sugar the AS life source and cutting it out

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I don't eat too much sugar but I definitely look forward to the bit I have: 1 cola and biscuits. Well I've cut it out cos apparently I'm intolerant to it I feel miserable, depressed and anxious. Actually two years ago I dropped sugar for 6 weeks I thought my energy would improve, my head felt clearer but anxiety and low mood were through the roof.
Is sugar the linchpin of anyone elses day, are you addicted to it, what effect does it have, have you ever stopped your refined sugar completely.

I crave sugar! I have to have some every day or I'll die. I think it helps me energy-wise, as long as I don't let myself crash, gotta eat something decent with it or around the same time. I've never really tried to go off it.

I mostly cut out refined sugar along with gluten and soy on top of my already vegan diet. The hardest thing to give up was really the gluten, not being able to have good bread or pizza or beer or seitan. Sugar hasn't been that hard for me. but when my girlfriend visits, she'll be here less than a week and start going nuts for lack of sugar. And I highly doubt she's anywhere in the autistic spectrum. I think the sugar problem isn't only something that effects people on the spectrum but everyone.

Since the changes I've had higher energy and a clearer head, like you mention. I think my anxiety was up at first but then it went down as I got used to it. I get occasional cravings for dairy and gluten. That's the only negative at this time.

I'm trying REALLY hard to cut down. I'm actually drinking diet soda which I still don't like but am trying to convince myself that I do. Not to give free advertising to a multi-billion dollar corporate entity but the new coke zero is actually a pretty good substitute. They have yet to come out with a good fake chocolate though.

Lol! It's true. Hell, Hershey's can't even come up with a good real chocolate anymore.

Long live sugar!

Why do you cut out sugar? Does it have something to do with AS? If so, there are times whne I've had tons of sugar, and times when I've had none, and I never felt different mentally or acted different. The same goes for milk.

I used to crave sugar a lot but did manage to stop 100%. I occasionally use ingredients that contain HFCS but that is hard to avoid given how common HFCS is. But I no longer eat any sweets or things like cookies, etc..

I feel a lot better. Sugar is like an addiction and your body will go into withdrawal if you stop. But if you can just stay to task you'll eventually recover. I feel so much better, physically, since "going clean."

Ana,

yes it does. This link might provide more information for you than I could:

http://www.gfcfdiet.com/
http://www.autism.org/leakygut.html
http://www.autismweb.com/diet.htm

I absolutely feel differently not having it, dairy more than sugar. I've never really been much for sugar. More for gluten and dairy-rich foods. I love a good cheese (not as much as Sarah Silverman -- don't look that up on youtube) or a nice piece of bread or ooooh crackers and cheese. mmm. From what I've read it takes time to clear out of your system, so even if you tend to eat a lot of dairy and then not so much for a couple days your levels of the proteins may still be more consistent than cutting it out for an extended period of time.

My cousin, his dx is I think NLD, is also on a gluten-free soy-free diet. And my aunt has said that when he has something with gluten in it he tends to have a bad reaction.

I've had the testing that's shown I have those sensitivies. For a long time I disregarded it because it's hard to do but now I'm glad I've adopted it.

Those sites all deal with the possible benefits for children (though why you'd want to go to any effort to reduce autistic symptoms in an HFA child I can't imagine) - has there been any research done on adults?

Sylvius,

unfortunately I don't know of any. I wish I did. It seems like a lot of the research into these things starts with children and moves from there. When I did a search for adult NLD resources there was also very little available. The place where I got tested for the sensitivities dealt mostly with younger children. At I think 16 years I was one of the older people in the office. Besides that I can only speak from my personal experience of cutting out gluten, soy and most sugar on top of an already vegan diet. I do have my test results lying around if there's anything from that you'd like to know.

I've had more energy and been less impulsive. Instead of reacting quickly to things I find I have more time to think. One day I had quite a bit of tabouli, not realizing there was wheat in it, and I was more anxious the rest of the day including before I became aware of what was in it (that happened when I sat down later in the day for a second helping.) And my increased anxiety and reactivity after making and eating almost an entire box of wheat gluten (made into homemade seitan) is what got me to do something about my diet.

andthis

I wouldn't say I'm addicted to it. I love it, but I don't have to have it at all hours either. Moderation, like everything else. Although I do admit I like splurging some days on a two liter of Mt. Dew or cup of frosting. Sugar rush through the roof!

Odd, I dislike a lot of sugar and shun most candies. I think it's because I'm taste-sensitive.

Addicted, on a bender this summer for some reason. I'm starting to disgust myself, though, so I think I will be doing something about it soon. I work out a lot so that subsidizes excessive terrible eating and I don't gain wieght more than a pound or two, but I do feel like garbage.

I kicked it totally once. I was told by someone who'd done it you will feel terrible for a week, and I did and literally on the 8th day I started feeling like a million bucks. I hadn't realized how up and down my energy level was, and off of sugar it was 150% all the time.

my dad had a gastric bypass...

he cant have sugar anymore... it's really hard. well for other obvious reasons as well

ive been trying his sugarless alts.... they arent that bad

Careful with "diet" sodas. Recent studies showed no benefit over regular sodas. I believe the latest study showed people who drank diet sodas were just as likely to be obese or contract diabetes as pop drinkers.

That being said, they didn't know if the diet pop was really related or if it was a lifestyle thing, but still, it's an important point to consider.

Especially if it has aspterame, run for the hills.