Living healthy is a lifestyle change and I don’t think I would have ever done it if it meant I could never eat another sweet treat. Yes, I still enjoy desserts, though I try my best to make them super low fat. So where do I stand on the sugar debate?
My jury is still out.
Have you noticed that every few months another weight loss guru pops up with the ABSOLUTE, DEFINITIVE way to lose weight? Some of their programs get legs and they become a part of our popular mainstream diet society. But have you also noticed that we’re fatter as a nation than ever before?
I don’t think it’s because we don’t care. I think we care too much! We’re trying so hard to get it right that we’re left in a state of utter confusion. Our bodies are confused. Our brains are confused. Our emotions are confused. And at the end of the day, we’re frustrated and we take that frustration out on ourselves.
Guru’s … Guru’s … Guru’s … Who’s the Latest Guru?
One moment the guru’s (and yes, by that I include doctors and scientists too) are saying …
- “don’t eat fat — avoid it like the plague” (Dr. McDougall; Dr. Pritikin; Dr. Ornish)
- then the popular fad is “eat all the fat you want, but don’t eat carbs” (Dr. Atkins)
- how about a middle of the road version “super low carb for two weeks, while eating low fat meats and low glycemic veggies…” (South Beach Diet)
Oh yes, did I forget to mention that we learned all about glycemic levels somewhere along the road? Glycemic? When that word first popped up, I hadn’t a clue what it meant or how it affected me. Now it’s a part of my thought processes. Important? Not important? I think it’s worth consideration, but only time will truly tell the true importance it will have in living a healthy lifestyle.
But Low GI wasn’t the end … oh no … we’ve also got …
- The Fireman’s Diet
- The Mediterranean Diet
- The Zone Diet
- Vegetarian Diets
- Vegan Diets
- No White Foods
- Weight Watchers
- Only Raw Foods
And the list goes on and on!
STOP THE INSANITY!
Each popular diet is backed by experts — and they tell a convincing story!
No wonder we’re bouncing from side to side — all the while getting fatter and fatter!
So what’s all this got to do with sugar?
Well, let’s go back and visit that newer word in my vocabulary — glycemic — specifically glycemic index.
What is Glycemic Index
Essentially it says not all carbohydrate foods are created equal, in fact they behave quite differently in our bodies. The glycemic index or GI describes this difference by ranking carbohydrates according to their effect on our blood glucose levels.
The “GI Guru’s” say choosing low GI carbs – the ones that produce only small fluctuations in our blood glucose and insulin levels – is the secret to long-term health reducing your risk of heart disease and diabetes and is the key to sustainable weight loss.
Is it True?
I don’t know. Remember how the experts keep changing their mind about what’s important and not important in a healthy weight loss program? Even our own US Government Food Pyramid has had a few MAJOR makeovers in my adult lifetime. This one doesn’t even resemble the one I grew up with — and that’s okay. Science is an evolution. I expect to learn new things — I just don’t want to jump everytime the next guru says jump!
Here’s What I Know for Sure
I lost 150 pounds eating low fat (high sugar) desserts. I don’t even want to contemplate a forever lifestyle that doesn’t include decadent desserts! That’s my perspective and if yours is different, I respect that!
Having said that, I think it’s possible the whole Glycemic Index thing might have some validity, so I am making more sweets with lower glycemic sweeteners than ever before (ie; brown rice syrup, agave nectar, etc).
There is even a new all natural low glycemic cane sugar called LoGiCane that’s currently only available in Australia. I have my eye on it and I’m anxious to see it come to America. I truly want to experiment with it!
However, many of my long term recipes — recipes that I lost a lot of weight with — include traditional sugars (and I still make them and love them) so I’m including them on this website. You can make your own decisions about how high you want to jump through the sugar debate hoop.
My Final Conclusion
I’m not jumping through the sugar debate hoop — but I’m paying attention. The low GI science looks valid — possibly even important. But Guru’s come and go — fads come and go — and at the end of the day, the only thing I know for sure is what has already worked for me in the past. I lost 150 pounds eating decadent, sugary desserts that were very low in fat. And being able to eat those desserts — feeling satisfied and never deprived — was important to my success.
If something comes along that makes decadent desserts possible and it’s a healthier alternative (hello, LoGiCane, please come to America), then I’ll be back in the “test kitchen” and sharing my yummo new dessert recipes with all my friends — that means YOU 
In conclusion, I’m not here to tell you the path you need to walk on this issue. I think it’s a personal decision. I just simply wanted to let you know where I stand on the subject.
On A Healthy Kitchen, you’ll find many sweet endings!
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{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Great post, Lesli! Very informative. And I’m with you, I think sugar has it’s place in a diet and just like everything else, should be eaten in moderation!
Marisa (Trim The Fat)´s last blog ..A Crock Of…
I have my thoughts on this as well. I am a Type II diabetic and have to continually look at my sugar intake…sugars come from everything…fats, oils, carbs, lets just say anything yummy. I miss sugar sometimes…if i could find a way to still have my “yummy” I am sure I would be eating better. The search goes on.
Carrie´s last blog ..Trash Fest III Official Press Release
I feel for you Carrie. As I was writing my post I reflected on how lucky I am that even with all that I’ve put my body through, diabetes has never been an issue for me. If it were, I’d miss sugar too and I’m sure my post would have been very different. Can you eat low glycemic sugars like agave, brown rice syrup, etc? Have you found a way to make satisfying desserts?
Unfortunately if I am going to have anything sweet I have to have made sure that I ate super healthy before and after so I don’t send my body on diabetic trip of sorts where I feel sick and other lovely happenings. That is how I personally deal with it. I have to eat with hardcore moderation….to keep me in the “zen” zone as I call it.
I never used to be into healthy eating, or even cooking. But since a few months ago I decided I would figure out if I can cook (and whoa I CAN!). So now I am on a internet excursion to find good recipes that I can use and if not in their original form…I will substitute things like real sugar for Splenda. Which using a non-sugar sugar doesn’t always come out the way one would hope. I’ve only done things like that once. I might try again.
Life is an adventure right….
Carrie´s last blog ..Trash Fest III Official Press Release
Gotcha Carrie! You’re right — life is an adventure and I’m happy to see you experimenting with cooking and even dessert making. I know there are lots of great recipes out there for diabetic desserts. I’ve stayed away from them because it seems they replace sugar with fat and in my situation, the fat is more of a challenge. I hope you’ll find lots of healthy things here that won’t spike your sugar levels. Just stay away from my desserts
My past experience was simple: eat less, exercise more, slim down. Eat more, exercise less, get fat. FYI, I don’t cook. In other words, I always eat out so concepts like “control what you eat” are impossible for me. I eat what is available, that’s all there is to it. High sugar, low sugar, high carb, low carb, high fat, low fat – none of it made any difference to me.
>> at the end of the day, the only thing I know for sure is what has already worked for me in the past.
Ditto for me.
>> I lost 150 pounds eating decadent, sugary desserts that were very low in fat. And being able to eat those desserts — feeling satisfied and never deprived — was important to my success.
Feeling deprived tends to make a person feel depressed which tends to make a person want to eat more. When you feel good, your body is much less likely to send you false signals of hunger.
Calvin Lee´s last blog ..Offshore Oil Rig Jobs: How Do I Get Started With No Experience?
Agreed — BUT — since I wrote this post, I started a nutritional program called Isagenix and since being on it, I’ve completely lost my sugar cravings and I haven’t had a sweet treat since! Yeah Isagenix! Now that I understand more about how the sugar creates further sugar cravings, I’ve changed my views on having sugar as a regular part of my diet. I don’t think I’ll give it up completely (example: my moms birthday is in two days and I’m making the Chocolate Souffles for dessert). Now a days, I save sugary desserts for special occasions and I make them because it’s appropriate for the celebration and not because I crave sugar any more.