Everyday Systems

For our No Sweet pillar:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan- ... 03371.html

O43

Thanks for posting, Over43. I was sugar- and artificial sweetener-free for several years and noticed immediate improvements in joint pains, complexion, and energy levels, as well as weight. I am seeing some of the same benefits now from No S, which minimizes sugar intake without imposing unbearable restrictions. I may go back to it, once I feel rock solid in the No S saddle. And if I were ever diagnosed with any of the health problems in the article, I'd go sugar-free again in a heartbeat -- it's only really hard a few times a year at birthday parties!

With all due respect, I think those are reasons to commit to moderation, not being sugar-free, necessarily. The French and Italians have much better health profiles than we do, but they aren't sugar or even starch-free. They just enjoy food in many ways other than eating it.

yes, I agree, oolala, it would take health issues that moderation did not resolve for me to return to restriction. Restriction can be a recipe for disaster, and I enjoy my pie!

For example, I have had arthritis since my 20's -- arthritis that does not really trouble me unless I overdo sugar. It used to flare up at Christmas time every year without fail and, in the years I was sugar free, it disappeared entirely. If my joints became troublesome again, I would certainly tinker with my sugar intake before reaching for painkillers, having already experienced that it can make a difference.

But I wouldn't then recommend that everybody else give up sugar just because I do better without it! It comes down to the difference between an epidemiological bird's eye view of rates of disease in entire populations (this article, all the studies of Mediterranean eating, etc.) and how an individual body reacts to a certain food. On No S, sugar intake is low enough and infrequent enough that I get the benefits of restriction without the "never-again" crazies that lead to diet disaster, and that is enough for me right now!

Thanks! Not to say that we wouldn't be better off if refined sugar just dropped off the eating list, but this is where the health motivation falls down, in my opinion. I hear (mostly) women on another board drive themselves crazy trying to "be as healthy as possible" _and, oh! the pendulum swings on that- in their eating, but falling short of the rigid mark (almost inevitably), being nervous wrecks at social events and restaurants because they are not honestly committed at all, and getting very little pleasure from what they do eat, unless they talk themselves into it.

(It was a great day in my life when I realized I actually did get as much pleasure, even more, from eating mostly "non-problem" foods. Maybe if I could eat only KF fried chicken, frozen pizza, and M & M's every day and feel as good as I do now, life would be better, but I certainly don't spend any time wishing for that. I have them all about as often as I like and feel vital and peppy having. I know there are some skinny people who pretty much live like that and are happy. There are also happy race car drivers and accountants. I just don't relate to being one of them. )

It's totally different ball game when someone really believes down to her bones, whether through education or experience, that a substance has dire enough consequences that it is just not worth the dickering. If someone is there, more power to her. There is little struggle or discipline in that. I hope that's where Jonathan Bailor is. Otherwise, he's just pretty much selling misery.

I went to a workshop over the weekend at which the presenter had decided years ago that he didn't want to eat sugar anymore. He absolutely equates it with health problems his parents had, so it holds no appeal for him. He tells participants of his workshops that he does not consider himself disciplined about it because he doesn't have to exert any effort to forgo it. He didn't say this, but I'd bet it represents early death to him, and he does not see himself as a person who would knowingly actively participate in bringing that on.

And he doesn't provide snack foods at his events, though he doesn't forbid them, either. There was hot coffee and tea, plus cold tea and lemonade. It was fine with me! One of his long-time students had snacks in his car (because the venue asked that no one bring in full-scale snacks, but individuals were fine) and everyone was cheerfully invited to go at break time and help themselves. I didn't see many packages. Just that much effort was all it took. I'm sure if they'd been sitting on the tables, there would have been a lot more relatively mindless consumption.

Sounds like that presenter was a kindred spirit after all, oolala! Glad to hear it! And yes, it's not really a struggle not to overeat stuff that will make you feel dreadful in the short term. With me, knee and ankle pain kicks in about four days into a sugary diet. The trick is finding out that that's what is causing your pain -- we are a sugar saturated society and the decoy evil ingredient was fat, so I didn't find out until I was in my 40's that it was no coincidence that arthritis attacks and sweet intake went hand in hand. I also always came down with a terrible cold around January 2 -- another thing of the past.

I am happy now to enjoy something sweet on a weekend and NOT suffer the consequences -- and to enjoy the skin on the chicken during the week! Sweets on Christmas and a toast on New Year's coming up, without painful consequences, I hope! Ah, No S!