Looking for some real answers from a variety of sources

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  • dcat4563
    dcat4563 Posts: 33 Member
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    have you looked at other things in foods that are causing your high triglycerides, ie bad fats or partially hydrogenated oils?
    Do you take a triglyceride lowering supplement like Omega 3 fatty acids?
    If you are mainly taking sugar/artificial sweeteners in during coffee, how much is it?
    Would you take in enough sugar to effect triglycerides if you made changes to other parts of your diet?

    One thing that can be a concern about artificial sweeteners is that it can condition taste buds to crave sweet foods, but if you don't crave other sweet foods, that may not be a factor. There is other evidence that suggests sweeteners can be bad for you, but more evidence is needed to prove these effects. You can find information about sweeteners at pubmed.gov by doing a quick search there. there was information published in Diabetes Care August 2012, that supports the more evidence needed theory, but there is also lots of research saying these things are bad for us (much of it has been done on lab animals, and in high doses).

    i avoid sweeteners and try to go natural when i can, but do have an occasional diet drink. sometimes more than i'd like :).
    You would really just have to decide what works best for you and weigh the benefits of the possibilities of the artificial sweetener side effects vs. the sugar side effects on your body. Again, I think that if you look into it you will see that there are so many "health" foods that actually have trans fats in them that you could change your diet in other areas to allow you to have regular sugar and not cause the triglycerides to skyrocket!
  • sandradev1
    sandradev1 Posts: 786 Member
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    So here's a question...

    Are you looking for everyone to give their facts on sweeters other than sugar, or are you looking for everyone to tell you that you can and should use aspartame/ splenda/ fake sweet crap? Because a lot of people have made some really good suggestions and provided some really good arguments and you kind of keep blowing them off.

    AMEN!

    And AMEN here too.
  • artickb22
    artickb22 Posts: 411 Member
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    I like honey or agave nectar
  • Brandei
    Brandei Posts: 119 Member
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    I use Truvia. It is natural and tastes better than stevia. It's made from stevia.

    I'm with Maria (Marie?) /\ /\ /\

    I love Truvia
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
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    I think you should be going back to a doctor and discussing whatever your health problem is. Much has changed in the way doctors and nutritionist think since then so maybe you'll be told differently to 10 years back.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    I use splenda, but I'll go with aspartame or stevia if splenda isn't available. Since you can't have sugar and you definitely want sweetener, just pick the one you like the most and use that.
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
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    So, it's benn ten years with no update or checks. Holy crap! A lot has changed in ten years. They might give you completely different advice. I'd get back in there and retest. And ask some specific question and listen to what they pecifically say, like do they really say NO SUGAR, or do they say, LIMIT YOUR SUGAR? Big difference.

    I don't understand what the big deal is and why your fighting about it. If my octor told me if I ate one more bite of peanut butter, I would die, I would just stop. Food is just food. It's not life. I eat to live, not live to eat. So, you have to drink black coffee. Bid whoop. If you don't like black coffee, then just don't drink it. I fail to see this as such a big monsterous deal.
  • Ejourneys
    Ejourneys Posts: 1,603 Member
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    Nowadays, diabetics are pointed more toward glycemic index foods than are told to stay away from sugar altogether. Here's a place to start:
    http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/Glycemic_index_and_glycemic_load_for_100_foods.htm

    In the honey versus sugar debate, honey has a lower glycemic index than sugar does:
    http://www.livestrong.com/article/270875-honey-vs-sugar-glycemic-index/

    See also "Sugar substitutes on the glycemic index":
    http://www.livestrong.com/article/401811-sugar-substitutes-on-the-glycemic-index/

    Diabetes runs in my family. My mother and maternal grandmother had it. I've been avoiding it so far .*fingers crossed*

    The OP said she needs to stay away from white sugar. One alternative that I haven't seen mentioned yet is Sucanat (short for "sugar cane natural"). It is sugar, but it doesn't have the massive chemical processing that white sugar has. Here's more info:
    http://www.wholesomesweeteners.com/brands/wholesome_sweeteners/fair_trade_certified_organic_sucanat.html

    From the site: "It is an excellent source of iron, calcium, vitamin B6, potassium and chromium, which helps balance blood sugar."

    It is the OP's decision whether and how much she wants to spend for her health, versus the potentially much higher cost alternative.
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,650 Member
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    I use Truvia. It is natural and tastes better than stevia. It's made from stevia.

    Yes, I use Truvia as well. It tastes as close to sugar as I have found. no bitterness or after taste. I also recently discovered Stevia in the Raw, which also has an added ingredient to the stevia, and it tastes just like Truvia. I have used Equal for years without any ill effects, and regularly use products with Splenda in them. Compared to the small percentage of people who actually have problems with artificial sweetners, an overuse of sugar has caused way more health problems in the general population.

    So use whatever sweetners you like and don't worry about the chemical warnings. Get your Triglycerides in line so you don't end up with Diabetes. Mine were over 600 5 years ago, but I have managed to get them back to almost normal range by lowering sugar and simple carbs.
  • julielittlefish
    julielittlefish Posts: 134 Member
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    Wait, you're basing all of this off of a doctor's orders from TEN years ago?

    Go to the doctor. Like, yesterday.

    For me, I stick to the real stuff. My cardiologist (who I see every 3-6 months, not once every TEN years) is supportive of this, especially since artificial sweeteners (especially aspartame) will put me in the bathroom permanently for hours on end.

    Take the time to do your research, and go to the doctor. Otherwise, I don't think you'll find the answers you are looking for.
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,650 Member
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    ,,
  • lithiumkat
    lithiumkat Posts: 18
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    *sigh* This has turned into a fiasco. I apologize first off if I seem to have been on the defense, maybe it's because I'm coming off of the holidays while working customer service at a call center and have people attacking me for ruining their Christmas and other such blaming and I am feeling constantly on the defense. Whatever it is, it was not my intent.

    I have, of course, been to see my doctor countless times since that initial discovery of health problems. That is a silly assumption to have made that it was the only time I went but anyways. It was only that initial time that led to a meeting with a dietician and I haven't seen one of those since. I don't have health insurance and cannot afford to make an appointment with a dietician at this current time. I do take fish oil and fenofibrate to control the cholesterol and triglycerides.

    I probably have not done enough research myself and it is becoming clear that this is just one of those things where I am going to have to do some digging, read up on some things and make my own decisions. I was just hoping that with the likelihood of many veterans of the field in this knowledge base that maybe someone could save me some time by giving me the cliffs notes version.

    I apologize again that I wasn't very appreciative of some of the initial responses I recieved, I just kind of felt like I was being attacked and maybe that's just a personal problem of mine idk, I've been told I have tendencies to be defensive when it's not called for. My bad.

    Either way, I want to thank all of you for your input, regardless of my personal opinions and attitudes of said input, it was nice of you to have offered it to me and I appreciate that even though I may not have seemed like it.

    I especially liked the funny comment about the tuna, and yes, I do like tuna :) Very yummy and healthy sandwiches to be made with that.

    So thanks for contributing. I guess if you think I'm a raving idiot or spoiled brat then so be it. I'll take the advice given to take what I can from all the replies and put it to good use, and garbage in garbage out for stuff I felt offended over.

    Good luck with all your weight loss goals all who contributed and I wish you the best.

    :)
  • amyann2
    amyann2 Posts: 69 Member
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    Good luck to you as well! I think it's great that you're spending time discussing and looking into the best ways to eat for your health. If more people did the same, the world would be a better place!
  • lithiumkat
    lithiumkat Posts: 18
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    Thank you :)

    And I just watched the documentary hungry for change, which is probably the same philosophy that has propelled many folks to steer clear of any man made sweeteners. I can see why (to some extent) after watching that documentary. I can also now see what the appeal is of a whole food/raw/organic approach, but for now I plan to continue with the artificial sweetener, though I plan to do more researching and possibly determine a way to start making some affordable changed that might lead me closer to the right direction when it comes to fueling my body and treating it healthfully.
  • AuntieMC
    AuntieMC Posts: 346 Member
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    bump
  • Firefox7275
    Firefox7275 Posts: 2,040 Member
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    I am so confused. I am trying to lose weight and also get healthier in general. I've made lots of positive changes. I've given up cigarettes and pretty much soda except on occasion.

    and yet...I am so confused about how to sweeten food. I know that sugar is not good for me. I have high triglycerides and was told to try and avoid sugar and have been doing so for about 10 years. I know that I started using Splenda around that time which was about when it came out. Now I hear people constantly bash Splenda and talk about how unhealthy it is and how bad for you it is. I did several forum searches about Splenda and never did figure out exactly what the problem with it was. Also I recently bought a box of Stevia sweetener to try and didn't much care for it. Lately I've gone back to the super old school sweetener of aspartame, little blue packets from Aldi's. I don't understand these sweeteners. I know I'm going to use one and it probably shouldn't be sugar due to my triglycerides. I didn't much care for the taste of Stevia and I know most products I can buy as snack foods for work and school often have Splenda or Aspartame in them.

    Before you tell me to go all natural I can guarantee you that it is not going to happen. I do eat fruits and veggies, probably not as much as I should but fruit every single day, and try to get in veggies too. I get in dairy and whole grain and fiber and all sorts of good stuff. But if I'm told to avoid anything but organic or whole or raw foods, it is not a viable option for me, I cannot afford that, and I'm not interested in doing that. I like to indulge in tasty things and try to do so in moderation, or with variation to make it a little healthier and less fattening and with less calories that the fat filled version. I have high cholesterol and high triglycerides and that helps to shape my food choices as well. But I am looking for some real information about the sweeteners?

    Why are Splenda and Aspartame bad for me? Is there solid proof? What references are there to show me this? are these references reputable and free of conflicting interests? Why is Stevia good for me, or better than alternatives? Why does it kind of taste strangely? Why aren't foods using this for their low cal snacks? What do you use and why? How do you feel about it and why? How can you back this up?

    Not using sweeteners is not an option for me. I will use one that shortens my span a few years before I will just go without.

    Thanks again ahead of time for your input. :)

    I don't understand why you think wholefoods are expensive and tasteless? I use chilli, garlic, herbs and spices, balsamic vinegar, red wine, vegetable stock powder, unsalted yeast extract in my meals and my food is far from bland in fact I like stronger flavours than many of my relatives. There is absolutely no need to eat all raw or organic, many here focus on wholefoods without feeling the need to go to unscientific extremes.

    If you want a natural sweetener you might consider xylitol which is found naturally in many fruits and vegetables and some evidence suggests is beneficial for dental health, it is not calorie free tho. I believe some forms of stevia taste more natural than others but personally I do use a *little* Splenda, I don't believe there is enough evidence to avoid it just a lot of scaremongering. I also use lactulose (galactofructose) which may have digestive benefits but don't think that is available in every country. I try not to use/ limit chemical sweeteners like aspartame and acesulfame K following a negative experience (ex and I getting unquenchable thirsts drinking sugar free cordial regularly one hot summer). Look at how much of these things you are consuming, if it's one or more doses a day you should be more concerned than if it's one or two doses a week.

    Instead of searching the forum or relying on members here to give their biased interpretation of the science, use a search engine: look for papers published in reputable scientific journals (see PubMed or Google Scholar), any western government entity, UK National Health Service, universities, non profit organisations like charities and registration bodies for healthcare professionals, World Health Organisation.

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