Ask Dr. Scott Health Questions:
Do you have questions about your health or about one of my programs? Are you looking for an online doctor who specializes in alternative medicine or natural medicine? Ask me ( Dr. Scott — a Naturopathic Doctor) for natural ways to treat diabetes, heart disease, autoimmune disease, cancer or anything else you might have on your mind.
As you may know I specialize in stopping sugar addiction and weight loss; take a look around the site for more information.
Scroll down to the bottom of the page and submit your short question in the “Leave a Reply” box and I will do my best to answer it (I may even make a blog post out or your question).
ssas
Are pistachios ok to eat ?
Yes, they are fine!
Dr. Scott
Are you allowed to do 30 sugar free Days if you are breast feeding?
Yes, it should be no problems. It is always a good idea to check with your doctor if you have any concerns.
Dr. Scott
Hello Dr. Scott,
I started your 30 days program on Monday. 2 reason I started, one I’m having a very hard time losing my last 10 pounds since my 2nd baby. He is now 2 1/2. Also, I been feeling off and sluggish, and having strange skin reactions lately.
I live in Paris, so this is truely a challenge for me. The French are not breakfast eaters accept for bread and coffee. And fresh bread and butter is so good:) And WINE, not easy as well. Food etiquette is very important. But I’m trying, and having this extra 10 pounds does not let me feel the same. I need to break this.
I have not seen a change on the scale, but do feel better so far.
I was wondering if a piece of 85 % dark chocolate is allowed. And pumkin seeds, are they allowed? Also, should I watch how much fat I’m eating?
Thank you so much.
Celeste,
You are right, it is hard to stay with a good diet when there is little or no support around you. All I can say is that your long-term health is in your hands and going against etiquette and eating well is the best thing you can do.
Feeling better is good, the changes in the scale will happen. Make sure you are not eating too much fruit (a common problem).
Yes, the chocolate is okay, make sure it is low in carbs. Pumpkin seeds are a great snack. I wouldn’t worry about the amount of fat you eat as long as you are staying away from sugar (fat alone is okay, but when mixed with sugar it can be very harmful).
Best of luck,
Dr. Scott
Hi again,
Is oatmeal not allowed?
Hi Celeste,
No, oatmeal and other grains are not allowed.
Scott
Hello Dr. Scott,
Was wondering if dairy products were ok in the 30 day sugar free. Like fatfree latte no sugar added???
Hi Celeste,
Yes, dairy products are okay.
what can i use for dressing on my vegetables?
A lot of people use just olive oil, vinegar, and herbs. You can find some at most stores that are sugar free.
Scott
I am just starting the 30 day no sugar diet today. I’ve pretty much been doing that now for the past 6 months, 90% sugar free. I work out 5-6 days a week, both cardio and resistance with free weights. I’ve lost 30 lbs. and have 15 to go. Does this 30 days of suggested foods provide enough energy for strenuous workouts? Also, what do you think of the shirataki noodles and other Asian noodles. Are they good substitutes for pasta? I just discovered them, but haven’t tried yet.
Paula,
This is a bit of a tough question and I’ve been working on a longer blog post about this, but will give you the short version here. You essentially have two different sources of energy in your body. The first is sugar (or more specifically: glucose) and the second are ketones (breakdown products of fat). If you are eating more than 50 grams of carbohydrate a day, then your body is using the first source (glucose). If you are eating below 50 grams, then your body is burning fat. The 30 Sugar Free Days Program does not specify how many grams of carbohydrate you should eat, so most people get more than enough sugars (even when staying away from grains and table sugar) to power through their exercise.
What you are burning (even when you are eating a lot of sugar) also depends on how long and how strenuous you are working out. If you are exercising for less than an hour, you still probably have enough sugar in your body to complete your exercise. If you are exercising at less than 60% of your maximum (which is working pretty hard, but not super hard) then your muscles are burning mostly fat. If you are exercising at a higher rate then you start to burn sugar more and that is when you have about one hour to burn that sugar. Still, when you get to the end of the hour, your body will switch back to burning fat (it just gets much harder to exercise – this is called “hitting the wall”).
Hope that helps!
Scott
Dear Dr Scott
I am very excited to start with this program. I’m just wondering, what happens when the you’ve finished the program. Can you start eating grain and even small amounts of sugar again? And how would it affect your weight?
Ronelle,
Each person is different. I would say that humans do much better when they stay away from grains. Personally, I stay away from grain about 99% of the time and then eat them on vacation, or when I go to a friend’s house, or some other social situation. It all depends on how sensitive you are to sugars (most people who turn to the program for weight loss are very sensitive).
Scott
Hi, I’m reading up on this and am really excited to get started.
I think the sugar won’t be too much of a problem to kick but I am a huge POTATO lover!!
Is there any way I can prepare it so I can eat it?
Also I’ve heard that a good substitue for rice is broken down cauliflour…would this be suitable for this diet?
Thanks
Jess,
I’m not aware of any way to eat potatoes that will keep your blood sugar low. Eating them occasionally after the program and including good fats will help keep your blood sugar low, but still not a great idea. Yes, cauliflower is a good idea.
Best of luck!
Scott
Hello Dr. Scott,
I couldn’t find anything about alcohol. I am on day 10 and feeling great but just curious whether a glass of red wine is a do or a don’t?
Hi Karissa,
I do think it is best to avoid alcohols during the program, but you can do some that are low-carb. So that means no wine or beer. You can choose harder alcohols (because they have no remaining sugars).
Hi Dr. Scott,
I have a question for you regarding healthy fat intake. I have read that including fats in your meals is excellent for balancing blood sugar and also for maintaining satiety. I know you recommend 80% vegetables/fruits and about 20% protein….how much fat should I be eating during the 30 days? (well beyond 30 days since I plan on making this my lifestyle). I love using coconut oil for sauteing and roasting vegetables…and i LOVE apples with natural peanut/almond butter. Weight loss is a huge goal of mine as well. I keep reading conflicting info regarding eating fat for weight loss and wanted to get your opinion!
Thanks!
Amy,
I do recommend that you eat as many veggies as possible, but I also think that fat is a great substitute for sugar. There is no doubt that eating fat doesn’t lead to being fat. If you check someone’s blood after the eat a meal, their blood is full of fat after they eat sugary foods, but not after they eat a fatty meal (sounds backwards, but is true). You are choosing the right kinds of fats (coconut oil is one of my favorites as well!). Avoid most of the vegetable oils such as corn, sesame, sawflower… It is okay to use olive oil.
Best of luck!
Scott
Excellent! I just finished making an egg scramble with tons of veggies sauteed in coconut oil…yum! Glad to know I am on the right track. I think I get confused because generally diets that stress the importance of good fats are also low carb (paleo etc.) I’m not really eating low carb though due to my fruit intake.
Would you suggest eating fruits with a little fat or protein to lower the glycemic load?
Thanks for your reply!
Amy,
You’ve got it exactly! Mixing the fat in slows the absorption of the sugars. Your egg scramble sounds great (its making me hungry).
Scott
what is your opinion about low carb beer? some of them have only 3-4 grams of carbs, not sure on sugar content. This would be for occasional use, perhaps for a weekend “treat” would these light beers cause a spike in blood sugar?
Hi Jo,
If 3-4 grams of carbohydrates is the total carbohydrate then it should be okay. I would still avoid it during the first 30 days, but it is okay as an occasional treat afterwards.
Scott
I have been following your plan since january 1, 2012. There are times that I eat foods from the “no” list and I notice they are just toooo sweet. It take time for the taste buds to adjust but sugar does not appeal to me anymore. I do not crave sweet foods anymore. Thank you for your insight and educating me on the woes of sugar. Feeling great!
Jo,
Thanks for the kind feedback. Yes! It is amazing how good you can feel when you start eating the right foods.
Best of luck for the future!
Scott
Doctor Olson:
I am a recovering C diff patient and for the past few weeks have had almost continuous diarrhea. I read your article, ‘Bloating, Flatulence & Gassiness…’ on the Puristat site, and since then ate only foods that have no sugar or carbs (except 100% rice carbs). By the 3rd day the gas and diarrhea had come to a complete halt! Thank you. Now that I know what causes the problem I can work around it better.
I notice on the ‘Nutrition facts’ label on various lo-carb foods that they have 0 grams of sugar, but a much higher number of grams of ‘Polyols and Sugar alcohols’. Do the same bad bacteria love these sugar alcohols just as much?
What about artificial sweeteners such as sucralose? Do the bad bacteria love artificial sweeteners too?
I’d like to know everything I can about these bad bugs. Do we know the names of some of the culprits?
Many thanks, Ken.
Ken,
Thanks for the feedback! Glad to hear you are doing well!
I’m not sure about the Polyols, but certain sugar alcohols such as xylitol actually reduce bacterial counts (at least in the mouth). Likewise, bacteria are not affected by artificial sweeteners (although I don’t suggest using them: ).
Hope that helps,
Scott
Hi,
I was wondering what you think of acorn squash? I have read in some places that is has a high glycemic index but in other places it says it has a low glycemic index and load. I also know that it has the least sugar of all the winter squashes when I looked up their sugar content. It also has the most fiber, so it seems pretty healthy actually. But I was wondering if you knew anything about acorn squash? Is it healthy to eat on the 30 sugar free days? It would help me eating it because I don’t eat meat.
Thanks
Sara,
As you have found out, there is some variability in glycemic index scores. This is often due to different people (my blood sugar may shoot up high with a food, when yours doesn’t) and different foods (an apple that is picked in late fall will have more sugar content then one in early fall).
In general, acorn squash is middle to high glycemic and I would avoid it.
Hope that helps!
Scott
Hello Dr. Scott, I was wondering your take on soups and squash? I could not find any info, I have been doing this diet for a long time now, and I am very happy to have found it.
Callie,
Both soups and squash have the potential to be high glycemic, it all depends on what you are choosing. Check the glycemic index of the squash and what you are adding to the soup and they should be okay.
Scott
Dear Dr.Scott
I have tried, and tried! I went two weeks without ANY junk food. I went to work one day not prepared for lunch, got a some what healthy sandwich from the deli, then I broke down and bought a danish
After that I have had lots of BAD days, trying every morning to start over. I only last about 2-3 days, then fumble again.Seriously.. what is my problem? Well, I know the answer to that. Sugar addiction. What else is there? Fat camp? Am I ever going to snap out of it, or continue to crumble for the next 20 yrs, if that. I’m sorry I sound so sad, I just don’t know how to fix this anymore.
Sincerly,
Frustrated in California
Jennifer,
Sorry to hear that you are having such a hard time; but you are not alone. Imagine that you are writing a book on how bad sugar and foods that act like sugar are (like I was) and every day you break down and eat something you know is bad for you.
The best advice I can give you is this: it takes practice. The pull that addictive foods has on us is strong and you have to find ways that work for you to avoid them. Take a little time off, pick another day and start again. Each time you don’t make it, you learn something new. You will get there, just be patient with yourself.
Best of luck!
Scott
Dr. Scott,
Thank you for writing my back. This is one strong sugar addiction! I took away all the possible ways I could buy junk, yet I still found ways to get my hands on it.I hope some day (soon) I could walk by a bag of candy, and not even care about it. I am still trying, but I must find out ways to avoid the junk.I guess it’s partly who I have always been (fat) that I don’t know what, or how to be a healthy fit lady.Yet, I feel uncomfortable in my own skin. How on earth did I end up this way??? Not giving up !!
Hopeful in CA
Jennifer,
You will get there if you want to. Just think of yourself as a smoker who wants to quit: it just takes time and practice. Just remember that you are not alone, everyone on this site has the same problem.
Best of luck!
Scott
Dear Dr.Scott,
I’m currentley writing an argument based research paper for my Senior HS Composition class and my statement is that “The U.S. should ban all products with over 5 grams of refined sugars”. I’m Explaining the negative Physical/Mental effects of Sucrose, and then how our cravings should be fixed with the natural fructose in fruit. I’ve found your articles to be a great help in explaining the harmful effects of refined sugars….I’m also trying to show that the obesity rate and various health issues from a high sugar diet in America stack up to a GREATER death toll than Cigarretes. Since there is a high tax on Tobacco products, do you feel that (in an ideal world) the Government should be similarly against added sugar products?
Thank you for your time,
Thaddeus
Thaddeus,
I’m impressed that you are taking on such a weighty issue at such a young age.
First, here are the statistics (an excerpt from my book):
While I think it might be a good step to ban all foods with over 5 grams of sugar, it starts to get a little messy when you look at what happens when you eat foods with sugar in them. You put 5 grams of sugar into full-fat ice cream, or 5 grams of sugar into crackers, or 5 grams of sugar into beef jerky and you will get three different blood sugar responses. Fruit sugars, it turns out, are no better that added sugars and there are many grains that act like sugar in our bodies (take a look at the glycemic index and you will see that your blood sugar raises the same if you are eating straight sugar or something like a rice cake or white bread).
The problem is, really, we have taken our bodies which thrive on meat and vegetables and now only feed them grains and sugars.
Hope that helps,
Scott