How, mentally, can I overcome refined sugar?

November 29, 2010 4:24 PM

How, mentally, can I overcome refined sugar? How can I do it?

I've been trying for about eight months to kick refined sugar. I've read a lot of literature on refined sugar, and I'm trying to quit because I've noticed that I get sugar rushes pretty easily, even eating an apple makes me feel a little jittery, and sweets and the like greatly boost my anxiety and depression. But, whenever I go off, I start feeling like hell. Sick to my stomach, loss of appetite, depressed, lethargic, almost on the bottom of a bipolar swing. I've only gone as much as five days before breaking, and I'm sick of this cycle that leaves me feeling different types of crappy.

I'm vegetarian/vegan, and have been for about three years. I eat healthy, and I make sure I get my B vitamins and things of that nature. I make damn sure I get plenty of protein. Still, could lack of meat be part of the problem? Or is it just crappy willpower?

posted by Philipschall to Health & Fitness (26 answers total)

It sounds like you're getting too many carbs. Have you tried focusing on low-GI, higher-protein vegetarian foods at the same time you eliminate sugar?
posted by cyndigo at 4:27 PM on November 29, 2010

Response by poster: Plenty o' lentils and beans. Doing this on kinda a low-budget.
posted by Philipschall at 4:30 PM on November 29, 2010

Stick it out for two weeks. I've felt like a damn zombie while cutting out sugar, but after a week I felt back to normal, and after two weeks I was feeling really good, better than when I was eating sugar. The two weeks is also long enough for me to sort of reset my cravings for sweets.

(I've really got to do that again. Right after this beer.)
posted by runningwithscissors at 4:50 PM on November 29, 2010

If you want carbs, go with vegetables, sweet potatoes and other tubers, and fruits. It is difficult to get enough good protein on a vegan diet, I'd also be concerned about your omega-3 to omega-6 ratio. You could also try upping your fats, but again it's hard to get good fats on vegan. Coconut, avocado, and olive oils and cocoa butter are among the few good plant fats.

For refined sugar, I never use it for anything but tea. The teaspoon or two in a big mug of tea makes it plenty of a sweet treat for the day. I hope this helps.
posted by Earl the Polliwog at 5:05 PM on November 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

You might be low on fats, which are the body's primary non-carb energy source. Try snacking on almonds, pistachios, hummus, guacamole, etc., and put more olive oil in everything. Maybe supplement with a slug of hemp or flax oil with dinner, too. All these foods have healthy fats which should help boost your energy and mood.
posted by vorfeed at 5:07 PM on November 29, 2010

Response by poster: I know I'm not low on fats. I eat an avocado every day, and have walnuts as a quick snack throughout the day. Maybe I do just need to stick it out for a couple weeks....
posted by Philipschall at 5:12 PM on November 29, 2010

I know I'm not low on fats. I eat an avocado every day, and have walnuts as a quick snack throughout the day. Maybe I do just need to stick it out for a couple weeks....

That doesn't sound like NEAR enough fat. Are you tracking your foods? What's your P/C/F splits? (Prot/Carb/Fats percentages of your total intake)

Are you vegetarian for moral reason or health reasons? If it's health, you may want to re-investigate claims. Things have changed a lot in the past few years. Just sayin'.
posted by unixrat at 5:22 PM on November 29, 2010

Yeah, this is really hard to do if you're just eyeballing your intake. Use FitDay or something to track your macronutrients for a week or two and see where you are.

Beyond that, for me it definitely takes closer to two weeks to even out - the first five days are the pits for sure.
posted by restless_nomad at 5:30 PM on November 29, 2010

Response by poster: I went vegan because I hated feeling weighed down by what I ate. I hated knowing that the meat I chose to eat lived a miserable-chemical laden life and that their misery would end up in the food I ate. Also, some dumb spiritual reasons that I can see as plain insecurity now. I was big into "The China Study" and "Eat to live," but at the same time, I'm 21, I don't have pressing medical issues, I get good amounts of exercise.
posted by Philipschall at 5:52 PM on November 29, 2010

Would you be willing to enter in your past 3-5 days (Don't worry about Thanksgiving, if you're an American) to something like Fitday or Daily Burn?
posted by unixrat at 6:03 PM on November 29, 2010

Also: How about your foods for the last time you went without refined sugar?
posted by unixrat at 6:05 PM on November 29, 2010

Response by poster: I know I eat healthy, but I don't keep very good track. I'll start entering stuff today, and go for about five days.
posted by Philipschall at 6:06 PM on November 29, 2010

No, go backwards. Give us a list of what you *have* eaten in the past 3-5. Much faster and you don't get 'interference from measurement' thing. :)
posted by unixrat at 6:11 PM on November 29, 2010

Some say there is no willpower, just impulses. Thinking that your impulse to eat sugar is transient may help in waiting for the impulse to pass.
The bag of cellular machinery that we are does adapt to its inputs and change requires an uncomfortable transition.
posted by llc at 6:16 PM on November 29, 2010

I managed to get through 3 weeks back in June and although I'm back on the wagon now, it seemed the trick was just to eat the hell out of everything else. Need some sugar? Boil a bag of spinach, eat an entire english cucumber, or make some home fries. It does take about 2-3 weeks and you forget that you ever had cravings. Stick it out! (I'm talking to myself here as well)
posted by gillianr at 6:34 PM on November 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

There are some major issues with the China Study book, on top of the fact that the actual China Study data is observational and thus is extremely weak evidence as far as actually proving any hypotheses.

Also, n-6 polyunsaturated fats are awful for you, they're like negative fish oil. The mainstream hasn't entirely caught onto this yet but it is a simple consequence of the fact that it's not food we evolved to eat, along with the saturated-fat-phobia that really doesn't have much justification. What the common conception of "healthy" is, is not always healthy.

I personally choose meat that has been fed its natural diet and not cramped up in a prison and doped up with antibiotics or any of the horrible things you read about. Grass-fed steak, pastured eggs, wild deer. Given our very firmly omnivorous heritage and genetics, it may be something you could consider now.

Finally, fruits are pretty great. http://donmatesz.blogspot.com/2010/03/paleo-basics-fructose-fact-vs-fiction.html">It's been shown that sugar from unrefined, natural sources is http://blog.cholesterol-and-health.com/2010/10/high-fructose-corn-syrup-is-sweet.html">not nearly as bad for you as refined sugar, and it's hard to get more than 50g of sugar daily off of fruits anyway.
posted by Earl the Polliwog at 7:06 PM on November 29, 2010

Oops... trying again, mods please delete the old one.

There are some major issues with the China Study book, on top of the fact that the actual China Study data is observational and thus is extremely weak evidence as far as actually proving any hypotheses.

Also, n-6 polyunsaturated fats are awful for you, they're like negative fish oil. The mainstream hasn't entirely caught onto this yet but it is a simple consequence of the fact that it's not food we evolved to eat, along with the saturated-fat-phobia that really doesn't have much justification. What the common conception of "healthy" is, is not always healthy.

I personally choose meat that has been fed its natural diet and not cramped up in a prison and doped up with antibiotics or any of the horrible things you read about. Grass-fed steak, pastured eggs, wild deer. Given our very firmly omnivorous heritage and genetics, it may be something you could consider now.

Finally, fruits are pretty great. It's been shown that sugar from unrefined, natural sources is not nearly as bad for you as refined sugar, and it's hard to get more than 50g of sugar daily off of fruits anyway.
posted by Earl the Polliwog at 7:08 PM on November 29, 2010

Congratulations on choosing to cut out refined sugar! The first two weeks are definitely the hardest, if you can get past those, it's much easier to maintain. The symptoms you described are extremely typical, and will go away if you stick with it. Imagine it as being just like alcohol or drugs - detox is physically difficult, but once you get it out and keep it out of your system you WILL start to feel better.

Here are a couple of tips for you, some of which have already been mentioned above, but I'll repeat for emphasis:

- Plan, plan, plan. It's much harder to avoid sugar if you aren't planning your meals and snack options ahead of time. Research low-carb recipes and have low-carb ingredients and options on hand so you can always whip something up quick. I say "low-carb" rather than "low-sugar" because to your body, refined grains, sugars and high glycemic-index starches are exactly the same thing, so avoiding sugar but not refined grains and starches will only encourage your body to continue craving sugar and undermine your efforts.

- Avoid eating out for the first week or two. It's much harder to control and avoid hidden sugars when you aren't making your own food.

- Up your fats considerably. Feeling hungry? Reach for something high-fat. Avocados and nuts are a great start, look into other sources as well. Which leads me to...

- Consider reintroducing some dairy and/or meat options. Eggs, cheese, cream, and fish are all wonderfully healthy foods that avoid some of the food-processing issues you mentioned. Even organic, locally-raised meats may be an option

- Read "Good Calories, Bad Calories" by Gary Taubes. This isn't a diet book at all, it's an extensively researched review of the current beliefs we hold about nutrition and health, and the actual science behind those beliefs. It will make you look at what we think of as "a healthy diet" in a whole new light.

Best of luck!
posted by platinum at 7:25 PM on November 29, 2010

I go on periodic sugar fasts. A few things that help me:
- First, stock up on snacks and ready-made food that you know will satisfy you and that you won't feel bad about eating a lot of (for me it's yogurt, cheese, fresh fruit, prepped carrots, nuts, etc.). Make sure you have A LOT of this stuff on hand. At least a week, probably two weeks' worth. You may feel like you're overeating initially, but eat this stuff whenever you want sugar.
- If there are predictable times of day you tend to snack on sugar, set alarms for those times minus 30 minutes and preemptively eat some of your non-sugar snacks.
- Allot one time per week when you can have sugar. For me it's Saturday, a day I'm in good control of my eating and a day I'm likely to be doing fun stuff and not eating out of boredom. (Basically, I bound my sugar intake by defining when I can eat it, but I don't sabotage myself by choosing a time when I'm likely to lose control for other reasons.) An easy-to-remember schedule is KEY. You want to be able to say "I can have sugar on ________." and "It's not ________ so I'm not eating sugar."
- Sometimes phasing into the sugar fast helps me. A week prior to my fast, I'll reduce down to one square of dark chocolate a day. I put this one serving out on view. I can have it whenever I want, but I don't have to go into the cupboard to get it. Seeing it throughout the day allows me to feel more "in choice" about when I eat it.
- For the sugar fast itself, give it at least 7 days before you judge it. I go through days of headaches and irritability and sluggishness before I hit my stride around a week into it. Also, cravings go way down after a week. After about two weeks I get a real boost and it's pretty easy to continue.
Good luck!
posted by cocoagirl at 7:32 PM on November 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

You feel like crap when you go off sugar because your whole body and in particular your brain runs on energy converted from simple carbs. You can give yourself complex carbs, protein and fat and they get turned into energy as well, but not nearly as quickly or efficiently. You need good sources of carbs throughout the day. Apples are nutritious and they give you the quick energy you want. Denying yourself any simple carbohydrate, even whole fruit, is going to make you feel like crap no matter what.
posted by slow graffiti at 8:27 PM on November 29, 2010

Where are you getting your protein? Unfortunately beans, lentils, and soy are pretty terrible protein sources. They get touted as "full o' protein" because they're better than, say, lettuce.

It sounds like you're pretty carb-sensitive, if the sugar rush is any indication. Unfortunately, being vegan and eating beans, lentils, rice (even brown) is going to make cutting the sugar harder, as those high-carb sources are going to keep your pump primed and craving the shittier stuff.

If you plan on staying vegan, I think you'll have the most luck by cutting out all sources of simple carbs. No rice. No grains. Not even fruit, for now--eat more vegetables instead. Go ahead and keep the beans and lentils I guess, as they're lower-GI and you can't afford to be any more protein-deprived than you probably already are.

I have a seriously terrible sweet tooth and when I'm switching to clean eating I can't even eat apples or oranges at first, it sets me off that bad.
posted by Anonymous at 10:04 PM on November 29, 2010

You have my respect for actualizing your ethics into a compassionate plant-based lifestyle; dinnae be swayed to omnivorism out of nutritional-inadaquacy fears, for I assure you it is possible to nourish yourself well while keeping your conscience clean. Secondly, what you're attempting to do in eliminating simple carbohydrates is hard—admirable, indeed!—but difficult. I say this not to discourage you, but rather to offer support.

There does seem to be a prevailing climate of protein-fetishism, despite the fact that from the sound of it, your intake is sufficient. Legumes of all sorts—nuts, beans, lentils—are standbys—glad to hear you're getting enough; most everything else is supplemental. The WHO sets guideline calories-from-protein at 5% of the total diet, and the USDA at 6.5%.

I do recommend quinoa and other so-called "ancient grains." I remain at a loss to explain why even fruit would cause jitters and emotional troubles, though! Are you absolutely sure you might not have some sort of metabolic disorder—hypo/hyper-glycemia, type-1 (insulin-dependent, not type-2, the better-known variety) diabetes? Getting tested really is a painless process, and you'll have the peace-of-mind that's knowing. Consider scheduling an appointment with your GP, or, failing that, describing your symptoms at your next scheduled visit.

Also, as a fellow vegan (as if you hadn't guessed by now), I cannot stress enough the importance of B-12 (I know you're doing so already, but get it from cultured sources like raw kombucha and things with nutritional yeast) and vegan D. For supplementation, I rely on a Jarrow supplement which contains activated (methyl-) cobalamin B-12, and take 1600 IU of vegan D daily. If it's any consolation, a plant-based diet should be upping bioavailability of nutrients.

All the best; good luck with this.
posted by alexandermatheson at 1:04 AM on November 30, 2010

The WHO sets guideline calories-from-protein at 5% of the total diet, and the USDA at 6.5%.

That's really, really low, like subsistence-level protein. A healthy American male should be shooting for 40%, roughly.

There does seem to be a prevailing climate of protein-fetishism, despite the fact that from the sound of it, your intake is sufficient.

How are you determining this? We've gotten zero hard numbers from this guy and what he has provided has been hand-wavey. Even he admits that his rationale for going veg was partially based on immaturity.

He's concerned foremost about his health. It's not the time to be giving out false reassurances.
posted by unixrat at 6:37 AM on November 30, 2010

There's a pretty old book that is called "The Sugar Addict's Diet" that recommends a step-down approach to getting off of sugar. First, you just eat sugar you would normally eat with meals, so that you don't get the sugar crash as much. Next, you start switching white carbs and sugars for complex carbs. Last, you eat 3 balanced meals with whole grains and protein, and then you eat a potato at night, alone. This is supposed to rebalance your serotonin. I have no idea if this works, but my friend tried it and felt better. It sounds super quirky, but the author makes good points and her book would address your mood symptoms related to sugar. The author also wrote "Potatoes Not Prozac." Good luck! I am a sugar addict who is sensitive to the highs and lows, too.
posted by shortyJBot at 2:59 PM on November 30, 2010 [1 favorite]

@unixrat: False reassurance? I strongly urged him to seek the advice of a medical professional, after suggesting that insufficient protein might not be the problem. What does unite everyone who's commented here, as you point out, is that they are concerned about the OP's well-being, so I'm confident that urging him to see a doctor shouldn't be controversial. Additionally, he claims he "makes damn sure [he] gets enough protein" and substantiated that with specifics of beans, lentils, and nuts.

OP: please consider seeing your GP!
posted by alexandermatheson at 2:43 AM on December 1, 2010

Also: hemp! Hempseeds, hempmilk—it's fantastic stuff because of its extraordinary amino profile; I believe it provides all 22 essential amino acids.

Also—you might (if you're not already) cut the size of meals and add snacks in between to regulate glucose spikes and dips. It's possible your glucose levels are lurching around between regular meals. It is undeniably a bit more effort to plan ahead to ensure you have snacks at your disposal, but it definitely might help.
posted by alexandermatheson at 3:03 AM on December 1, 2010