Help Me Stop Eating Sugar!

[Jacqui]

I need some help or accountability at least! I have had Breast Thrush for over 4 months! My son has been asymptomatic this whole time. You name the treatment and I have tried it...including daily grapefruit seed (oral and topical), and 2 months of diflucan!

I know that it all comes down to my diet. I am having a horrible time cutting out sugar from my diet. The problem is that all of these treatments, mostly the GSE, are making it so that it is not that painful but it won't completely go away. I know that i need to get this out of my body, for my sake and for my son. He is 4 1/2 months old (that's right i have had it since he was 2 weeks). I want to CLW but know it will take determination to even make it to a year if i am still dealing with this.

Since i am nursing i am just hungry all day and i grab whatever is in the house. Also i feel i am personally keeping Luna bars in business. I guess i just need accountability, help figuring out low cost low sugar alternative snacks to keep around the house and maybe some mantras for when i want to reach for that cupcake, cookie or my personal vice, a cup of chai!

[doubledutch]

i feel you!

a. hfcs has mercury in it.
b. are you a tea-drinker at all? i used to be addicted to chai lattes, but now i can enjoy a cup of chai tea, no sugar, no cream, no nothin'
c. protein. you are craving sugar, but what you really need is protein. how do you feel about hard boiled eggs? mixed nuts? hummus with veggies or pita chips? ants on a log? lentil salad? sunflower seeds? if you're gagging right now, is there anything on the list you like or could learn to love? you can't stop eating sugar without replacing it with something satisfying.
d. thrush . . . have you tried sunlight? acidophilus? gentian violet? are you sterilizing your clothes and any artificial nipples baby is using? i mean, you said you're doing everything and i don't doubt that, but i just thought i'd throw out some of the other "stuff" just in case something wasn't included in the info you got and are using to treat it. also avoid dairy and foods with yeast, like bread and beer (right? beer? i think so). garlic is supposed to help.

it's not easy to change any habit, especially with an infant to care for, so don't be hard on yourself. just keep offering yourself good choices and try not to be discouraged by one less-helpful choice here and there.

[midnightwriter]

My baby had a bad yeast rash in her first year, and, after trying a bunch of things, I cut out sugar completely. After the initial adjustment, I felt great. Didn't help the rash at all, though. An antifungal topical cream and disposable diapers helped, eventually, even if we were hard core cloth diapers for years with my first two.

Yes, I agree--replace with protein. The fist week or so was hard, both in terms of cravings and just finding alternatives, but then it was GREAT.

My taste changed drastically. I love tea and coffee with no sugar added now; I find most commercially baked sweets way too sweet...I eat some sugar now and then, but mostly enjoy foods without it, and it feels great.

Good luck. Thrush is a tough struggle. You can do it!

[Jacqui]

thank you all for your ideas and encouragement!

Originally Posted by doubledutch

i feel you!

a. hfcs has mercury in it.
b. are you a tea-drinker at all? i used to be addicted to chai lattes, but now i can enjoy a cup of chai tea, no sugar, no cream, no nothin'
c. protein. you are craving sugar, but what you really need is protein. how do you feel about hard boiled eggs? mixed nuts? hummus with veggies or pita chips? ants on a log? lentil salad? sunflower seeds? if you're gagging right now, is there anything on the list you like or could learn to love? you can't stop eating sugar without replacing it with something satisfying.
d. thrush . . . have you tried sunlight? acidophilus? gentian violet? are you sterilizing your clothes and any artificial nipples baby is using? i mean, you said you're doing everything and i don't doubt that, but i just thought i'd throw out some of the other "stuff" just in case something wasn't included in the info you got and are using to treat it. also avoid dairy and foods with yeast, like bread and beer (right? beer? i think so). garlic is supposed to help.

it's not easy to change any habit, especially with an infant to care for, so don't be hard on yourself. just keep offering yourself good choices and try not to be discouraged by one less-helpful choice here and there.

a. i'm not sue what hfcs is, sorry.
b. i love chai, it will probably take some getting used to but i bet i could learn to like it plain
c. all of those things actually sound great. i do have a healthy well rounded diet... unfortunately i also have a sweet tooth. i appreciate the concrete snack ideas, I'm going to make a shopping list and stock up. Protein makes sense, so does avoiding dairy and yeast, i just have a hard time of thinking of what's left. i just need things that are easy to grab so that it is just as easy as grabbing a milano cookie when i want a snack...thanks...keep the ideas coming!
d. I have tried all of those things, 3 rounds of GV, daily acidophilus, we use bio kleen detergent and dish soap (have GSE in them) and as much sunlight as i can get in Oregon.


Thanks so much for the ideas i appreciate it, i hate that i have let it get this out of control....just need willpower

[ps4624]

For me, I had to cut out simple carbs in addition to sugar - no crackers, no breads, no chips, no pasta. It was a tough transition.

I also agree with PP's - you must add more protein to your diet. Keep hard boiled eggs on hand. Have a handful of nuts. Eat a slice of turkey or salami. Drink tons of water. Drink some more!

I know how much it stinks - sugar is my drug of choice. It was less painful for me to quit a pack a day smoking habit than it is to stay off the sweet white stuff. Good luck to you!

[ps4624]

HFCS = High Fructose Corn Syrup. It is in almost all processed food and it is complete junk for your body. Just say no to HFCS!

[Harmony08]

From what I've heard and experienced the best thing for quelling that sweet tooth urge is fat. I have become very TF (traditional foods.. go to nutrition and good eating and find the forum very fascinating).

Last night for our treat I sauteed apple chunks in butter and put fresh whipped cream on top. I added a little vanilla no sugar. It was very satisfying. Cheese always talks me down from the sugar ledge somehow. I found his stuff called palm sugar. It has a much better glycemic rating than cane sugar. It is definitely not the same but I am able to enjoy it in my tea.

Good luck. Good fats! hehehehe

[proudmomof4]

Hello Jacqui,
here's from a fellow sugar sinner... Even though I might repeat some of the suggestions already made I'll add my favorites that I find helpful:

- Drinking water: I've even used a timer to have some water once an hour. Water is especially important for you as a BF (I assume) mom. (Have some water after a bathroom stop and while or after you're nursing should pretty much cover you.)
- Getting enough rest: Being tired will make you crave sugars. So, before you cave in stop and think whether you can have a little break together with your baby.
- Preparation is key: Try to have some better substitutes at hand (trail mix with dried fruit and nuts, fresh fruit and cheese cubes - whatever works for you). If you prepare this in advance your friends Ben and Jerry will likely loose some of their appeal...
- Fresh air: Get out of the house and get moving (which you seem to be already doing). Sugar cravings will get a lot worse when you hide inside on a bleary, rainy day.
- Watch your caffeine intake: I once read in a magazine on natural medicine (from Germany) that caffeine triggers the "need" for sugar. Even if this "theory" were proven incorrect in the meantime (I read this mentioned article years ago), in our culture caffeine and sugar tend to come as a couple: "coffee & cake" for example is a German must-do at Grandma's on Sunday but you can also think of latte & brownie, coffee and coffee cake (!), tea and scones etc. In other words: you might "expect" something sweet with that coffee, tea, or thai.
- Forgive yourself: Caving in to that chocolate chip cookie doesn't make you an undisciplined slob so there's no need to blow it completely and chomp down the rest of the package. Just start over - and try to steer clear off that aisle on your next shopping trip.

[Lilyoftheincas13]

I should probably not admit this, but I sucked on sugar cubes when we went out for our last "fancy meal out without a baby" tonight.

I've found the only way I can cut something out of my diet when I truly HAVE to cut it out is to not have it available to grab and eat. If it's something I know I'll crave, I make sure to replace it with a better option. Homemade applesauce with butter, cinnamon and nutmeg is my fave. (I found organic apples at the market last week that were as sweet as candy--no joke!)

But maybe you don't want to take advice from the sugar cube-sucking girl.

[lucyem]

There is a diet plan designed for cutting out all sugar. http://www.radiantrecovery.com/7steps.htm

I have found their plan easier then others to incorporate into my life.

My first step was to cut out all HFCS from my diet. Easier said then done since it is in everything (bread, yogurt, salad dressings etc). If I want soda I have to hunt down one with cane sugar in it.

The other thing I do is eat an egg for breakfast every day. That really fills me up in the morning. Nothing else works for me. A slice of whole grain bread with peanut butter and I am starved by 10. Go figure. Protein is big with me.

I am working on more water in my diet. Slowly getting better.

[Storm Bride]

Originally Posted by Lilyoftheincas13

But maybe you don't want to take advice from the sugar cube-sucking girl.

The best people to give advice about this kind of thing are people who have been there and done that, ime.

[mamasneedlove]

I know you can do it!

Protein for breakfast is key for me, and I mean a LOT. Usually the only breakfasts that keep me sugar-free all day are 3 scrambled eggs with toast and some spinach or avocado (I'm nursing) or a huge green smoothie with tons of protein (pb, yogurt, hemp seeds, whey powder, usually all of the above, with frozen blueberries and strawberries).

Also, I don't know if this would work for you, but keeping a dark, dark chocolate bar around is great for those cravings. A small piece doesn't really have that much sugar, and it really kicks that after-meal craving for a sweet something.

Good luck!

Jen

[tanyam926]

I am an expert on thrush after battling it for a yr and a half w/ds2, so I feel your pain!

I didn't see this mentioned but I may have missed it; while you kill the yeast overgrowth in your body w/ an antifungal (diflucan, gse, whatever it is) you need to recolonize your body w/good bacteria. Yogurt never did it for me but I drink homemade kefir now (thinner than yogurt, and has way more beneficial probiotics) every single day.

Also, don't be sooo hard on yourself. The yeast is making you crave sugar, it's not just a will power issue. I don't have sugar cravings if the yeast is under control. I can even eat a small amt of natural sugar (not refined, yuck!) like honey w/out having a problem.

Hang in there, it's definately worth it to finally get it under control, but it's hard.

Just another thought, don't know if this applies to you but bc pills and antibiotics are the worst offenders for causing yeast overgrowth.

Other than that, you need a 3 approach plan to defeat the yeast: 1) kill it w/some kind of antifungal (if you have tried EVERYTHING, diflucan works great but since it is a drug it shouldn't be the first option IMO. LLL's BF Answer Book says it must be a 200 mg, [I think mg, whatever the unit is] per day for 2 wks, then continue the 200 dose every day for a week AFTER symptoms have dissapeared. I had a really hard time getting any dr to Rx this for me, but the usual dosing WILL NOT WORK according to LLL).
2) Recolonate the body (probiotics, probiotics, probiotics!!! kefir is great bc I make smoothies w/it and drink if for bkfst)
3) Cut out sugar, white floor, and processed junk in general. This really helps but it in my research and experience it doesn't usually work as the only approach.

Sorry so long, I hope this helps you at least a little.

Oh, one last thought, even though baby doesn't have symptoms he/she could and probably does have it in the mouth. If you haven't tried it already, Gentian Violet (.5%, not the stronger) usually gets really great results. Put it on your nipples right before nursing, but be careful, it stains.

[Jacqui]

Thanks for all the tips! It has been over a week since i had any refined sugar! (except the occasional nibble on a dark dark chocolate bar, thanks for validating my loophole) I am trying to follow the entire candida diet. I think i can finally feel the yeast dying, it is miserable! But at least its a sign the end might be near. Thank you everyone for your support, it really helped to just make a statement to you guys and have some accountability.

[Jacqui]

Tanyam- thanks for all the suggestions, i am actually doing all of the above and have been for 4 months. 3 rounds of gv and diflucan for 2 months. i really think it all comes down to my diet. I will keep everyone posted!

[grooks]

Have you looked into the raw diet? I recently started eating live foods due to necessity... I am having health issues.... and found that by adding chia & hemp seeds plus raw cocao nibs to my diet, I don't need sugar as I once did. I have been a sugar addict my entire life. In fact, I will say that it is more likely that I have HFCS and not blood runnig through my veins.

So you can try that or change the sugar that you eat... instead of white sugar or HFCS, use honey or palm sugar.

OR you can do what I have done in the past and imagined that there were bugs in all the junk that I wanted to eat. Probably not psychologically healthy but it worked! Good luck!!!