avoid sugar - but which one?

[Guest guest]

Hi to all!

I know there has a lot been said about avoiding sugar and caffeine. I want to

try avoiding

both. but I still have a question: which sugar should be avoided - only the

white one? in

which forms does it occur? is brown sugar not more or less the same, in the

body? How

about raw cane sugar? maple syrup? invert sugar, which consists of fructose and

glucose?... isn't it all sugar? which ones are recommended?

 

and a question about caffeine: I still have my cup of espresso/latte in the

morning. does it

help to switch to caffeine-free coffee - or would this not be the solution to

the exercise???

I enjoy the foamed milk mostly I think. could be chai with milk a solution? can

it have

black or green tea in it or none of them?

 

thanks for any advice! I'm just recovering from gastritis and want to take the

chance for a

constant change of habbits!

 

sat nam

vroni

[Guest guest]

Kundaliniyoga , " vroni " <vhampl wrote:

>

> Hi to all!

> I know there has a lot been said about avoiding sugar and

caffeine. I want to try avoiding

> both. but I still have a question: which sugar should be avoided -

only the white one? in

> which forms does it occur? is brown sugar not more or less the

same, in the body? How

> about raw cane sugar? maple syrup? invert sugar, which consists of

fructose and

> glucose?... isn't it all sugar? which ones are recommended?

>

> and a question about caffeine: I still have my cup of

espresso/latte in the morning. does it

> help to switch to caffeine-free coffee - or would this not be the

solution to the exercise???

> I enjoy the foamed milk mostly I think. could be chai with milk a

solution? can it have

> black or green tea in it or none of them?

>

> thanks for any advice! I'm just recovering from gastritis and want

to take the chance for a

> constant change of habbits!

>

> sat nam

> vroni

>

[Guest guest]

Kundaliniyoga , " vroni " <vhampl wrote:

>

> Hi to all!

> I know there has a lot been said about avoiding sugar and caffeine.

I want to try avoiding

> both. but I still have a question: which sugar should be avoided -

only the white one? in

> which forms does it occur? is brown sugar not more or less the

same, in the body? How

> about raw cane sugar? maple syrup? invert sugar, which consists of

fructose and

> glucose?... isn't it all sugar? which ones are recommended?

>

> and a question about caffeine: I still have my cup of

espresso/latte in the morning. does it

> help to switch to caffeine-free coffee - or would this not be the

solution to the exercise???

> I enjoy the foamed milk mostly I think. could be chai with milk a

solution? can it have

> black or green tea in it or none of them?

>

> thanks for any advice! I'm just recovering from gastritis and want

to take the chance for a

> constant change of habbits!

>

> sat nam

> vroni

 

Hi Vroni,

 

All sugar is pretty much not that great (raises blood sugar)

Stevia (health food stores...Trader Joes) is an herbal alternative.

Decaf still has flourocarbons which are apparently as bad as the

coffee..Chai has caffeine too. There are some herbal substitutes, but

definitely not nearly as satisfying.

 

" They " say to change a habit takes 21 days...Good luck.

 

Sat Nam,

Carol

>

[Guest guest]

This is a great question … there are facets to the answer, I'll

present a few here, I'd love to hear what others think/feel.

 

First a little Western Medicine/Science (which is my background – I

have a PhD in Chemistry)

 

There are many types of sugar. Sugars are made of molecules with one

or more particular types of ring structures in them. Simple sugars

with one ring system are, for example glucose (made by plants) (which

is essential for energy for living) and fructose (found in honey and

fruit). Because they have ONE sugar-ring system, they are called

MONOsaccharides). These simple sugars can be `stuck together'. If you

stick two together you can get disaccharides. The most common sugar

we encounter is sucrose, white sugar which is a disaccharide made

from one glucose ring and one fructose ring.

 

Our body need glucose to work, it's the source of energy we use for

movement, thinking, growing and repairing our bodies. We get glucose

either by eating it, by digesting more complicated sugars or by

digesting things like starch from carbohydrate-rich foods such as

potato, rice, bread or pasta. If we take too much glucose on board

and don't use the energy our body can store the sugars by turning

them into fat, leading to increased weight and possibly obesity. The

increased weight puts additional strain on the heart. Hence TOO MUCH

sugar (in any form) can be implicated in heart disease. How much is

too much? It depends on your lifestyle – manual labourers and

athletes can crunch through much more sugar each day than a sedentary

office worker.

 

The KY Teacher Manual (The Aquarian Teacher) advises avoiding white

sugar (saying that it robs the body of vitamin B. Affects nerves; may

cause heart trouble; creates stress).

 

White sugar is primarily sucrose. Of course it's in a lot of western

processed foods and drinks.

 

Most of my yogi/yogini friends are happy to use honey as a sweetner,

particularly if its organic. Honey is rich in the simple sugar

fructose.

 

Someone mentioned stevia. I'm not an expert on this but I think it's

probably prudent to look at what is out there on the Internet about

stevia. A quick Google search seems to throw up a spectrum of opinion

about it. The FDA has a safety question about it it seems.

 

 

" Another product, stevia, is derived from a South American shrub.

Though it can impart a sweet taste to foods, it cannot be sold as a

sweetener because FDA considers it an unapproved food additive. " The

safety of stevia has been questioned by published studies, " says

Martha Peiperl, a consumer safety officer in FDA's Office of

Premarket Approval. " And no one has ever provided FDA with adequate

evidence that the substance is safe. " Under provisions of 1994

legislation, however, stevia can be sold as a " dietary supplement, "

though it cannot be promoted as a sweetener "

 

[Guest guest]

Wow – as one who LOVES information this was a phenomenal post. I so

appreciate the information and the chemistry lesson. Oddly enough my

grandfather was a chemistry professor – must be in the genes. You are dead

on when you say there is so much information out there – too much to digest

– pun intended. Listening to your system really is a great approach.

 

 

 

I did read some information recently by Jordan Rubin HYPERLINK

" http://www.jordanrubin.com/ " www.jordanrubin.com – he has some great

information on diet and how it affects the body/mind. Personally I find

some of his stuff over the top as he writes from a strong Christian

perspective but if you can separate the science from the information it is

excellent reading.

 

 

 

Julie

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the great answers to my questions about sugar and caffeine! I'm very

grateful

for all the advices!

 

It seems hard to give up the daily coffee routine and to select healthier foods

from what is

offered in menus and foodstores. but when you're there it just feels good. I

replaced my

coffee and afternoon sugar routine with a yoga and meditation routine in the

morning and

evening. so I got two good things in one!

but I think, giving these things up is also about the ritual you love, the

reward system you

have built up for yourself (for example at work) and which you have to replace

with

something that also feels like a reward to you.

 

I have been avoiding sugar for two month now and coffee only fort about two

weeks - still

craving sometimes, but I also find myself more balanced and stable. I'm curious

how it will

develop during the time I usually suffer from PMS.

 

Thanks for all the advices and blessings to all

sat nam

vroni

[Guest guest]

--

Sat Nam,

 

Start drinking yoga tea, there are a couple of recipes form this

group. Go into the archives and key in " yoga tea " .

Peace Love & all Light,

Guru Sadhana Seva,

Phila,Pa

- In Kundaliniyoga , " vroni " <vhampl wrote:

>

> Thanks for the great answers to my questions about sugar and

caffeine! I'm very grateful

> for all the advices!

>

> It seems hard to give up the daily coffee routine and to select

healthier foods from what is

> offered in menus and foodstores. but when you're there it just feels

good. I replaced my

> coffee and afternoon sugar routine with a yoga and meditation

routine in the morning and

> evening. so I got two good things in one!

> but I think, giving these things up is also about the ritual you

love, the reward system you

> have built up for yourself (for example at work) and which you have

to replace with

> something that also feels like a reward to you.

>

> I have been avoiding sugar for two month now and coffee only fort

about two weeks - still

> craving sometimes, but I also find myself more balanced and stable.

I'm curious how it will

> develop during the time I usually suffer from PMS.

>

> Thanks for all the advices and blessings to all

> sat nam

> vroni

>