Sugar

[[co...]]

So I'm just wondering.... when people say no sugar during withdrawal / post withdrawal, what does that mean? No sugar at all, desert once in awhile, no juice, etc... anyone have any advice? I know that if I do something and there's potential for it to cause a worsening of symptoms, then that will surely happen to me. I've been cutting as much sugar out of my diet as possible but I would really like to have a piece of cake and a cookie or two once in awhile. I've also gone gluten free to the best of my ability.

 

 

[[do...]]

I cut white sugar first, like ice cream and soda and other crap  Then I looked more into my diet after a time to get rid of the hidden sugars and all the processed stuff. I don't crave it anymore. I'll indulge once in a while if something is offered to me.

 

I used to eat a lot of ice cream in the beginning of my taper as it made me feel good. There was sugar in my bread, milk, cereal, yogurt, pasta sauce ect. I slowly eliminated them. Just start with the blatant stuff first, like ice cream and chocolate.

[[Fi...]]

Some people advocate stopping sugar.

 

I didn't.

 

I didn't stop caffeine either.

 

We're all different, with different reactions (even for any one of us, on different days) but I stopped neither and I'm glad I didn't. Don't get me wrong here - it is quite possible and maybe even probable that caffeine/sugar etc did 'rev' my symptoms; but I was so symptomatic anyway that any change would've been hard to detect one way or the other and a little bit of me decided: 'f#@k this' I've given up enough and I'm not going to lie down completely and watch every little thing I like disappear forever 

 

So, if I were in your shoes, I wouldn't pre-set any rules and I'd experiment a little without being hard and fast about it... you have ultimate authority to say "no" a little later on, if that's the way you feel about it then

 

 

All the very best!  :thumbsup:

[[do...]]

Agreed!

 

I stopped sugar because (1) I was using it as a crutch and (2) it eventually turned against me. I didn't stop caffeine either and I believe a nice cup of coffee got me through a lot of rough days 

[[lo...]]

sugar works kind of like cocaine in the brain = not good when your CNS is sensitive for many people.

I stopped most of it, other then some natural sugar/maple syrup in my morning coffee

oh and caffeine makes me feel great

[[bl...]]

I have tried to reduce my white sugar intake as much as possible but I do have a dessert on occasion.  For instance, I had a piece of birthday cake at my grandsons party.  I just wanted to join in and celebrate like a normal person.  I've probably had too much sugar over the last few days as desserts seem to abound everywhere during the Christmas season.  I also have to have my coffee, but only decaf, and I have switched to using coconut sugar as it has a much lower glycemic index than white sugar.  It doesn't seem to bother me. 

[[Do...]]

I have not noticed a difference in my symptoms no matter how much sugar I do (or don't) eat.  I love sugar, and even on the days I overindulge, it does not affect my symptoms.  That being said, when I cut out almost all sugar and ate mostly protein and a few fruits and veggies (especially when I was nauseated a lot) my symptoms went crazy!  Total derealization, wanting to crawl out of my skin, etc.

MSG doesn't seem to have any effect on me either, although most people say it affects them terribly.  Everyone is different.

 

[[fa...]]

One simple rule: Try and stay away from refined sugar and white flour.

 

The paleo diet is good for this.

 

Potatoes are okay, but only in moderation.

 

For most people that over-consume sugar, I approach in terms of an addiction. That being said, it may help to wean yourself off of the sugar levels you're used to. I realize this is hard to gauge, but start small. 

[[Da...]]

I believe it is up to you how much you stop using. To me stopping benzos and opiates has been hard enough without stopping sugar, smoking or drinking soda. I think we all prob have guilty pleasures that we don't have to give up all at once. I think it is totally up to you as an individual. I'm not sure about sugar making you symptoms worse, mine have been so bad it would be hard for them to be worse. Do what you want to do.

[[Fi...]]

I believe it is up to you how much you stop using. To me stopping benzos and opiates has been hard enough without stopping sugar, smoking or drinking soda. I think we all prob have guilty pleasures that we don't have to give up all at once. I think it is totally up to you as an individual. I'm not sure about sugar making you symptoms worse, mine have been so bad it would be hard for them to be worse. Do what you want to do.

 

 

Couldn't agree more!  :thumbsup:

[[Mi...]]

So I'm just wondering.... when people say no sugar during withdrawal / post withdrawal, what does that mean? No sugar at all, desert once in awhile, no juice, etc... anyone have any advice? I know that if I do something and there's potential for it to cause a worsening of symptoms, then that will surely happen to me. I've been cutting as much sugar out of my diet as possible but I would really like to have a piece of cake and a cookie or two once in awhile. I've also gone gluten free to the best of my ability.

 

During recovery and withdrawal I stopped sugar all together. After, I wen't back to eating dark chocolate. I love that stuff. But during recovery I couldn't even touch anything sweet without having a major setback.

[[bl...]]

Milky Way,  So are you healed then ?  If so, how long did it take and how did you know you were there ?

[[St...]]

I changed my diet drastically during my initial taper in 2014 and I feel like it helped a lot. I backslid during a long hold in 2015 and didn't really notice any ill effects, to be honest. Then this year I hit another rough patch and decided to go off almost all sugar. These days I eat fruit, sweet potatoes, and a little dark chocolate. Otherwise my diet is very clean. The dark chocolate is mostly because I've heard it can be good for you. Otherwise I'd excise it completely. Once I was off all soda, juice, etc. I started to feel a lot more stable. I think my blood sugar was unstable and this was causing me to be more symptomatic than I might have been otherwise. At least that's what I've observed so far. Hopefully it holds moving forward.

 

I agree with other people, though. Listen to your body. Some people need a little sugar / carbs. I would personally try to get it from cleaner sources (fruit, yams, etc.), but the brain and body need carbs.

[Guest [sa...]]

i think it's all about limiting your daily glucose intake to keep healthy.