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Is Sugar Killing Us?

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241–250 of 274 posts

Re: Is Sugar Killing Us?

#241
post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

https://www.logicallyfallacious.com/tools/lp/Bo/LogicalFalla... They are equal, as anybody with rudimentary knowledge of biochemistry can tell. Modern processed food have the added benefit of micronutrient fortification so your need of vitamins should be met mostly in case you actually plan to follow that diet. The appeal of a "balanced and natural" diet has a mostly puritan origin but its benefits are far from clear…

Now you've taught me that the Glycemic Index is an illusion and that Doritos are high in micronutrient fortification. This is so informative.

Indeed. Glycemic index is fairly idiosyncratic (varies from person to person) and generally a poor indicator of insulin response anyway, especially the overall amount of calories consumed ia not taken into account. It's just another pointless metric invented to sell quinoa.

Re: Is Sugar Killing Us?

#242
post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh man, can you please shed more lights on this as I've exactly same problem, sinusitis and running nose (mostly because I'm allergic to cold and histamine is wreaking havoc). I'm trying all the possible way to control it, exercising regularly, taking lemon+honey everyday morning etc. But only an anti-histamine (xyzal or zyrtec) is working for me. It's interesting that to know if it has anything to do with Sugar, as…

Have you tried flonase?

not this specific, but tried other, it helps for sometime and back to square one again.

Re: Is Sugar Killing Us?

#243
post #141
post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

https://www.logicallyfallacious.com/tools/lp/Bo/LogicalFalla... They are equal, as anybody with rudimentary knowledge of biochemistry can tell. Modern processed food have the added benefit of micronutrient fortification so your need of vitamins should be met mostly in case you actually plan to follow that diet. The appeal of a "balanced and natural" diet has a mostly puritan origin but its benefits are far from clear…

You claim they are equal but also benefit from added nutrients, which hinges on them not being equal. As I said in a sibling post, restricting calories works. But, so does restricting grams. The same way not writing code prevents bugs. It also prevents features, so is a somewhat worthless endeavor.

Unlike software, we don't need more nutrients than the baseline to function lest it is prescribed to treat an illness and eating more of the same thing don't magically makes you more healthy. For example, 10mg of vitamin C per day absolutely prevents scurvy, most dietary guidelines recommend much more but there is no proven benefit of a larger dose.

Re: Is Sugar Killing Us?

#244

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What do you honestly think would happen if you did, assuming that your calories were limited to an amount that kept you at a consistent healthy weight for your size?

Headaches from too much sodium, acne breakouts, blood sugar crashes, poor mood, high acidity in stomach, digestive problems, bloating, etc. Eating nutritionally-poor food has immediate consequences.

>Headaches from too much sodium

Not to say this is a myth like Chinese Restaurant Syndrome, but there is honestly a lot of evidence either way so we can't make establish a causative relationship for everyone. It is quite possible for people to have a short term reaction to salt because the hormones in charge of water and sodium balance can take several days to stablise, but again, we are unsure of long term consequences especially on an individual level.

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2101015-does-eating-mor...

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/its-time-to-end-t...

The rest of your symptoms suggest that you are either eating too much like the guy from Supersize Me, or have more underlying health issues that require a better designed diet to heal. It's not food but how you eat.

Re: Is Sugar Killing Us?

#245

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No added sugar (or stevia or aspartame either). In the months after I quit I had a cookie or a chocolate croissant here and there and always woke up with a sinus headache the next day. I can eat berries and most fruit with no problems, but not bananas. I still have sinus trouble, a kind of a raw feeling in my nose most of the time, but without sugar in my diet I don't have constant mucus, congestion, and chronic sinu…

Thanks a lot, will try that, its going to be hard, as sugar is prevalent in almost everything we eat.

Naw, it's easy. Just eat real food or read the label.

The only bummer is Thai and Indian is so sweet it might as well be dessert.

Re: Is Sugar Killing Us?

#246

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Calorie cutting is generally useless. Here's a link explaining: http://www.drfranklipman.com/q-dr-jason-fung-book-obesity-co... I'd read the whole thing, but the first couple paragraphs set the scene: Obesity is often considered a problem of excessive calories. This caloric obsession has been indoctrinated into all of us since we were children. Too many calories in, too few calories out, or some combination is what w…

> And it has failed spectacularly. Obesity rates have skyrocketed upward despite continual exhortations to cut calories. So, the proof is in the pudding. Continual exhortations does not mean calories have been cut. The fact that it's still said so often and loudly indicates that either it's not effective, or people aren't doing it. > us assume basal metabolism of 2,000 calories per day. > Walking for 45 minutes might…

So it took you 24 months to lose 50 pounds (and congrats, no small feat), whereas Ive lost 25 pounds in 2 months with much less effort. Sample size of 2, sure, but my approach sure does seem to be an order of a magnitude more effective. Why would I want to do your diet when it requires more work for less results?

Re: Is Sugar Killing Us?

#247
post #165
post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe there is a relationship between sugar consumption and our ability to cope with stress? I found, that when I stopped eating sugar, it wasn't exactly a big revelation, but merely a subtle change (mentally), that made me somehow less anxious and when I had irrational anxiety "attacks", I was able to suppress them better. I don't have any better way to explain this psychological stuff, but for me there was a change…

In the interests of anecdata, I went ketogenic for about 18 months. One of my reasons for doing this that my sister described in glowing terms how eating this way had all sort of positive mental health efforts (more muted emotional responses, mental clarity, lack of anxiety). I had no effect of that sort. I can only assume that this is one of those 'some people respond well to this, others not so much'.

"Muted emotional responses" .. this describes very well how I experience it actually.

Re: Is Sugar Killing Us?

#248
post #94
post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you tried doing some sports instead? Cycling, swimming or even a long walk in the park are decreasing at least my depression and anxiety and while doing sports at moderate levels, with good hydration, I don't feel the need for sugars anymore. I'm also fat, in love with chocolate products, cakes and sweets don't survive the day uneaten in my home, no diabetes so far. I don't recommend running because of it puts t…

Thank you for the advice. I do exercise and have always detested all forms of it, sadly. So now I just do the shortest amount at a high intensity.

I have had a mixed relationship with fitness. Something that works for me is audiobooks and walking. The book keeps things interesting and makes it easy to lose track of time. There isn't much activation energy required either, you just grab the headphones and go. It gets really fun when you find a great book.

Re: Is Sugar Killing Us?

#249
post #139
post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's not the point you made though. You specifically said that it's hard to overconsume fat and protein. It really isn't. When we look at what obese people eat they aren't just eating too much sugar. They're eating too much of everything, including fat. Cutting out the sugar would help (especially because it's often a pointless addition with a painless substitution eg soda to non-sugar soda), but it would not be en…

There's a flaw in your logic. True; obese people aren't just eating too much sugar, but also fat (and protein), but the problem is still the sugar. The sugar makes you hungry, making you able to eat more fat (which is highly calorie dense). If you cut the sugar (and other high GI/II carbs), you will eat a lot less of the rest. Sure, the problem in calorie intake is the combination, but eating just fat and protein is…

Except for the people who get fat without eating almost any sugar and just eat plain old starches. Not everyone enjoys sweet things.

Re: Is Sugar Killing Us?

#250
post #249
post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's a flaw in your logic. True; obese people aren't just eating too much sugar, but also fat (and protein), but the problem is still the sugar. The sugar makes you hungry, making you able to eat more fat (which is highly calorie dense). If you cut the sugar (and other high GI/II carbs), you will eat a lot less of the rest. Sure, the problem in calorie intake is the combination, but eating just fat and protein is…

Except for the people who get fat without eating almost any sugar and just eat plain old starches. Not everyone enjoys sweet things.

People are idiosyncratic, and not only that, dynamic. For many things we'll always find exceptions. What matters is understanding solutions that (a) work for many people and (b) work for each individually. Those solutions aren't necessarily the same.
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