Social Anxiety Support

Sloppy Joe · 08-13-2009, 09:17 AM

I heard from a few different sources that cutting out sugar can really alleviate anxiety, and I'd like to try it. It sounds really tough though. I switched over to whole grains a while ago, but that wasn't too hard. Sugar though - it's in everything! And there's no really good substitute. Maple syrup & honey - wouldn't that be just as bad? I know stevia's supposed to work but I can't bake with it, it just tastes wrong.

Also, does no sugar mean absolutely no sugar? Or is a little bit OK?

Does anyone have sites/books I can read to help me out? I just don't know how to get started. I'm not willing to eat salad all day.

2Talkative · 08-14-2009, 07:00 PM

It's very hard to avoid sugars entirely. I use splenda.

Great. · 08-14-2009, 07:27 PM

Any cookbook for candida will be sugar free. I checked some out at the library a while back, don't remember the titles but they're probably easy to find if you search for candida cookbook or something like that.

You're right, sugar is in just about everything. It's disgusting because it's so harmful to the body yet so socially acceptable.

proximo20 · 08-14-2009, 08:55 PM

I only get sugar from fruits. Cutting sugar and junk food has helped me a lot: Less fatigue, no belly, better concentration.

millenniumman75 · 08-15-2009, 12:10 AM

Since halving my Paxil due to timing in seeing a new doctor, I noticed that the caffeine I drank to once stay awake was WAY too much. I cut the caffeine out a bit more than the sugar intake.

leonardess · 08-16-2009, 02:29 PM

Awwww honey honey.

You are my candy girl, and you got me wantin you....

honey honey, sugar sugar...

ba da da da ba-da.....

Anyone else think of this when they read the thread title? Anyone? No?

RedGate · 08-16-2009, 04:19 PM

Cut sugar intake to a small amount. I cannot even finish a can of Coke anymore without getting sick from the sugar count. I started drinking water whenever I wanted something to drink. After a few days, you lose a lot of the need to have to eat/drink anything with sugar. It sucks at first, but nothing worthwhile comes easy.

Attica! Attica! · 08-16-2009, 05:51 PM

I've mostly cut sugar out of my diet, but I haven't noticed a change in my anxiety. It did however eliminate any trace of acne, and I've lost 10 pounds.

max4225 · 08-16-2009, 06:45 PM

kpiper0101 · 08-16-2009, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sloppy Joe

I heard from a few different sources that cutting out sugar can really alleviate anxiety, and I'd like to try it. It sounds really tough though. I switched over to whole grains a while ago, but that wasn't too hard. Sugar though - it's in everything! And there's no really good substitute. Maple syrup & honey - wouldn't that be just as bad? I know stevia's supposed to work but I can't bake with it, it just tastes wrong.

Also, does no sugar mean absolutely no sugar? Or is a little bit OK?

Does anyone have sites/books I can read to help me out? I just don't know how to get started. I'm not willing to eat salad all day.

Splenda works really well for baking. I use it all the time, and even my sugar-loving kids don't know the difference.

pboy · 08-17-2009, 08:33 AM

You know sometimes I wonder if cutting sugar really does help anxiety or if it's just all in the mind. For example I used to eat sugar and not worry about it, then when I found out that it can affect anxiety, I started noticing how it affected me physically and it made me anxious!

In my experience it can make the physical sensations of panic worse, that sudden rush you get when anxiety suddenly hits.

irma · 08-21-2009, 10:20 AM

I've found making progress has been easier since cutting out sugar and refined carbs. sugar seems to slow down progress by draining energy and depleting vitamins.

Quote:

A diet high in sugar and refined carbohydrates is another factor that reduces intelligence. Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that the higher the intake of refined carbohydrates, the lower the IQ. In fact, the difference between the high-sugar consumers and and the low-sugar consumers was a staggering 25 points. Sugar has been implicated in aggressive behaviour, anxiety, hyperactivity, and attention-deficit disorder, depression, eating disorders, fatigue, learning difficulties, and PMS ratings.

pyramidsong · 08-21-2009, 06:48 PM

Re splenda: hate to be the bearer of bad news, but artificial sweeteners are just as bad for you as sugar, just in a different way. Some of them are actually petroleum byproducts, for one thing. The other thing is that although they don't have the calories of sugar, they trick your brain receptors into thinking the body's receiving sugar, so they can spike your insulin just the same, thus setting your body up to crave more sweetness.

Sorry.

jaada · 08-24-2009, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pyramidsong

Re splenda: hate to be the bearer of bad news, but artificial sweeteners are just as bad for you as sugar, just in a different way. Some of them are actually petroleum byproducts, for one thing. The other thing is that although they don't have the calories of sugar, they trick your brain receptors into thinking the body's receiving sugar, so they can spike your insulin just the same, thus setting your body up to crave more sweetness.

Sorry.

hi everyone, i just wanted to say that you are so right, artificial sweetners are very bad for your health and end up making you gain weight in the long run. i have problems with sugar cravings too and use to use lots of sugar still do sometimes, but the best non sugar sugar i have found that is healthy for you is xylitol. i love it, it tastes pretty good and you can bake with it too.

Sloppy Joe · 08-28-2009, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pyramidsong

Re splenda: hate to be the bearer of bad news, but artificial sweeteners are just as bad for you as sugar, just in a different way. Some of them are actually petroleum byproducts, for one thing. The other thing is that although they don't have the calories of sugar, they trick your brain receptors into thinking the body's receiving sugar, so they can spike your insulin just the same, thus setting your body up to crave more sweetness.

Sorry.

I didn't mention splenda. I did suggest stevia. I never use splenda, imo it's worse than sugar.

As for the diet - I have 5 books sitting on my dresser. I'm working on it, I have to eat a lifetime's worth of ice cream first.

08-13-2009, 09:17 AM	#1 (permalink)
Sloppy Joe Status: Stressful Join Date: Feb 2009 Gender: Female Posts: 228	Sugar! I heard from a few different sources that cutting out sugar can really alleviate anxiety, and I'd like to try it. It sounds really tough though. I switched over to whole grains a while ago, but that wasn't too hard. Sugar though - it's in everything! And there's no really good substitute. Maple syrup & honey - wouldn't that be just as bad? I know stevia's supposed to work but I can't bake with it, it just tastes wrong. Also, does no sugar mean absolutely no sugar? Or is a little bit OK? Does anyone have sites/books I can read to help me out? I just don't know how to get started. I'm not willing to eat salad all day.

08-14-2009, 07:00 PM	#2 (permalink)
2Talkative Status: MIA Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Vancouver BC Gender: Male Age: 28 Posts: 509	It's very hard to avoid sugars entirely. I use splenda. __________________ "I have found the Iron to be my greatest friend. It never freaks out on me, never runs. Friends may come and go. But two hundred pounds is always two hundred pounds." - Henry Rollins

08-14-2009, 07:27 PM	#3 (permalink)
Great. Status: SAS Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: St Paul, MN Gender: Female Age: 22 Posts: 501	Any cookbook for candida will be sugar free. I checked some out at the library a while back, don't remember the titles but they're probably easy to find if you search for candida cookbook or something like that. You're right, sugar is in just about everything. It's disgusting because it's so harmful to the body yet so socially acceptable. __________________ "Put your troubles away till tomorrow.... If you're lucky, someone will break into your house tonight and steal 'em!"

08-14-2009, 08:55 PM	#4 (permalink)
proximo20 Status: SAS Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Miami Age: 28 Posts: 743	I only get sugar from fruits. Cutting sugar and junk food has helped me a lot: Less fatigue, no belly, better concentration. __________________ "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." "When I look back on all these worries , I remember the story of the old man who said on his deathbed that he had a lot of trouble in his life most of which had never happened." W.Churchill

08-15-2009, 12:10 AM	#5 (permalink)
millenniumman75 Status: Super Moderator Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Dayton-Cincinnati, OH Gender: Male Age: 34 Posts: 38,628	Since halving my Paxil due to timing in seeing a new doctor, I noticed that the caffeine I drank to once stay awake was WAY too much. I cut the caffeine out a bit more than the sugar intake. __________________ millenniumman75 You are a success story waiting to happen! Live and let live VACUUMS more than a Hoover.... Live and HELP live is better!

08-16-2009, 02:29 PM	#6 (permalink)
leonardess Status: wheresthefire?inmyeye! Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: WILL you people please leave me alone?I'm supposed to be working lol Gender: Female Age: 45 Posts: 1,226	Awwww honey honey. You are my candy girl, and you got me wantin you.... honey honey, sugar sugar... ba da da da ba-da..... Anyone else think of this when they read the thread title? Anyone? No? __________________ One day I will change this sig to something really cool, if I only had a brain....

08-16-2009, 04:19 PM	#7 (permalink)
RedGate Status: SAS Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 3	Cut sugar intake to a small amount. I cannot even finish a can of Coke anymore without getting sick from the sugar count. I started drinking water whenever I wanted something to drink. After a few days, you lose a lot of the need to have to eat/drink anything with sugar. It sucks at first, but nothing worthwhile comes easy.

08-16-2009, 05:51 PM	#8 (permalink)
Attica! Attica! Status: :P Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Colorado Gender: Female Age: 20 Posts: 293	I've mostly cut sugar out of my diet, but I haven't noticed a change in my anxiety. It did however eliminate any trace of acne, and I've lost 10 pounds. __________________ "I'm a cabbage. I'm a good source of Riboflaven." - Robert De Niro

08-16-2009, 06:45 PM	#9 (permalink)
max4225 Status: SAS Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Great Basin Desert by lilac bushes Gender: Male Posts: 691

08-17-2009, 08:33 AM	#11 (permalink)
pboy Status: SAS Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 18	You know sometimes I wonder if cutting sugar really does help anxiety or if it's just all in the mind. For example I used to eat sugar and not worry about it, then when I found out that it can affect anxiety, I started noticing how it affected me physically and it made me anxious! In my experience it can make the physical sensations of panic worse, that sudden rush you get when anxiety suddenly hits.

08-21-2009, 06:48 PM	#13 (permalink)
pyramidsong Status: The b**** is back Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Melbourne, Australia Gender: Female Posts: 1,566	Re splenda: hate to be the bearer of bad news, but artificial sweeteners are just as bad for you as sugar, just in a different way. Some of them are actually petroleum byproducts, for one thing. The other thing is that although they don't have the calories of sugar, they trick your brain receptors into thinking the body's receiving sugar, so they can spike your insulin just the same, thus setting your body up to crave more sweetness. Sorry. __________________ When I'm at the pearly gates, this'll all be on my videotape...