Sugar? Splenda? - What do you all use?

[Angel7]

Thank you for the daily limits LadyPirate..I have no idea how much Sodium I take in daily..Good to see what levels I should be at.

HollyS - Dropping the soda habit is a really hard one to kick. I find myself craving it (I''ve been off pop for 2 days now) but I''m hoping as time goes on I won''t miss it!

Thanks all!

 

[HollyS]

Date: 1/10/2008 10:31:51 AM
Author: Angel7
Thank you for the daily limits LadyPirate..I have no idea how much Sodium I take in daily..Good to see what levels I should be at.

HollyS - Dropping the soda habit is a really hard one to kick. I find myself craving it (I''ve been off pop for 2 days now) but I''m hoping as time goes on I won''t miss it!

Thanks all!

You will find yourself craving it . . . for awhile. Your system has been programmed by the high fructose corn syrup to desire more, more, more. Right now, your body is going through a withdrawal of sorts; it is not all a simple matter of will power.

Many medical and nutrition experts believe that the sheer abundance of corn syrup in the American diet has directly led to more obesity and more diabetes. Avoid it every chance you get.

 

[Mara]

holly...i agree soda is pretty bad in general. someone mentioned on here once that coke could rot something off of pipes or something equally invasive and i was like wow. i still have a soda every once in a while but thankfully it''s a habit i never REALLY had. my mom is a huge soda junkie though and has been for many years. she drank a liter of coke like every 2 days when preggo with me. no wonder i have such a sweet tooth!

on the subject of sodium, we as americans consume WAY too much in our diets on a daily basis, just like everything else we tend to consume more. we actually don''t need that much salt for our bodies, but processed food is abundant with it. campbell''s soups are one of my favorite things from childhood but the sodium content on them is crazy! one can of chunky something or other is usually about 700mg per serving. well if you eat the whole can it''s 1400mg in one meal. That is crazy salt for just one meal. i definitely know when i have overconsumed salt because i am SO amazingly thirsty...i can drink glasses and glasses of water. mexican food makes me very thirsty so i figure it''s really salty. but when we cook at home i have been better about trying to use less salt. the bloating is not fun really.

 

[cnspotts]

Date: 1/8/2008 9:47:02 PM
Author: crown1
neither i use stevia.

Me too!

I''ll choose real sugar (preferably raw) to fake sweetners.

Continuing on this topic read up on HFCS (high frutose corn syrup

) which is in EVERYTHING....I personally believe it''s the basis for our country''s huge range of health problems.

 

[crown1]

Date: 1/10/2008 3:19:48 PM
Author: cnspotts

Date: 1/8/2008 9:47:02 PM

Author: crown1

neither i use stevia.

Me too!


I''ll choose real sugar (preferably raw) to fake sweetners.


Continuing on this topic read up on HFCS (high frutose corn syrup

) which is in EVERYTHING....I personally believe it''s the basis for our country''s huge range of health problems.

i am unable to use the artificial sweeteners. it''s the stevia or the real thing. i think you have to be careful not to get too much stevia or it does not taste good. i prefer the raw sugar also.

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

Date: 1/10/2008 10:15:40 PM
Author: crown1

Date: 1/10/2008 3:19:48 PM
Author: cnspotts

Date: 1/8/2008 9:47:02 PM

Author: crown1

neither i use stevia.

Me too!


I''ll choose real sugar (preferably raw) to fake sweetners.


Continuing on this topic read up on HFCS (high frutose corn syrup

) which is in EVERYTHING....I personally believe it''s the basis for our country''s huge range of health problems.

i am unable to use the artificial sweeteners. it''s the stevia or the real thing. i think you have to be careful not to get too much stevia or it does not taste good. i prefer the raw sugar also.

Where are you? Stevia is immpossible to get as a sweetener in north america.

 

[crown1]

Date: 1/10/2008 10:20:08 PM
Author: brazen_irish_hussy

Date: 1/10/2008 10:15:40 PM

Author: crown1

Date: 1/10/2008 3:19:48 PM

Author: cnspotts

Date: 1/8/2008 9:47:02 PM


Author: crown1


neither i use stevia.

Me too!



I''ll choose real sugar (preferably raw) to fake sweetners.



Continuing on this topic read up on HFCS (high frutose corn syrup

) which is in EVERYTHING....I personally believe it''s the basis for our country''s huge range of health problems.

i am unable to use the artificial sweeteners. it''s the stevia or the real thing. i think you have to be careful not to get too much stevia or it does not taste good. i prefer the raw sugar also.

Where are you? Stevia is immpossible to get as a sweetener in north america.

nada. try gnc, kroger and try the web site of trivita. you need to look but it is there. i get liquid from trivita and the little packets from gnc or kroger. hth.

 

[cnspotts]

I''m in Alabama.

Stevia cannot be sold as anything other than a food supplement, not a sweetener. I get mine online @Swanson''s Vitamins, both powder (bulk & packets), and liquid.

 

[crown1]

coke is using stevia in japan and working on bringing it to the us under the name rebiana. i believe cargill is associated with this plan. the rebiana(sp?) comes from the second word in the scientific name for stevia. i believe this was first reported in may-june 2007.

 

[Angel7]

I am working from home today and got to catch a segment on the "View" and it was about how our grocery stores are going to change in 2008.
A lot regarding stuff we discussed on here...

Going away from artificial sweetners and moving more towards natural and that Ztevia..or Stevia..people had brought up on here.
Also, more Honey in items as a sweetner..for example Frosted Flakes is coming out with "Gold". They are whole wheat flakes with only honey as the sweetner.
Also that Zteiva..is coming out with an all natural soda..

It was very interesting!

 

[Mara]

i was reading about fructose recently on some site...apparently it''s made of real sugar and is easier for diabetics systems to handle. they sell it in bottles, looks kind of like a syrup. wonder how it tastes.

our local whole foods sells stevia, that''s where i found mine.

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

Date: 1/11/2008 12:49:19 PM
Author: Mara
i was reading about fructose recently on some site...apparently it''s made of real sugar and is easier for diabetics systems to handle. they sell it in bottles, looks kind of like a syrup. wonder how it tastes.

our local whole foods sells stevia, that''s where i found mine.

Fructose is the natural sugar in fruit but it is different from regular sugar. Regular sugar is glucose which your whole body needs for energy and which your whole body can metabolize. Fructose can only be metabolized by the liver which makes it better for diabetics, but you don''t feel as full as when you eat sugar because the intenstines don''t recognize it.
My mom used it when I was a kid, the taste is about the same as regular sugar but it is less "direct". I can''t really explain it better than that.

 

[mercoledi]

Date: 1/11/2008 1:49:55 PM
Author: brazen_irish_hussy

Date: 1/11/2008 12:49:19 PM

Author: Mara

i was reading about fructose recently on some site...apparently it''s made of real sugar and is easier for diabetics systems to handle. they sell it in bottles, looks kind of like a syrup. wonder how it tastes.


our local whole foods sells stevia, that''s where i found mine.

Fructose is the natural sugar in fruit but it is different from regular sugar. Regular sugar is glucose which your whole body needs for energy and which your whole body can metabolize. Fructose can only be metabolized by the liver which makes it better for diabetics, but you don''t feel as full as when you eat sugar because the intenstines don''t recognize it.

My mom used it when I was a kid, the taste is about the same as regular sugar but it is less ''direct''. I can''t really explain it better than that.

Also the only form of sugar your brain can metabolise into energy is glucose so everyone needs some minimal amount of glucose to function normally- your body can manufacture some from other sugars, but not enough!

 

[lyra]

Fructose is not recommended for diabetics. It's true that it doesn't raise blood glucose as much as regular sugar (sucrose), but it does other things like raise triglyceride levels. Diabetics do take this into account when consuming fruit in particlar, and as well as using as a sweetener. Grapes are a bad fruit for diabetics for instance. More information on the processing of fructose in the body:

“The only organ in your body that can take up fructose is your liver,” Dr. Lustig told interviewer Norman Swan. The first thing that eating fructose does is causing an increase in uric acid, Dr. Lustig said. Fructose inhibits nitric oxide, which would otherwise reduce our blood pressure. “So fructose is famous for causing hypertension (high blood pressure).”
“The second is that fructose initiates what’s known as de novo lipogenesis, excess fat production….And then the last thing that fructose does in the liver is it initiates an enzyme….What happens is that your insulin receptors in your liver stop working….That means your insulin levels all over your body have to rise.”

Honey is made up of fructose and sucrose, so it's not a great alternative either, and in processed foods like cereals, it's just going to up the overall sugar level. I personally find with even a small amount of (beautiful, tasty, organic) honey, my blood glucose level does remain elevated for a very long time.

I have never used Stevia, I don't know if it's available in Canada.

To be honest, I would rather just use plain sugar at this point. Then reduce how much of that I use. With baking, we already just cut the amount of sugar in any recipe. Then I limit myself and my portions. Easy-peasy!

 

[lyra]

I found some unbiased info on Stevia:

Stevia (SweetLeaf Stevia Plus, OnlySweet)

Sold as a "tabletop sweetener" (packets used mostly to sweeten beverages)

Commonly added to packaged foods and beverages

Heat-stable; can be used for baking

What is it? A concentrated powder made by extracting a sweet-tasting compound—steviol glycosides—from the leaves of Stevia rebaudiana, a plant native to South America. Commercially, stevia is sold as a liquid or a powder that is combined with bulking agents: often inulin, a soluble fiber, or maltodextrin, a sugar.

Sweetness factor: 300 x sugar

Take note: Since the FDA has not approved its use as a food additive, stevia is sold only as a dietary supplement in the United States. However, in the interest of launching a line of "natural" diet drinks next year, the Coca-Cola Company and Cargill are expected to petition the FDA to re-examine the safety science on stevia. Stevia itself does not raise blood sugar—neither does inulin—but maltodextrin does, so people concerned about blood glucose levels should read ingredient labels carefully.

I didn''t realize it contained maltodextrin. Again, this one is not recommended (yet) for diabetics because it hasn''t passed FDA approval in general. I did read one side effect that is being research is how it affects the reproductive system, as it had a negative effect on rats. I hope no one minds me posting some research about this stuff, I''m just trying to offer more information. As a diabetic, I have a lot of restrictions, and so I''m always researching things. BTW, I believe you can now buy packets of Stevia on amazon, although I have no idea about how pricing might compare.

 

[crown1]

Date: 1/11/2008 2:54:28 PM
Author: lyra
I found some unbiased info on Stevia:


Stevia (SweetLeaf Stevia Plus, OnlySweet)

Sold as a 'tabletop sweetener' (packets used mostly to sweeten beverages)

Commonly added to packaged foods and beverages

Heat-stable; can be used for baking

What is it? A concentrated powder made by extracting a sweet-tasting compound—steviol glycosides—from the leaves of Stevia rebaudiana, a plant native to South America. Commercially, stevia is sold as a liquid or a powder that is combined with bulking agents: often inulin, a soluble fiber, or maltodextrin, a sugar.

Sweetness factor: 300 x sugar

Take note: Since the FDA has not approved its use as a food additive, stevia is sold only as a dietary supplement in the United States. However, in the interest of launching a line of 'natural' diet drinks next year, the Coca-Cola Company and Cargill are expected to petition the FDA to re-examine the safety science on stevia. Stevia itself does not raise blood sugar—neither does inulin—but maltodextrin does, so people concerned about blood glucose levels should read ingredient labels carefully.


I didn't realize it contained maltodextrin. Again, this one is not recommended (yet) for diabetics because it hasn't passed FDA approval in general. I did read one side effect that is being research is how it affects the reproductive system, as it had a negative effect on rats. I hope no one minds me posting some research about this stuff, I'm just trying to offer more information. As a diabetic, I have a lot of restrictions, and so I'm always researching things. BTW, I believe you can now buy packets of Stevia on amazon, although I have no idea about how pricing might compare.

since you mentioned your information was unbiased would you care to divulge your source? i am curious if you think there is biased information being circulated regarding stevia. i am not disputing or agreeing with the info you posted i am just interested since i use it.

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

There is a lot of controversy surronding salvia, and a lot of politics. The FDA has ruled salvia safe as a dietary supliment but dangerous as a sweetener. It was legal in the US until some very dubious reports came in that prompted them to pull it in the early 90s. The allegation is that at the time salvia was aspatame's main competitor but since it has been around forever there is no patent so they was a lot less money supporting it. Certainly, there is far more evidence that aspartame is dangerous than salvia. It would also explain why it is legal in a way that does not compete with big money ie suppliments, but illegal when it does, as a sweetener.

 

[crown1]

i checked the labels on the two stevia products i own. the trivita liquid stevia lists deionized water, citric acid and potassium benzoate as addition ingredients. the gnc nustevia white stevia powder lists maltodextrine and natural flavors as additional ingredients.

 

[crown1]

Date: 1/12/2008 12:58:10 AM
Author: brazen_irish_hussy
There is a lot of controversy surronding salvia, and a lot of politics. The FDA has ruled salvia safe as a dietary supliment but dangerous as a sweetener. It was legal in the US until some very dubious reports came in that prompted them to pull it in the early 90s. The allegation is that at the time salvia was aspatame's main competitor but since it has been around forever there is no patent so they was a lot less money supporting it. Certainly, there is far more evidence that aspartame is dangerous than salvia. It would also explain why it is legal in a way that does not compete with big money ie suppliments, but illegal when it does, as a sweetener.

i assume you mean stevia. i have been thinking that the big names, equal and splenda, probably had enough big guns to lobby against the approval of stevia as a sweetener. i personally feel if it is safe as a dietary supplement then it is safe as a sweetener. my personal use of stevia is limited to sweetening tea for daily consumption and in some cooking such as tomato based sauces and those types of things. i use the liquid for that and it does not containe maltodextrine. i have the packets that contain the maltodextrine but have not used too many of those since i would only use that for cereal and i don't usually need to do that.

i have a long term diabetic (39 years insulin dependent), who uses the liquid stevia as i do, and i would be happy if it was available for use in soft drinks as he does enjoy his dr. pepper. i personally am not a fan of sodas but he feels he needs at least one vice.

 

[lyra]

Date: 1/12/2008 12:35:49 AM
Author: crown1

Date: 1/11/2008 2:54:28 PM
Author: lyra

I found some unbiased info on Stevia:


Stevia (SweetLeaf Stevia Plus, OnlySweet)

Sold as a ''tabletop sweetener'' (packets used mostly to sweeten beverages)

Commonly added to packaged foods and beverages

Heat-stable; can be used for baking

What is it? A concentrated powder made by extracting a sweet-tasting compound—steviol glycosides—from the leaves of Stevia rebaudiana, a plant native to South America. Commercially, stevia is sold as a liquid or a powder that is combined with bulking agents: often inulin, a soluble fiber, or maltodextrin, a sugar.

Sweetness factor: 300 x sugar

Take note: Since the FDA has not approved its use as a food additive, stevia is sold only as a dietary supplement in the United States. However, in the interest of launching a line of ''natural'' diet drinks next year, the Coca-Cola Company and Cargill are expected to petition the FDA to re-examine the safety science on stevia. Stevia itself does not raise blood sugar—neither does inulin—but maltodextrin does, so people concerned about blood glucose levels should read ingredient labels carefully.


I didn''t realize it contained maltodextrin. Again, this one is not recommended (yet) for diabetics because it hasn''t passed FDA approval in general. I did read one side effect that is being research is how it affects the reproductive system, as it had a negative effect on rats. I hope no one minds me posting some research about this stuff, I''m just trying to offer more information. As a diabetic, I have a lot of restrictions, and so I''m always researching things. BTW, I believe you can now buy packets of Stevia on amazon, although I have no idea about how pricing might compare.

since you mentioned your information was unbiased would you care to divulge your source? i am curious if you think there is biased information being circulated regarding stevia. i am not disputing or agreeing with the info you posted i am just interested since i use it.

" A Buyer''s Guide to Sugar Substitutes" found here. There''s definitely biased information on every health supplement on the market. Just because something is sold in a health food store or is labelled organic or natural, or is plant derived, that does not guarantee that it is safe to use, or that every form of the supplement is safe. Products that are not controlled under the FDA (and Canadian equivalent, which is much stricter), are not forced to undergo quality controls and you have no guarantee about the integrity of the ingredients. I''m not disputing anyone''s right to buy and use these products, it''s an individual decision. People who are taking medications for existing health conditions have to be aware of possible interactions and adverse effects. I take medications for 3 health issues. I can''t take chances on very much, as if my liver is compromised in any way, I''m toast.

Hope that clears things up. Take care.

 

[Jas12]

I am chiming in REALLY late here and just did a quick scan so forgive any repeats.....


I used to add sugar and cream to things like coffee/tea....over a year I slowly decreased the amount little by little. I made the mistake of replacing the sweetness with artificial sweetners. Then I did the research and saw how awful this stuff is---BAD! I now drink black hot drinks, and just one (maybe two a day)--you won''t miss it, believe me!

This is the bottom line for me--the further a product is removed from it''s natural state, the worse it is for your body, so I''ve adjusted my diet to include mostly food that is close to it''s natural state (i.e. raw foods, raw grains, no packaged foods, no convienience foods) this takes a lot of discipline, but it''s worth it. I still sweeten my food, and eat plenty of treats, but i have changed things
For sweetness, my order of pregerence looks like this:
Honey-->Agave nectar-->Pure maple syrup--> then regular sugar

You''d be surprised by the many things you can make using the first 3 more natural sweeteners....as proof, try this hot chocolate that i make whenever i get a major sweet craving:

Warm up a mug full of unsweetened almond milk in a sauce pan
Wisk in about 1 tbls of pure powdered cocoa and about 1.5 tbls of pure maple syrup

(no dairy, no preservatives, no refined sugar, but really delicious!)

 

[Mara]

TJ''s sells agave sweetener in a bottle, anyone tried it as a ''sugar''???

from what i have read stevia is a lot closer to nature than the other faux sweeteners but i just can''t get over how yucky tasting it is...hehee. i tried it in coffee once, BLECH. i''d rather have it without anything, which is what i do now. if i feel like i need a sweeter taste, sometimes i use heavy cream in my coffee, thing is you only need like a tsp to get ''flavor'' that way. so it''s not too bad.