Cutting out refined sugar

[Sarasvati]

This is a bit of a reminder to come back and fill at Ayla's request :lol. Please feel free to add recipes and information!

Blog about cutting out sugar: http://myyearwithout.blogspot.com/ she's been doing it a while, but like me (I'm a year behind her) she is learning new stuff all the time and continually reassessing.

[Ayla]

You rock! Thankyou!! :D:kotc

[Ceres]

I have to admit this is not something I would consider doing :lol

[asimplelife]

We went sugar free at the beginning of the year due to putting my DS on the GAPS diet. We're back eating sugar as an occasional thing but on a day to day or even every week it's not eaten or used.

I replaced with honey wherever I used to use sugar which isn't actually often since I don't bake or generally make puddings so didn't need to find replacements for that lol. Now that we're just on a gluten free diet (but sugar free) I use honey for sweetening hot chocolates (I mix up my own cocoa and milk powder), adding to marinades, pasta sauces when the tomatoes require a little sugar, making a baked apple crumble, my kids had birthday cakes during our GAPS diet stage with honey as the sweetener etc.

[Sarasvati]

GAPS was what kickstarted me too. I felt so much healthier and energetic when I was on it, and when I started reintroducing complex carbs I decided I may as well continue with the no sugar thing. I relaxed over Christmas (I did GAPS toward the end of the year) and made it my NY resolution to give up refined sugar. The whole year has been a journey for me, in trying to figure out what is acceptable as a sweetener, to questioning my motives (as I lost a lot of weight), etc. I haven't been sugar free all year, I've had the occasional "treat" since about August as we went on hols and I didn't want to miss out completely. There have been a few times I've had something only to ask myself why, as it hasn't been that great. I've learned how to say no without feeling guilty (it's very different to saying no to meat, people understand vegetarianism, but I find people say "oh go on just have a bit" with sugary stuff but most of the time I just don't want to!) I do feel a bit bad sometimes because I know I'm hard to cater for, and I do get frustrated when my family doesn't even try, but you get that.

I'll start digging up some recipes... FTR atm I eat (as sweeteners): honey, maple syrup (rarely), agave (rarely), dried fruit (mainly dates), coconut sugar (a recent find) and as of a week ago I thought I may include rapadura, but I'll write about that as I'm still trying to think it through.

[Mud]

Even small amounts of sugar usually make me sick or cause a reaction, but when there's some in very strong dark chocolate it seems OK. Maybe because of all the fat? That's the only way I have it (and not often). Honey is fine. Maple syrup, agave or rice malt seem OK for me in small amounts, but I rarely have them. Xylitol, fruit juice (from a bottle), dates and palm sugar have all been a problem, but other sweet things like carob and coconut seem fine.

I haven't experimented with rapadura yet, but I'm not too hopeful. I can't have gluten/wheat or corn either. I'll have to get the GAPS book -- sounds like my normal way of eating.

[Sarasvati]

I have friends who react badly to fructose, so honey and agave are bad for them. I don't have physical reactions, so for me it's trying to eat something that's as unrefined as possible, that has retained nutrients and minerals. Something that might not be a wholefood in the sense that it is tampered with, but is only a step or two away from it.

[Penarddun]

I read "sweet poison" book and the man who wrote it lost heaps of weight cutting all his sugar. He did no exercise either:lol, just cut out sugar.

Very interesting read:D:D

[Sarasvati]

I've put a bit of weight back on. I'm not eating enough sucrose to blame that!

[battlecrumpet]

We just use raw honey. Plus golden syrup on pancakes occasionally - not sure whether this counts as sugar or not.
I used to have sugar in coffee but gave up coffee and sugar a couple of months back. Have put on a bit of weight since cutting out sugar, I think, but not sure.

There are some schools of thought that basically recommend unprocessed food on one hand, but OTOH advocate eating lots of butter, cod liver oil etc. I guess butter and CLO are still processed, technically - so I wonder whether eating lots of these could put your appetite out of whack and help you gain weight? Am wondering whether this may account for weight gain. Anyway that's a bit off-topic.

[Echo]

In my experience eating more fat makes me less hungry and I lose weight.

[battlecrumpet]

Wow I wish the same happened to me! Maybe I should eat even more fat and see what happens :D
Of course, my metabolism might be different to yours Echo....

[Echo]

:lol The first few days are hard though because you're basically detoxing from all the carbs you'd been eating. But once all that is out of your system it's a lot easier. I actually did Atkins for about 6 months, and for all that people go on about it excluding veggies, I ate more veggies while on that than at any other point in my life!

[asimplelife]

yep, my mum found eating on the GAPS diet (high in animal fats and protein and no carbs and loads of vegetables) that the weight dropped off her (she's always struggled to lose weight and even exercising didn't shift it). As soon as she started eating carbs again it went back on...

Me and the kids on the GAPS diet who had no excess weight to lose didn't lose any but just maintained our optimal weight. So I believe that eating that way wasn't so much about weight loss but eating the right amount for your appetite.

ETA: We didn't do the diet for weight loss, it was just an added benefit that my mum found occurred.

[Sarasvati]

Golden syrup is a refined cane sugar product, so it's something I avoid. You could use maple syrup instead?

Yup the weightloss was an unanticipated side effect. I am eating more empty nutrients atm which is why I think I've put a bit of weight on (it's certainly not bothering me, except for not fitting some clothes I only just bought :lol). By empty nutrients I mean I am snacking on crackers a lot, and bread etc. A lot more dairy, a lot less nuts. I don't think dairy is empty nutrients, and I buy organic, but I don't think it's fabbo either. It's just convenient atm.

I need to find recipes don't I? :lol

[battlecrumpet]

What do ya'll think about eating carbs apart from refined sugar? e.g. rye bread, potatoes etc? Good, bad, indifferent?

[Sarasvati]

I'm a vego, life is super hard without starchy staples. I could only sustain GAPS for 5 weeks, before it just became Too Hard. I know they aren't ideal, but life is all about compromise. It's more important to me to not eat meat and reduce processed and refined foods than it is to cut out starchy carbs.

[Echo]

I think it's a personal thing. I know for me I do much better when I avoid starches as well.

[Sarasvati]

I want to add... the other adult who lives here is very very fussy when it comes to veges. If I didn't have to cater for him as well it might be easier to get rid of grains and starchy veg, as I'd have a lot more veges to choose from.

I was feeling far better on GAPS than I ever have, even though I had a raging skin infection and a broken ankle :lol.

This is turning into a GAPS thread though so I want to try to steer it back to sugar.

Chocolate Banana Loaf

Made up off the top of my head!

1.5 cups wholemeal plain flour
3 tspns baking powder
1/2 tspn baking soda
4 tbspns cacao
1 tspn cinnamon
pinch salt
1 egg
1 tspn vanilla
1/2 cup coconut oil (melted)
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup applesauce (could use honey instead of applesauce)
overripe bananas (I had one but I reckon 2 would work well)
1/2 cup chopped dates (optional, could use choc chips)

1. Mash banana/s well, beat in egg and add cooled coconut oil (in summer coconut oil should be liquid). Stir in honey, applesauce and vanilla.

2. Mix dry ingredients, add wet ingredients and mix well.

3. Fold dates through mix, pour into a greased and lined loaf tin.

4. Bake at 180C for ABOUT 40 mins, depending on your oven (my oven is slow and uneven so if you have a newer oven check at 30 mins).

We had it un-iced but I’m sure it would be lovely with icing. You could use butter instead of coconut oil (coconut oil used as the only fat tends to harden a bit in cold weather making a denser cake, even if you put a little butter in it should keep the cake soft)

[Sarasvati]

Applesauce (sugar free)

6 big sweet apples
1 cup water
2 pieces lemon rind (a bit bigger than a 50 cent piece each)
1 cinnamon stick
1 tbspn honey (optional)

1. Peel, core and roughly chop apples.

2. Combine apples with water, lemon rind and cinnamon in medium saucepan.

3. Cook, covered, at a low simmer until apples are soft and sweet smelling. Uncover pot and simmer until water has reduced slightly.

4. Use a stick blender to puree apples (take out cinnamon and rind first).

5. Add honey if you want a sweeter taste. Bottle and cool.

[Sarasvati]

Chocolate zucchini cake

1/2 cup organic butter, melted
1/2 cup coconut oil (or vegetable oil)
1 3/4 cup honey
2 eggs
1 tspn vanilla
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup ricemilk
2 1/2 cups stoneground wholemeal flour
4 tbspn cocoa
3/4 tspn baking soda
1/2 tspn cinnamon
2 cups grated zucchini

1. Mix well butter, oil, honey, eggs, and vanilla.

2. Add ricemilk alternately with dry ingredients (sifted together), ending with dry ingredients. Fold in grated zucchini.

3. Pour into square cake pan (or large round pan). Bake in 180 degree oven for 40 to 45 minutes.

[Sarasvati]

http://www.cheap-and-easy-recipes.com/individual-recipes/tomato-ketchup.htm

Even with the honey it works out cheaper than store bought sauce and is delicious from my taste testing! And I know exactly what is in it! I used a 4 pepper mix instead of white pepper and ground ginger as I forgot to buy fresh ginger. And of course about 2/3 cup of agave and the rest of the 2 cups sweetener was honey. Next time I might reduce the amount of salt.

[Sarasvati]

Mint choc ice cream

How's this for an intense flavour, that is dairy AND sugar free?

Ingredients
1 can coconut cream (organic is best)
pinch of salt
1 tspn peppermint essence
1/3 cup cacao (you could probably use fairtrade cocoa too, I like my cacao though!)
1/2 cup agave nectar
1 tbspn Loving Earth raw choc spread (subbing this might be hard as I know of no other choc spread that is sugar free - you could leave it out though)

1. Pour coconut cream into a medium saucepan, bring to gentle boil. Add salt and cacao and stir well. Add peppermint essence and allow to boil for a few minutes (this should boil off the alcohol in the essence). Remove from heat and stir in agave.
2. Pour mix into a heat proof jug and chill thoroughly (at least 2 hours, or whatever your icecream maker calls for).
3. Pour mix into icecream maker as per its instructions, I let mine do its thing for about 40 minutes.
4. Just before you turn it off, drop in the choc spread. Let it make a few rotations then scrape into a container. Poke around the mix to make sure there isn't a big glob of spread. Freeze well.
5. Eat and enjoy!

Notes: the spread should scatter flecks of choc through the icecream. The cacao doesn't usually dissolve perfectly and will leave specks as well, this tastes yum. Leave out peppermint for an intense choc flavour.

[Sarasvati]

http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2008/05/27/flash-in-the-pan-cocoa-nibbles-or-la-raw-bar/

http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2009/02/09/sweet-potato-for-my-sweetheart-spiked-sweet-potato-truffles-or-truffle-cups/

I've also made an icing recently that used cacao, maple syrup or honey (can't remember which I used, I think maple syrup), a tiny bit of organic butter and tapioca (arrowroot) flour to replicate the mass of icing sugar. I didn't measure it out, but a bit of jigging with amounts to taste should see you right.

[battlecrumpet]

mmmmm the mint choc ice cream looks divine!
Choc and zucchini in the one recipe is a bit of a surprise!

[Mud]

I don't bake much but we recently had a birthday so I made banana and goji berry muffins (sugar, dairy, grain free -- made with almonds). I don't know what you'd think of them if you were used to ordinary sugary muffins, but we loved them.

[Sarasvati]

Do you have a recipe?

http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2009/07/deep-dark-chocolate-tart-gluten-grain-dairy-refined-sugar-free.html

I tried the above recipe, it probably would be better with the coconut sugar as suggested (or rapadura) but i used honey, it ended up not setting properly (also the coconut cream wasn't thick enough) but it was delish, we scraped it out of the tin hehe. SOOOO rich.

[battlecrumpet]

We had a yummo goji berri lassi at a Tibetan restaurant the other week. I think lassi is just make of plain / Greek yoghurt, some water, honey, a bit of salt, plus whatever flavouring you want to add e.g. goji berries, pawpaw etc.

[Mud]

Banana goji muffins - contain eggs and nuts
(double batch)

3 cups ground almonds
2 tsp baking powder
1-2 tsp bicarb soda
2 tsp guar gum/xanthan gum (optional - never bothered myself)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ginger (or whichever spices you like)
4 eggs
1 glug of honey
1/2 pod of vanilla seed (opt)
1/4 cup oil (such as macadamia, olive or coconut oil)
6 medium bananas, mashed (can also sub some with cooked apple)
1/2 cup - 1 cup goji berries (or chopped prunes or blueberries)

Preheat oven to 180 and grease pans.

Mix dry ingedients. In a separate bowl, mix eggs, then add honey, oil; mix then add mashed banana. Make a well in centre of dry ingredients, add banana mixture, then berries. Mix with wooden spoon just until everything is mixed in. Spoon in pans. Bake 15-18 mins.

[Sarasvati]

Hehe "glug". I love that word.

[Mud]

The recipe I adapted it from had 2 cups of sugar -- it would be so sweet as to be inedible to me. Bananas are so sweet, you don't need much honey really.

[Ayla]

:bump for E

[evelynn]

nice, thankyou!! :kotc

[evelynn]

i am cutting out sugars. [minus natural ones like in fruit].
i am finding that reikaya gets a bit hyper, even off small amounts, and i get depressed and moody. it NEEDS to go!!! :nervous

we don't eat a lot of biscuits muffins cakes etc, it's just mainly sugar that is in bought products that i use to make dinner etc.

i am finding that sugar is in a lot of things...even things you wouldn't think it is in...like sauces and cereals etc.
any one got any recpies for main meals that are sugar free?
how did you go sugar free?

i want to cut out processed foods too....buti might just stick with sugar for the moment!!!! :lol

[asimplelife]

What sort of mains do you like to eat? Or perhaps, what do you currently eat that you want to cook sugar free for (sauces etc)? The only sauce I add a little sugar to is pasta sauce and that was easy enough to just add a bit of stevia powder. Marinades you can just use honey. We got rid of jarred sauces etc when we went gluten free 4yrs ago and it's just 2nd nature now.

We eat porridge for breakfast instead of cereals.

TBH, I think cutting out processed foods will lead you to being sugar free. :D

[GreenGully]

We aren't sugar free but very few of our dinner foods have sugar in them.
Curries are generally ok, pasta, salads etc. I really enjoy mountain bread wraps in summer. Lots of salad with Haloumi or spicy beans and cheese. YUM!

[Ceres]

Just don't use the packets or sauces. The only sugary things I have in mains is ABC sauce or sweet chilli.

[Auset]

TBH, I think cutting out processed foods will lead you to being sugar free. :D

I agree.... hell, we don't even have sugar in ice cream lol. A couple of banana's are enough to sweeten it :) (Mmmmm... raw ice cream rocks...)

A basic tomato sauce to top your pasta with, sub lemon juice for the lemon, it does the same thing (helps break down something to make the tomato's sweeter) I think I am yet to add sugar to any main meal though? Deserts are where we fall off the wagon. I need to source some alternatives (apart from the ice cream lol.... soooo fatty!)

[Sarasvati]

You can make sauces without refined sugar (I just made plum sauce on the weekend with honey, and I've made tomato sauce in the past too, with honey).

[Sarasvati]

Well, didn't I just fall off the wagon!

I decided to be relaxed over the hols but I really went OTT. After a few days I realised how much my body was struggling but just ignored it and kept having crap. By the last few days I was over the crap but the damage is done, I have gut pains, digestive issues and feel blah. So getting back on the wagon!

[Ayla]

Yikes! Sounds yuck :( I think that is why I can't Go There right now as I'm still dealing with control issues around food and the thought that I may binge scares me :S

[Sarasvati]

It was like I gave myself permission to binge. It really was revolting, and half the time I didn't even enjoy it. I just ate it coz it was there. Not good!

[Blossomtime]

We've been sugar free since Jan 1 and it feels great :D

[Sarasvati]

I'm pleased to report am feeling much better, still not 100% again but the cramping has gone yay!

[Ayla]

I'm seriously considering the sugar-free thing again. I've downloaded the GAPS pdfs :nervous Although, is this something that is safe to do during pregnancy?

[Sarasvati]

Sorry Ayla I never replied. From memory yes but I'm not a nutritionist ;).

Have backslid in the lasst few days but it's that or go crazy eating really really bad shit. I hate self-destructive eating. :(

[turtledove]

I'm off the stuff too - still having non-refined sweeteners like honey, maple syrup and rapadura, so it's not too hard, just means I have to make yummy treats and not buy them. I'm also avoiding vegetable oils, so I'm having pretty much no processed foods and it feels great! I had a slip up a couple of days ago at a kid's birthday party - my 3yo took a small slice of cake but then decided he didn't want it, so I ate it (I'm not sure why - politeness, or was that just an excuse to myself?) and it was yummy (banana cake) but immediately after I felt like more sugar - it's really quite addictive, isn't it? I don't think I realised before just how much.

[Sarasvati]

Very very addictive! The damn buggery stuff!

At least it will be easier for me to resist temptation now, with the remaining unrepentant addict moving out!

[Anarcostar]

Well we'll be jumping on the sugar-free wagon *very scared very scared*
We actually will be doing GAPS when we get our heads around it and get our selves organised *sigh*

But I realised that sugar is THE biggest stumbling block for all of us - so we're doing that first. DH and I have it in our tea, and Tyler is addicted - seriously! If there is sugar in the house he will seek and eat. At 5:30 in the morning by the teaspoon full hiding under the table, or if someone spills it on the table he'll lick it all up! Or in the past, if I've put the sugar up too high (now nowhere is too high :blueroll) he will then seek out the homeopathic remedies and scoff those!! (I once found him in the bathroom, face covered in white powder after eating half a bottle of Weleda Teething Powder :rofl). The good thing is that he doesn't really like cakes, biscuits, lollies etc... Just pure sugar! Aghhh!!
So yes. We have sugar issues. Our last bit of sugar is nearly gone, and when it is - that's it. No more. :lemmeout

What do people know about Stevia? Its herbal, but I guess its still processed ...? Bit OT, but do you think it would be acceptable on GAPS?

I'm actually kind of scared how my body will react, and that just shows you how addicted I think I must be. Ughh.

[earthy]

Burgh Im also considering GAPS but whoa it scares me, I have the book here staring at me and Ive been meaning to implement it for a couple of years now, but just when Im thinking of starting, I pull my socks up in the food dept. and con myself into thinking we have it under control.
We gave up wheat, sugars and bad fats just before chrissy as I had a gallbladder attack that frightened me into taking stock. Even though we are eating so much better we have now started to allow sneaking in gluten free cakes and biscuits etc which in our mind we can say we are being good because we are avoiding the wheat but in that small amount of time the sugar has taken hold again and I find myself hunting out more and more. ENOUGH!! It really is so addictive and leads to such a vicious bloody cycle. Back to square one.

[Sarasvati]

Gluten-free stuff is pretty no no on GAPS, as it is generally very highly processed. It's a pretty rough diet :lol. Not too bad for omnivores but really tricky for vegos!

Chrissy from memory stevia isn't allowed, but honey and maple syrup are. I now sweeten tea and coffee etc with honey. The honey really must be raw though (and avoid maple-flavoured syrup).

[Sarasvati]

I've fallen off the wagon again. Argh. Atm I'm about just doing what pleases me, rather than what's good for me ;).

[Janet]

I think that's exactly what's good for you. :lol Go you. :)

[Sarasvati]

:lol I'm managing to keep it moderate at least ;).