I quit caffiene awhile ago, I stopped with refined sugars as of yesterday.
My goal is to have a more balanced energy level throughout the day. Currently I feel too many ups and downs. I think due to bloodsugar levels.

   I stopped caffeine about thirteen years ago.  When my prostate was removed due to cancer if I even looked at something with caffeine in it I'd pee my brains out.  I don't have that problem much now but I still don't drink anything with caffeine in it anymore.  I eat just a little brown sugar on my cereal sometimes.  Sometimes I use honey.  I recently cut out literally 99% of the margarine I was eating.  I thought it would be difficult but it wasn't at all.  For many foods soy sauce makes an adequate replacement. 

The thing about blood sugar levels, is that unless you are diabetic, they don't actually vary much at all
It's basically a myth.

As a type 2 diabetic, this is something I know a lot about
And it's interesting just how wrong popular beliefs are.

Your body regulates blood glucose levels, if they're low the liver releases glucose into your blood stream, if you eat too much it's removed and concerted to storage fats.
.so normal people don't actually get low blood sugar.
If you eat a half pound of carbs in one go, then yeah you'll get a temporary spike while the excess is removed.
But most people on normal diets just won't get noticeable fluctuations in their blood glucose levels.

Refined sugar isn't actually as bad for you as things with very simple starches like bread and pototoes and rice.
All three of which have higher glycemic indexes than sucrose.
The glycemic index is a measure if how quickly a carbohydrate us converted into blood glucose.
So foods with a low GI are less likely to cause blood glucose spikes.

Periods of tiredness are far more likely to be due to things like mineral and vitamin deficiencies.

So don't give up chocolate, just eat less :-)
And space it throughout the day rather than eating a whole bar in one go.

Caffeine Is an interesting one.
Apparently the latest studies claim that people who drink three cups of coffee a day live longer than people who don't.

Now whether it's down to the caffeine or the flavanoids and other trace elements in coffee or the caffeine, is anyone's guess
But nobody's said the same thing about tea,
So who knows.

The other interesting thing is that excesduve amounts of blood glucose actually makes you tired.
Makes little sense, but it is a fact nevertheless.

Human metabolism is a strange and often frustrating thing :-)
Good luck with yours :thumb:

I found out why I was so tired. I just wasn't drinking enough water with this heat. Since yesterday I drank the appropiate amount and I feel so much more energy throughout the day now.

Nothing wrong with quitting sugar and caffeine, no matter the reason. Feel that living ascetically is good.
Quit much of my previous intake of sugar for weight loss.

Have begun drinking more coffee after started working though, and I don’t see me quitting that.

I started having cold showers since I found out that cold exposure is a necessary "stress" element for optimal health, like exercise.
It's given me a lot more energy, boosted my mood, improved brain function too. There are loads of other benefits (akin to exercise) but those are the ones that I noticed most so far.
I now love the cold, and it's a life-changing.

As for refined sugars, only sweet things I consume are fruit and dates. If I eat chocolate, its 100% cocoa. Regarding caffeine, I like having coffee in the morning and tea in the afternoon, but not necessarily every day. I never drink caffeine if I'm going to do target slinging, as it effects my control; less precision in movement. (exercise + caffeine = jitters)

Archaic Arms wrote on Jun 26^th, 2022 at 6:14pm:

I started having cold showers

I've been taking cold showers for almost a year.  One of the things that really stood out for me was a significant drop in my blood pressure.  I've had high blood pressure pretty much my entire life.  Cold showers seem to really help with this.



Archaic Arms wrote on Jun 26^th, 2022 at 6:14pm:

I now love the cold, and it's a life-changing.

You are speaking my language dude!

Very good, I am inspired. Took my first cold /unheated shower today. Bit hard at first but went all under and got easier as my body adapted. Unlike exiting a warm shower, stepping outside of a cold shower actually feels nice and warm as my body burns energy to maintain the core heat. Will continue with this.

Super!  Welcome to the cold path.  ;)

This is actually a great time year to start.  Water (even cold) will be warmer, so you'll be able to adjust quickly.  Then you have the gradual change as we approach winter.  Yours might be different, but the water in my shower has about a 30 degree (that's F, around 15 degrees for C) difference between summer and winter.  Winter showers are super frigid and awesome!

I did it this morning again. Will make it part of my routine
It's actually a good solution cause gas prices are rising a lot here
due to Ukraine war so now I can shower more this way, will
definitely help with my hygiene. I may do some cool/cold water swimming
as well once I got this routine established

joe_meadmaker wrote on Jun 28^th, 2022 at 11:47am:

are super frigid and awesome!

...Agree with the first part.

..disagree with the second part , lol.

I take cold showers to save money. I didn't realize that might be healthy.

As for caffeine, I drink tea. Usually a cup of green tea in the morning. It has a lot less caffeine than coffee, so i don't get jittery. I always feel a little happier with my morning tea. I love coffee but I usually only drink it for medicinal purposes.

As for sugar: your body releases five different hormones after consumption of food. The only one that lowers blood sugar is insulin. There will be a temporary increase in blood sugar that will continue to increase as the meal gets digested. Eventually, your insulin levels will catch up and your sugar levels will drop back to whatever is normal for you. These temporary spikes can be harmful if they happen frequently, you have epilepsy, or you have diabetes to name a few.

The biggest problem with sucrose is tooth decay. Also, it's not nutritious and it has a lot of calories. Expect that any carb or protein to mess with your blood sugar. Simple sugars (like sucrose) break down faster and can give you sugar highs and higher blood sugar levels than complex carbs. The GI of sucrose and starches are very similar. It is a better to compare the glycemic load (GL). Foods with sucrose tend to have a lot of sugar such as soda, juice, and frosting. These are much more damaging than most foods that contain starch.

In conclusion, eat in moderation or suffer!