Mental focus: ADHD, spaciness, lack of focus

Post by **Oscar** » Thu 18 May 2006 16:52

avalon wrote:I think people don't follow S.A.D. deliberately. More like random acts of picking and chosing whatever you want whenever you want no matter the cost- health wise.

Everybody follows some kind of diet, whether by deliberate choice or not. But the fact remains, that most people's diets contain a prominent percentage of sugar/carbs.

The chemicals used in sugar processing (phosphoric acid, acid calcium phosphate and others) are potent and health-debilitating. Sugar has a tremendous amount of carbonic acid which disturbs the nutritional balance in the body.

Now this is finally an argument worth looking into.

The question is: what does refined sugar contain, besides sucrose? If it is just sucrose, then there is no problem whatsoever. If not, then it depends on what, and how much.
Let me know if/when you find more info.

Post by **Oscar** » Thu 18 May 2006 17:12

Here is a start: from http://ec.europa.eu/comm/food/fs/sc/old ... 18_en.html

The sugar refining is a multi-stage and continuous process which is designed to produce a highly refined product (circa 99.95 % purity, the remaining 0.05 % comprising mainly water and minerals).

Water and minerals don't sound so bad.

avalon · Post by **avalon** » Thu 18 May 2006 20:00

When this banter started, I didn't know the debate over sugar has been going on for many years. I've learned a bunch today. And mostly nothing I can prove...but, thought I''d share just once more, for sharing sake

Good read:

http://www.nexusmagazine.com/articles/sugarblues.html

Best wishes, Avalon

Post by **Oscar** » Thu 18 May 2006 20:25

Funny, I read that same article earlier today, and dismissed it as too unscientific.

Chin-Chin · Post by **Chin-Chin** » Thu 18 May 2006 20:53

I actually noticed that I feel rather euphoric after just eating fruit (cherries especially) and it works for about 1 or 2 hours. I get this less from food combinations.

When I say euphoric, I mean a major high!

I don't get so much high from yolks or sashimi...

Can anyone explain this to me?

Post by **Oscar** » Thu 18 May 2006 23:58

Wow...so just fruit, no oil?

Chin-Chin · Post by **Chin-Chin** » Fri 19 May 2006 00:23

I tend to prefer sugar + sugar (banana + honey)
or oil + oil (salmon + olive oil)

By the way, are egg yolks considered oil?

I probably mess up Wai's diet, but that's how I feel the best: one thing at a time.

But I probably do end up balancing it out as I eat quite often during the day and always eat really nutrient-rich food.

Post by **Oscar** » Fri 19 May 2006 00:29

Well, it might be that you're giving yourself a sugarspike then, if you're not combining sugars with fats. Maybe that accounts for the 'high'?

And yes, yolks are considered fats (cholesterol).

chris m failla · Post by **chris m failla** » Fri 21 Dec 2007 11:04

Hey there people. Im having some problems that are scareing me back to a no/low carb diet with cooked foods. Ive been having what seems to be anxiety or panic attacks. I followed the diet accuratly, lots of fat im sure, but I get anxiety at night or in class and Im blameing the sugar in the fruit. However, Im still trying to figure it out. I juiced oranges with bananas with lots of olive oil. Is it possibly for the diet to do this to me, shortness of breath or what seems to be shortness of breath, tight throat, racing heart. Feels like heart problems but ECG at emergency room shows normal and X ray was clear. What do you think?

dionysus · Post by **dionysus** » Fri 21 Dec 2007 15:19

For guidance, i add 40-50gs of OO to every 500ml of OJ.

A lack of fat with sugar makes me feel 'edgy', not calm. Your descriptions sound like you are actually having a panic attack. If i was you i would see a psychogist/psychiatrist, to find the root of the problem

(a Jungian psychologist would actually be my prefered first step of call. Medication, from a psychiatrist for example, would not actually solve the problem but only temporally dissolve it)

Christina · Post by **Christina** » Fri 21 Dec 2007 16:59

Hi Chris
Why don't you try having no orange juice for a while and just banana with yolks for breakfast. Salads for lunch and dinner with fish/ avo + oo. And low sugar fruit like one apple with walnuts inbetween. one betw. breakf. and lunch and one betw. lunch and dinner . Try this for a week or more and see if you feel better. Don't pile on too much food in one go. That can cause problems, too. So, limit yourself to a medium plate and don't fill it too much. This will show if your problem stems from too much sugar.
If not, try therapie or whatever. But I must say that I don't believe much in psychologists. I believe that if we do what we truely want and desire and eat the write foods our state of mind figures itself out. People who suppress their wants and do what they "should" develop mental issues in my opinion.
Good luck whith that and don't do a total no carb plan. I don't think that's healthy at all!
Christina

chris m failla · Post by **chris m failla** » Sat 22 Dec 2007 02:46

Hey thanks guys and especially Christina. Ill try your sample. that is what I wanted anyways was some sort of sample low sugar plan. Hopefully the stress of being in a hardcore RN nursing program is the cause of my underlineing anxiety and not eating fruit. Im just a guy that wants to be lean and healthy and guide my two young sons to adulthood. And Im constantly thinking of what is really the proper and most healthlful way of eating. I dont believe to much in clinical docs either Christina, but I am taking a psychology class at the time so maybe I can get some free advice from my professor. By the way Christina, have you heard some negative things about the low carb. I believe wai diet, but there is alot of scienticic research done on the Optimal diet, Atkins, and Ketosis diet that try to prove the great effects of those diets. Im just so torn!

Christina · Post by **Christina** » Sat 22 Dec 2007 05:30

Hey Chris
Here is a page that sums up some of the pros and cons of Atkins sort of diets http://www.modeldietplan.com/atkins.htm
Some other cons reg. low carb programs
- you can get depressed without sugar.
- life isn't as full of pleasure without fruit and life is supposed to be fun

- you get stinky breath, ketobreath

- u have a good chance of being constipated

, and taking psyllium is, as I believe, damaging to the colon as Wai says
- why kill a bunch of animals

, seems intense to eat so much meat, it's not at all sustainable
But I think you can do well modifying Wai and doing sth. like my suggestion above and be healthy. I just think that the basic choice of Wai foods are really excellent for the body, choosing more or less fruit than she advises could be tried and also eating more or less meals. I'm still experimenting myself.
Christina

chris m failla · Post by **chris m failla** » Sat 22 Dec 2007 06:04

Im on board with you Christina. I love aniamals very very much. You are so right about everything Ive expierenced on low carb. I just had baked chicken with my family and I dont feel so fresh. I feel very full and bad taste in my mouth. I will go back to Wai diet starting after my dinner digest. Guess I better hit the market for my fruits and OO tommorrow. Plus Ive been on no carb for about 4 days now and the weight is not dropping off like promised, and I feel more larger, muscular, I had overhauls on today cuz im working on my house and my wife called me a lumberjack. Not the look Im going for : . Anyways thanks for the encouragment.