Sugar. Just saw That Sugar Film and want to be free of the stuff.

[Pen]

I want a basically sugarless home.  I am convinced it is affecting my weight and waistline, and ds's moods and academics.

 

 I thought we were pretty healthy, and organic, but as I read labels there is sugar in the organic salad dressing, and sugar in the organic bread. Not to mention sugar (not added, but still just a lot in terms of the fructose of the juice itself) in the juices,  and, of course, in any sweets around, as well as in the sugar jar, and the honey. And in my, I thought, fabulous high protein breakfast muffins, and in pancake breakfasts when we have them.

 

I don't expect that ds would be sugar free unless he decides to be himself, since he can get it when he is out, which is much of the time now that he is a teen, but I would like to work on the home sugar content.  

 

Should I throw out sugar containing items? Put them in deep pantry?  Go Cold turkey? Or ease off gradually?  I am sure we have enough sugar  growing on our blackberry canes and apple trees without any added from a sugar jar or hiding in food items.

 

Normally I'd pick enough blackberries to freeze for making a couple, few pies in wintertime. Now I am not sure about that even.

 

 

[Catwoman]

Are you sure you want to get extreme about it right away? I know cold turkey is the only approach that works for some people and that's fine, but I'm wondering if it would be better to gradually replace the offending foods with less-sugary options, to give your family a chance to get used to the changes and hopefully not rebel against them.

 

I think it would be hard to make such a big change immediately, unless it was for something like a sudden and serious health issue that made it necessary to do it right away.

[Liz CA]

The easiest way for me to accomplish this was to cook from scratch and make condiments as well. I like cooking / baking anyway so no sacrifice here.

I don't know that you can be sugarless because you still want to sweeten some things but you can use better types of sweeteners like maple syrup, honey, Rapadura, etc. An important issue is how the sugar is processed on your body. White sugar from your pantry is differently processed than sugar naturally occurring in fruit.

 

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

Honestly, I think things like blackberry pie and pancake breakfasts are part of what makes life good.  The key is that these be OCCASIONAL, not daily or weekly things.  

 

I make pancakes on birthdays and Christmas morning (or a coffee cake or cinnamon rolls, but something sweet)

 

I also make desserts for birthdays and family gatherings, so maybe once a month or so.  

 

But daily?  No.  We don't drink sugar water of any kind (including all natural juices).  Snacks are hard because of the cultural norm to have sweets.  I've switched to fruit or veggies sticks, roasted (not sweetened) cashews, almonds, etc.  I will relatively often offer a small square of dark chocolate.  

 

Breakfast is sugar-free, and I think this is the most important thing in getting our school day to go well.  Generally, we have eggs, bacon, and tortillas.  Sometimes cheese and crackers.  

 

Personally, I found it easier to go cold-turkey, but I know others feel differently.  My kids are little still, so compliance is relatively straight-forward.  

[mathnerd]

When I went sugarless, I did not throw away all the sugary food that I had. I instead mixed them with sugarless items and used that as a way to taper off gradually. For e.g. if I had a bottle of salad dressing, I might add a little olive oil or balsamic or plain yoghurt to it and use it up. I had some white rice when I decided to go sugarless - I added some barley, cubed sweet potato to it every time I cooked it so that the amount of white rice consumed per meal was very little. By the time that I got all the sugary stuff from my freezer and pantry used up, we had been gradually going off sugar that no one noticed. My DH is a sugar junkie and eats a lot of carbs - he is super active and needs the sugar to keep him active. The previous times that I went sugar free, he had a hard time with it and his body literally protested. But, gradually easing off helped him go off sugar and he is happy about it now. We occasionally buy dessert but do not bake or cook any sugary foods. I have been handing out pencils, erasers and small toys to neighborhood kids for halloween for years. We eat a lot of fruit and dates and that is sufficient sugar for us. I use raw coconut sugar if and when I need to use sugar. I tried molasses and did not like it. A rule of thumb that my nutritionist friend told me to follow - use portion control if you are consuming any white colored food. 

[2ndGenHomeschooler]

I've been tapering off he unhealthy stuff gradually. One day I bought natural peanut butter instead of the regular sweetened stuff. Everyone complained but eventually started eating it. Once they were used to that I switched another thing. It's been a process but over the past few years our diet has improved significantly. Making changes gradually gives all of us a chance to adjust to new flavors as well as the absence of foods that aren't replaced with healthier options. It also gives me time to figure out squeezing a possibly more expensive food into a tight food budget and making time to prep more foods from scratch. I've personally gone cold turkey with the Whole30 but it'd be difficult to do something like that for the whole family from the standpoint of time, money, and the number of complaints I'm willing to live with. Gradual changes are working for us. There are still changes to be made but we'll get there.

[regentrude]

Moderation and gradual changes.

I am mindful of added sugar and processed foods and limit them. I cook and bake from scratch and rarely eat out. But I see no reason to eliminate all sugar or forgo the occasional blackberry pie. I consider this unnecessary, unless you have a medial condition that requires it.

 

I would simply not purchase sugar containing processed foods, but continue to enjoy the home baked pies and pancakes as treats.

 

Edited September 9, 2017 by regentrude

[regentrude]

nm 

 

Edited September 9, 2017 by regentrude

[Guest]

Just start tapering down. Once a week pancake breakfasts with fruit instead of syrup, swapping in stuff like lower sugar ketchup (Walmart has it!) or crystal lite for homemade popsicles instead of sugar. Things like that. It's a lot easier than getting rid of absolutely every scrap and can help the kids feel like it's not a "never" thing, but a rare change of pace.

[Nan in Mass]

I noticed long ago that sugar with no protein made us cry. I taught my children to drink a glass of milk when they eat anything sweet. We were all fine as long as we did that. My children range from 30 to 23 now and even now, at clan birthday parties, when the cake is served, one of mine will stand up and announce that they need a glass of milk, does anyone else want one, and his brothers will say yes please. I don't think I have ever seen them eat a candybar without a glass of milk, either. All that to say that once your children notice what a blood sugar spike feels like, they might well want to avoid them. Cheese with pie is pretty traditional.

 

I wouldn't give up blackberry pie and applesauce. I would just not add any sugar to the applesauce and eat a handful of nuts or some cheese or milk with any fruit. Or whatever other protein your family eats.

 

From watching other healthy-eating family members who struggle with their weight, I have come to be suspicious of high-anything foods. High protein home made granola bars come to mind. Yes, they are dense with nutrients, but they also have a large number of calories per bar. That is just what you need if you are backpacking and struggling to carry enough calories on your back to sustain that sort of exertion, or you are a teenage athlete who spends 5 hours a day working out, but not so appropriate for my ordinary day, even though I am not particularly sedentary. It is way too easy for me to eat too much of dense foods. I try to eat non-dense, simple food most of the time, and mix the occasional sweet treat with protein. Some of that I grew up with, and some of it I really gradually converted to.

 

Nan

[wintermom]

Our family is doing a Low-Sugar Challenge for the month of Sept. The dc are totally on-board. We also watched the doc, "Sugar Coated" which I liked ever better. 

 

For our challenge, we are trying to cut out added sugars, especially refined sugar, in foods (processed foods mostly).  We are agreeing to use some sweeteners sparingly, otherwise life would be silly. Those we're using are pure maple syrup, honey and molasses (mostly for baking, making granola, etc.). We are avoiding juice, but embracing fruit. 

 

We started the challenge by going grocery shopping together and carefully looking at food labels in making decisions about what we'd buy and what we would avoid. It's been going really well so far. No crazy cravings and no whining.  :laugh:

Edited September 9, 2017 by wintermom

[Pen]

Thank you for all thoughts and replies.

 

Here is my plan as of now, let me know what you think.

 

So. After sleeping on it and reading the replies above, I decided that, no, I don't want to go cold turkey or overboard on it!!!  But, interestingly, for all its problems, I appreciate that the movie has given me more of a sense of "ick" when looking at something with obvious or hidden sugar, sort of like when I once found cockroaches in my chocolate. I still like the taste of chocolate, but I have been cautious with it ever since. (When I first heard about cockroaches in chocolate, I thought, oh well, a little protein how nice, but then when I encountered actual obvious cockroach bodies, it elicited the ick factor, even though in theory I know that cockroach can be a food protein source.)

 

 

We will certainly continue to eat fresh fruit now growing here, and still plan to pick fruit and freeze some for midwinter and holiday pies as usual.  But, yeah, I'll plan to try to serve/eat cheese along with the pie...or maybe whipped cream would help.  We have bananas right now that I am going to freeze for possible winter banana bread or similar. This will mean that the fruits to be eaten now will be all fresh and right off the plant, with I am sure a lot more nutrients than bananas. 

 

  

 

I think I am going to mainly focus on one "culprit" at a time.  I made a list and then changed the numbers around for the order I think I should proceed in.

 

1) Our water is not good tasting, which leads to a juice use issue.  This is the first thing I think I should address.

 

Since I think juice is the single biggest issue for over-sugar-consumption in our home. And particularly important with regard to blood sugar spikes and drops, esp for ds.  I am trying out some other possible better tasting, but less sugary options.

 

Such as, we have mint growing, so today will try using that to flavor some water. A twist of lemon or lime would help --  however I don't have either lemon or lime right now, and it is very hard to grow any citrus where we are, and does not last well.  We don't live in city, hence don't go to the store frequently, and my experience is that lemons and limes do not keep well here. 

 

Anyway, I now have mint steeping in some water to try that.  If any of you have other ideas, please share them.

 

 

 

2)  The one thing I may actually throw out (or donate?) sooner rather than later -- as in this weekend -- is sweetened fruit yoghurts. Ironically, I had not gotten any for a long time, but then with school start, got a supply.  Oh well.

 

4)  I need to clean out the fridge anyway, so as I do that I'm going to notice labels on product foods, particularly looking at the sugar content.  To see what is lurking where. Expect that ketchup and bbq sauce will be culprits.  Probably other things too.  At the moment as far as those go, I am just going to increase my awareness since they aren't used extremely frequently.

 

 

 

 

1st step done this am) I've not actually noticed bad reactions to granola bars like I do to fruit juice and sweet yoghurt, and my ds is a teenage athlete working out  a lot.  And they are very convenient, as are nuts to go along places. . I need to make sure that these are available to ds who needs that sort of thing available to grab at meets and other times, but to stay away from them myself.  My first step on that was I just banished these items to a container in the vehicle, so that they are available when needed, but not right at hand all the time. It will be able to hand one to ds post practice, but not so easy for me to feel hungry and mindlessly choose one myself. future step)  I will try to gradually switch to more healthy high protein home made ones as able

 

 

 

 

6) I'll keep on using the sugar containing salad dressing (a ranch, and a vinaigrette), because for the moment we have them and they make eating salads happen.  Also ds's main daily sandwiches use the vinaigrette spread on the bread near the sprouts as a flavoring. But I'll plan to be making a switch to refined sugar free homemade versions, maybe bit by bit mixing in with the original store bought as someone above suggested.  Ds likes the thickness of the vinaigrette, which has some gums in it not just the sugar. Does anyone know a healthy way to thicken up a vinaigrette dressing that does not involve something like guar gum?

 

 

 

5) Ds's main favored sweet (other than ice cream) is chocolate peanut butter cups ..I'll look for how to make them at home without added sugar in the peanut butter (our peanut butter is already without any sugar)--maybe an alternative sweetener. But probably not right away.  

 

3) He likes salty and cheesy snacks as well though, so possibly a changeover could involve more things like popcorn and tortilla chips as a snack in his lunch box, though those do not seem all that healthy either.  I'll have to observe and see if there is an apparent behavior change as maybe they cause spiking of blood sugar even though not specifically with sugar, but just as they may be highish glycemic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[regentrude]

To deal with the bad tasting water: get a filter you can install on your tap and filter the water you use for drinking and cooking. I hate our water, but filtered it tastes just fine.

We prefer carbonated water, and the purchase of the soda stream has been very worth it.

 

And the yoghurts, just have your athlete eat them. When they're gone, don't buy new ones. But you ate them until now, so these won't do any harm. (Having grown up with a mom who lived through famine as a kid, I am very adverse to food waste)

 

And there is nothing wrong with tortilla chips and popcorn, unless you need really to watch salt intake on the chips. Popcorn is a whole grain. What is supposed to be bad about that? 

 

As for lemons not keeping at your house: do you refrigerate them?

Edited September 9, 2017 by regentrude

[Pen]

To deal with the bad tasting water: get a filter you can install on your tap and filter the water you use for drinking and cooking. I hate our water, but filtered it tastes just fine.

We prefer carbonated water, and the purchase of the soda stream has been very worth it.

 

And the yoghurts, just have your athlete eat them. When they're gone, don't buy new ones. But you ate them until now, so these won't do any harm. (Having grown up with a mom who lived through famine as a kid, I am very adverse to food waste)

 

And there is nothing wrong with tortilla chips and popcorn, unless you need really to watch salt intake on the chips. Popcorn is a whole grain. What is supposed to be bad about that? 

 

As for lemons not keeping at your house: do you refrigerate them?

 

 

We have a Berkey countertop filter. The water should be healthy.  It has some minerals including salt that makes it close to a rehydration drink, minus the flavorings. It is well water and sometimes the taste is better, sometimes worse, but never  delicious water.  If made into tea or coffee or lemonade etc. it is fine.  We do drink it on its own, but I understand that it leaves a desire for something else.

 

I am looking into the soda stream.  Thanks for that idea.  I think I'll start by buying a bottle of Seltzer and see if that is liked, and if it is then get the soda stream so we can do it at home.

 

Cannot recall what was supposed to be bad about popcorn. Dental issues maybe? Anyway, it is liked here, and as you point out, it's a whole grain. So, for teen snacking, I am going in that direction, and tortilla chips in lunchbox as the "dessert" for awhile.  Also at home, tortilla chips and salsa or guacamole or hummus are generally well received.

 

I've not had the problem with lemons other places I've lived.  I think it is the extreme dampness here.  PNW, but the particular microclimate here is very, very wet.  I lived in Seattle in past and it was dry compared to here. They go bad quite quickly even in refrigerator.  Limes do somewhat better, but still not very well.

[desertstrawberry5]

I agree with the water filter.

 

We use refillable 3 gallon bottles with a spiffy water cooler. Instant hot water for Would and tea. I sweeten my coffee, but drink my tea plain, so switching to tea after the first cup helps a lot. Teas are helpful in many ways.

 

Pb cups are so easy to make. Melt dark, or semisweet chocolate, put a dollop in an ice tray, too with pb, then more chocolate. Pop it in the freezer. Done.

 

Granola bars can be good, great, or candy. Read the ingredients.

[regentrude]

Granola bars can be good, great, or candy. Read the ingredients.

 

or just make your own.

 

I make cereal bars with nuts and dried fruit and no added sugar or sweeteners

[Bluegoat]

About the salad dressing:

 

there are a few options to make it thicker.  One is to really make sure you have the right rate - more oil sometimes helps.

 

If you use balsamic vinegar, you could try reducing it first.

 

Probably the most common way is to use mustard or something else that acts as an emulsifier.  Mustard is most common. Add a good dollop and really mix it in, it should thicken a fair bit.

 

Do you have a particular objection to using guar gum?  I don't think it makes as nice a dressing, but you can buy it.

 

 

Edited September 9, 2017 by Bluegoat

[desertstrawberry5]

or just make your own.

 

I make cereal bars with nuts and dried fruit and no added sugar or sweeteners

Well of course. I make energy bites with just Pb, oats, and seeds. But op was looking for something prepackaged and easy.

[Catwoman]

or just make your own.

 

I make cereal bars with nuts and dried fruit and no added sugar or sweeteners

Do you have a good recipe for those that you could share? (If it's too much trouble, don't feel badly about not posting it! :) )

[regentrude]

Do you have a good recipe for those that you could share? (If it's too much trouble, don't feel badly about not posting it! :) )

 

This is what I use and adapt as I feel like/have ingredients:

1.5-2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1/2 cups chopped dried fruit

1/4 cup seeds

1.25 cups milk

1 egg

salt, cinnamon, vanilla

mix, bake in brownie pan

 

you can also stir in some nut butter

[Catwoman]

This is what I use and adapt as I feel like/have ingredients:

1.5-2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1/2 cups chopped dried fruit

1/4 cup seeds

1.25 cups milk

1 egg

salt, cinnamon, vanilla

mix, bake in brownie pan

 

you can also stir in some nut butter

Thank you!!! :hurray:

[Pen]

 

Pb cups are so easy to make. Melt dark, or semisweet chocolate, put a dollop in an ice tray, too with pb, then more chocolate. Pop it in the freezer. Done.

 

 

 

 

That's it?!?!  I'll make that the next item I address  from my list if so.

 

Do they come readily out of ice tray, or does it need liner or oil?  And will they stay firmish, or melt?

[Pen]

About the salad dressing:

 

there are a few options to make it thicker.  One is to really make sure you have the right rate - more oil sometimes helps.

 

If you use balsamic vinegar, you could try reducing it first.

 

Probably the most common way is to use mustard or something else that acts as an emulsifier.  Mustard is most common. Add a good dollop and really mix it in, it should thicken a fair bit.

 

Do you have a particular objection to using guar gum?  I don't think it makes as nice a dressing, but you can buy it.

 

No. I guess guar gum would be okay and it may be important when on sandwiches to keep the dressing in place and not making the bread soaked.  I'll try finding all the ingredients in the current commercial dressing except for the sugar and gradually try to get it substituted out as the bottle empties. I've never worked with guar gum though. No idea what to expect.  Other than the guar gum, I have all the other ingredients already, it looks like. But don't know what exact amounts.

 

I may need one more bottle of the commercial as I experiment with trying to recreate the flavor and texture.

Edited September 10, 2017 by Pen

[Nan in Mass]

I think that sounds like a good plan. I would probably let my athlete eat the yoghurts. We flavour water by adding one half to an inch of orange juice. We also flavour it by adding a pinch of Christmas flavored tea (a sort of clove/orange) to a liter bottle.

 

Nan

[wintermom]

or just make your own.

 

I make cereal bars with nuts and dried fruit and no added sugar or sweeteners

 

Just read the label of the dried fruit. Some have lots of added sugar, such as dried cranberries. They are crazy high with sugar. And dried fruit can stick to teeth just like gummy candies.  They are wonderful sweeteners, though. 

[regentrude]

Just read the label of the dried fruit. Some have lots of added sugar, such as dried cranberries. They are crazy high with sugar. And dried fruit can stick to teeth just like gummy candies.  They are wonderful sweeteners, though. 

 

cranberries without sugar are probably inedible, LOL. The sweetened dried ones have about the same amount of total sugar as natural unsweetened raisins or apricots. That's why I said no added sweeteners. There's plenty from the fruit.

Edited September 10, 2017 by regentrude

[wintermom]

 

3) He likes salty and cheesy snacks as well though, so possibly a changeover could involve more things like popcorn and tortilla chips as a snack in his lunch box, though those do not seem all that healthy either.  I'll have to observe and see if there is an apparent behavior change as maybe they cause spiking of blood sugar even though not specifically with sugar, but just as they may be highish glycemic.

 

If it's the salt he's after, you could try salted nuts and/or seeds or cubes of hard cheese, which would provide protein without spiking blood sugar levels.

Edited September 10, 2017 by wintermom

[Pen]

If it's the salt he's after, you could try salted nuts and/or seeds or cubes of hard cheese, which would provide protein without spiking blood sugar levels.

 

Pretty much there are always nuts available. Including almonds with tamari which gives saltiness.  Nuts are the go to for a quick transportable thing.  And a way for him to deal with low blood sugar feelings.

 

We eat a lot of cheese at home, but he does not like it for going places because it gets squishy.   Though his daily most common sandwich is an 8" or so baguette with cheese, ham, sprouts, and his favorite dressing--and an ice pack to keep it cool till lunch.

 

He has math right after lunch, so what he eats at lunch impacts that a lot.

 

He's back to b&m school and has sports, so part of what is sought is easy, transportable snacks--and for him even food and snacks that "fit in" with what others are doing, which is often pretty unhealthy. A commercial granola bar though can be tucked into a pocket (as can nuts) and does not need an ice pack.  He gets anxiety, which could be blood sugar spiking related, but also can be situational, and "fitting in" with peers is important right now.  So a sandwich that I make as healthy as I can, but that looks like a "cool" submarine sandwich works well.  A homemade granola bar would probably work better if I had some "cool" looking wrapper for it.

 

I think he has both salt and sugar cravings.  And probably  deep down also a fat craving, but not so recognized as the desire for the flavors. He hates fat on meat, though. He wants every bit of fat cut off, and only the lean parts left.  OTOH He is not much of a milk drinker, but when he does have some he drinks half and half or uses that on cereal etc..

 

He is very, very slim. For him the issue is not, at least not now or anytime soon that I can anticipate, getting fat, but rather currently his behavior, ability to learn, and potentially diabetes (his bio father has diabetes).  Sugar can make him act manic--and that includes the fruit yogurt-- and I think the drop of glucose phase makes him anxious and or depressed.

 

I think that   chocolate peanut butter cup is especially satisfying. Much more so than the salty snacks. It has fat, and salt, and sugar all at once.  I need to watch him more closely on this, but I think that the current commercial organic ones, may not, even with sugar in them be causing the manic / down spiking I see with fruit juice, fruit yogurt, or ice cream. Perhaps because it has enough protein and fat to counteract the sugar.

 

And it may be a reason that the dressing he likes is satisfying. It has sweet, sour, tangy, spicy, and also fat, all at once.  His favorite cheese is pepper jack, which has fat, and salty, and hot spicy, all at once.

[wintermom]

Pretty much there are always nuts available. Including almonds with tamari which gives saltiness.  Nuts are the go to for a quick transportable thing.  And a way for him to deal with low blood sugar feelings.

 

We eat a lot of cheese at home, but he does not like it for going places because it gets squishy.   Though his daily most common sandwich is an 8" or so baguette with cheese, ham, sprouts, and his favorite dressing--and an ice pack to keep it cool till lunch.

 

He has math right after lunch, so what he eats at lunch impacts that a lot.

 

He's back to b&m school and has sports, so part of what is sought is easy, transportable snacks--and for him even food and snacks that "fit in" with what others are doing, which is often pretty unhealthy. A commercial granola bar though can be tucked into a pocket (as can nuts) and does not need an ice pack.  He gets anxiety, which could be blood sugar spiking related, but also can be situational, and "fitting in" with peers is important right now.  So a sandwich that I make as healthy as I can, but that looks like a "cool" submarine sandwich works well.  A homemade granola bar would probably work better if I had some "cool" looking wrapper for it.

 

I think he has both salt and sugar cravings.  And probably  deep down also a fat craving, but not so recognized as the desire for the flavors. He hates fat on meat, though. He wants every bit of fat cut off, and only the lean parts left.  OTOH He is not much of a milk drinker, but when he does have some he drinks half and half or uses that on cereal etc..

 

He is very, very slim. For him the issue is not, at least not now or anytime soon that I can anticipate, getting fat, but rather currently his behavior, ability to learn, and potentially diabetes (his bio father has diabetes).  Sugar can make him act manic--and that includes the fruit yogurt-- and I think the drop of glucose phase makes him anxious and or depressed.

 

I think that   chocolate peanut butter cup is especially satisfying. Much more so than the salty snacks. It has fat, and salt, and sugar all at once.  I need to watch him more closely on this, but I think that the current commercial organic ones, may not, even with sugar in them be causing the manic / down spiking I see with fruit juice, fruit yogurt, or ice cream. Perhaps because it has enough protein and fat to counteract the sugar.

 

And it may be a reason that the dressing he likes is satisfying. It has sweet, sour, tangy, spicy, and also fat, all at once.  His favorite cheese is pepper jack, which has fat, and salty, and hot spicy, all at once.

 

You may want to experiment a little with the order of eating or combination of different foods. If he eats protein and fat rich foods just before (or with) more sugary foods, there may be less of a spike and drop in blood sugar levels.

[regentrude]

You may want to experiment a little with the order of eating or combination of different foods. If he eats protein and fat rich foods just before (or with) more sugary foods, there may be less of a spike and drop in blood sugar levels.

 

but beware that these protein and fat rich foods would not be suitable for an athlete just before training. For high intensity training, the athlete needs to load up on carbs.

Edited September 10, 2017 by regentrude

[desertstrawberry5]

That's it?!?! I'll make that the next item I address from my list if so.

 

Do they come readily out of ice tray, or does it need liner or oil? And will they stay firmish, or melt?

They pop right out. They will melt like any other chocolate. The on will be gooeyer because it is not thickened and dried with sugar.

[wintermom]

but beware that these protein and fat rich foods would not be suitable for an athlete just before training. For high intensity training, the athlete needs to load up on carbs.

 

Eating a snack size portion of protein with sugar isn't going to negate the sugar/carbs, and a little protein will help maintain blood sugar levels. The traditional hiking food of GORP (raisins and peanuts) = protein and carbs.  

[Catwoman]

Pretty much there are always nuts available. Including almonds with tamari which gives saltiness. Nuts are the go to for a quick transportable thing. And a way for him to deal with low blood sugar feelings.

 

We eat a lot of cheese at home, but he does not like it for going places because it gets squishy. Though his daily most common sandwich is an 8" or so baguette with cheese, ham, sprouts, and his favorite dressing--and an ice pack to keep it cool till lunch.

 

He has math right after lunch, so what he eats at lunch impacts that a lot.

 

He's back to b&m school and has sports, so part of what is sought is easy, transportable snacks--and for him even food and snacks that "fit in" with what others are doing, which is often pretty unhealthy. A commercial granola bar though can be tucked into a pocket (as can nuts) and does not need an ice pack. He gets anxiety, which could be blood sugar spiking related, but also can be situational, and "fitting in" with peers is important right now. So a sandwich that I make as healthy as I can, but that looks like a "cool" submarine sandwich works well. A homemade granola bar would probably work better if I had some "cool" looking wrapper for it.

 

I think he has both salt and sugar cravings. And probably deep down also a fat craving, but not so recognized as the desire for the flavors. He hates fat on meat, though. He wants every bit of fat cut off, and only the lean parts left. OTOH He is not much of a milk drinker, but when he does have some he drinks half and half or uses that on cereal etc..

 

He is very, very slim. For him the issue is not, at least not now or anytime soon that I can anticipate, getting fat, but rather currently his behavior, ability to learn, and potentially diabetes (his bio father has diabetes). Sugar can make him act manic--and that includes the fruit yogurt-- and I think the drop of glucose phase makes him anxious and or depressed.

 

I think that chocolate peanut butter cup is especially satisfying. Much more so than the salty snacks. It has fat, and salt, and sugar all at once. I need to watch him more closely on this, but I think that the current commercial organic ones, may not, even with sugar in them be causing the manic / down spiking I see with fruit juice, fruit yogurt, or ice cream. Perhaps because it has enough protein and fat to counteract the sugar.

 

And it may be a reason that the dressing he likes is satisfying. It has sweet, sour, tangy, spicy, and also fat, all at once. His favorite cheese is pepper jack, which has fat, and salty, and hot spicy, all at once.

It sounds like your son reacts negatively to sugar, and the family history of diabetes is certainly a concern as well, so it makes sense that you're trying to find alternatives for him. It's tough to make smart choices at his age, especially when he's out with his friends.

[Ausmumof3]

Another water flavour option is to add a slice of lemon or a couple of mint leaves to a jug of water at the beginning of the day.

[Bluegoat]

No. I guess guar gum would be okay and it may be important when on sandwiches to keep the dressing in place and not making the bread soaked.  I'll try finding all the ingredients in the current commercial dressing except for the sugar and gradually try to get it substituted out as the bottle empties. I've never worked with guar gum though. No idea what to expect.  Other than the guar gum, I have all the other ingredients already, it looks like. But don't know what exact amounts.

 

I may need one more bottle of the commercial as I experiment with trying to recreate the flavor and texture.

 

I'd try getting a nice emulsion with the mustard before trying guar gum.  Or, you could try some different dressings, maybe a cream style or avocado base, for example.

[MBM]

Not true that athletes need to carb load.

 

http://www.fatchancerow.org

 

Many serious athletes no longer do it.

[whitestavern]

Not true that athletes need to carb load.

 

http://www.fatchancerow.org

 

Many serious athletes no longer do it.

 

I wish high schools would get on the bandwagon. Every team my kids are on (swimming, hockey, etc.) do a huge carbo party the evening before a meet/game, which is at least once a week.

[Pen]

went ahead and ordered a soda stream ...      

 

decided that it might well take care of 80% of blood sugar spiking/ dropping problems here...  

 

we may still want to flavor that with lemon or whatever  

 

hope we will like it!

 

 

 

I think my ds's running coaches are still into carb loading, though not right before practices/meets since it tends to lead to throwing up.

 

Ds's own PRs were set at a home meet when he ate at home and did not carb load the meal before it.

 

But he gets plenty of complex carbs as grains, rice, bread etc.; and starchy vegetables, potato etc.  

...which is different than the issue of added refined sugar, or fruit juices where there is a sudden major influx of Sugar...

[wintermom]

I found this from an article regarding eating before exercise and performance:

 

 

Eating before exercise, as opposed to exercising in the fasting state, has been shown to improve performance.^[89,90] The meal or snack consumed before competition or an intense workout should prepare athletes for the upcoming activity and leave the individual neither hungry nor with undigested food in the stomach. Accordingly, the following general guidelines for meals and snacks should be used: sufficient fluid should be ingested to maintain hydration, foods should be relatively low in fat and fiber to facilitate gastric emptying and minimize gastrointestinal distress, high in carbohydrate to maintain blood glucose and maximize glycogen stores, moderate in protein, and familiar to the athlete. (http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/717046_10)

 

 

[MBM]

I belong to a fasting group and many of the members are elite athletes who fast and then compete while in a fasting state. The reason it works for them is that their bodies, during a fast, produce chemicals that are designed to make them go out and hunt for food and they use those chemicals instead for athletic performance. During fasts it's not uncommon to have a lot of energy.

 

I think athletic performance is far less important than inflammation that persistent high blood glucose/ high insulin can cause. The canary is in the coal mine with the higher rates of colon cancer that we are beginning to see in 20-somethings. These are the kinds of serious health problems in younger people that actuarial projections have been ominously predicting for over a decade.

 

https://www.cancer.org/latest-news/colon-cancer-cases-rising-among-young-adults.html

Edited September 11, 2017 by MBM

[regentrude]

I belong to a fasting group and many of the members are elite athletes who fast and then compete while in a fasting state. The reason it works for them is that their bodies, during a fast, produce chemicals that are designed to make them go out and hunt for food and they use those chemicals instead for athletic performance. During fasts it's not uncommon to have a lot of energy.

 

Interesting. DS is in a sport where weight cutting before tournaments is the norm, and everybody eats after weigh in :)

[Pen]

I belong to a fasting group and many of the members are elite athletes who fast and then compete while in a fasting state. The reason it works for them is that their bodies, during a fast, produce chemicals that are designed to make them go out and hunt for food and they use those chemicals instead for athletic performance. During fasts it's not uncommon to have a lot of energy.

 

 

 

 

I agree about your second paragraph being more important, but am curious: what sports are the fasting elite athletes doing? 

[Pen]

double posted

Edited September 18, 2017 by Pen

[Pen]

To deal with the bad tasting water: get a filter you can install on your tap and filter the water you use for drinking and cooking. I hate our water, but filtered it tastes just fine.

We prefer carbonated water, and the purchase of the soda stream has been very worth it.

 

And the yoghurts, just have your athlete eat them. When they're gone, don't buy new ones. But you ate them until now, so these won't do any harm. (Having grown up with a mom who lived through famine as a kid, I am very adverse to food waste)

 

And there is nothing wrong with tortilla chips and popcorn, unless you need really to watch salt intake on the chips. Popcorn is a whole grain. What is supposed to be bad about that? 

 

As for lemons not keeping at your house: do you refrigerate them?

 

 

SodaStream arrived.  We like it! Thank your for suggesting it!

[MBM]

I agree about your second paragraph being more important, but am curious: what sports are the fasting elite athletes doing? 

 

Just saw your question, Pen. Some of the sports include running and weight lifting. One guy goes on long runs during extended fasts and gets good times. He does watch his electrolytes carefully. Another gal does the same. Other sports, too, for various reasons. Some are more concerned with autophagy and neurogenesis. HTH! I'm running into the city and have to catch my train!