Grains or sugar - is one the lesser of two evils? page

[jensd]

Hi all - I'm fairly new to the primal eating concept and have been taking it steps. I have cut all the really bad offenders like gluten (I'm celiac), soy, oats, corn, and high fructose corn syrup. I know that all grains and sugar should also go, but I would be lying if I said I would never eat rice or sugar ever again. My current practice is that if I have a serving of grain in a day (such as rice), then no sugar the same day and vice-versa, thinking that sugar and grain basically act the same in the body. Is that thinking correct? Or is one far worse then the other?

[Derpamix]

White rice and sugar are perfectly fine.

[Ayla2010]

I think its best to just stick to the book, and don't worry about asking for advice on here just yet, as it can be very confusing.
There are lots of people on here who are not actually primal, and like to confuse the new people.

[Chaohinon]

WAPF-style non-gluten grains > refined non gluten grains > whole non-gluten grains > sugar > gluten grains

imo

[Derpamix]

I think it's best to just do what you feel like instead of buying into fear mongering orthorexics point of view, who shake and quiver at the sight of a carb, especially when they believe 110 empty calories of fat(assuming average portion size) is somehow less detrimental than ~20 empty calories(again, average portion size) of sugar.

You've already been eating them, there is nothing wrong with them, and sugar is actually shown to lower stress.

[Ayla2010]

But no, grains and refined sugars are not part of the primal lifestyle.
You either want to live that way or you don't.

[AngryKiwi47]

Grains are worse. Definitely for me, anyway - coeliac.

Nothing wrong with a bit of sugar. Tad bit of honey or maple syrup is delicious, and it's hard to hate on chocolate.

[Timthetaco]

Nobody seems to notice or care, but despite the widespread acceptance of sweet potatoes over white potatoes in this community, sweet potatoes are more sugary. Ever watched the boiling pile of sucrose on the bottom of your oven while it bakes? Fruits have sugar, beets have sugar... none of it is chemically different than refined sugar. It's nice to stick with whole foods most of the time, but table sugar isn't going to kill you.

[Neckhammer]

Nobody says a bit is gonna kill you. I use some honey in my coffee on occasion and I'm sure there is even a little in my dark chocolate, but that is the crux of it isn't it? Packaging. Packaging with vitamins and minerals and yes even fiber. Creates a different animal than the highly processed white stuff. It's obviously better than many grains for a lot of people because it doesn't have the lectins and whatnot. But you have the acellular hypothesis of refined flour and sugar thats an interesting little idea still in development.

[magnolia1973]

I don't think you have to give up anything (or view it as such). But it helps to follow the Primal Blueprint as written for a while. You don't "have" to give up anything forever. But why not try and shape a diet that doesn't include any grains or try some alternatives? What can you use instead of rice? What is a good primal sweet to try?

You know, kind of work to find alternatives, and eat clean most of the time, then have the occasional grain or sugar if you still desire them. But maybe try and reshape your thinking about needing rice and sugar to finding alternatives so that you want them less often.

For me, grains were very easy to replace- I just serve saucy type meals over veggies- cauliflower and zucchini = rice and pasta. I do miss bread on occasion. But I have experimented with some paleo breads and have the occasional bread (sandwich). Sugar has been far more challenging to get rid of- but I can suck it up and eat more fruit.