Food Addiction, hypoglycemia, emotions

[Andie]

All my life I've been obsessed with eating. Typically with eating too much though in puberty I was anorexic for a year. I realized this weekend that I'm probably hypoglycemic. One "cure" I read about is no caffenine, sugar nor alcohol and eating several small, whole grain based meals every day. And always eating a small within one hour of waking and sleeping. Always have a small meal because a large meal will upset blood sugar.

It's only been a day and a half and I already feel better. I really think that I was "addicted" to food because of my blood sugar. I was forever stuffing myself then getting too hungry and trying to put off eating because I was feeling guilty for overeating earlier.

For a long time I've been on the defensive with everyone, thinking people are basically out to get me. Not full blown paranoia but ready to get mad at the least perceived insult. Some of this is my blood sugar and some of it is feeling worthless as a person. I am the youngest in my family and always felt defenseless hence rage.

It feels good to explain this. Anybody had similiar experiences?

[chakra]

I first ran into this in college. It's taken me most of my lifetime to actually start to realize it. Still on the caffiene but I've gotten away from the candy, cookies, etc that I used to eat constantly. Middle age weight gains have forced the change and I am benefiting with more balanced moods. Unluckier ones end up diabetic.

[PinkFluffyCloud]

Yes! Hands up to this.

Reading 'Potatoes Not Prozac' helped me understand why I seem to have an 'addictive' personality, but I still have good times and bad with this (been bad lately!).
I have stopped drinking alcohol pretty much altogether, and stopped all caffeinated drinks, which has helped.

Next on the list is sugar, but I am scared to give up my biggest 'prop', even though I know it's also my biggest enemy!

Keep up the good work, if you can stick with it, perhaps I can too!!

[Andie]

PinkFluff,
I'm going to get the book. I know I've got an addictive personality. When I was little my mom fed me with something like a bottle for baby food. I would quickly suck the thing dry and scream till she refilled it!!! Before I gave up alcohol I rarely drank because if I did I would drink several drinks and then pass out.
Sugar. What a little demon it is. You would think the stuff was crack cocaine. I wish you the best. Total abstinence is the only way I'm doing it. Fortunately overly sweet stuff makes my teeth hurt. I just wish gingerbread and similiar stuff wasn't so appealing.
We can do this!

[PinkFluffyCloud]

Yes, Andie, lets join forces against the Dark Side!!
(Sorry, too much Star Wars!!).
Let's prove how strong we can be, girl!

[Andie]

Stars Wars is a fine metaphor for me!! We shall be triumphant

[PinkFluffyCloud]

Andie, how's it going?
I am finishing up the 'naughties' round here (got extra excuse of period!), then I intend to STOP the sugar Arghhhh!!!
Already stopped Caffeine - had a headache/Migraine for a fortnight!
Are you quitting it all together??
BRAVE!
Is it painful??

[eve]

The absolutely best book for any food addictions is "Breaking the Food Seduction" by the vegan doctor Neil Barnard. Highly recommended.

[Andie]

Hi PinkFluffy,
Yes, I've quit it all.
It feels like a big weight off my shoulder. I think that because I have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, I'm real good at going to extremes like this.
A while back I gave up daily coffee so quiting it didn't cause the headaches. I had pretty much given up white sugar and was eating natural stuff like maple syrup so I think that made the transition easier too.
Someone recommended Prosac Not Potatoes by Kathleen DesMaisons. I visited her website and she outlines a good program for giving up sugar. She's not vegan but it's something we can easily adapt to our eating ethic.
I felt a bit the "odd ball" when I became a vegan but now I really feel odd. My hubby asks "what's left?" because I've also given up oils, nuts and seeds, salt, yeast and vinegar. That leaves me with whole grains, veggies, beans, fruit, herbs, spices, water and roasted grain beverage. Now it's really hard to eat out but that is becoming less important.
It has now occurred to me that eating bad or questionable foods is totally ingrained in our culture.

[Andie]

Eve,
I enjoyed Breaking the Food Seduction, especially Barnard's theory that dairy contains morphine-like drugs. Makes total sense. But it was my interpertation that he thinks sugar isn't all that bad.
I was reading some old posts and realized we have something in common, I too can't stand the laugh tracks on American sitcoms. The stuff makes me want to scream and I'm an American.

[eve]

I don't recall what he said about sugar, but there are well established myths about sugar. I happen to have inherited the diabetes condition, but keep it in check with low glycaemic foods and increased exercise. However, the booklets I get from the Diabetes Society, and info from the doc, tell me that diabetes is not from consuming sugar (which is why I was so sure that I was originally misdiagnosed as I don't use sugar, except in an occasional cup of cocoa). The booklets etc also say that if you want to put sugar in your tea, it is ok - but like anything, moderation in all things. If Dr Barnard says that it's no big deal, well I agree, though I must say that hardly anything I eat contains sugar.

I'm sure he's right about the addictive properties of dairy - just read all the posts here about cheese!

[PinkFluffyCloud]

I don't know about this sugar thing. I have noticed that, if I don't have something very sweet for several hours (even if it's just a glass of pure Orange Juice), then my head starts to feel really tight, a headache develops (which, unchecked sometimes runs in to a Migraine), I get a horrible, hot, thirsty feeling, and feel like I could knock somones teeth out! The minute I have something sweet, I feel calm again.
So, I wonder, do I have a medical condition, or am I simply addicted to Sugar (in all it's forms?).

[Mystic]

I am starting to get worried - I truly think I am addicted to medjool dates. It seems as though lately I cannot last a day without eating them, and I have been experiencing tremors when I haven't eaten anything for a while, massive headaches, nausea and constant cravings for dates. My boyfriend hid them from me last night when I binged on them yesterday, and tonight I went frantically searching for them, found them, and scoffed 8! My headache and nausea disappeared briefly but now I feel sick again.

[eve]

Just don't buy them any more.

[PinkFluffyCloud]

Aha!, Banana, sounds like you and I have set ourselves up with a similar problem!
I wonder if it is 'sugar' per se (inc fruit sugar) that is problem-causing, or can ANY food cause these addictive tendencies if the consumer eats enough of it on a regular basis.
It certainly sounds like we both have an addiction, though not one that would elicit a lot of sympathy from those who haven't suffered!
I dream of going on Vegan Health Farm retreat for a couple of weeks withdrawal/survival training!!

[PinkFluffyCloud]

Just don't buy them any more.

HaHa!
Eve, you have obviously never felt 'addicted' to anything then?

[Mystic]

Just don't buy them any more.

I wish I had the discipline not to - everytime I see them in the supermarket I start drooling! (I am being serious)

I have just been looking up sugar addiction on the net and I reckon that maple syrup, dates and all dried fruits and sweets will have to go for a while. Maybe I should stick to very low GI foods - what do you all think?

[foxytina_69]

i think if u are going to cut them out, do it slowly. going cold "turkey" (excuse the phrase), if u ARE addicted to sweet things, could cause u to not feel well.

[PinkFluffyCloud]

A light suddenly switched itself on in my brain today!
I was sitting, (oops, just had to edit 'titting' into 'sitting'!!! ) - munching ANOTHER peice of 'Peanut Munch', having just stubbed out a ciggie (yes, STILL struggling to quit permanently), and drinking a horribly sweet drink, when 'DING-DONG!', - "This is your brain speaking! Why care about animals so much whilst you are killing yourself? Why care about animals so much if you might deprive your son of his mother?"
Seriously, it felt like a Revelation!
You can be in posession of all the facts about something, even agree with them, but until you get that light inside, you can't act.
I know, without a doubt, that I will get ill if I stop consuming sugar, and it's going to be hard stopping smoking for good, especially as I am going through a stressful time.
However, I often think 'what would I think about this if I saw it through the eyes of an animal................well, in this instance, I suddenly got my answer.
So, if I get ill it will only be short-term withdrawal symptoms, won't it?
I know it will lead to better long-term health.

[Andie]

Pink and Banana,
If the three of us can stop eating meat and by-products, we can kick sugar too.
Check out Prosac Not Potatoes by Kathleen DesMaisons or her website for a step by step plan.
I realized that I've fallen into the trap of believing that products like maple syrup and raisins were okay because they are available at the health food store. I realize raisins and other dried fruit do have nutrients but for a sugar sensitive person like myself, they'll have to go.
Pink,
I know what you mean about the "lightbulb."
Andie

[PinkFluffyCloud]

Andie - I love the Potatoes book, it makes sense, but I actually threw it in the bin one day because, after 10 days without sugar (including my birthday!), I had a bad day and ate 2 choccie bars in one sitting! I felt so much better that I was convinced the book was 'crap'.
However, it is me that's crap, not the book, I must get another copy! This time I have to stick to it.
Have you done the Potato at night thing? It gave me weird dreams, which she says is a sign of your Seratonin level lifting rapidly.
Andie, are you losing weight already? What sort of little meals do you have, I am not sure how to make 6 meals, I barely have time or inclination to make 3 per day!

[Mystic]

My boyfriend threw out my dates and maple syrup last night. This morning when I was making my oatmeal, I was dying for my maple syrup! I had it with a plain sliced banana and I am still kind of shaky. I really am addicted and I am making a commitment to combat my addiction to sugar - I will try to eat medium - low GI carbohydrates, and eliminate all sugar for a couple of weeks. Then I will slowly introduce them back in, in small amounts. (I still want a life )

[PinkFluffyCloud]

Banana - do you mean you are going to sever your 'dependance' and then try to re-introduce them as a small part of your diet? That wouldn't work for me, I have to be all or nothing, but if you can manage that, good on yer!

Right, I have begun the 'Unthinkable'.........................no sugar, no chocolate, no ciggies, no alcohol, no white flour.
If you don't hear from me, could someone please let my old man know that my Last Will and Testament is in the bottom drawer, ta.

[Mystic]

LOL PFC! It's okay - you will survive

I am already having trouble - I doubt I can stick to this - I am hopeless

[Andie]

Pink Fluffy,

How's the "unthinkable" going??? I've been supper busy at work with the holidays and all and meant to write sooner.
I often have vivid dreams so I can't tell if it's the potatoes or not. As for how to make that many meals, I just cook a huge batch of rice and another batch of beans. I use plastic freezer containers to tote the stuff to work though I don't heat anything in these as it supposedly leaches organochlorides.
I cook my beans in a pressure cooker. I'm considering getting a new model of pressure cooker which will cook grains as well.
I make salads in big batches too.
I'm like you, I can't reintroduce any of this stuff back into my diet. I'm treating myself like an alcoholic. They can't do social drinking. I can't have a "bite of cake."
I think a lot of my past over eating can be traced to hypoglycemia. I would bounce from one food high to another. Now food is becoming less of an obsession. I'm also exercising which really helps too. I think some of this is physiological and some is psychological, using food as a comfort. I'm doing a lot of growth work in therapy now. I think I was hiding behind food.

[PinkFluffyCloud]

Andie - I enjoyed your writer's slip - 'Supper busy' instead of of 'Super busy' - TeeHee!
Um, the Unthinkable is kind of going well. I have stopped smoking (again), stopped drinking anything which contains caffeine, sugar, or alcohol, have started an exercise plan (thanks, Pete!), but haven't stopped the sugar.
I have made some 'Protein Bars' which contain syrup, and have limited myself to one of those per day............but only if I exercise that day! This seems to work both ways - a reward and a good source of protein but not a dependance.
The real test will be a) when I have a disastrous day, or b) when I have bad PMT.
I am still hankering after going Raw, but I will cross a few other bridges before giving that more thought.

Well done Andie, you must be proud of yourself, has it been hard or are you completely motivated now?

[Andie]

I'm not a good speller and when I wrote that I would have liked to have been at home having a super supper!!
Your plan sounds good. I don't blame you for not going raw now. Take it all gradually.
It has surprising not been hard. I've known for a long time, years, I had issues with food. I've finally come to the point I'm ready to deal with it all and ready to feel more energetic, less depressed and cranky.

[adam antichrist]

I don't know about this sugar thing. I have noticed that, if I don't have something very sweet for several hours (even if it's just a glass of pure Orange Juice), then my head starts to feel really tight, a headache develops (which, unchecked sometimes runs in to a Migraine), I get a horrible, hot, thirsty feeling, and feel like I could knock somones teeth out! The minute I have something sweet, I feel calm again.
So, I wonder, do I have a medical condition, or am I simply addicted to Sugar (in all it's forms?).

Candida bacteria lives in the intestine and feeds on sugars. If you have excessive populations they require tonnes of sugar to survive. When you cut down on sugar, they are eating all the carbs you need to function properly. Headaches are a side effect of this, perhaps because the brain needs carbs for cellular respiration (all other organs can function on ketones... hence the success of the aitkins diet) so your headache probably relates to this. I notice you posted this in decmber so I wonder how things are now? If it is still occurring you might need a detox diet... water fast for a couple of days then introduce raw root vegetables. I read about this in a book called 'It might be alergy and it can be cured', but I can't remember the author's name.

[adam antichrist]

I am for the first time considering a weight loss diet. I was one of those people who although having terrible eating habits never put onm a gram until at age 27 I went on a medication which appeared to change my metabolism as a side effect... I put on ten kilos in 6 weeks and it's never come off.

I am reluctant to cut out sugar altogether because as a non drinker/smoker/drug user/meat eater etc etc I wonder what is left for me??? Carbs and a nice cup of tea with soy milk are my only vices (apart from sacrificing little children)

I have been experimenting with better eating habits ie cutting down to 3 meals per day. I have noticed that if I allow myself a bite to eat late at night I can't stop eating and it turns into a fourth meal. While I am slightly overweight and definately not obese I feel that I can't acheive or succeed until I lose the extra 5-10 kilos and I recognise this as severely dysfunctional thinking.

Has anyone had much success with vegan weight loss diets they can recommend? I am not in a position to purchase literature at present so links to online sites would be much appreciated.

[littleTigercub]

I believe I am a hypoclycaemic and gave up coffee before Xmas. Although I still have the odd (!) can of diet coke (instead of one a day) I really feel the difference. The first day I experienced terrible headache but this just confirmed that my decision was right to give up something which causes you so severe withdrawal sympthtoms.

At the same time, I also gave up alcohol for the same reason, but unfortunately, I did not manage to keep this up (not that I drink a lot anyway...).

I really felt the difference and did not crave chocolate a single bit - not even pre period!

I then relapsed (and had chocolate cake) and there were all the cravings back which further confirmed that it was the abstinence which made the difference. Unfortunately, since then, I did not manage to cut out alcohol and chocolate again but I aim to!

littleTigercub

[Haniska]

I think I have hypoglycemia too. I have been looking up about it and it is recommended that you eat at least every three hours no sugar, no coffee, no cigarettes. Protein, fat, and whole grains at every meal. Withdrawal lasting a week. Diabetic glusose(?) tablets will help. White potatoes supspicous.
Actually I had baked potato chips with breakfast and set me off on a binge.
Finished off my Christmas dates today. I also had a solid chunk of sugar (rock candy) and hacked up mucous for about a half hour afterward. Nice.
Didn't have any sugar yesterday and had a migraine by 7pm.

[Haniska]

Can anyone give me a link to the Potatoes not Prozac website? Thanks.

[Willynilly]

If you Google 'potatoes not prozac,' you'll get a lot of results.

[Haniska]

I did that and I got a lot of results for the book :-p I'll pick through them though.

[Seaside]

I think this is what you are looking for, Haniska.

[Yogini]

I sort of skimmed the "sugar debate" posts in this thread. I came to the conclusion a while back that the reason there is so much debate about weight loss and breaking addictions is because people have different body chemistry make-ups and different reasons for addiction. What may work wonderfully for one person may be a disaster for another and vice versa. I suffered from various addictions for quite awhile and I've come to the conclusion that they were primarily psychological. Once I changed my life in a way that made me happy and not miserable, my addictions resolved themselves. And contrary to conventional wisdom, I can now consume former addiction substances in moderation. For example, I spent most of my twenties as a raging alcoholic. I quit for a few years and didn't drink at all, then started drinking lightly again about 1 1/2 years ago and haven't had any problems. I bought a six-pack about 2 months ago and in that time I've only drank three of them.

This "one size DOESN'T fit all" theory covers a lot of areas. When I studied criminology in college, I read about all the different theories as to why people commit crime. Every expert was convinced that his/her theory was the only correct one. But for every theory, I and most other students could think of several exceptions. Then I read about another criminologist who said "all of these theories are correct" - different people have different motivations and the trick is to figue out which theory applies to each criminal and how to use that particular theory as part of rehabilitation. Expecting all criminals to respond to one rehabilitation practice is a recipe for failure. This was a real eye-opener for me and, as I stated, I find applications for this principle in other fields almost every day.

[Haniska]

Thank you Seaside!

I went to the doctor the other day to have some bloodwork done (more on that later). His shift was *almost* over and he said "Do you have anything else I can help you with?" I asked if there was a way or a reason for me to be tested for hypoglycemia. He said no, the only thing to be done about it was to eat frequently. I told him I had it covered :P
Now I am about to eat a maple sugar leaf. Tomorrow is New Years!

[Seaside]

You're welcome.

[Haniska]

I went without sugar or any white carbs all day! Woo hoo for me keeping my New Years resolution.
Around 8pm I started "looking". It seemed way worse than when I quit smoking! After a while I told myself it was okay to eat some whole fruit. I ate a half an apple that tasted like PURE APPLE SUGAR and now I have a migraine. I looked up "sugar migraine" and found a lot of sites that say swinging your blood sugar around can give you migraines.

[Tigerlily]

I heard eating something high in sugar (even fruits, dried fruit) with something high in protein (like nuts) should help that.

If you still have your headache, drink a ton of water and lie down. I mean like 5 glasses in a row.

I had a sugar migraine last night from ONE glass of Pepsi. Bleh! Felt so headachey and nauseas. Great way to ring in the new year...

[Stezzy]

I get severe hypoglycemia attacks where I feel totally desperate for something sweet. I also have ME/CFS and candida and I've heard it can be part of that in some cases. I'm trying to give up sugar as it makes me so ill, but I'm so addicted to it that for me going cold turkey is pretty much impossible. I'm seeing a homoepath who's given me some pills to apparently help with the sugar cravings, so I'll let you know if they work! I also find that eating little and often is the best way forward. If I leave it for 2-3 hours before eating I get the shakes and feel really weak.