Darksidesam
Bluelight Crew
Bananas are Super-Serotonin increasing foods ColtDan
I find it incredible that people *add* sugar to their cereal! Like ColtDan, I am sure most varieties contain a lot even before adding more.
Is it a child-hood, habitual thing darksidedsam?
^
Abstaining from sugar has nixed my depression/anxiety. I'm naturally prone to depression; I wouldn't say I have it by default, but I am a generally anxious person. Being off sugar has simply eliminated my anxiety.
Count sweet fruits as sugar. Bananas, figs, dates, raisins, (really any dried fruit), grapes, peaches, apricots, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, most apples, pears, I would avoid. Sure, have an apple (preferably granny smith, as they have the least fructose) for breakfast. But absolutely no bananas, for example.
I don't know much about stevia, but at a glance it looks safe.
And to the poster who posted about how you NEED carbohydrates...
We don't need nearly enough as the food pyramid/plate prescribes. For the past 2 years or so I've gone virtually without wheat, bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, and other forms of simple carbohydrates, and focused mainly on protein and vegetables, with no adverse effects (only positive ones). I do get carbs from legumes, however, and these days sweet potatoes, but I rarely, if ever, eat grains.
I find it incredible that people *add* sugar to their cereal! Like ColtDan, I am sure most varieties contain a lot even before adding more.
Is it a child-hood, habitual thing darksidedsam?
While I look at your words and see wisdom (even if I don't understand all of it), what can you say about the Eskimos, who through most months have little to no access to plants, yet seem to do alright?
I also wanted to correct myself. I'm actually eating 25-30 grams of carbs a day.
^ Not really a huge difference, actually. While processed/added sugars are indeed worse than natural sugars, natural sugar still gives you that "spike" of blood sugar. Stay away from all dried fruits, bananas, even berries. People switch over from cookies to fig newmans and bananas and think they're doing themselves a favor, when in reality they've just changed the source of their sugar injection. The fewer processed foods the better, too. Like I said, for my no-sugar experiment, the only fruit allowed is no more than one granny smith apple a day, and preferably zero.
I've been drinking a big glass of water when I wake up too now for about a year--it makes a difference. It also reduces cravings for cold cereal. Part of why we like cereal in the morning is that we feel the milk quenching our morning thirst (in addition to the sugar spike).
Another good habit to get into is to not eat at night after 9pm, to let the digestive system rest and do its thing well while you sleep. 12 hours between the evening meal and morning meal is optional to let the body do its proper repairs. But I digress.
We DO need carbohydrates, we DO NOT need synthesized sugars. Please make the difference. I would not recommend that anyone cut out carbs completely from their diet for longer than a few days personally. I would also not pursue such a radical diet without first consulting with experts in the field.
I do agree the food pyramid perhaps overdoes it, but the fact of the matter is you NEED, depending on the person, a certain amount of carbs. It is true some need less than others, but ALL HUMANS need carbs to live.
Maybe your experiences are positive, but you yourself in your first post, "I'm sure you've heard the idea before, but I'm like, totally serious this time. ", indicates to me that you have been eating more carbs in the past 2 years than you let on. I feel like encouraging such an extreme diet without being an expert, or having a deeper understanding of the human body is irresponsible and dangerous.
I'm sorry but this is plain wrong. I like your ideas about food and diet (well, my ED likes your ideas about food and diet...). 12 hours between meals will slow down your methabolism waaaaay too much. When you eat again you will not only be super hungry but your body will also store every last piece of calorie in the food you eat for breakfast. 12 hours between meals is not healthy and not smart at all.
Still I love the idea of not eating simple carbs anymore. That's probably healthy indeed.