Are all sugars created equal?

[KaseyP]

I'm just new this summer to a PMR diagnosis and learning so much from this forum. Thank you. It is the best place I've found for information on PMR! I'm working on the no added salt, no sugar diet, but certainly have a sweet tooth. Are all sugars equally evil? Is it better to use agave or honey, xylitol or splenda when a recipe asks for sugar? Or is it time for this sweet tooth to go cold turkey????

[PMRpro Ambassador]

All sugars are carbohydrates - whether they stimulate insulin production or not depends on which sugar but basically yes, all sugars are similarly bad. I won't say evil but the problem is that while you may be using a sugar that doesn't need insulin, your body is primed to produce insulin when sweetness is perceived! It's like Pavlov's dogs - even artificial sweeteners lead to production of insulin! So really - yes, time to go cold turkey if you are perfect! On the other hand - cutting it down slowly will work, 1 spoon sugar this week, half a spoon next week and so on. It only takes about 6 weeks to get used to the lack of sweetness - by then all your taste buds will have renewed and anything sugary will taste very very sweet.

I don't buy sugar and it never features in my cooking. Once or twice a year I make pancakes - and the sugar is the the little paper packs you get in a cafe with coffee! I used to bake a lot - but it doesn't figure in a low carb diet so there's another hobby gone!

[KaseyP in reply to PMRpro]

Rats! You've confirmed what I was thinking PMRpro. I like to bake, but just will need to do much less of it. That will keep me on the healthier side I guess. I am having problems with thrush and know that sugar is not good for that either. I'm sure it couldn't have been the blueberry pie I've decadently enjoyed the last 2 days. Oh my! All these changes. Do you have any good treatments that keep the thrush at bay?

[1Purplecrow in reply to KaseyP]

I discovered that thrush visits me everytime I binge on carbs, example, the lovely ripe mangos i recently found. After eating them for a couple of says, I had itchy under- breast area and tingly mouth(my symptoms of beginning thrush)

i found that rinsing my mouth with salt water helps. I put 1/2 tsp salt in 1 cup water and keep it on my counter, then rinse frequently with just a swish.

Also the fungal foot powders used for athletes foot are useful for short term comfort in personal areas .

Please be advised, I am not a medical professional, just a long-lived old woman who has learned a few things.

Dr. Google has lots of other suggestions if you want to check it out.

🙃

[KaseyP in reply to 1Purplecrow]

Oh yes, I've been reading up about thrush in my mouth on Dr Google. Just wanted to get the scoop from some live people too. I've read the salt one and will give that a try. Thanks Purplecrow!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to KaseyP]

Sorry

The doctor is the best place to ask for thrush treatments when on pred - because that doesn't help either! Plain organic yogs are said to help though - even topically (applied to the affected area) if you can imagine it!!!!!

[KaseyP in reply to PMRpro]

Yes thrush is a pain (in the mouth and throat)! I'm a singer and I know it can affect my voice in negative ways. Will check with doc.

[1Purplecrow]

Welcome Kasey, truth here...?... skip the cooking that takes all the sweeteners, be they honey, stevia, xyletol , aguave, etc.

As with new diabetics, in the beginning, most of us try to convert our old cooking/ eating habits and recipes, to low carb. Bottom line, they never tasted very good, i always had to compensate with xtra butter and salt, and even then, results disappointed.

So...i finally moved to fresh fruit, and fresh veggies, celery, carrots, etc.

I make lots of fruit flavored gelatin, using plain gelatin and fresh fruit with flavored diet sodas. Also just the fruit flavored packaged gelatins and sugar free whipped toppings satisfied me. I use splenda and sugar free syrup, when i want a sweet taste.

These are some of the things That helped me thru the craving. I also found that cravings lost their power when I had a plan for satisfying them without eating pastry, or other white carbs.

everyone finds their tricks, mine have helped me lose 15 lb. and have held my weight at pre- pmr.

****No big mystery, cut the white carbs, eat the colored ones😜

Kind regards, jerri

[KaseyP in reply to 1Purplecrow]

This is such good info Jerri and fine encouragement too. Thank you. I agree that having a plan to fend off the cravings really helps too. Currently mine is fresh blueberries, but I have used fruit flavored gelatins & sugar free whips at other times and will bring those back. Love the "cut the white carbs, eat the colored ones".

[SnazzyD]

I've found sugar is funny stuff in that the more you have the more you want. Once it is out of the diet the body readjusts, which can take days to weeks, sweet things no longer hold their power. It then doesn't take much sugar at all for something to taste too sweet or things that tasted of nothing have sweetness not noticed before.

[KaseyP in reply to SnazzyD]

Thanks Snazzy. This is something I know in my head but have yet to experience in my body. I remember my Grandma having to give up salt, and then any salt she did eat was overpowering. My body is readjusting right now. The other day I was craving …green beans!! Imagine it.

[SnazzyD in reply to KaseyP]

With hindsight in the three months or so running up to becoming ill with this GCA I craved sugary things and just wanted to stuff chocolate in the evenings. It was very out of character. I was also getting low blood sugars during the day for no good reason. I don't know whether my body was needing lots of energy or was just going off the rails.

[KaseyP in reply to SnazzyD]

Bodies are amazing things and hindsight…oh that we could see ahead as easily as back, or maybe not. Someday, hopefully in our futures, we'll learn more to better understand these diseases and all the effects they have on our bodies.

[HeronNS]

All sugars are the same to the body. The miniscule amount of nutrients in honey or maple syrup are not enough to justify using those instead of refined cane or beet sugar. However as the others have said a sweet tooth can be calmed by enjoying naturally sweet fruits, etc. And switch to things like dark chocolate. Eating just one small square can be more satisfying than a large piece of cake or a whole over-sweetened candy bar. And pure chocolate in moderation is actually good for you!

The best thing is to get used to things without sugar. I have a theory that we crave what our gut microbiome craves and if you encourage the sweet-craving microbes they'll just ask for more. Fear of developing diabetes had me virtually cut out all refined carbs, almost all wheat, etc. I also started eating more fermented foods and after a while, not overnight, mind you, I found I was actually starting to crave leafy greens!

When I was sixteen for Lent I gave up sugar in my tea and coffee and on my cereal. Within about three days I realized that all my life I'd tasted the sugar, not the food or drink, and I never went back to sweetening them.

[Sandy1947 in reply to HeronNS]

Surely you jest! One smal square of that bitter tasting 82% dark chocolate doesn't fill one of my molars let alone satisfy! Yesterday I was taking care of my 94 yr old mother and had a bit of emotional binging so I ate 4 squares of the tasteless chocolate after lunch and four after dinner. Before bed I had a few spoons of coffe ice cream (which I haven't done in 2 1/2 months).

When I was first diagnosed with PMR I felt sick if I saw white food. I had a date who ordered a large sugary pastry before I arrived and when I saw it I said, I am sorry, but we aren't a match! Also thought it was rude for him to order before I arrived. Iirritability from Pred also impinges on my patience.

Since I'm sugar aware I notice there is quite a bit of sugar in yogurt, milk, all dairy products. I simply notice and move along. Since low carb and low sugar I lost 5 pounds (from 107 to 102). I added oatmeal since weight loss, I really don't miss what is not good for me. I'm trying to be a good patient!

Good luck with cold turkey sugar cut! Keep us informed.

[HeronNS in reply to Sandy1947]

Sandy, I only buy unflavoured versions of yoghurt and kefir, only have milk in my tea. Last time I looked sugar wasn't added to liquid milk or cheese and there will be naturally occurring sugar in many foods. They aren't the problem. It's added sugar which is the problem. Sorry real chocolate doesn't work for you. I put a little in my mouth and let it melt, don't chew, and it lasts a long time and is satisfying to me, because all I really want is a few minutes tasting something sweet at the end of a meal. But if you weigh so little, as do I, I don't think the occasional emotional binge is going to harm you, as long as it really is occasional.

[KaseyP in reply to Sandy1947]

Good on you Sandy trying to be good! Me too! Ha…this summer on our holidays we could only find 95% chocolate where we were shopping. After that 85% seems very smooth and sweet. (This coming from one who 10 years ago could down bags of milk chocolate M&Ms. Now I would never think to eat those!)

[KaseyP]

Thank you HeronNS for these ideas. Years ago while I was in Crossfit and doing a Paleo challenge my hubby and I gave up milk chocolate for 85% and never went back. That was a great move and I do agree that one square brings delight. That's a fine @16 story!