Top tips from the Sugar Crash Challenge support group

It’s time for my Monday Challenge Update.  I have just finished week 7 and am heading into the last week of the I Quit Sugar program.  I don’t think I would have got this far without a) the support of my husband who is doing this with me and b) the support of more than 30 other women who have joined my Sugar Crash Challenge support group on Facebook.

I’ve lost 4kg and feel pretty good.  I’ve managed to have a odd piece of chocolate without eating the whole block.  But, I failed miserably when it came to controlling my urge to scoff all of my fructose-free baking!  CrashHubby too!  I don’t think I’ll be making dextrose Afghan biscuits for a while.  They were too yummy!

Today I want to share with you the top tips that have been shared in our group. It was been great having some fellow ‘sugar crashers’ to share experiences with – highs and lows.  There have been some great recipes and meal ideas shared.

Where to buy supplies

Sig blogs about her experiences quitting sugar at One Day at a time . . ..  She has been our go to girl for advice on where to get things like dextrose, stevia, rice malt syrup etc.

In terms of alternative sweetners – Rice Malt Syrup e.g. is a great substitute for honey and you can get for ~ $3.50 at bigger Coles in the Health Food section. Stevia is a bit more expensive but you can live without it. You can buy Dextrose for about $4-5 a kilo and use it like sugar – obvs more you buy in bulk, the cheaper it is. I actually have a home brewing store near my house that I used to ignore and found some there! Shredded coconut, even fresh young coconuts I get from Safeway/Coles – about $2-3. Make small switches that are right for you.

Otherwise have u tried www.iherb.com?? That’s where I bought my Stevia and other health foods hard to get here – good prices and reasonable shipping and fast delivery.

I’m pretty sure Sig was the one who told me you get dextrose from the home brew section in Big W.  You can! For less than $4.

Great ways to satisfy a craving for something sweet

Jen blogs at Happiness, from the ground up

Yum! Blend ice, milk, natural yoghurt, grated ginger, grated nutmeg and a teaspoon of cocoa or MiEssence Berry Radical powder together. Refreshing, sweet enough, tasty and filling :)

Kylie suggests:

Arvo snack yesterday: plain yoghurt, blueberries, almonds, chia.

CrashHubby actually satisfied a sweet craving in the first couple of weeks by blending up ice, milk, plain yoghurt, chia, lecithin, and almond meal.  He swore it tasted like vanilla ice cream!

Dealing with the downsides of breaking sugar addiction

Laney, I had issues in my first few weeks with stabilising my blood sugar levels. Like Lynette said. A reader suggested having a teaspoon of dextrose or glucose lollies to bring it back into whack quickly. It won’t effect the detox because it will be burnt quickly. My Dr said that this is a perfect way to bring it back quickly and stop feeling horrible. And to eat more regularly in the long run, to stabilise.

This advice was spot on, because the second time, when I accidentally ordered full strength (!) we picked up some barley sugars and I was right within 30 minutes (compared with half a day last time).

Bloating

One of the most common benefits of going fructose-free is less bloating.  However, not always straight away and often it still returns once a month for the ladies.

I found drinking heaps of water helped with any bloating I had and have also almost cut cheese out as a “go to” snack

Also try a few glasses oh hot water on the morning with some lemon juice and ginger pieces in it. Helps move things along :)

Sig reminds us:

Sodium affects bloating as much as sugar does, so thats something to keep an eye on too

I can also recommend going easy on the fructose-free sweets too.  I ate a few too many of my yummy Afghans and was rewarded with wicked bloating.  Just saying.

Low energy

There have been a few complaints of tiredness, falling down, and even ‘low-carb flu’.  This is a good reminder to us all that fructose-free should not mean carb-free.  We still need energy and we still need fibre or of course we will start feeling sluggish.

Also, remember the barley sugar trick, if you’re at the point of falling down.  And eat something!  Remember, this is not a fad diet where we starve ourselves.

Some fun recipes

Sig has lots of great recipes on her blog, one of her more recent ones is how to make your own coconut butter

Karli blogs at Wherever you go, there you are and had some great suggestions for marinades without sugar.

Ok here it is: It works best with lamb but is great for any kind of ribs because the flavours are so good for chewing on bones :) just smother it all over, works best overnight but is fine for a couple of hours marinating. Enjoy!

So there you have it.  Just some of the great tips I’ve picked up from our Facebook Support Group.  You are welcome to join anytime, any point in your journey to becoming sugar-free.  If you’d like to learn more about my experiences and the Sarah Wilson I Quit Sugar program you can visit my Sugar Crash Challenge page.

Until next time,

Laney x