Agave nectar/raw sugar/honey

TheTrophyWife

I quit sugar cold turkey when I changed to a keto diet but sometimes I just want some sweetness in my coffee. I don't do artificial sweeteners and I try to stick to natural things like honey and agave nectar (even though it's processed). What are everyone's thoughts on these types of "natural" sweeteners?

MelRC117

Natural or "unnatural"...they're still sugars meaning your body will still react to them. Some people even react to artificial sweeteners. I use Sweet and Low, Stevia, and this Agave sweetener from Skinnygirl.

lulalacroix

I use stevia and monkfruit, natural but very low carb. They don't seem to affect my body in very low amounts. If I have too much then I start having cravings.

Kaloa

I hate the taste of stevia (tastes all bitter to me) so I use xylitol, it's a sugar alcohol made from birch trees. It's about as sweet as table sugar with fewer calories and is actually beneficial to your dental health as well as other health benefits. Worst part is that in some people it causes a laxative effect, but I don't have that problem. 9.6 calories per tsp, and less than 4 carbs, (but 0 effective carbs).

aeb09

I only use Stevia. Honey and agave would not work on keto - waaay too many carbs. Your body cannot identify natural sugars from artificial, it would react the same to each.

TheTrophyWife

I guess it's nothing at all then. I can't do artificial.

Alliwan

TheTrophyWife wrote: »

I guess it's nothing at all then. I can't do artificial.

I dont think Stevia is counted as an artificial sweetener per say. You can grow it yourself. Ive done it. Takes lots of plants to get a small amount of stevia but it is really sweet and natural.

ajax041813

I would try to do something in your coffee. If you can't do artificial sweeteners, do just a little bit of the lowest natural sugar you can find. I would suggest honey over agave, though I can't remember what I read that gave me that idea. Also, local honey. Just measure out what you are adding, know how many carbs that takes up a day, and realize that it may cause sugar cravings, but artificial sweeteners can too.

I say this as I find its more important to find a way to make this a sustainable lifestyle than to cut out everything that I enjoy. If you want your coffee sweetened in the morning, then do that! And don't beat yourself up about it, the stress isn't worth it. I may not be losing at the rate I would really like, but I am enjoying my food and know that this is a lifestyle change made for the long haul. Hope this helps!

TheTrophyWife

Thanks. There is no way I could grow anything. The time is not there. I may try honey. I haven't been had any cravings and even before I started I never craved sugar. I craved hamburgers!

aeb09

Stevia in the raw is all natural, but best of luck. http://www.stevia.com/ "Stevia is a South American herb used as a natural sweetener for centuries. The leaves of the Stevia rebaudiana plant have a refreshing taste, zero glycemic index, zero calories and zero carbs. It is 25-30 times sweeter than sugar, and far more healthy!"

MirandaB24

I like Monk Fruit better than Stevia. Much less bitter in my opinion. Also, totally natural. I use Monk Fruit in the raw, which is available at almost all grocery stores.

TheTrophyWife

I've tried Stevia and it is disgusting. What it did to the taste of my coffee is unspeakable.

Now... this Monk Fruit thing. You're using fruit as a sweetener? How does that work with coffee and tea?

Also, I went WAY off course this weekend. I consumed sugar and carbs like they were going out of business (nope, didn't log it). I only gained two pounds and I'm sure it will be gone by the end of the day today if not tomorrow. I think that I can make it five days without any kind of sweetener but I might have to have a tiny bit on the weekends. I really want to try to make it without any sweetener at all because I don't want anything to slow down my progress. At the same time, I'm a realist. I know that if I "deny" myself anything for too long, I'll end up talking myself into having it and then rationalizing it. I think weening is going to work much better for me. I am definitely staying away from agave nectar (sniff) as one serving has about 26g of carbs!!!

Thanks for all of the tips. You have all been really helpful!

Dragonwolf

TheTrophyWife wrote: »

I've tried Stevia and it is disgusting. What it did to the taste of my coffee is unspeakable.

Now... this Monk Fruit thing. You're using fruit as a sweetener? How does that work with coffee and tea?

Also, I went WAY off course this weekend. I consumed sugar and carbs like they were going out of business (nope, didn't log it). I only gained two pounds and I'm sure it will be gone by the end of the day today if not tomorrow. I think that I can make it five days without any kind of sweetener but I might have to have a tiny bit on the weekends. I really want to try to make it without any sweetener at all because I don't want anything to slow down my progress. At the same time, I'm a realist. I know that if I "deny" myself anything for too long, I'll end up talking myself into having it and then rationalizing it. I think weening is going to work much better for me. I am definitely staying away from agave nectar (sniff) as one serving has about 26g of carbs!!!

Thanks for all of the tips. You have all been really helpful!

I can't speak for monk fruit, but you could try the complete opposite way with your coffee -- add fats to it. A lot of low carb people are huge fans of Bulletproof Coffee. The original guy that created that name is ultra picky about the ingredients he names (so if you find the recipe online, it'll be stuff like "this specific coffee and this specific butter"), but it's just coffee with a couple tablespoons each of butter and coconut oil, blended in a blender or with an immersion blender. A lot of people swear by it, and the concept has been used for centuries (Tibetan monks have put Yak butter in their tea since forever).

You might also want to try different kinds of coffee, and maybe even try espresso, especially if you're sweetening your coffee to mask any bitter taste. A good latte using cream (or even half and half) is divine, but it takes a good espresso.

TheTrophyWife wrote: »

Thanks. There is no way I could grow anything. The time is not there. I may try honey. I haven't been had any cravings and even before I started I never craved sugar. I craved hamburgers!

I know you already said you tried Stevia and didn't like it, but I wanted to address this response, anyway. She wasn't saying you had to grow it, but that you could if you wanted, and that's what separates Stevia from artificial sweeteners. There is no aspartame plant that you can grow.

MirandaB24

Monk fruit in the raw is made from delicious vine-ripened monk fruit, also called luo han guo, it’s the zero-calorie sweetener that tastes like sugar. Originally harvested in the 13th century, it has been used for centuries in China. It is processed into a powder like sugar, so you can use it anywhere you'd normally use sugar. http://www.intheraw.com/products/monk-fruit-in-the-raw

yarwell

"What is dextrose and why is it included in Monk Fruit In The Raw®?

Dextrose is a natural carbohydrate derived from corn. Many sugar substitutes in powder form contain dextrose because it is a natural ingredient and does not change the flavor of the sweetener in the blend. In Monk Fruit In The Raw, dextrose is used to dilute the very potent monk fruit extract, which is about 200-300 times sweetener than sugar, to make it measurable for consumers."

TheTrophyWife

TheTrophyWife wrote: »

Thanks. There is no way I could grow anything. The time is not there. I may try honey. I haven't been had any cravings and even before I started I never craved sugar. I craved hamburgers!

I know you already said you tried Stevia and didn't like it, but I wanted to address this response, anyway. She wasn't saying you had to grow it, but that you could if you wanted, and that's what separates Stevia from artificial sweeteners. There is no aspartame plant that you can grow.[/quote]


Oh no. That was in response to an earlier poster suggesting to grow your own Stevia. I don't do any artificial sweeteners unless it's already in the product and I try to stay away from that stuff by all means necessary.

I really don't mind the bitterness. I think having sugar in my coffee is more of a long learned habit. I've been drinking coffee since kindergarten. I am putting butter and heavy cream in my coffee now and that's making it much easier to get down. I don't even notice it now that I'm in week 2. My tastes are changing but I'm not going to lie; a sweet tea would really hit the spot!


Miranda and Yarwell, thank you both for explaining how Monk Fruit "works." I think I will try that. We have several international markets here. I wonder if that's something I can get there or at Whole Foods or Trader Joe's? I'll have to look into it.

MirandaB24

It's widely available at pretty much all major grocery stores.

TheTrophyWife

Thanks, Miranda. I'm going to stop by Publix tonight to see if they have some. I'm embarrassed to say I've yoked myself to another social media site. I joined Pinterest to get some ideas about fat bombs and most of the recipes called for some kind of artificial sweetener. I saved a couple of things thinking I could try them with no sweetener but this definitely changes the game for me. If I don't like it, I'll send it to you! LOL!

MirandaB24

Ha, too funny.

TheTrophyWife

Okay, the monk fruit is strange in coffee. Reminds me of Stevia. I'm going to push through it though. Maybe I'll acquire a taste for it and maybe it's going to be better mixed with butter, whipped cream, and lemon extract.

baconslave

TheTrophyWife wrote: »

Okay, the monk fruit is strange in coffee. Reminds me of Stevia. I'm going to push through it though. Maybe I'll acquire a taste for it and maybe it's going to be better mixed with butter, whipped cream, and lemon extract.

You do have to get used to it. I used to HATE it. Now I'm quite content. What helps me is coconut oil for some reason. I don't mind coconut taste and it cuts the strange. It may well taste better to you with your chosen additives.

SteveKroll

I've tried Stevia and it just doesn't do it for me. I use Splenda in my coffee. It tastes more like real sugar than any other sweetener, in my opinion. I realize it has 1 gram of carbs per packet but, really, I only have two cups of coffee a day. Furthermore, I find Splenda doesn't impact my blood glucose at all, and that's the bottom line for me.