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).
I started your 30 day sugar free diet–1 week in so far so good. I wondered about things like jicama, clementines, squash (acorn & butternut), and corn. They weren’t on either list. I know you can’t possibly list everything.
Also, since you are a naturopathic doctor, I thought I would ask if you have any natural cures for sinus infections. I have constant sinus infections and have started building an immunity to standard antibiotics, not to mention how hard they are on my system. I currently take silver sol and use a netti pot. Do you have any other suggestions? Thanks so much.
Patty,
You are right, I couldn’t list everything. You can go to this site: and see if the foods you are wondering about are on there (not everything has been tested for glycemic index).
As far as the sinus infection goes, staying away from grains and common allergenic foods (mostly dairy, but also eggs, nuts, corn, soy…) can really clear up a sinus infection. It is hard to stay away from all food allergens, but you should know in a week or two whether this will work for you. Check out my page: for more help.
Good luck!
Scott
Hi Dr. Scott,
Several of us on the Facebook site have been wondering about dairy products, specifically full-fat vs. low or non-fat. Is it better to eat/drink the full-fat version, or does it really matter. After so many years of cutting fats from my diet, it’s hard to put them back in. Would my children be better off drinking milk with a higher fat content?
Hi Teresa,
I have two minds about calcium and that is because there are two different goals I’m trying to help people achieve.
The first is that milk is okay to eat and if you are going to eat it then you should eat the form that has the lowest impact on blood sugar. As you may have read, if you want to keep your blood sugar low, you should surround any sugar you are going to eat with a protein, fiber, or fat (each of these slow down the absorption of sugar). Therefore, whole milk is better than skim milk because it has more fat and that fat slows down the absorption of sugar.
My other thought on milk is that it is a harmful food for humans to eat (so much so that I’m thinking about writing a book called “death by dairy”). Dairy is basically a growth food; its purpose is to take a small animal and grow it in to a big one. So it is of no surprise to me that people gain weight while eating dairy and that it has been linked to certain cancers.
My problem with suggesting staying away from dairy is that most people are already overwhelmed by trying to kick sugar out of their lives that asking them to kick dairy out as well might drive them bonkers (although that is exactly what I ask them to do in my Alien book). My hope is that people will take the 30 day challenge and, as they feel better, find a way to limit or eliminate dairy from their lives.
So, if you want to continue dairy, then lean towards the fatter versions; if you don’t like the idea of drinking or eating a food meant for growth then take dairy out of your diet.
Scott
Hmm…good information. Would you say the same is true for children?
I think kids need milk, but just mother’s milk. If you are worried about calcium, then you just have to think about elephants, giraffes and even gorillas, they all have huge bones but eat very little calcium.
That makes a lot of sense. What about protein, especially for kids who are picky eaters? Milk is one of the only sources of protein that my 8-year-old will consume. He doesn’t like peanut butter or most nuts. He will eat cheese and some yogurts (all of them high in sugar). How do I make sure that he’s getting the nutrients he needs?
Getting enough protein in a picky eater is a challenge and that is the point at which you have to make choices. I have a picky eater in my house and we just focus on the proteins that she will eat.
Best of luck,
Scott
can we dine out for hot wings
Joseph,
Hot wings should be okay, even though the sauce is often very sugary. Balance this with eating as many vegetables (non starchy) as you can.
Scott
can we drink sugar free kool aid
Joseph,
I generally suggest that people stay away from artificial sweeteners because it keeps you addicted to the super-sugary taste that will eventually lead you back to eating sugar. Not to mention that artificial sweeteners are bad for our health.
Scott
Hi Dr. Scott,
I am a runner (half-marathons and my first full marathon this November) and usually do the Gu gel packs for distance. Any suggestions on what to substitute for this? I’ve tried some almonds, but they make my stomach hurt. My hydration and nutrition is really good, especially on the day before a long run (anything over 10 miles) and I always hydrate during the run. Do I really need nutrition during? Thanks!
Lisa,
I’m writing a blog post on this very subject and it should be out in the next week (I’ll let you know). For now, I would suggest that you stick with the gel packs for your long runs (over 1 hour) and in the 20 minutes after a run, but then stay on the sugar free diet for the rest of the time. I don’t think that the almonds are a good idea [just thinking about eating them before or during a run makes my stomach hurt
].
Scott
Hi Dr. Scott-
I really like orange juice in the morning. i don’t drink coffee or tea.
Reading the label on the orange juice (all natural) there appears to be quite a bit of sugar in the juice.
If oranges are ok (and i assume they are) why is orange juice not ok?
Thanks,
Phil
Phil,
There are many foods that act like this. When you eat an orange it comes complete with the juice and fiber. This fiber slows down the absorption of the sugars. When you juice, cook, smash or otherwise manipulate a food from its natural form, the amount of sugar going in to your blood stream increases.
Scott
I chew sugar free gum all the time in between meals to help me not think about eating. Is sugar free gum acceptable??
Thanks.
Hi Tara,
I don’t recommend that people use gum, even with artificial sweeteners. What you will find when you are on the program is that your tastes readjust and foods you never thought were sweet (avocado, carrots…) start to taste sweet. If you chew gum, or use artificial sweeteners, then you keep your body addicted to the super-sweet taste that it is used to.
Good luck with the program!
Hi Dr. Scott,
I believe fats should also be an essential part of our diet besides fruit, vegetables and protein. What are your recommendations?
Bahn,
I think fats are essential for our health, the only problem is that most of us eat the wrong fats. The omega 3 oils (EPA and DHA) are the fats we are missing in our diets. You can find these fats in fish, grass-fed animals, and as a supplement (fish oils). The discussion of fats can be long and involved, but let me give you a few guides. First, keep saturated fats (butter, fatty meats) to a minimum. You also want to minimize vegetable oils (corn oil, canola oil, safflower oil…); if you use these oils choose either olive oil or grapeseed oil. Keep away from trans oils. Eat as much as you can of cold water fish and grass fed animals. Supplement with fish oil (I generally recommend between 1 and 3 grams a day).
Hope that helps,
Scott
definitely, thank you.
Dr. Scott can the 30 day sugar free program be done as a vegan/vegetarian plan?
Most vegetarians are actually “grain-arians” and addicted to sugar and foods that act like along with the rest of us. Vegetarians can do the diet; in fact they may find it easier. I think we should eat a mostly vegetarian diet anyway. I recommend a diet of around 80 to 90 percent vegetables and fruits and the rest protein.
The protein in the diet is important not only for nutrition, but to also keep blood sugar lower.
Hi Scott, I’ve been on your diet for 2 and a half weeks and feel amazing, but suspect that I might be pregnant. Can I keep going on the diet or a modified version of the diet while pregnant? I will be catching up with my doctor today, so will ask her oppinion, but wanted to know what you would sugest as I don’t want to go back to eating bread if I don’t have to. Thanks Sally
Sally,
I would say that this diet is perfect for someone who is pregnant, but it is a good idea to check in with your doctor. I would also say that you should never go hungry or worry about your weight when you are pregnant.
Best of luck!
Scott
Dr. Scott,
My question is about cooked then chilled starchy foods (like potatoes, rice and pasta) and the subsequent increase in the resistant starch content they have. Would that really reduce their GI? If so, do you recommend them? Do you have any GI numbers of such foods to share with us please?
I thank you for all your help and for your brilliant website.
Bahn,
Yes, it is true that room temperature and chilled starches are lower on the glycemic index than their hot or just cooked counterparts. Scientists speculate that this is due to delayed gastric emptying (cold foods take longer to leave the stomach and, therefore, release their sugars at a slower rate). I don’t suggest them as part of the 30 Sugar Free Days program, but they are okay when combined with a meal that contains a protein and fibers.
Scott
Thank you so much for the information Dr. Scott. This is quite interesting.
Hi,
I now see whole whole grains aren’t that great for you, especially when you consider we are eating a plant whose life has come to an end, perhaps leaving us with it’s least nutritional value; but what about substituting whole grains for sprouted grains, when the plant is full of new life and just starting to grow, does that grain still behave like a sugar in our systems?
Also thanks for all the info, I’m not overweight but need to stay away from sugars for other reasons and I thank you for sharing your knowledge
Dicci,
Sprouting grains does increase their relative amount of proteins (sugars in the grains are used by the sprout to grow), but they still act like sugars. The best way to think about eating grains is to imagine that you have no tools at your disposal (no grinder, no oven, no pot of boiling water); how well could you digest grains if you had to eat them in their natural form?
Scott
Than You soooo much
I never thought of it that way. I do limit the amount I intake to about a loaf a month but I see what sugar is doing to me and I want a healthier life and giving up bread for me is easier than giving up sweets.
Thanks again
Hi Dr. Scott. Since I am in a hurry to eat breakfast on the weekdays when I go to work I usually have a bowl of All Bran original cereal with 2% milk. Is that cereal okay for the sugar free diet? Thanks!
Christine
Christine,
No, All Bran is not on the diet (you remove sugar and foods that act like sugar). The first four ingredients of All Bran are: WHEAT BRAN, SUGAR, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, MALT FLAVORING (these are all sugars).
Thanks! It just goes to show how they market certain foods to be healthy when they actually aren’t.
Hi Dr. Scott,
I followed your Sugar Free diet for about 3 months last spring and had great results! I lost about 25 pounds effortlessly and felt fantastic. I had so much more energy and had a more positive outlook overall. Unfortunately, I slowly cycled back into eating more sugar and grains (not wheat, though, because I have an intolerance to gluten). Anyways a little here and a little there led me down a very dark path where I began binging on sugar and foods that act like sugar. Sugar really is ADDICTIVE. It’s been 6 months and I have gained all the weight back…plus some
The past three months or so have really been difficult and I was constantly binging. I have been back on the program now for three days and am already feeling sooo much better. I have this worry, though, that this time around the weight won’t come off. Is it possible to damage your metabolism so much from binging that weight loss is nearly impossible? I am trying to be a little stricter this time around by limiting my fruit intake to one serving a day. I am also getting in plenty of exercise. If I stick to this plan will the weight come off? What can I do to really maximize weight loss? Help! Most of my clothes no longer fit! lol
Hi Amy,
Glad to have you back! Yes, the weight will come off. Your metabolism will drop with yo-yo dieting, but you can battle back by increasing your muscle mass (I go in to this subject at length in my Alien’s book). Build muscles and your metabolism will come back.
Best of luck!
Scott
Thanks for your reply Dr. Scott! This gives me all the more motivation to keep on going living the sugar free lifestyle! While I really have been beating myself up about slipping and gaining back the weight, I am glad I can take it as a learning experience. I really have NO desire to go back to eating like that. I gained nothing from eating that crap except a bunch of weight.
Oh and I was already planning on going to a Power Pump class at the YMCA tomorrow, looks like I am on the right track!
Great to hear Amy!
Good luck!!
Scott
Are any jamba juice smoothies acceptable for the plan?
If you choose low glycemic fruits, avoid fruit juice, then yes.
Scott
I was doing great on the sugar free diet until day 4 when I went to a party and ended up eating some amazing pizza dough bread, had some wine and then when I got home I had some ice cream! Needless to say I went up two pounds and didn’t feel that great the next day! Its so difficult to avoid these temptations when I go to parties and social events. What do I do? Thanks for your help!
Christine,
The best thing to do is to get back on the program. Think of it in the way that you would think about any other addiction, or I like to think about it like learning to ride a bike. You don’t give up learning to ride a bike with just one fall; no, you keep trying. Take this misstep as just that: a misstep in a long journey. Every time you start over you learn new things.
Best of luck!
Scott
So I first want to say that your site is great and I’m very excited to start the challenge! I have a few questions. First is about breakfast. I read that beans were the best to eat for breakfast and also smoothies. However I also read in the guide that you should limit your protein and fruit intake. So are those the best options for breakfast if I am looking for weight loss results? Second, I know salads are really good meals however do we eat the salads dry or do you have a salad dressing recipe that fits the diet?
Jenny,
Thank you! Bean are a great breakfast and so is a smoothie (if you keep the sugars low: choose berries as your fruit, use low-glycemic liquid like water or coconut milk). There are salad dressings that you can find without sugar, just check your local health food store.
Good luck!
Scott
Hi,
Just found your site, it is amazing. I have only begun to read all you have to offer here.
I was wondering what your thoughts are on the blood type diet.
Also I have recently been diagnosed with Hashimoto. I cannot deny I am a true sugarholic, how do you feel sugar plays a role if any in autoimmune diseases like hashimoto, I will do anything to rid this.
Look forward to your responce and having the pleasure of reading all your works.
Lisa
I’m not a big fan of the blood type diet. I find that the research is not there. Having said that, though, I find that people do get healthier when the eat according to the rules of the diet.
As far as autoimmunity goes I would say that eating grains can definitely contribute (not so much sugar, but the foods that act like sugar). This is a very long subject, but I can point you in the direction by having you search for “leaky gut syndrome” and you can also search on allergy elimination diet. What you are looking to do is to reduce the cross reaction (that can create autoimmunity) to any foods you are eating.
Best of luck.
Scott
Thank you Dr.Scott for such a quick reply,
I have been gluten free for about a yr now, due to celiac. I beleive the hashimotos was undianoses (and one of the first signs i was having celiac related) for longer than that as I would go into my then Dr office (have since changed Dr to one who listens) with a visibly swollen neck. my current dr found it and I was put on a gluten free diet. I do however eat a lot of gluten free foods/ grains would you suggest I avoid those also when you mention grains?
thank you again
Lisa
Lisa,
I think anyone would benefit from a sugar free diet (one that includes avoiding the foods that act like sugar too). All I can tell you is to give it a try and see how you feel. Ultimately, it is just 30 days out of your life to see how things go for you; give it a try.
Let me know how it goes!
Scott
Will do. I did sign up yesterday, and followed the link from my email, but it directed me right back here to your homepage. Not sure what I may have done incorretly. Any direction would be appreciated….
Lisa,
Sounds like everything is okay, you should start getting e-mails 24 hours after you sign up. Let me know if there is a problem.
I have all my life dealt with headaches, sometime they are to the point that that only thing I could do was to put myself to bed, turn out the lights, and have a fan blowing on my face for a few hours. Anyway, I have always known that if I eat a lot of sugar that it is a cause of some of them. However I recently started the HCG Diet which has very low calories and NO sugar. A friend who has been on this diet was concerned that because of my history of headache they would be worse. However I decided that I need to try something to get rid of my extra weight and would give it a try. It wasn’t long before I noticed that being on this diet, that I DIDNT have any headaches. A few weeks or so into the diet I woke up with a headache and had not loss any weight. After looking into what I ate the day before we realized that one of the ingredients that I was using had a natural sugar in it. So I stopped using it and haven’t had headaches again. Now I am a little nervous to put sugar back into my diet. Could it be that my body can’t tolerate any kind of sugars? Or do you think it was a coincidental that I got a headache about the same time that I found there was sugar in my diet. I eat Fruit regularly, and don’t have headache. Don’t fruits also have natural sugars in them? Thanks
Melissa,
It is doubtful that you are allergic to sugar directly (like you said, there are sugars in fruit and other foods). What is more likely, you are allergic to where the sugar came from. For example, high fructose corn syrup comes from corn (a common allergen). What I would suggest is that you take the time to test different foods, one at a time. Since you are on the HCG diet, you are probably staying away from many of the common food allergens (corn, soy, chocolate, wheat, dairy, nuts, seafood…). Pick one of these and test it and see how you do (give yourself at least three days after eating something before you try something else). This will give you an idea if any foods impact your headaches.
Dr Scott, I suffer from fungi infections in the lungs and have been told to go on a sugarfree diet. Is there anything else i could be doing? Also, i have been taking goat milk,yogurt and cheese instead of dairy, is this ok on your diet? Thank you, regards prue
Prue,
Yes, you can have dairy products on the diet, but I would probably avoid them as well as the sugar. Dairy products tend to create mucus and mucus is an idea growing environment for bacteria and fungus.
Best of luck!
Scott
Thanks Scott, is it ok to sustitute goats milk, yogurt and cheese for dairy/
Prue,
While goats milk is certainly better, it does have some of the same problems as cow milk. Try staying away from it for a few weeks and see how you feel.
Thanks Scott, i’ll give it a go