Jam

I've been trying to eat better (which seems to be working I've lost about 65lbs in a little under a year and a half)...

However I was wondering what is recommended for sugar intake... I don't eat a lot of stuff with extra sugar added, but I like fruit juices like OJ or Grape or Apple (actual fruit juice not fruit flavored juice)... These have a lot of sugar in them. From what I've read it is suggested around 40g of sugar a day, but this is for added refined sugar, not natural sugar. A glass of OJ or Grape Juice probably has that much sugar in it, but it isn't added sugar.

Thoughts, opinons, facts?

Thanks

Poppinjay

Congrats! I'm 60 down myself over the last year. I have gradually added back products with naturally occuring sugar. Now I don't fear can sugar soda with trembling. I just limit myself to a very occasional treat. Everybody does need sugar, even diabetics. Especially diabetics.

Are you excercising too? I hike a massive amount through the week. i love it, and it naturally controls the sugar. Plus, when you factor in the muscle gained with the fat lost, It's more like I've lost 80 pounds. I'm now the waist size I was when I weighed 190.

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I think the Apocalypse is happening all around us. We go on eating desserts and watching TV. I know I do. I wish we were more capable of sustained passion and sustained resistance. We should be screaming and what we do is gossip. -Lydia Millet

Baraka_Guru

To simplify, sugar is sugar: 40g of sugar could be derived from various sources. Even "table sugar" is from plants: sugar beets or sugar cane.

Sure there are differences between glucose, sucrose, and fructose content, but for all intents and purposes, sugar is sugar.

However, it is better to drink a glass of orange juice than a can of Coke, but it might surprise you to know that the sugar content is similar, especially if you simply consider the calories. The difference is that orange juice also contains vitamin C, potassium, and a few other vitamins and minerals, in addition to phytonutrients and its being low in sodium, especially compared to Coke. So although you are still taking in sugar, you are also taking in important nutrients.

That said, I'd recommend dropping the juice and eating the fruits instead. The whole fruits contain a lot of water, so they are hydrating, just not as much as simply drinking juice. I'd recommend drinking either water or tea instead. But eating the whole fruit will give you nutrients like I listed above but will also include a good source of fibre (an orange will give you 3g), plus the nutrients will be more concentrated. I would include more vegetables in your diet as well if you aren't eating that many. They too contain water, but they tend to have fewer sugars.

The bottom line? Drinking juice as a primary beverage will easily put you over that 40g allotment of sugar. Have your 5 to 10 servings of fruit and vegetables per day that many would recommend, but try to limit your juice intake if you aren't eating many whole foods. You want to balance out sugar-based foods with starch-based foods when filling up your carbohydrate intake. If you want to drink something, drink water or tea. I recommend sticking to green and oolong tea, if not herbal tea.

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Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

Jam

@Poppinjay, Thanks and congrats to you too. I do try to be more active, some time on the exercise bike or push ups etc, and I also mainly walk everywhere. Unless I am going to a different town, I'll walk there, be it 2,4, 12 km's (plus return trip). I really enjoy wandering around town.

Baraka Guru, thanks for the info. To clarify, I don't down 2 litres of juice a day or anything, but I do like a glass of OJ with breakfast. Doesn't surprise me how much sugar is in juice though, I've checked the labels, I know it's a lot... I try not to drink too much juice. I don't drink any sort of pop / cola / soda, and I'm not really a tea / coffee drinker either. I think fibre and also veggies are covered pretty well too. I drink quite a bit of water.

Thanks again for the feedback guys

Redlemon

I often have my juice as a 10:1 dilution with water. Gives the water more personality without much sugar impact.

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Baraka_Guru

Good point, Redlemon. I don't drink a lot of juice, but I like to do a 50/50 juice/soda water split when I want something soda-like. It's quite refreshing.

__________________
Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

snowy

And delicious!

Juice is only a good substitute for whole fruit if whole fruit is not available. So let's say you've managed to get four servings of fruits and vegetables down your gullet, but you're just one shy of five, and you're out of fruit/veg, but you have some OJ. That is when you should reach for the OJ as a fruit replacement. Otherwise, it should be thought of as a sugary beverage.

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If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Plan9

Whoa... this thread is painfully wholesome!

...

I avoid the sugar demon by only drinking probably-poisonous "diet" or "light" soft drinks (Diet Mountain Dew, Diet Dr. Pepper, Diet Coke). They have the caffeine I need to stay alive and 0 "carbs." This isn't as healthy as the fruit juice mix or whole fruit path, but it's cheaper and satisfying if you're a pop junkie like me. I may have the smallest waistline in this thread... but that's only because of that damned tapeworm.

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Whatever you can carry.

"You should not drink... and bake."

Iliftrocks

I drink Mountain Dew while eating a pepperoni pizza that has a slurry of salt and sugar coating the top. Is that better Plan9?

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FelixP

I actually gave up eating sweets (cake, candy, juice, pop, etc.) for three or four years, with incredible results. I had more energy, got sick less frequently, and I've never had a cavity. You'll be amazed with the results, so stay disciplined, keep your goals in mind, and you'll never look back. Good luck!

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"I have just returned from visting the Marines at the front, and there is not a finer fighting organization in the world." --Douglas MacArthur

Plan9

Why must you torment me?

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Whatever you can carry.

"You should not drink... and bake."

Lindy

Interesting that a thread on sugar intake would be started by someone with the handle "Jam."

To simplify even further, all carbs -except fiber- are sugar. Starches are just polymers (long chains) of glucose. Before it can utilize corn, flour, beans, potatoes, etc. your body must break them down into sugar. One of those "inconvenient truths," and its effect on insulin production is part of the rationale behind controlled carb diets.
I try to keep my total carb intake under 50 grams, though not always successfully, and I eat quite a bit of fruit, mostly berries and melons, and non starchy salad veggies within that limit. I avoid starchy foods almost completely with the exception of oatmeal.
I like the soda/juice (or a splash of Torani) mix also. The drinks sweetened with sucralose/Splenda are healthier (or at least less unhealthy) than aspartame.
Can you beat 25 inches?

Lindy

Baraka_Guru

I suppose it all depends on your goals. I'm not sure about the validity of keeping carbs under 50 grams a day, but I can understand keeping track of how many you're eating compared to fats and protein.

I myself lift weights heavily three days a week in addition to doing three 30-minute sessions of high-intensity cardio, and so a low carbohydrate diet doesn't cut it for me. For that reason, I easily eat 300 to 400 grams of carbohydrates a day.

The key here is that I'm using them. I try to limit the proportion of those as sugar. When I consume sugar, it's often just before a workout, and maybe some just after: basically when they're used immediately. Otherwise, I try to go starchy (and fibrous) for sustained energy and long-term muscular recovery. Whole grains specifically help against insulin resistance by ensuring a lower glycemic intake in your overall diet.

I should probably note too that this is a bit misleading. It could be said that protein and fats are sugar too. An "inconvenient truth" is that the body's primary and preferred source of fuel is glucose, especially in the brain. It will convert protein into glucose if it cannot find a source from starches. It will also use dietary fat this way, but it won't tend to cut into body fat until all other sources have been depleted. Body fat is a "reserve" or "emergency" store of energy, which is why it's saved for last. Of course, starvation diets will also cut into muscle tissue for energy as well.

The problem with protein being converted into glucose is that it will not be used where it is best used: for building new cells and other body maintenance. Also, when it is converted to glucose, it creates nitrogen as a byproduct, which can be harmful to the kidneys, especially if one doesn't drink enough fluids to flush such things out of the system.

I told you I'm back down to 32", didn't I? We should compare our waistline-to-caloric-intake ratios.

__________________
Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

SecretMethod70

I consume too much sugar, mostly in the form of pop. The fruit juice + soda water combination sounds pretty awesome though, I'll have to try that!

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