Artificial sweetner thing

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MontanaGirl
MontanaGirl Posts: 1,251 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I posted last week or so on a different thread about art. sweetners. The discussion turned to Splenda and I said that in moderation I didn't have an issue with it. I also was running on old information. After doing some additional research and looking at how much I actually consumed :sick: I decided to go art. sweetner (as) free for 1 week and see what happens. I discovered that I was using 5 - 9 packets of Splenda every day, plus 2 - 3 sugar free candies with sorbitol, plus a couple of Crystal Light to go packets per week. I don't think, in my opinion, that's moderation! So, I'm on day 2 now. Don't really feel any different, but am not having withdrawal symptoms like I thought I would either!! :happy: Also, am not craving sweets, which I was. But that could be because I indulged in some Valentine chocolates on Thurs and Fri. I had blackberries on oatmeal for b-fast today and found I needed something to sweeten it. My fall back would have been 2 pks of Splenda - but I used 1 tsp of brown sugar instead and counted the 15 calories. It was enough to make it good - not super sweet, but good. Anyhoo - that's my story. I'll keep you posted if anyone is interested in my little experiment!! It's on my shopping list to get a big box (1000) of Splenda at Cosco - but I didn't want to buy that much and then decide not to ever use it again and be stuck with it!!! :ohwell:

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  • MontanaGirl
    MontanaGirl Posts: 1,251 Member
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    I posted last week or so on a different thread about art. sweetners. The discussion turned to Splenda and I said that in moderation I didn't have an issue with it. I also was running on old information. After doing some additional research and looking at how much I actually consumed :sick: I decided to go art. sweetner (as) free for 1 week and see what happens. I discovered that I was using 5 - 9 packets of Splenda every day, plus 2 - 3 sugar free candies with sorbitol, plus a couple of Crystal Light to go packets per week. I don't think, in my opinion, that's moderation! So, I'm on day 2 now. Don't really feel any different, but am not having withdrawal symptoms like I thought I would either!! :happy: Also, am not craving sweets, which I was. But that could be because I indulged in some Valentine chocolates on Thurs and Fri. I had blackberries on oatmeal for b-fast today and found I needed something to sweeten it. My fall back would have been 2 pks of Splenda - but I used 1 tsp of brown sugar instead and counted the 15 calories. It was enough to make it good - not super sweet, but good. Anyhoo - that's my story. I'll keep you posted if anyone is interested in my little experiment!! It's on my shopping list to get a big box (1000) of Splenda at Cosco - but I didn't want to buy that much and then decide not to ever use it again and be stuck with it!!! :ohwell:
  • Eve23
    Eve23 Posts: 2,352 Member
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    :bigsmile: Good for you.
  • Eve23
    Eve23 Posts: 2,352 Member
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    Woops sorry bout that:blushing:
  • MontanaGirl
    MontanaGirl Posts: 1,251 Member
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    Nothing to be sorry about Eve!! :laugh:
  • alaskagal
    alaskagal Posts: 326
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    IMHO -
    You'll be much better off without using artifical sweeteners. You might want to check out the book "Sweet Deception" by Dr. Joseph Mercola. It's very illuminating on the dangers of artificial sweeteners. (Disclaimer: there are folks that would say the Dr. Mercola is "out there" but I still think the book has validity.)

    Good luck! Maybe you won't need to make that Splenda run to Costco after all. :happy:
  • icandoit
    icandoit Posts: 4,163 Member
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    I have given up artifical sweeteners all together. Since giving them up along with processed foods, preservitives and those words on the packages that are so long they take up 2 lines, I feel so much better.
    I thing using regular sugar is better for you in the long run. Just my 2 cents.
  • Nich0le
    Nich0le Posts: 2,906 Member
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    They are doing extensive studies regarding obesity rates and artificial sweetners right now and so far the evidence has linked an increase in weight to those that use artificial sweetners instead of sugar or honey. The reasons posed are that our bodies don't recognize the artificial sweetners as sugar or that we consume more because we figure it isn't really sugar or it's diet so we can have more.

    We really need to get away from "diet" products and get back to what our bodies actually need and that is whole natural foods. Since the introduction of "diet" products and more processed foods and the "western diet" we are dying from more cancers, heart disease and obesity related health problems than our ancestors of just 100 years ago. The mortality rate of a 100 years ago was mostly due to flus and contagious diseases than diet. We are killing ourselves by trying to be "healthy" with quick diet fixes and processed 100 calorie packs and frozen meals. Our bodies need real food.

    Just something to think about.
  • sdouglas
    sdouglas Posts: 22
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    My obgyn told me to stay away from artificial sweeteners. There is alot about Splenda you should know about. Good for you for kicking the habit. Good luck.
  • sdouglas
    sdouglas Posts: 22
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    My obgyn told me to stay away from artificial sweeteners. There is alot about Splenda you should know about. Good for you for kicking the habit. Good luck.
  • MontanaGirl
    MontanaGirl Posts: 1,251 Member
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    Thanks for the support! I am kind of missing it today - did o.k. over the weekend. But will keep at it for the rest of the week and see what happens! :happy:
  • RowanC
    RowanC Posts: 38
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    Before you ingest Splenda, please read the following:

    http://www.holisticmed.com/splenda/bowen.html
  • MontanaGirl
    MontanaGirl Posts: 1,251 Member
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    OK - so I'm on day 4 of no a.s. and I am really resenting this! I was quite surprised. I'm not ready to give up my coffee being sweetened and certainly not ready to give up my oatmeal being sweetened - couldn't even finish my bowl yesterday! And I really like my tea sweet too. But, having had gestational diabetes with my 2 girls and skating close to having Type II diabetes a couple of times, and struggling with blood sugars being high occassionally - I'm not ready to start using sugar. I HATE Stevia. Sorry - this is turning into a rant :smile: I'm still going to finish the week because I know withdrawals can cause this kind of resentment and maybe I'm having withdrawal symptoms. But I don't know if I can make this a permanent change. So - on with the experiment!!
  • betterme
    betterme Posts: 54 Member
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    Okay, so I haven't done a lot of research on this. I avoid all artificial sweeteners like the plague, mostly because I don't like the idea of them, secondly the times I have tried them in the past they've given me a headache (even when I didn't originally know what I ate had Splenda in it, so I don't think it was psychosomatic).

    But I like my coffee sweet and have been assuming eating sugar made me crave more sugar, so at the health food section of the store I picked up Agave nectar and it tastes great in coffee. It is a lot like honey. I don't like Stevia either. Agave nectar has about the same calories as sugar, so you still have to use it sparingly, but supposedly it is a low GI food so I am assuming you could still use it with diabetes and I am assuming it doesn't cause the same problems as sugar does as far as cravings and spiking your blood sugar. So you might want to try it. But, like I said I have not done a lot of research, so you should probably research it first since you have diabetes. I know I have not been craving sugar anymore, (except when I am having PMS) but I have changed so many things in my life I can't pinpoint that as being the specific reason.
  • Nich0le
    Nich0le Posts: 2,906 Member
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    It is never easy to give something up, especially when it was to fix what you found you had a problem with to begin with. The same is true of artificial products as real products and that is moderation. There are a lot of side effects associated with splenda. The big push was that it was sugar just different, well, it is chemically altered and one of the "surprising" side effects is joint issues with people that are using it long term or a large amount in their diets.

    Obviously, diabetes is a concern for you and maybe you sweeten your coffee and oatmeal and just slowly add a little less sugar, at least to the oatmeal, every week until you are at a reasonable amount. I had to wean myself off of sugar too, I love my coffee sweet and creamy and I had to slowly reduce the sugar and then the cream until it was not just a big lump of sweet milk! Good luck, you will find a way! :drinker:
  • blherce
    blherce Posts: 8
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    Other than it being linked to cancer, I have read (and personally experienced) that artificial sweeteners cause gas. Yes, that is right. Flatulance. Frankly, the less the better, especially since Im starting to REALLY change my diet in forms of more veggies and fruit and less yuck. No more junk food. So, that in itself is enough reason for me to not use it anymore. Its hard though, finding alternatives, or just doing without completely!
  • MontanaGirl
    MontanaGirl Posts: 1,251 Member
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    Thanks guys!! :heart: Betterme - I'll check out the agave nectar. Also on a tight budget so hopefully I'll find something! I think my "inner child" just was throwing a fit this a.m. You know, the "I don't want to. I don't want to." thing. :laugh: I guess when you're making lifestyle changes and it's something you really like, even if it's not good for you, it's hard to do some days! 'Preciate all the support. You guys rock!! :heart:
  • marthab
    marthab Posts: 3
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    Regarding Splenda. You really have to read your labels because unlike the old days when they advertised "Splenda" as being in the product as if it were they greatest gift to man, now they are hiding it as sucralose in the ingredient list even if the product isn't marketed as a "diet" product. I have been finding it in so many foods that I would never have thought to see it. I even saw it in a drink that the second ingredient was high fructose corn syrup. Sucralose was listed down farther. Now why in the world if it is supposed to be low cal, do they add it in with a product with hfcs. I am glad I am in the habit of reading labels.

    martha

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