) in the bottom of the coffeepot before it brews.




Use stevia in my iced tea as well and cut out all soft drinks(Dr. Pepper that I loved). Buy stevia sweetened flavor packets for bottled water when I'm on the road. And no more donuts and sweet rolls either. Gawd I miss those...


There's also agave sweetner out there...don't know if that's supposed to be better than stevia, or same same.

Here in the States you have to watch out for the HFCS...they put that shit in everything it seems like.

Originally Posted by Switch

Never heard of Sevia before. I assume it’s easily available here?

Stevia

Any Villa, fo schizzle

Originally Posted by hick

I know many view this as not living life

It depends on how you view life. Eating clean is very satisfying. It's just the celebratory beers that I have to knock on the bonce.

Yeah,...I gave up booze not b/c of the calories...just wasn't good at drinking.

Completely outta my tree 4/10 sessions...

I check the sugar labels on pretty much everything I buy nowadays and have done for the last 6 years or so. Obviously can't for fresh produce so take the average from the internet.

I was really surprised about certain "healthy" items. Yoghourt and fruit juice were a couple to watch out for when it comes to unexpectedly high levels. I now find most things too sweet and drink water, coffee and tea. Red wine is now a monthly treat and I'll probably drop that soon, especially in Thailand.

No Thai bananas or sticky rice for me anymore either. Only real problem is that sugar is a good preservative so watch out for stuff going off quicker.

A mate lives that Keto lifestyle. He recommended watching this - That Sugar Film.



It's actually quite good, well made, and worth watching.

I definitely cut down after watching it.


Noticed myself looking at the number of grams of sugar in a drink if getting one in say the 7, more out of curiosity at first, typically each has around 4 teaspoons in it.


Don't really think I need 4 fookin' teaspoons of sugar in anything, especially a tiny little can of iced coffee. Don't think I've bought one since, no sugar in my morning coffee etc, wouldn't touch a can of Coke or whatever, though never would have.

Gonna give it a watch later.

12 grams in an energy drink that I just knecked.

Having read this thread I've decided to cut down from two to one teaspoons odd sugar in my tea.

A certain amount of sugar is probably required by the body to maintain blood sugar levels. Diabetes seemed quite rare when I was a youngster, and it now seems every footer has got some form of it. A fashionable curse of our times perhaps, or maybe just better understanding and diagnosis?
Processed foods perhaps to blame?
A certain amount of fat is essential too, but that stuff isn’t as attractively packaged as sugar, in drinks and processed foods.
Carbs required for energy, but then you have to burn it off with exercise, or you just gain weight.
What a strange and dangerous world we seem to have created for ourselves.

Sugar does seem to have a bad rep as the main culprit for obesity, so that is the one I’m going to concentrate on.
My height weight ratio is just fine btw, it just gets harder to maintain that healthy ratio as you age.

Thanks again for all the tips.