Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Sugar, Sucrose and Fructose
Sugar in all forms is Sucrose – 50% Glucose and 50% Fructose. We need Glucose all the time. It is our fuel. Fructose is our summer ‘necessity’ to convert to fat for Winter hibernation. It makes us hungry and effectively goes to fat and along the way is involved in some harmful pathways. In combination with polyunsaturated fats (predominantly seed oils), they combine to be major contributors to modern disease.
Artificial Sweeteners
There are two phases to coming off sugar. The first is substituting something for the sweetness and during that phase you might use other sweeteners. Ideally glucose (from chemists) or dextrose (Brewers shops). These are really just glucose and not as sweet as sugar. It is probably okay to have some artificial sweeteners in this transition – diet soft drinks, cordials, lollies but I am NOT going to recommend a large amount. Second phase is just cooking and eating without sweeteners. Try just smelling the desserts.
Can I drink alcohol?
Beer has no Fructose and the sugar in it is Maltose, which is still carbohydrate and has calories.
Wine is actually low in Fructose but like beer has a lot of calories and the alcohol has an effect on the liver. Red wine is about 0.3% and white wine 0.6 – 1.2% depending on its sweetness. About 1 teaspoon of sugar or 2 grams of Fructose per bottle of red wine.
Is NoFructose a diet?
Interesting how most people refer to diets. Cutting down on Fructose and moving back to healthy saturated fats is a concept, and a lifestyle – it is sustainable. Over time it tends to becomes lower in carbohydrates and particularly lower in the refined carbohydrates such as flours and sugar. The crash diets of high protein and low carbohydrates are not sustainable . Low Carb Healthy Fat (LCHF) living is sustainable. If people are after rapid weight loss then some diets may work but just like the Atkins diets and similar – just hard to continue.
I have cut down my sugar but still not losing weight
Everyone’s metabolisms vary. Fructose is an appetite stimulant. Once you lose the hunger after cutting back on Fructose, then the portion sizes need to come down. Eat ONLY when you are hungry. You may be eating out of habit – beware. Exercise is a bonus in getting things started and makes you feel better about yourself. It has added cardio benefits and a bit of tone makes those clothes looser.
What about dairy products
I love milk products (without flavourings) as they are mostly galactose which converts pretty quickly in to the glucose pathway and therefore are appetite supressants. Not keen on anything ‘low fat’ on the label because virtually all have added sugar and therefore added fructose. Check out that milk label and most ‘low fat / lite milks’ have more sugar. The milk tends to have a higher concentration of saturated fats which are less likely to do damage.
Why do skinny people still get heart attacks, dementia and cancer?
We all have different varying degrees of metabolism, some individuals may be able to ingest large amounts of sugar but not put on weight. Healthy and trim people still metabolise Fructose and Polyunsaturated Oils in the same way and create the same inflammation in the blood vessel walls of every organ in the body. The weight may not be put on but the susceptibility to disease remains.
Modern commercial fruit is not natural
Have you ever noticed that the fruit that falls off your trees in your backyard is rotten within 24-48 hours whereas the product you buy from the big supermarkets is still fresh a week to 10 days afterwards? It is all related to the increased sugar and less fibre which improves the transportability and shelf life which increases profits. It is not profitable having stuff that rots within a couple of days. . My issue is not with eating fruit as much as it is with the quantity and frequency that we currently take in, in particularly as that modern fruit has a much higher sugar and lower fibre content than traditional fruit.
How much fruit?
Limit yourself to a maximum of 1 serving of fresh, local and seasonal fruit per day. It still has fibre content and slows the uptake of fructose.
You can get all the nutrients in fruit from vegetables with a lot lower fructose content. Find out more in the Fruit section.