I'm hoping someone can clear this up for me. I've heard that fruit has it's own sugar. Whole, fresh fruit. But some say the sugar is as bad as refined sugar, others say it won't hurt cause our bodies accept it easier then refined sugar. Which is true?

This is the way I understand it. Please note I'm simplifying this a bit (it's complicated):

Yes fruit has sugar in it (naturally occurring.)

Our bodies actually convert all carbohydrates we consume into sugar. The main difference is whether they are simple carbohydrates or complex carbohydrates.

Simple carbs (white flour, sugar, etc.) produce a stronger insulin response and are converted by the body much quicker than complex carbs. This can lead to an overabundance of sugars in the blood which your body will then convert to fat (because there is too much for it to use.)

Complex carbs (brown rice, wheat flour, fruit, etc.) are absorbed by the body much slower due to the fact that they contain fiber. Because the body absorbs it slower your blood sugar stays more even and the body does not need to store this sugar as fat.

There is more to it than this and maybe someone else can explain it better, but there you go. I hope this is helpful.

Personally, if Mother Nature packaged it, then I say it's probably healthy. Everything in moderation (of course.)

Thanks, that does clear things up. Cause I do like my fruit. Tangerines, grapes, apples, strawberries, blueberries. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't trading one bad sugar for another. I'm hoping the fruit will help me wean off white sugar. It's not gonna be easy, especially since Ben&Jerry came out with this very yummy ice cream called Creme Brulee. Anyway, thanks for clearing that up for me.

I love my fruit as well. I think I eat more fruit than vegetables on some days.

The sugar cravings do go away after awhile (it's definately hard to begin with.) Keep at it and you'll notice a difference in the cravings. I'm glad I was helpful.