Fat drinks vs Skinny drinks - what do you do?

[bludiva]

@OoohShiny when i go out i just get the natural sweetener and don't worry about it too much since 9 times out of 10 i make my own. but i'll ask for 1/2 sweet or skip the syrup sometimes b/c the amount of sweetener they put is usually way too much.

lol @Arcadian "i will hurt somebody" second that, i have to have coffee most mornings.

i don't like the taste of any artificial sweetener i've tried so far so typically drink it black, sometimes make a latte. if i want sweetener i add honey. for iced coffee i've found that blending in some unflavored whey protein powder gives it a really nice creamy texture, doesn't work for hot coffee though.

 

[OoohShiny]

for iced coffee i've found that blending in some unflavored whey protein powder gives it a really nice creamy texture, doesn't work for hot coffee though.

That's an interesting idea! I'm not an iced coffee fan but that sounds like an excellent way to get some more protein into one's diet

 

[mrs-b]

Sitting in a coffee shop I've not been to before, I ordered a double machiatto with vanilla syrup.

I forgot to ask if the syrup was 'sugar free' or not.

It was.

YUK




I cannot stand the chemical after-taste and weird dry mouth I get after having artificial sweeteners, yet nearly every bloody 'soft drink' over here is swapping sugar out and swapping sweeteners in (because of the government's sugar tax and because they want to be seen to be doing something for the obesity crisis the west is facing) and even syrups for coffee are now laden with them.

I would much prefer to stick with sugar but just have less!!

And that's not to mention that I am sure I have read/heard a theory put forward that our bodies are getting fatter because they do not know what to do with all this artificial crap (although I have no scientific evidence to hand for this, and there may not even be any).


So what do you do? Guzzle down the 'good for you' artificial stuff or stick with natural stuff?

I personally avoid artificial stuff as much as I possibly can and I always feel crappy when I do have some, so although it's hardly a comprehensive study and overwhelming empirical evidence, I am sure there is something to be said for sticking to natural foodstuffs.

IIRC there was a 'back to the old days' experiment with a family living in NZ for several months, and when the kids had McDonalds for the first time when they cam out, they were sick!


Anyway... I just had to rant, because I am British and therefore don't feel able to complain to the lady behind the counter LoL

I'm currently on Prednisone for 3 months, and I've been tracking my glucose in case it rises due to the steroids. Consequently, I've been able to see exactly what my body responds to and what it doesn't. My glucose is pretty steady, but the only thing i've seen that makes it shoot is artificial sweeteners. If I eat fruit, or some grains or a little potato or bread or what-have-you - nothing. Even a regular dessert doesn't do much. But Splenda? Wowza! As I've gotten older, I've eaten less and less sweets - mostly because of sugar's inflammatory properties. But even what I do still eat doesn't effect me to the same degree.

I have no idea why this is true, but I stay away from the artificial sweeteners more religiously than I stay away from sugar. Go figure.

 

[OreoRosies86]

I do not EVER drink artificial sweetener, and instead limit my real sugar intake.

I drink decaf iced coffee every day. Other than that I drink flavored sparkling water and SmartWater.

On the rare occasion I drink soda it’s a fountain Coke from McDonalds (and only McDonalds) or if I’m at the movies, which is almost never.

I find diet drinks soooo gross and they really mess up my stomach!

 

[LaylaR]

We've been low carb for over a year now. I can barely tolerate real sugar anymore. It tastes too sweet for me. But I'll use heavy cream in my drinks so they aren't skinny by any means. Just Keto friendly.

I've been needing caffeine recently when I never did before. We actually have coffee actively being drunk in the house now. I used to drink only herbal teas. I still drink mostly herbal teas. But now I do it with coffee in the morning-- which I have literally never done before outside of studying for exams when I was much younger.

 

[Dancing Fire]

I cannot stand the chemical after-taste and weird dry mouth I get after having artificial sweeteners, yet nearly every bloody 'soft drink' over here is swapping sugar out and swapping sweeteners in (because of the government's sugar tax and because they want to be seen to be doing something for the obesity crisis the west is facing) and even syrups for coffee are now laden with them.

I would much prefer to stick with sugar but just have less!!

Those artificial S**T will kill you way before real sugar will.

 

[seaurchin]

I think the fake stuff and sugar are both not good for you.

The fake stuff is not a food, so by common sense probably not good to eat (I'm far too lazy to thoroughly research the scientific studies on it, though). I switched over to the fakes from sugar years ago but am now trying to go with a largely whole foods, plant-based diet.

And real sugar is so processed (with chemicals?) that it's remote from the whole food, sugar cane. And my husband and I both notice big effects when we do have sugar now that we've largely cut it out.

We both have swollen, painful gums by evening if we have any sugar during the day, for one thing. Sometimes flossing and mouthwash at the end of the day is not enough to stop a big painful gum flare up. Bacteria in the mouth hugely feed on sugar.

We're also notice the drug-like effects of sugar more now. I had a big chocolate doughnut the other day (heavenly!) and promptly fell asleep. A few days before that I had 2 Dr. Peppers with sugar rather than the fake stuff (also heavenly!) then felt very down and ready to cry though nothing was wrong and I'm not like that. And of course it's also fattening.

I try to stick with ice water or black coffee (though of course coffee is also mood altering). I try to get it into my head that I don't need either sugary drinks or artificially sweetened drinks. I don't like it, though!

I also bought some agave nectar (raw and organic, according to the label). I guess it's better for you since it's less processed. It's pricey though, about $5 (US) for an 18 oz. bottle.

 

[lissyflo]

I think the thing to be wary of is demonising sugar when really it’s often either lifestyle choices or excessive consumption (not the sugar itself) that’s the problem. I have friends who have cut out a lot of fruits from their diet to reduce sugar, which is taking things too far in the opposite, and an equally unhealthy, direction to my mind.

Our brains can only process energy in the form of sugar, so it’s vital to have it in our diets, but the form we eat sugar in, and the volume, has massively changed from a few generations ago.

A snack of plain live yoghurt with some seeds and drizzled with honey is tasty, satisfying because of the varied textures, and natural honey is so sweet and cloying that there’s only so much you can add without it becoming unpleasant so there’s a built in ‘brake’ on the sugar component, plus you can actually see the sugar you’re adding. The issue, as you say, is all the processed foods loaded with hidden real or artificial sweeteners that we glug down without even really tasting. I love baking with my children as it really shows them how much sugar is in things like cakes and biscuits.

Rather than demonising one dietary component, much better I think to eat a varied, balanced diet that’s as natural and unprocessed as possible, but all within the confines of 21st century living and the pressures and constraints that puts on lifestyle. Ready meals and eating out are lovely and massive time savers when we're busy, but ideally should be balanced another day by a meal made from scratch using fresh, proper ingredients. My view, anyway!

 

[msop04]

I'm not a coffee drinker at all, so I can't comment there.

My morning caffeine comes from Mt. Dew or Dr. Pepper. Several years back I switched from regular to diet as it was supposedly better. Now it's the opposite, lol.

Problem is, when I drink the regular versions I get a headache as I think they have too much sugar. I'd like to see a low (real) sugar version be available.

DIET Mountain Dew??!!!!
GROSS!!!!!!


That's one of the few carbonated drinks that I absolutely cannot drink the diet version. Diet Dr. Pepper is, to me, better than the regular. I drink Coke Zero almost anytime I have a soda, but nothing beats the taste of an ice cold REAL, fully-leaded Coke!

 

[msop04]

I'm an artificial sugar junkie. Everything I buy is zero sugar (and artificially sweetened). I use flavored creamer with zero sugar for my coffee, for soda, the whole family drinks coke zero, and even for cooking, I use liquid splenda (sucralose) to sweeten any sauces etc. I also have "no sugar added" jams and jellies, sugar free maple syrup etc. I buy candies that are made with maltitol (for diabetics), and sugar free chocolate bars to curb dessert cravings. I think I'm just so used to artificial sweetener taste that "real sugar" actually tastes weird to me, especially in sodas.

As for artificial sweeteners, they are not all created equal, I do not like saccharin or ace K, I only like products made with sucralose, erythritol or maltitol.

...but I do love a real Coke or Mtn. Dew on occasion.

 

[sledge]

DIET Mountain Dew??!!!!
GROSS!!!!!!


That's one of the few carbonated drinks that I absolutely cannot drink the diet version. Diet Dr. Pepper is, to me, better than the regular. I drink Coke Zero almost anytime I have a soda, but nothing beats the taste of an ice cold REAL, fully-leaded Coke!

DP and MD are my favorites. Several years back, a friend convinced me to switch to the diet versions as they were much better for your health.

It was a real kick in the balls switching. But after a month or so, and lots of ice , I made the leap. It started with diet DP. Also diet root beer is surprisingly good. Took me awhile to acquire the taste for diet MD.

Never been much of a Coke or Pepsi drinker, unless mixed with Crown.

For me diet coke is the devil's drink. Coke Zero is pretty decent on those rare occasions where I want a cola flavored drink.

Currently I'm on a kick with bottled water and flavor adds, and slowly weaning the diet and regular sodas from my life. The end goal is just water with no adds, or simple sliced fruit for a little extra flavor.

 

[House Cat]

I don’t do artificial sweeteners. I acknowledge how addictive they can be especially when mixed with caffeine. Diet Coke addicts are crazy for their drink!

I drink coffee with heavy cream or I drink it black. I drink my booze with soda water.

 

[OoohShiny]

The end goal is just water with no adds, or simple sliced fruit for a little extra flavor.

Honestly, just do it - once you've made the switch you realise just how ridiculously sweet and/or artificial any fizzy drinks are, and how your body wants clean hydration.

I can't remember when I started to cut stuff out, probably when I was actually doing well at the gym and seeing results, but now I've done it, I can't stand fizzy stuff.

If you are thirsty, your body wants water - not a cocktail of sugar and/or chemicals mixed with carbon dioxide (the latter of which, IIRC, leaches the calcium from your bones ).

Empty your house of processed fizzy junk and make the switch - it's amazing how sensitive/aware you become to how hydrated you are (or are not) when your body doesn't have to process the crap out of any liquid poured into it!

And if you do fancy something sweet, have a piece of fruit. Natural sugars combined with fibre means it should take longer to process, help your gut, and make you feel more nourished/fuller.

Personally I like apples and raisins for my sugar hit, but the mother-in-law makes a mean slab of banana/raisin/chunky oats mixed together to form a satisfying, moist, low(er)-GI but still sweet snack!

Anyway, I know I'm preaching to the choir but I do acknowledge making the switch is hard!!

 

[Arcadian]

Some of you mentioned drinking full sugar coke and I nearly started dry heaving. Sorry but no.

I don't really do a lot of soda because it really dosen't taste that good...and the older I get the more I don't want any. Plus, that stuff is really hard on teeth. This morning's coffee was sponsored by A2 milk and Stevia

 

[doberman]

It has to be real all the way. I'm not putting that plastic junk in my body. Many studies suggest that artificial sweeteners have no positive effect and may in fact be detrimental to persons with metabolic disorders. If I could find my notes I could cite them. Anyway, I only like real sugar and whole milk or 1/2 and 1/2. No aspartame, no saccharine, no coffee mate. In the rare occasion I drink soda, I have regular. I was schooled against the artificial since I was a kid. My mother was before her time with her knowledge of chemicals and nutrition. It's all about moderation and not so much about what you eat.

 

[yssie]

The real deal, in moderation.
I don't do fat free or low fat either.