Questions for those who’ve quit or are quitting sugar, grains etc
How does for ex Stevia affect you? I’m thinking mainly about cravings, not weight loss effect. My thinking now is to avoid any kind of sugar (sugar, honey, maple syrup, dried fruit etc) except raw fruit. I’ve never used artificial sweeteners and never would (hey, health obsessed vegetarian for ten years 
). For baking I just use cocoa, cream, vanilla powder or raw fruit. It’s not the real thing but it satisfies my longing for festiveness without me starting to binge. Is Stevia a good choice or does it set off cravings for you? I’ve never tried it so I know very little of its effects and now is not really a good time for me to experiment having just come out of the sugar daze.
And what about sprouted grain products, like sprouted bread? Do any of you eat sprouted grains and how does it affect you?
The reason I’m asking is that I’m sensing eating no sugar and no grains like bread is going to give me a "hollow" feeling at times like something is missing from my eating (it already has), and if there are foods that brighten up your eating experience without leading to binges, they might be worth trying.
I tried making oopsies yesterday and though they looked lovely mine tasted more like mini-omelettes than bread. Good yes, but still omelettish.
Tags: are, etc, for, grains, or, Questions, quit, quitting, sugar,, those, who've
March 20th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
Hi Fjeld! Stevia has been so great for me it’s really filled that hole removing sweet foods left. I find it doesn’t cause cravings exactly but for me it’s easy to overdo it (ie. keep eating whatever it is beyond satiety).
I think if you’re craving something sweet now and then stevia is definitely the way to go. It’s been really helpful for me and has saved me from giving in to sugar many times. Just remember that it can take some time to get it tasting authentic and a little goes a long way.
I agree about the oopsies. I only made them once, and found them to be eggy too. However, I made them into a kind of trifle by cutting them into slices and layering them with a stevia sweetened ricotta and cream mixture and some fresh raspberries and slivered almonds and that was AMAZING! So amazing I only made it the once.
As for sprouted grain bread, I find grains make my stomach pretty acid these days so I can’t comment personally, but I have read/been told that it is by far the superior choice if you’re going to have grains. I may try it when I’m on maintenance!
Good luck with the sugar and grain ban!
March 20th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
Stevia doesn’t give me cravings.
Splenda triggers cravings and hunger for me.
Sprouted wheat bread I only eat once in a blue moon. Once I get a taste of the softness, it takes me back to my carb days and all I want to do is eat sandwiches all day. It doesn’t raise my blood sugar though. Wanting to eat, eat, eat the bread is mental for me.
I understand the "hollow" feeling. I felt that way at first, but then I started to add in more fat (at least 1 tablespoon worth at every meal) and started to eat every 3 hours. That seemed to help me A LOT.
Check the recipe forum. There are a lot of different alternative bread recipes. It wont be 100% the same, but it helps. I forgot the name, but theres one that I liked that uses protein powder, eggs, cheese, flax and some other ingredients. I’ll see if I can hunt it down.
March 20th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
fjeld, as of last May, I gave up sugars and flours including grain sprouted bread. At first, it was hard to get used to Stevia because of the slight bitter after taste but now that my taste bud have forgotten what sugar tastes like, I enjoy using Stevia. Going sober on sugar and released from flour has freed me from intestinal problems(gas, cramps etc.) and cravings. I don’t use fresh fruit or fruit sweetened jams because the stall my weight loss and cause indigestion. I’ve found that a teaspoon of sugar-free jam is okay.
I enjoy oopies for the snack quality but if I want bread, I make a nut bread and slice in horizontally. Toasting it after baking or microwaving, makes it stiff and easier to use. Making an almond loaf also works. During the induction, I used the original bread recipe from Atkins:
Protein bread:
3 eggs separated, room temp
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup Soya powder
1 tablespoon baking powder
Preheat oven to 350*
Combine egg yolks with all other ingredients. Mix well. Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into mixture. Put into buttered pan and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until golden. Store in refrigerator. Make sure you use soy powder not soy flour.
Good luck in finding what works for you.
March 20th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
I cut out grains a lot easier than sugar — there are so many tasty grain alternatives that I’ve never felt deprived.
Sugar was harder mostly because I was still putting a spoonful of it in every cup of coffee! When I went cold turkey a month ago, I decided to also avoid all sugar substitutes, natural or artificial. My tastes were already adjusting as I got older, and since then I’ve had next to no cravings, even for most of the sweets I used to love to excess. For instance, I’m perfectly happy making Lauren’s dessert recipes and not adding any sweeteners — just relying on the natural flavors of everything else — and the sweetest things I eat by themselves now are 85% dark chocolate and the occasional bite of fruit. I just find it easier not having to weigh the pros and cons of the various sugar alternatives…and when my desserts have enough fat, I don’t miss sugar at all.
Even if someone came up with the "perfect sugar replacement" — no carbs, no glycemic load, no side effects — I’m convinced that the sweet taste would still cause your brain and body chemistry to respond in almost the exact same way as they would to the real thing. So I think it’s better to "re-train" your taste buds to be satisfied and happy with less sweetness.
March 20th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
claire26 – I saw a picture of an Oopsie cake on Cleochatra’s site I think Weasel was making. And yes, at least for now I think I better stay away from Oopsie cakes too
Amazing though, the versatility of the Oopsie.
NurseMonkee – Yes, I too need to avoid that neverstopeating-behaviour that bread (and potatoes, pasta etc) cause for me. I think that might be the best clue as to what I can eat or not. Not even fruit does that to me, only sugar, bread etc.
I hope I eat enough fat? I eat at least 2 tbs of some fat at every meal (egg yolks, butter, cream, creme fraîche, OO and what’s in the food like fish, nuts etc.
oceandiva – About intestinal problems, after not eating bread or other grains for only five days I have no acid reflux. Being over 7 months pregnant this is quite remarkable because latley acid reflux was getting to be a real problem. Thank you for the recipe!
frogfarm – Healthy Indulgences is a beautiful website. I think if I tried any recipes from there I would have to do what you do – use them without sugar substitutes (or with fruit). I think Jacksmixedtapes also mentions coconut flour which might be a good idea to try.
Thank you all for your answers. It seems Stevia can be a blessing and I think you’d know pretty quickly when trying it if it is or not. I guess I can try it and see how I react as long as I’m honest with myself and don’t just tell myself "It’s health food!!!" if I start using it in everything
But for tonight I’ll be fine with whipped cream, real powdered vanilla, berries and half a banana.
March 20th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
Stevia doesn’t cause cravings… splenda is OK if I have it with fat (heavy whipping cream).
I make a pumpkin pudding when I am totally craving something bad… it works great.
1 can pumpkin (plain pumpkin)
1 stick butter, unsalted, melted
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 t Cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
2 T granulated splenda (the kind in the giant ziplock)
Mix all ingredients well and portion out – will make 4 cups total. I make 2, two cup servings. Cook in microwave until done in micro-safe container (it takes 5 minutes for me). Allow to cool and enjoy!
VERY good with a dollop of whipped cream.
March 20th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
Heather: Thank you for the recipe, I don’t know if I can get canned pumkin here but considering how so many on LCF seem to like it I’m going to try.
Can you make this recipe in an ordinairy oven or "water bath" because I never use a microwave? Did I mention my years as a vegetarian health obsessive
?
March 20th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
I LOOOOVE pumpkin. You can usually find it in the baking aisle of the supermarket. **Just make sure the can you buy says 100% pure pumpkin, not "Pumpkin pie mix." The pie mix is sweetened and has the spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, etc., already added.) The 100% pure pumpkin is just that — pumpkin, with no added sugar. It does have *natural* sugar, but nothing added. (And it’s loaded with fiber, so it’s a wonderful LC treat!!)
March 20th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
It ought to work fine in an ordinary oven.
Treat it like a casserole, it turns a paler color when done, and the consistency changes in a very visible manner.
I had one today for a snack at work, surrounded by candy and junk (I’m a Sugar Pimp), loving my pumpkin pudding! So good!
There are lots of MUCH better recipes in the recipe room, too.
March 20th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
This sounds good, think I will make it.
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