Please Help No Artificial Sweetners Including Stavia

hi...there is a website....www.goingsugarfree.com...don't know if this is what you want but wouldn't hurt to check it out ! Good luck !

What about flavoured mineral water? There are a few without sweeteners. Fruity herbal tea?

I don't have many sweeteners, besides the occasional honey or no added (white) sugar jam...I could easily leave these out. Most of my diet is fresh wholefoods - predominantly vegies, meat/fish/eggs and good fats, some fruit and some supplements. Real food tastes great, and you can use plenty of herbs and spices for flavour. It may take some time to get your taste buds used to the taste...I find sweets super sweet, and don't need a lot!

I think you need a multi- level approach.

First, both of you need to attend a DOE program: Diabetes Outpatient Education. This will get both of you on the same page with what works and what does not for a diabetic. BTW, my Dad became a Type 2 diabetic at age 68, and lived with me for 14 years prior to moving to a nursing home one year ago. He has a serious auto-immune disorder, and his immune system is attacking all of his endocrine system. So he has diabetes (pancreas attacked), Addison's disease (adrenal glands attacked), Hashimoto's disease (thyroid attacked), neuro cardiac syncope (heart nerve attacked), hypertension (nerve which regulates blood pressure attacked), and cerebral vascular dementia ( nerve which regulates heart beat attacked) and many more issues. So I do know a bit of what I am suggesting. When Dad moved in with me, we took the DOE program as I had no clue what to do for diabetes, and I was the one handling meal plans. The course fee does not increase with multiple family members attending, and most insurance covers this program. We took the program 3 times in 4 years -- I had a LOT to learn!

Next, I suggest your husband visit a nutritionist. Have the doctor write orders for this as again, insurance will cover this in most cases.

Food / meal prep. You will combine what you learn from the above, and also so some research online. In general, dairy products will increase joint pain, so he should limit his dairy. Calcium is obtained from leafy green vegetables like brussel sprouts, broccoli, spinach, celery, and others.

Fruit, and hence smoothies, are going to be high in natural sugar - fructose -- and need to be used sparingly.

Diverticulitis calls for a high fiber diet. This is good as that is also what is called for with diabetes, so it all works. Focus on vegetables, not fruits, for this fiber. Yes, apples and pears and most raw fruits are fiber foods, but he can't do much in the fruit line due to the fructose. You will need to start increasing beans use in your meals. I buy canned beans, brand Goya is the least expensive in my area. I can buy a can for 99 cents. When you open the can, put the beans in a strainer and rinse WELL under cold water. Then add them to whatever you are cooking. Chick peas aka garbanzo beans can be eaten right after washing, no need for cooking. Other beans need plenty of time cooking to help break them down and reduce bloating.

Gluten is a huge issue with diverticulitis. I have Hashimoto's disease* and a gluten free diet is recommended for this. I started by eliminating wheat and wheat products: all cold cereals, breads, pastas, cakes and pies. Yes, gluten is found in some other grains, and it is used as an additive in many preprocessed foods, but this is the first step. In my case, 3 days and I felt amazingly better. So this helps me to stick with it.

* About 15% of the population has the autoimmune disorder my Dad has; it is inherited. I seem to have it, as I already have 3 issues. So I am working on this currently.

If you both switch to the same meal plan, you will find the foods he should avoid won't even be in the home, tempting him. It will be a shock initially; but if you can both stick with it, in 6 weeks your taste buds will have adapted and it won't be so bad. Again, I've done this. I first did this with milk, switching from whole milk to skim. That was hard, because I was drinking close to a gallon of milk daily! (This is about 25 years back). At the end of 6 weeks, whole milk tasted much too rich and forget cream!

Finally, you should consider taking some short cooking classes. You need to learn how to cook with herbs and spices for flavoring, and avoiding salt and sweeteners for flavor. Lucky for Dad, I LOVE to cook and I already used many herbs and spices; so I just took a few classes to expand my repertoire. You can find cooking classes in community recreation programs, and in other neighborhood publications. I am not talking about classes to be come a chef, but rather short classes, some are just one Saturday morning for 3 hours to learn to prepare one meal. Some are 3 weeks, to learn about preparing certain ethnic foods.

I realize this sounds like a LOT of change, and a lot of learning. IT IS. I was quite overwhelmed when Dad first moved in with me. It took time, but we both adapted and both of us were healthier in the end. So it is a life style change which is good for both of you.

BTW, it is stevia, not stavia, lol.

In the long-term, the stevia plant actually helps keep glucose levels steady.

FreedomSand, could you share the name of the autoimmune disease that your dad has, please? My son has Celiac disease, vasovagular syncope, and is lactose intolerant in addition to depression and anxiety issues. He has been diagnosed with IBS but with what you're saying about your dad, it makes me wonder about something else because the standard IBS treatments are not helping at all.

PatsyFitzpatr, have you looked at TrueLime and TrueLemon for your water and other drinks such as tea. I am a Southerner through and through and detest unsweetened tea, but can tolerate it with a pack of TrueLime mixed in.

One natural sweetener definitely worth trying is Erythritol. It is proven safe and 70% as sweet as sugar ,with a pleasant taste (some people find a slight minty aftertaste). I use it liberally in place of sugar, even in desserts and baked goods, rubs and marinades, and in tea and coffee. Do your research. Erythritol has the lowest impact GI on blood sugar of any sweetener (natural or artificial) and is a natural plant based product, not similar to Stevia though. It shows 0 risk in japanese studies, and has the FDA's highest safety rating (no rating). You can purchase on amazon.com under brand "Now Foods". I also tried other brands, both powered and granulated, and found them to be the same (as long as it is 100% pure erythritol product--beware of Truvia, a packet sweetener made with Erythritol, since you are trying to avoid Stevia.) Let me know if you try it. It changed my relationship with sugar forever. My uncle doesn't like it, but I love it, and most of my guests don't even notice when I substitute it for sugar in various recipes. Again, do your own research, but after 6 years on Atkins, Paleo, and other low carb 'lifestyle' diets, I am eating normally, but still use erythritol daily.

P.S. (hopefully this won't offend anyone) the one and only funny side effect. which I can report, and others have mentioned, is since Erythritol is mainly excreted in urine, you don't start to metabolize it unless you eat a truly large amount (several table spoons) hence the virtually 0 impact on blood sugar; however, it may make your husband's semen sweeter.... maybe a plus, not sure. Anyway, sorry if this is TMI, but I thought I needed to mention it.

Good luck!

Chris in St. Louis, MO
(Sorry did't mean to post this twice!!!)

You will have a hard time making low carb smoothies, fruit is almost pure carbs. Erythritol is a natural sweetener however, as mentioned. I find it minty and disgusting. Swerve and Just Like Sugar are brands that have modified erythritol with oligosaccharides (another plant product) to make it taste a little less weird. I use Swerve in my low-carb baking a lot.

You will have a hard time making low carb smoothies, fruit is almost pure carbs. Erythritol is a natural sweetener however, as mentioned. I find it minty and disgusting. Swerve and Just Like Sugar are brands that have modified erythritol with oligosaccharides (another plant product) to make it taste a little less weird. I use Swerve in my low-carb baking a lot.

Thank you for the response. But I will not put any artificial sweetner in my husbands diet. He truly becomes the TIN MAN can hardly walk or lift his arms when they are slipped into his foods I buy. I would be poisoning him if I used your recommendation. But thank you for sharing. Now I know to look for this new gmo in his food as well. We are aquaponic farmers. We grow Talapia and veggies. Most of my DH joint pain ( I call him the TIN Man from Wizzard of OZ ) when he started drinking a gallon of Crystal Light and others.
Now it mostly just water and he wants other drinks with low to no sugar and ZERO gmo sweetners. But I do appreciate you responding.

Hope he's wise enough not to eat the Tilapia.

P.S. I know that granola isn't low carb, but a little goes a long way.

You will have a hard time making low carb smoothies, fruit is almost pure carbs. Erythritol is a natural sweetener however, as mentioned. I find it minty and disgusting. Swerve and Just Like Sugar are brands that have modified erythritol with oligosaccharides (another plant product) to make it taste a little less weird. I use Swerve in my low-carb baking a lot.

Also Erythritol is no good for anyone with GI issues.