Avoiding sugar

Who says the body needs carbs?

Lactose is actually a low GI sugar and effects blood glucose levels a lot less than other sugars.

Nice. I didn’t know – I know lactose is part glucose so incorrectly assumed it’s high GI, but it isn’t.

Lactose – the ideal sugar?

Joining in a bit late.

I started following Mosley’s (RIP) Blood Sugar Diet 4 years ago. I’ve lost over 4 stone, my blood pressure was back within an acceptable range with a few weeks of starting the diet.

I’ve continued to follow the way of eating. Avoiding processed carbs and eating a higher (good) fat and protein diet.

I feel miles better for it. Less tired, and feel great about looking slim. Don’t feel hungry and the need to snack all the time.

I don’t miss the food I’ve cut out (ie chips, bread, pizza pasta etc). My tastes have changed completely and I enjoy the food I do eat. From a point of view of alcohol I’ll have one or two beers maybe but then stick to the red wine.

I’m also a little wary of some of the higher sugar fruits like banana, exotic fruits etc and stick to apples, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries on the whole.

To the OP I don’t think you feeling better is a placebo. Stick with it!

Who says the body needs carbs?

Apart from it being the preferred source of energy for brain and nervous system?

It’s why even charities like Diabetes UK advise to not really go much under 150g of carbs a day for an active adult, just make sure they’re good quality carbs.

Apart from it being the preferred source of energy for brain and nervous system?

Don’t get Lambchop started on his meat only diet.

Don’t get Lambchop started on his meat only diet.

I love a steak as much as the next (meat eating) man, but why diet and nutrition always has to be made over-complicated i don’t know, people love a fad diet, and they will throw so much energy into keto, or atkins, or low fat/ carb….. they’ll happily have a diet shake costing £5 a go containing emulsifiers and loads of ingredients you can’t pronounce.

But suggest maybe filling plate half with veg to full you up or going for a good walk, and they look at you as if you’re suggesting something odd

The trouble is you cannot state “CARBS = bad” in the same way you can’t say “fat = bad” which was the previous scare.

Your body needs carbs, and not all carbs can be considered bad, you cannot write off a whole food group.

@scud, not sure if that was addressed to me as the OP?  For clarity, I don’t think and didn’t say that “CARBS = bad”.  I get that the body needs fat, protein and carbs to function. It’s just that in my case the balance was wrong. I was getting too many of my calories from simple carbs, especially things like bread.  I’m also convinced by a lot of the science about the dangers of too many refined carbs and sugars in the diet as regards diabetes risk, inflammation etc.

I am trying to avoid refined sugar completely and cut right down (but not totally exclude) refined carbs like bread, pasta etc. I still eat rice and potatoes, though far less often and in much smaller portions than I used to.  I am still eating plenty of low GI complex carbs in the form of fruit, veg, oats etc. I want this to be sustainable and hopefully a permanent lifestyle change, so I don’t want it to be too faddy or restrictive.  As I say, after only a few weeks I feel much better for it and don’t feel like I’m depriving myself of anything.

Not aimed at you, more aimed at those after who state that they are trying to cut out all carbs OP…. it is a good thing to cut out simple and refined carbs in the most, unless you’re an hour int running a marathon!

I eat eggs as well as meat, and salt, lots of salt

Get back to us in 10 years lampchop. Hope your bowel is ok.

What do people use as snacks when out on a ride or walk? I’m now finding the bars eg Kellogs nutigrain or Nature valley very sweet.

@bunnyhop I’ve been experimenting with making flapjack. Followed a recipe for ginger flapjack which had 150g sugar in it….. That’s a lot. Used the same recipe and dropped it to 30g sugar plus some maple syrup and that was fine, threw in lots of nuts seeds and dried fruit. Going to try another batch with no added sugar, should be fine.

Did a carrot cake flapjack the other day that used only honey instead of added sugar and that was -spot on emoji-

I’ve been able to eat a bit every now and again and it doesn’t have the same immediate effect that biscuits and cake does -poo emoji-

And it’s really not very hard to make if you’ve not done it before.

Bloody emoji’s still not working!

Currently enjoying some cheese and marmite flapjacks, really good and pretty easy to make

Currently enjoying some cheese and marmite flapjacks, really good and pretty easy to make

Ooh…

Different, but I would like to give those a go. Do you have a recipe?

Cheese marmite flapjacks

300g oats

100g grated cheese

100g butter

As much seeds/chopped nuts as you fancy

2eggs

2 tbsp marmite

Melt butter and marmite together, stir in oats seeds and half cheese. Put in tray, compact and add remaining cheese. Bake 25 mins gas 4,/5 or whatever that is in Celsius

Cool

Stuff in face

Thanks @kormoran, I am definitely going to try these!

I am trying to avoid refined sugar completely and cut right down (but not totally exclude) refined carbs like bread, pasta etc. I still eat rice and potatoes, though far less often and in much smaller portions than I used to.  I am still eating plenty of low GI complex carbs in the form of fruit, veg, oats etc.

I always struggle with threads like this. White rice, and potatoes, while not refined can have the same sort of effect? They are quite high GI and cause blood sugar spikes in the same way?  Equally, certain fruit and veg might as well be refined sugar. At least in those instances you do get the added benefit of fibre, vitamins etc.

The sentiment is probably right though.

The Zoe podcasts and books by Tim Spector can make for informative reading on this stuff. That said, I found a lot of the recommendation impractical but some stuff you can do without much effort. It talks a lot about what causes blood sugar spikes and how to avoid it. Sometimes things that are bad for one person aren’t for others and visa versa. Also not all food groups are equal. Someone mentioned oats, apparently it can depend on how they are prepared as to whether they are better than other carb alternatives. It seemed liked everything was bad for you. Perhaps with the exception of quinoa and similar plant families – if it took less than 3 hours of boiling it was a problem, which was, a problem.

The other thing I took away was about variety and processing. It seems intuitive that less processing is better and that certain processes are worse than others – e.g. making bread by the Chorleywood process is a less good option than a sourdough. When you look at added ingredients like emulsifiers (in particular) they have unknown effects on the gut which people are now suspecting to be detrimental. I think somewhere there is a recommendation for 30+ different types of herbs, spice, veg and fruit. Maximising type, colour and varieties to get a good mix of less common chemical (flavanols derivatives).

I always struggle with threads like this. White rice, and potatoes, while not refined can have the same sort of effect? They are quite high GI and cause blood sugar spikes in the same way?

Not if (as I said in the bit you quoted) I have them “far less often and in much smaller portions”.  The refined sugars I was previously consuming were often between meals (snacks) as well as with them.  I don’t snack on rice or potatoes.  I don’t eat them very often at all now, so they’re not causing “blood sugar spikes in the same way”. I tend to bulk up with leafy greens and other veg – I just don’t want to exclude them completely for flexibility and to avoid the psychological effect of feeling everything enjoyable is “banned”.  I want this to be sustainable.  Brown rice by the way is low GI.  I hate to see you “struggling”, I hope this extra info alleviates that somewhat? <wink emoji>

Echoing Beagleboy’s comment. Also 30 ish years of type 1.

I don’t avoid I just bolus more if I’ve been naughty. Such as me buying 6 mince pies the other night. Then eating three of them in one go and “topping myself up” with a little bit of insulin. Diabetic but have a sweet tooth sometimes!

Hugely reduced carb intake (pasta / bread / rice. Also hugely got on top of my daily drinking. Wasn’t alot in terms of quantity just habitual. Since going down to perhaps a couple of drinks a month, lost a few kg.

Having had a freestyle libre on for the past fortnight has been quite an eye opener. I’ve modified my diet in a few areas to reduce big spikes and dips and it seems to be working

I’m currently thinking about my oat milk intake, it causes quite big spikes considering the quantities taken at a time. I guess it is very highly processed. We don’t have to cows milk in the house but I am tempted to either drop the oatmilk or swap for limited cows milk.

Oat milk, mmmm how do you milk oats? However it’s achieved it’s also full of rapeseed oil and other ultra processed nasties.

If you have to have milk the best way is to get some heavy cream and add water until it’s as runny as milk. Less lactose and the fat content is a good healthy fat.

Oat milk is not good. High carb and low protein generally. It will deffo spike your blood sugar.

Hemp milk is good. Low cal. Some protein. No sugar, no carbs and good calcium level.

A friend of mine went all “nutritionist” and bought a CGM to monitor her levels. Cue reports every 5 mins of what spikes her. I’m like, dude, I know, I’m actually diabetic and even after 30 odd years things catch me out!