Pandora's Little Pink Packets

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Lollie776
Lollie776 Posts: 8
in Health and Weight Loss
Quick question for the sweet lovers out there! I am attempting to take sugar mostly out of my diet and replace it with artificial sweetner. So far it hasn't been much of a struggle but here is my concern. Is there such thing as TOO MUCH sweetener? For example I like lots of sugar in my coffee (my father always calls it sugar milk), so when I drink it with sweetener 2 packets just doesn't do it for me, I'm wanting more like 5 packets. If I'm going to change from bad habits into good ones I don't want to start a NEW unhealthy habit.

Any input would be appreciated!!! :embarassed:

Replies

  • staciekins
    staciekins Posts: 453 Member
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    Try to use a natural sweetener as many artificial sweeteners have many bad chemicals in them. I use Truvia or Stevia. It is twice as sweet as sugar. No cals and no sugars. :) You can even find it at Walmart and other grocery stores.
  • ronda_gettinghealthy
    ronda_gettinghealthy Posts: 777 Member
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    you have opened a can of worms here. there are those who will say--artificial sweetners are of the devil avoid at all costs- some will say-they are better than the alternative--being overweight and everything in between.

    Here is my very humble opinion.


    Wean your self off--slow as you need to-- use them for now, try to adapt your tastes to less sweet then try to use more natural sweetners ie Stevia or Agave ---but take your time.


    Good Luck
  • grassette
    grassette Posts: 976 Member
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    Check into the side-effects of the sweeteners you are thinking of using and make an informed decision.

    Me? I take the sugar, and adjust accordingly. I just don't want to get exposed to the artificial stuff, knowing what they do. Keeping sweets out of the house altogether is the best thing for me.
  • didi7422
    didi7422 Posts: 14
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    Most of those artificial sweeteners are really bad for you especially aspartame. If you want to switch off sugar, try using the newer natural ones with stevia or use agave nectar. I am a recovering splenda addict myself...thought that splenda would be much healthier than the sugar and the other fake stuff but turns out it's not much better. My doctor advised me not to use it too. I finally got off it when I felt like I was having to constantly urinate - went to the dr who informed me that splenda, equal, sweet and low, etc are all bladder irritants. I don't care for alot of the stevia products - truvia, etc. BUT I started using "stevia in the raw" - it's in the baking aisle with all the other sugar and sweeteners. It's alot better - still get the benefit of no sugar and I don't have to pee every 5 minutes lol. As far as using too many, you'll get used to using less if you stick with it. Once you are used to not having so much of that "sweet" taste, everything else will start to taste too sweet. Just be careful with the artifical sweeteners -- they can cause a lot of problems and bad stuff.
  • Lollie776
    Lollie776 Posts: 8
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    Thanks a lot ladies. I have never even heard of those other products before. Didi I think I'm in the same boat as you were in, thanks for all the information! Have you spoken to your doctor about the "stevia in the raw"? Looks like I have some research to do....
  • didi7422
    didi7422 Posts: 14
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    The was last year when I talked with her - she told me to stop using "fake" stuff and use sugar and exercise it off. I'm hoping she'll be ok with the stevia b/c it's derived from a natural sweetener and is not as "chemically" like splenda and aspartame. My next visit isn't until september so we'll see what she says. My own experiment is that I ran out of stevia in the raw at home recently and decided to just use the rest of the splenda I had until I picked up more - after using the splenda for a couple of days, I had to pee all the time. Once I switched back to the stevia - I was fine so I think what she said was true. I was using sugar free flavored coffeemate which has splenda in it - so that coupled with the splenda packets was just too much artificial sweetener. I also pretty much have cut out drinking soda including diet soda and that seems to be a lot better too. I kind of feel like when you drink soda - it makes you want crappy food as well and so it's a bad trigger all around and diet soda is really bad too b/c of the asparatame. Good luck!!
  • joeysrib
    joeysrib Posts: 158 Member
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    Artificial sweetners are poison! I prefer to use turbinado sugar, it is not highly processed, but it is still sugar. It is not as bad for you as artificial sweetners. Aside from that, my husband has PKU, which means that most artificial sweetners cause mental retardation, and I love him too much for that. So to me if I have to do a few extra reps, its worth it. Sorry, I get a little grouchy about artificial sweetners.
  • nicothepotato
    nicothepotato Posts: 306 Member
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    Maybe try going cold turkey from anything sweet for a week. When you start eating sweet again everything will be so much more intense. I did that and think juice taste like sugar water, I only use the flavored creamer for my coffee, no extra sweet and an apple or orange will do the trick if I want a sweet thing.

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