Zero sugar diet
Written by Rachel
     

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Not a dietician

Rachel is not a nutritionist or a dietician, but she does have a very serious interest in what she eats.
By researching food, diet, nutrition and reading books such as How Not To Die and The Okinawa Program et al, Rachel has been able to develop a more mindful diet for both herself and Sifu Waller.


The sugar train

One problem that Rachel encountered was sugar. Sugar seemed to be in everything. For example yogurt. Most yogurts have added sugar. 0% fat Greek yogurt does not.
In addition to the obvious added sugars, there was fruit sugar and carbohydrates. The presence of sugar in your diet creates instability in the body and adversely affects your health.


Yo-yo

Sugar creates a yo-yo effect on your blood stream. You go through highs and lows continuously. This is mistaken for hunger.
Only by cutting out sugar (and any food that might remotely have sugar in it) can you stabilise your body and find equilibrium.
Once you have operated without sugar for a few days you will discover that you are no longer as hungry as you once were and that you do not need to eat as much food.


Why bother?

If your aim is to burn off the belly fat, gain lean muscle mass and eat a healthy, balanced, nutritious diet, then cutting out added sugar is a great starting place.
It isn't as hard as it sounds and the process itself is pretty interesting.
The benefits are enormous: less risk of cancer, obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, balanced moods, better sleep, less likely to have Alzheimer's and dementia, better skin, better teeth, sustained energy levels...


1200

In addition to cutting out sugar, Rachel and Sifu Waller wanted to lose more body fat, particularly 'belly fat' as this is known to cause many medical problems.
The lowest recommended daily calorie intake for a woman was 1200-1500 and 1500-1800 for a man.


Keeping track

Every day Rachel and Sifu Waller started by weighing themselves first thing (naked) and then recording the weight.
They also monitored body fat levels (visually) and by seeing how much they could find by physical inspection. Clothing fit and a measuring tape also provided useful feedback.
Throughout the diet a notebook was used to record the calorie count of everything eaten each day. The calorie estimates were as accurate as could be discerned.


Calorie controlled diet

Following a calorie controlled was not difficult. It just meant getting into the habit of recording everything...
The diet entailed:

  1. Eat nothing that contained added sugar (including honey, maple syrup, corn syrup etc)

  2. Fresh fruit (wide variety) - ideally 5-a-day

  3. Fresh vegetables (wide variety) - ideally 5-a-day

  4. No tinned food

  5. Sauerkraut

  6. Herbs (wide variety)

  7. Grains (wide variety)

  8. Spices (wide variety)

  9. Nuts (wide variety)

  10. Seeds (wide variety)

  11. Beans (wide variety)

  12. 0% fat Greek yogurt

  13. Lean poultry and fish

  14. Unsweetened almond milk

  15. Premium grade matcha green tea

  16. All Bran

  17. Unsweetened prune juice

  18. Home made juices

  19. Home made smoothies

  20. Limited intake of bread, pasta, rice, noodles, oats, dairy etc

  21. Seeking to increase variety of food sources


Mediterranean Diet  

Rachel is still finding books to be a bit patchy... Most cook books are substituting sugar for alternatives that are potentially just as sweet and hence cravings continue.
We found that the Mediterranean Diet offered the most consistent, balanced approach to healthy eating. 


Snacking

Fruit, yogurt, All Bran and protein shakes all serve as suitable snacks. When out and about, Rachel has been trying energy bars that contain no added sugar.
It is better to make your own though, so Rachel is looking for recipes.


Treats and cheats?

Having lost the sugar habit, do not resume your old eating patterns. This is the most important thing to remember.
If you eat the food you used to eat, you will get hooked on sugar once again. It is inevitable. If you want a treat, re-define what 'a treat' constitutes.
Rather that go back to eating sugary food, figure out how much you need to eat in order to maintain your ideal body fat ratio whilst eating a balanced, nutritious, sustainable, healthy diet.


Long term eating

Transforming a habit-based diet into a more thoughtful, well researched one is a fascinating process. It involves continual adjustment, improvement and change. There is no fixity. No boredom.

Page created 21 May 2016
 Last updated 05 April 2021

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