why oh why.

ksumme

Like (most) everything else, a little bit of the artificial sweetener is ok. But, please, please don't overdo it.

I did Atkins a good while back, and did VERY well on it. I lost 80 lbs in about 4 months. I kept it off for approximately another 6 - 8 months. I felt better than I did before, but not great. My husband was having serious issues with the joints in his hands and hips. It turns out all the sugar alcohols and splenda we were using were giving him lupus like symptoms.

I ran into some family issues/ old crap that resurfaced, and started eating again. The weight came back and FAST!! And more of it.

When we stopped using the artificial stuff, all my husbands pain and symptoms cleared up.
Now, I use sugar to sweeten things. I don't use it on much, but if I need to sweeten, I use sugar... count it and own it. It also makes me watch my portion control better on those treat items. (That being said, I do have a very rare diet Dr. Pepper.

I am not quite down to the lowest I got while on Atkins, but I feel 10,000% better now than I did then. My stomach isn't ripped up all the time. I feel I have a much better handle on making better choices overall.
Unless someone is VERY disciplined about adding the carbs back into their diet as Dr. Atkins originally wanted, then I don't recommend that plan.

Elen_Sia

why oh why did I look at this...

Word up.

graelwyn

If you want to do low carb, then you will have to accept a lifestyle that includes little or no cereal, bread, rice, potato and the like.
However, if you want to do a balanced diet containing healthy carbs, then you can have oatmeal and add fruits and stevia, or you can make an oatmeal substitute using quinoa, or get your own muesli ingredients from somewhere like holland and barrett, and make your own sugar free cereal. Rice is not that high in calories, about 160 for a 50g dry serving which imo is a lot of rice and can make a meal, even a high protein one, more filling and satisfying.

Crissthetealcat

not sure how you would make your own rice cereal though lol

Grind brown rice in a blender or food processer until it is a fine powder. Cook in the rice cooker or steamer with twice as much water as you would for rice *or* cook on stove top as you would usual rice but with twice as much water as the recipe calls for.

I also, have given up most rice due to carb/calorie counts, but I allow myself carb days and this would be a great one if you were craving an old fashioned hot cereal on a carb day. It's also perfect if you have any tummy bug.

slkehl

My thoughts would be that sweeteners are chemical products that are horrible for the body

Actually that's not true. Learned that in my upper div food science class where we studied the chemical structures of artificial sweeteners and how the body digests them.

PaleoPath4Lyfe

Im just thinking about this alot, but why dont manufacturers take out the sugar from cereals, why not just add sweetners instead , tastes fine to me and why can we not buy low carb in the uk, this is mega annoying, You can get free from, oh yes free from wheat and gluten but not from sugar or carbs.

You can buy low carb in the UK.

Meat
Eggs
Yogurt
Vegetables
Fruit

halobender

My thoughts would be that sweeteners are chemical products that are horrible for the body

Actually that's not true. Learned that in my upper div food science class where we studied the chemical structures of artificial sweeteners and how the body digests them.

Eh ... that's still pretty iffy, to me.

I'm more along the lines of "chemicals are bad, mmkay?"

They say in the low doses that people consume them they'll not have a profound effect, but I'm going to just stick to the natural things. To each their own.

slkehl

My thoughts would be that sweeteners are chemical products that are horrible for the body

Actually that's not true. Learned that in my upper div food science class where we studied the chemical structures of artificial sweeteners and how the body digests them.

Eh ... that's still pretty iffy, to me.

I'm more along the lines of "chemicals are bad, mmkay?"

They say in the low doses that people consume them they'll not have a profound effect, but I'm going to just stick to the natural things. To each their own.

I suppose its all my ochem and biochem classes that's made me really comfortable with them and how the body uses them. Everything essentially breaks down to molecules, whether its artificial or not, and when you understand how different molecules interact, it doesn't seem too scary.

But hey, as you said, to each his own. If you can moderate your sugar intake without the fake stuff, more power to you! I just don't like seeing this kind of misinformation spread because I've seen people choose a regular Coke over a diet one simply because they thought the artificial sweetener was dangerous.

WifeNMama

I'm wondering what cereal makers would make cereal out of to make a no-carb variety. cereals are made from grains. grains are carbs. another word for grains" cereals.

What about cottage cheese and fruit for breakfast, or some eggs? Oatmeal, although a grain and therefore a carb, is a whole grain, which means you are getting fibre and some protein and other good things. It isn't sweetened unless you buy the little packets (way too sweet!), so you could add stevia or honey or brown sugar or fruit preserves or whatever you like.:flowerforyou:

halobender

I've seen people choose a regular Coke over a diet one simply because they thought the artificial sweetener was dangerous.

I would totally be this person. But honestly, even if I wasn't perturbed by the idea of using artificial sweeteners I really hate the flavor of them. It tastes like plastic to me, practically, haha.

With regard to the molecules I personally find it unlikely that when it breaks down there aren't some chemicals in there which are potentially malignant, but, even so it's one's choice as to what they put into their body. And either way, I've read articles where a doctor or nutritionist or something says that while there are chemicals which have the potential to cause harm they're in such small doses that those ill effects won't come to fruition.