In preparation for my eventual sleeve (because chewing is important!), and because my former dentist incorrectly installed my crowns, I am undergoing oral surgery for Hybridge implants. So far I have had almost all of my teeth extracted, and five implants set in my lower jaw. (We are doing the lowers first).

Anyway, I have found in the weeks since surgery, I can't eat anything sugary. It almost makes it taste very sour instead of sweet. Weird BUT I've noticed my arthritis has greatly improved! I am on mobic for it but am considering tapering off because I feel so good. I haven't had anything bread-y either, no bread, rolls, Pasta etc so maybe it's also gluten to blame for my previous aches and pains?

I guess I'm just confused on what is considered sugar? I mix bananas and raspberries in my smoothies (made with powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury which is a lifesaver btw) but are they just natural sugars? Do people avoid those too?

Who else has noticed improved health since cutting back on sugar and/or gluten?

I really enjoy reading and learning from these boards while waiting for my sleeve surgery

I was given a carb ceiling, and it didn't matter whether they came from fruit, I still had to stay under my ceiling. I wasn't allowed any grains, refined sugary treats, or high carb vegetables (potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc.) no matter whether I could have shoehorned them into my daily carb/sugar allowance or not. I could have eaten fruit like bananas, but they are so high carb that if I had chosen to do that, there is no way I could have eaten things like yogurt or beans that are much better for you than bananas are.

So, you might try counting how many grams of sugar you are getting overall, no matter where they come from, and see if they fit into your daily allotment. Good luck!

I can totally understand your amazement and believe that you've seen a great reduction in pain throughout your body after kicking the sugar / starch habit.

Prior to WLS, I started dialing down on the sugar and, of course, post-op, it was completely gone from my diet for almost a year.

Pre-op I had suffered terribly from osteoarthritis in my knees and had taken 2 Aleve for the pain for decades. And, as you probably know, sleeve patients aren't allowed to use Aleve (or other NSAIDs) on a daily basis post-op. So pre-op I weaned myself off of those, too.

Since then I've lost 100 pounds. Even before I'd lost all that weight it was obvious that my knee pain was going away. Honest to God: my knees now feel far, far better without any Aleve than they did pre-op when I was taking Aleve.

And get this: My PCP told me at my annual physical last fall to forget about the knee surgery we were planning on me having in a year or so. "You don't need it anymore, so let's not schedule it. If your knee pain comes back, we'll consider it again."

Pain is caused by inflammation. And sugar (and other things -- depending on your own body's unique response to specific foods, drugs, etc.) causes inflammation. Ergo, no pain. Ergo, no knee surgery.

I do not know the correlation with arthritis, but I do know a few things about sugar--both natural and processed.

• First of all, sugar--in all forms--is a simple carbohydrate that the body converts into glucose and uses for energy. Each gram offers 4 calories of energy. Simple carbohydrates are very quickly broken by your body. But the effect on the body and your overall health depends on the type of sugar you’re eating, either natural or refined.
• How the body metabolizes the sugar in fruit and milk differs from how it metabolizes the refined sugar added to processed foods. The body breaks down refined sugar rapidly, causing insulin and blood sugar levels to skyrocket. Because refined sugar is digested quickly, you don’t feel full after you’re done eating, no matter how many calories you consumed. The Fiber in fruit slows down metabolism, as fruit in the gut expands to make you feel full.
• However, once the sugar passes through the stomach and reaches the small intestine, it doesn’t matter if it came from an apple or a soft drink. If your activity level is not "active" enough to utilize those as a form of energy, your body will convert them into either fat or glycogen, the storage form of glucose that’s used for quick energy. It doesn’t matter if it’s junk food or fruit.
• The same goes for simple or starchy carbs (like white bread, Pasta or starchy veggies). When not used as fuel for the body--because the body already has a lot of sugar built up in its system due to excess consumption, then what is digested will form into fat or glycogen.

Sources:

http://www.cancercenter.com/discussions/blog/natural-vs-refined-sugars-whats-the-difference/

http://www.livestrong.com/article/492804-refined-vs-natural-sugars/

Thanks so much for your answers They helped a lot. I guess it's the carbs that are confusing me. I was thinking that I was feeling better also from not eating gluten, but know I think it's because of the carbs in bread etc instead?

I am on a mostly liquid/pureed diet (unjury smoothies and chicken soup) with a side of Tylenol with codeine but I'm going to try and not add starchy sugary foods back in.

Sometimes at night I would wake up and my hands would be swollen and tingly and that has ceased also. I think that is from the decrease in salt and salty foods.

I'm considering this as good practice for sleeve surgery!

I don't have a sensitivity to gluten, so I can't comment on how that could affect someone else. Some people do have that sensitivity, and they are very negatively affected by it.

I was making the point that many "white" carbs (white breads, white Pasta, white rice) metabolize into the same things that sugar metabolizes into -- and those things can increase inflammation throughout the body.