I Quit Sugar for Life Read Online Free PDF Page B

down on toxic load, but also because when you go sugar-free, it necessarily eliminates a lot of
processed carbs anyway. Where a gluten or grain product is used, it’s easy to substitute the following options:
    ▶ courgette ‘pasta’ (see here )
    ▶ gluten-free pasta
    ▶ quinoa (see here ), millet, amaranth or buckwheat (all of which are seeds, not grains)
    ▶ gluten-free and nut flours (be sure to add extra butter or oil when using nut flours)
    ▶ coconut flour (but add extra liquid)
    ▶ rice – jasmine and basmati are best: they’re not as high in the grain fibres that cause so many gut issues. Brown rice contains a
lot of phytic acid.
    ▶ extra vegetables – a whole baked sweet potato is a good choice. (Simply place the whole sweet potato, skin and all, on a baking tray
and roast in the oven – preheated to 200°C (gas 6) – for 45 minutes or until tender.)
    LET’S TRY THIS

CUT CARBS FOR TWO WEEKS
    (If you’ve been off sugar for some time)
    If you’re curious about whether carb-less living might do good stuff for you, cut back on, or cut out, bread, wraps, pasta, rice, cereal, pizza, noodles, polenta, etc. and see how it makes you feel. Replace them with the substitutes in the box on the left. Keep a food diary, or at least get mindful of any reactions, shifts in energy, cravings, gut issues and
weight changes. And slowly reintroduce carbs back in if you’re just not feeling great. I also advise doing this experiment alongside a doctor or nutrition professional who can monitor your
health with blood testing before and during. Also: if you have compromised health, please research this issue further and consult a nutritionist or doctor before jumping in. Abruptly cutting all
carbs can cause weight fluctuations and related hormonal issues.
    WHICH BREAD SHOULD I EAT, SUGAR-WISE?
    If you’re not gluten intolerant, genuine sourdough is best. The cultures in the sourdough partially break down gluten and slow our absorption of the sugars in white
     flour, plus they activate the enzymes required to break down the phytic acid. Even commercial sourdoughs contain less sugar than most other breads.
    SHOULD I QUIT CARBS WHEN I QUIT SUGAR?
    A good question. Three points:
    1. One thing at a time. I don’t advise quitting both sugar and carbs at the same time. It’s too much denial and change in one hit.
    2. Experiment. Some people do find after quitting sugar for some time that their tolerance for carbs is lessened and that grains and starches,
     particularly refined ones, keep them in a cycle of blood sugar ups and downs and cravings. Cutting (back on) carbs helps these people. In the past decade, more than 20 randomised controlled
     trials have shown low-carb diets are effective in reducing blood pressure, weight gain, cholesterol problems, blood sugar issues and that it’s an easier dietary approach to stick to than,
     say, low-fat diets.
    3. Overall, though, I reckon it’s best to avoid refined carbs. They’re redundant calories and get in the way of denser nutrition.
     It’s also good to limit gluten-containing foods, as well as legumes, due to the toxic load they place on our bodies.
    CALORIE-COUNTING
    Please know this: calorie-counting is a waste of energy. How so? It doesn’t take into account the way we burn energy once the food is in our gob. We are
not
‘calorie-in-calorie-out’ machines, despite what some antiquated diet pedlars like to claim. We’re more complex than that. For instance, starchy, fibrous veggies contain a lot
fewer calories once they’re inside us – we burn more energy accessing the calories through the hard-to-rupture cell walls. Further, cooking ruptures most cell walls, so cooked veggies
have more calories than raw. And what about this: once digested, protein foods contain fewer calories than are listed on the label.
    How so? Again, because it takes a lot of energy to break the protein down. Plus, some proteins require our immune system to get involved during