CommunityBrowse groupsBlogEtiquetteInvite Your friendsSuccess Stories

Lounge
Community 


Sweetners vs Sugar

Sweetners have chemicals, Sugar has calories. Whats worse?

Tue. May 24, 8:25am

Add comment  
Sweetener / sugar debate

Add Stevia to the list of possibilities. Currently not able to be marketed as a sweetener, but is available as a dietary supplement. (ie natural food / health food type stores only). Lots about it on the web. It is natural - made from leaves of a plant, and non-caloric. VERY sweet. I like it as an alternative to both the sugar and the chemical sweeteners.

Tuesday, May 24, 2005, 9:15 AM

Add comment
Yes. Yes. Stevia!

This is the one. 0 calories, natural product (from a leaf), concentrated, no aftertaste; sweet as can be. Can be purchased at Trader Joe's and other healthy food stores. A little goes a long way. No need to buy the more expensive pure (no fillers) version.

walterg.

Tuesday, May 24, 2005, 2:15 PM

Add comment
Stevia:

there's just one issue with Stevia: not everyone seems to be able to taste it. I know that sounds weird, but I bought some once and it wasn't sweet AT ALL, if anything it was just a little bitter, but mostly it didn't taste like anything. I went online and found out that apparently not everybody can taste it.

So get a small pack before you invest... :)

Wednesday, May 25, 2005, 7:06 AM

Add comment
stevia rocks

i've tried the stevia plus....comperable price for 100 packets of splenda at my food 4 less ($8.65). it has frutafit inulin fiber in it. one packet in a pot of tea (2 cups) is sweet. it also comes in a liquid form (dropper bottle) and is very spendy but worth the money to get away from chemicals!

Wednesday, June 01, 2005, 9:26 AM

Add comment
stevia taste

I fresh squeezed lemonade and put stevia (extract from trader joe's) in it. To me it had the same peculiar taste as nutrasweet...

Wednesday, June 01, 2005, 10:39 PM

Add comment
What about Splenda?

Any comments on splenda?

Thursday, June 02, 2005, 11:21 AM

Add comment
I actually really like splenda. Sure, it's got chemicals, but I don't experience any after taste or anything.

My fiance is adament about not using it, and one day I made him a cup of tea in it. About half way through, I asked if I made it ok w/ sugar, milk, etc. and he said it was really good. Then I told him he's drinking splenda, not sugar. He got pouty then, since he realized he should probably start using it, especially since he can't tell the difference at all!

Thursday, June 02, 2005, 11:31 AM

Add comment
I had splenda, just once, when I was pregnant. I had a serious reaction to it. There has to be something bad in there.

Thursday, June 02, 2005, 12:20 PM

Add comment
Has anyone else had a reaction to Splenda? Not that I don't trust one poster, but having something once and having a reaction isn't exactly statistically significant. The reaction could've been from anything, even smelling a stranger's perfume, or just something weird that happens with pregnancy.

I'm not discounting the one experience, I'm just curious, b/c I use a TON of Splenda! If it's really that bad, maybe I shouldn't...

Thursday, June 02, 2005, 12:56 PM

Add comment
I don't know if I am just completely conditioned to it but I LOVE Equal, I have been using it for like 10 years with the attitude....if I get cancer from it, at least I am skinny (I know that's sick and wrong) but now I don't like the taste of anything else, even sugar. Is it addicting?

~~Barbigirl

Thursday, June 02, 2005, 1:02 PM

Add comment
I use splenda for coffee, tea, etc. and I know many more people who also use it regularly. No problems w/ reactions or anything!

I'll also use Equal at work when I want a cup of tea. I pretty much do what I can to stay away from the pink packets. Yuck!

Friday, June 03, 2005, 6:31 AM

Add comment
Equal, Splenda contain chemicals. There are chemicals in a lot of the food we eat. And cancer rates have gone through the roof. Companies like Whole Foods are building massive businesses by eliminating chemicals from food.

So from a market perspective, consumers are voting with their dollars, saying they would like to reduce rather than increase their intake of chemicals in their food. So in a roundabout way, if you think that Splenda and Equal are safe, you are also questioning the logic of firms like Whole Foods to exist in the first place.



Friday, June 03, 2005, 10:03 AM

Add comment
No, just because we enjoy splenda and equal does not mean we are questioning the logic behind those companies. Sorry, but that's a whole lot of bs.

The society we live in makes it extremely difficult to eat heathily. Yes, I think cutting out chemicals is a good idea. I'm also on a budget though, and I have time constraints. It's unreasonable to think that it's possible to completely cut chemicials out of our diet. I cut down when I can, I buy organic fruits and veggies if at all possible. But I like Splenda in my tea and coffee. I think splenda in large quantities may not be the best. But the packet I consume every other day isn't going to make me turn into a cancerous mess.

Dieting, like life in general, isn't black and white. If the previous poster's comments are indicative of their world view, then I truly pity them.

Friday, June 03, 2005, 11:48 AM

Add comment
Splenda

I love Splenda, although I still try not to go overboard as with any sweetener. I've never had a reaction. My dad, who is diabetic also uses it and really likes it. Of course anyone can be allergic to anything. I also like honey in teas for sweetener, there are a few calories but plenty of health benefits as well.

Friday, June 03, 2005, 1:23 PM

Add comment
stevia

I've read somewhere that Stevia, although natural, may not be good for everyone either. There are side effects that you can find when looking up Stevia online. I guess the best piece of advice is to resarch and find what's right for you as an individual.

Friday, June 03, 2005, 1:25 PM

Add comment
stevia

I think a good thing to remember is that too much of anything -- even natural, organic, or herbal things can be toxic to the system.

Friday, June 03, 2005, 1:31 PM

Add comment
Doctors orders "No sweetners. No sugar!"

My doctor said to cut all sugar and absolutely NO artifical sweetners. She's convinced that once my sweet tooth gets used to not having the other stuff that I will get used to the natural sugars in fruit. She said eventually I will be hypersensative to sugar and sweetners.

We'll see.....


Friday, June 03, 2005, 1:42 PM

Add comment
Stevia

Ok, so we can't eat sugar, artifical sweetners, natural artificial sweetners. What are we supposed to do, just eat fruit?

Thursday, September 28, 2006, 5:07 PM

Add comment
Well.... What's wrong with just eating fruit and honey?

Just being the devil's advocate here, I mostly eat sugar and don't have a sweet tooth anyway.

Thursday, September 28, 2006, 6:36 PM

Add comment
Splenda trashes my gut, even in relatively small quantities. I use stevia if I want a calorie free sweetner, but try to either do without, use honey, or if I really want it, use organic raw cane sugar with the trace minerals still in it. If I'm not willing to expend the calories on the full sugar version, it probably isn't worth eating in the first place.

Thursday, September 28, 2006, 7:47 PM

Add comment
I go for real sugar over artificial stuff any day. I don't care about the "sugar content" in any food, but I don't go near any kind of artificial sugar, nor do I have any kind of corn sugar (glucose, fructose, dextrose, maltodextrin, mallitol, sorbitol, etc., etc.)

Thursday, September 28, 2006, 10:03 PM

Add comment
i can't find the website now but a while back someone posted a thread about sweetners and i came across an article that said splenda has almost the same makeup as a chlorine molecule. while that doesn't necessarily mean it is bad for you, it is enough to gross me out and keep me away from it (i stay away from all non-natural sweetners though).

Friday, September 29, 2006, 12:39 AM

Add comment
Artificial sweetners, give me migraines! Bad ones. I like stevia, no migraines :)

Thursday, October 05, 2006, 5:08 AM

Add comment
I read a really interesting piece about returning to your grandmother's sweeteners - honey, maple syrup, and molassas. I think it's main point was that high fructose corn syrup is in a large majority of processed foods, even stuff that you wouldn't think need to be sweetened (like tomato sauce, peanut butter, etc), but if you work on avoiding HFCS, especially by only eating the less processed sweeteners that have been around for centuries, it's healthier.

At any rate, it got me thinking about how cheap sugar is now compared to 50 or 100 years ago. Back then, sweeteners were a real treat, not something you ate every time you ate anything. I'm generally not a proponent of the "everything was better back in the day" philosophy of life, but for whatever reason, these thoughts and the rule that I'm going to try to only eat sweeteners that my great grandmother ate really helps me stay motivated to not eat too much sugar.

Thursday, October 05, 2006, 5:33 PM

Add comment
Some other natural sweetners:
-Agave Nectar, low-calorie, made from cactus, like honey but doesn't really have a taste other than sweet
-Maple Syrup, relatively high in calories, awesome in coffee.

Friday, October 06, 2006, 11:21 AM

Add comment
Chemical sweeteners give me headaches, also. I noticed this in college when I was given a bunch of pre-sweetened sugar-free KoolAid by a roommate. When I realized I got a headache every time I drank some, I did a few weekend tests on various sweeteners and found it was generally true. This was pre-Splenda, but it was enough.

Stevia is interesting. I've seen the plant but not the sweetener. I do know there are some curious connections between stevia use and DNA anomalies.

I don't mind sugar. I think, as many here have expressed, that the problem isn't so much the consumption of sugar, but the incredible amounts in which we tend to eat it.

Friday, October 06, 2006, 11:42 AM

Add comment
I hear you about Splenda trashing your gut. I unfortunately suffer from IBS and all sugarless items (gum, mints) and artificial sweetners are discouraged. It is already difficult to maintain a healthier lifestyle but to be ever more limited in options because of IBS makes it that much more difficult.

Saturday, October 21, 2006, 7:04 PM

Add comment
After being on the Fat Smash Diet and realzing how bad sugar is for you, I am less afraid of things like Stevia. Yes, they trick your body and probably lead to weight gain. But they don't send your glycemic index through the roof.

Saturday, November 11, 2006, 7:37 PM

Add comment
Agave nectar has been my sweetener of choice lately because it does not raise the glycemic index to make my blood sugar go crazy.

I personally avoid aspartame because it gives me severe migraines. I also try to stay away from Splenda as well...

Regarding sugar, I believe that all things are okay in moderation-- I just try to be aware of the amount of sugars in the foods I consume and I try to stay away from things loaded with sugar, corn syrup, etc...

3 out of 4 of my grandparents died of various cancers.. over the past few years, I've tried to eat better by avoiding processed foods, things containing MSG... I try to eat organic when I can (it's not always possible economically or depending on where I am).

I am finding that I feel better and it's helped in losing weight as well.

Saturday, November 11, 2006, 9:32 PM

Add comment
I've tried Stevia but found it bitter not sweet. Alos, I had some digestive upset with it. I put it in the morning coffee without telling my husband, he had the same comments.

I think it's all very individual. I use Splenda and have no problems, I know people who can tell when Splenda is in a beverage because they get stomach problems.

Saturday, November 11, 2006, 10:26 PM

Add comment
Timely Topic

I just made some tea and put a teaspoon of sugar in it promising to get a more "raw" sugar later. I don't like any of the artificial sweetners. Never have. I think a teaspoon of sugar in my tea or nothing at all is far better for me than any of the chemicals and overall yucky flavor of sweetners. It will just have to be one of the places I make adjustments for calorie-wise.

Monday, November 13, 2006, 1:15 PM

Add comment
whey low

Another sweetner is Whey Low. It's made from sugar, but modified so that it's glycemic index (and calorie content) is quite low. I think it's only available by ordering from the company at the moment (www.wheylow.com for more information) as it's relatively new. It might be in some stores by now.... At any rate, I use it and think it tastes quite good. I just made cranberry sauce with it ;-) Sorry to be fuzzy on details. I did read information about it, concluded that it was likely safe (I'm not a scientist!) and then didn't bother retaining more information.


Sunday, November 26, 2006, 8:51 PM

Add comment
I use splenda all the time. sometimes equal .Rarely Stevia. I don't like it as much. I am afraid sometimes because I here all these horror stories about aspertane and sugar substitutes in general. I reall think the sugar substitutes help me though. what do you think?

Monday, November 27, 2006, 8:28 AM

Add comment
Does your doctor have a weight problem she delt with?

Monday, November 27, 2006, 8:32 AM

Add comment
My bet is that sweetner is categorically worse however there are many health problems that can be attributed to sugar as well. Everything in moderation?

Monday, November 27, 2006, 8:57 AM

Add comment
I believe that sugar substitutes and sugar probably have equally bad health concerns, but I'll never understand how anyone even injests equal. It tastes awful.

Monday, November 27, 2006, 10:55 AM

Add comment
The TRUTH

I have just recently read through a new book about the dangers of artificial sweeteners. I can't remember the name of it, but it's new, and it's in the "new in health" section at Barnes and Noble.

The book talks about all of the different sweetener options and what kind of side effects come from them.

To the posters who love Stevia-it has been shown to cause low sperm counts in men, and possible infertility!!

All of the others, including Splenda (which I used to have in my coffee every day)--has been shown to cause cancer, depression, and weight gain!!!(amongst other things).

In a study of a group of people who drank regular soda and a group of people who drank diet soda, it was shown that the DIET soda drinkers gained much more weight than the regular soda drinkers during the course of the study.

I am so against artificial sweeteners. I haven't had any in over a month, and I feel better than I have in years!! "Artificial sweeteners are linked to depression" was the only thing I had to read in order to quit them.

Now, I put raw sugar in my coffee (20 cals per packet) and I love the taste. When I have other things with sugar in them, I just make sure I have a little protein like nuts or turkey, so that my blood sugar stays even.

I hope this helps some of you!!

Chapter1

Monday, November 27, 2006, 1:45 PM

Add comment
Sugar

I know it's so much easier to blame the sugar or the Stevia, or Equal, Splenda ect. (haven't had Stevia but I hate the taste of Equal or Splenda) But maybe the problem is us. We eat way more sugar than generations before. Recently, when I went home for a visit I found out my step-mom had stopped buying anything with high fructose corn syrup, they had to change the bread they bought at the store. It seems sugars are in everything.

I prefer to have real sugar, from a cane. If anything, becuase I know what's in it and what it'll do to my body, when I do have it in stuff, which is rarely. And when I do have it I take it for what it is. I log it and don't try to cheat out of it. My opinion. Just wean yourself off of it all, if you don't want the calories reduce or eliminate. I don't trust these artificial sweetners.

Sunday, April 22, 2007, 3:01 PM

Add comment
Splenda

I don't know all of the scientific stuff, but I love Splenda. I use it in tea, coffee, and for baking. I haven't had any reactions to it and I prefer the taste over sugar even. It is sweeter. To sweeten my tea to my taste it only takes 2 splenda packets, but it would take 5 sugars.

Tuesday, May 15, 2007, 4:28 PM

Add comment
What's with the balls?

If you look close at Splenda, you'll see that it is filled with little tiny white ballies. What's with that? I see the same type of ball looking things when I get a new pair of shoes! You know, those packets that come in the box that have tons of poison ballies in them? Think there's any relation???!!!

Link

Tuesday, May 22, 2007, 4:28 PM

Add comment
One Last Thing

I read a book on atrificial sweeteners, and it said that Splenda contains 3 grams of chlorine in it, which can act like "rat poison to your digestive system." Would you rather have sweet tea? Or a healthy digestive track? Your choice!

Tuesday, May 22, 2007, 4:32 PM

Add comment
I just tried Stevia. I think it tastes kind of bitter, with a worse aftertaste than any of the artificial sweeteners! Does anyone else find that??

I'll stick with my Splenda, or maybe real sugar.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007, 4:33 PM

Add comment
Yeah...I noticed that Stevia does have a really bitter taste and is MUCHH less sweeter than regular sugar! But really, I wouldn't go with splenda if I were you...no offence or anything!

Wednesday, May 23, 2007, 3:46 PM

Add comment
OH MY GOSH look what I just found online!!!

Have you ever wondered why Coke comes with a smile? It’s because it gets you high. They took the cocaine out almost a hundred years ago. You know why? It was redundant.

In The First 10 minutes: 10 teaspoons of sugar hit your system. (100% of your recommended daily intake.) You don’t immediately vomit from the overwhelming sweetness because phosphoric acid cuts the flavor allowing you to keep it down.
20 minutes: Your blood sugar spikes, causing an insulin burst. Your liver responds to this by turning any sugar it can get its hands on into fat. (There’s plenty of that at this particular moment)
40 minutes: Caffeine absorption is complete. Your pupils dilate, your blood pressure rises, as a response your livers dumps more sugar into your bloodstream. The adenosine receptors in your brain are now blocked preventing drowsiness.
45 minutes: Your body ups your dopamine production stimulating the pleasure centers of your brain. This is physically the same way heroin works, by the way.
>60 minutes: The phosphoric acid binds calcium, magnesium and zinc in your lower intestine, providing a further boost in metabolism. This is compounded by high doses of sugar and artificial sweeteners also increasing the urinary excretion of calcium.
>60 Minutes: The caffeine’s diuretic properties come into play. (It makes you have to pee.) It is now assured that you’ll evacuate the bonded calcium, magnesium and zinc that was headed to your bones as well as sodium, electrolyte and water.
>60 minutes: As the rave inside of you dies down you’ll start to have a sugar crash. You may become irritable and/or sluggish. You’ve also now, literally, pissed away all the water that was in the Coke. But not before infusing it with valuable nutrients your body could have used for things like even having the ability to hydrate your system or build strong bones and teeth.
This will all be followed by a caffeine crash in the next few hours. (As little as two if you’re a smoker.) But, hey, have another Coke, it’ll make you feel better.

^^^This is all due to artificial sugars!!! EW!

Link

Wednesday, May 23, 2007, 4:10 PM

Add comment
Wow I seriously CANT BELIVE THAT..! ew!

Thursday, May 24, 2007, 3:49 PM

Add comment
Sweetners vs. Sugar

We probably shouldn't be eating things with much sugar anyway (excluding fruit) because they usually also contain white flour and fats that aren't good for us for many reasons. So, if you take away foods with alot of sugars, it seems it would be ok to eat real sugar in small amounts occasionally such as in coffee. I don't think the sugar is the problem; it's what it is in. A teaspoon of sugar really doesn't have that many calories and doesn't have the potential health risks artificial sweetners have. However, diabetics and others may need to avoid even small amounts of sugar? Also, what exactly is Splenda - I heard it was made from sugar; what chemicals are in it?

Sunday, May 27, 2007, 7:23 PM

Add comment
While pregnant and nursing Splenda is the only sweetener that they say you can definitely use in any portion. To me that said a lot. I use Splenda daily and a decent amount and I love it and have never had a reaction, however, my sister can't use it because she swells up really bad. Now I don't know if she's tried it again to be sure that was the culprit but she swears she can't use it.

Monday, May 28, 2007, 8:53 AM

Add comment
Splenda is actually sucralose. It has 3 molecules of chlorine in it that acts liek poison to your systems.

Wednesday, May 30, 2007, 2:20 PM

Add comment
I recently started using a spoonful of honey in my coffee instead of Splenda. Anyone know how many calories there are in a spoonful (a teaspoon) of honey?

Wednesday, May 30, 2007, 5:53 PM

Add comment
Go with none of the above

It's not nearly as hard as you think to retrain yourself to like food without added sweeteners of any kind. Tea is just fine unsweet. Add a sprinkle of cinnamon and some fruit to your oatmeal for some naturally sweet flavor. Have fruit for dessert instead. Even if you don't eliminate sweeteners/sugar, you can really cut down. As a bonus, more of the real foods flavor will start coming through.

Wednesday, May 30, 2007, 7:17 PM

Add comment
I used one packet Equal for not even a week in my 5 cups of coffee a day.
I started to have bronchial trouble. I went off it for a month and went back and in a couple days the respiratory started to suffer again.
Yes, I have had bronch trouble in my past history.

Saturday, March 22, 2008, 2:35 PM

Add comment
sweeteners are worse!! calories, you can deal with, and work off. but chemicals, mught become harmfull

Saturday, March 22, 2008, 9:39 PM

Add comment
I'm starting an experiment with xylitol. I'm corn intolerant, but *they* say that because it's from the corn stalk, and not the kernal, that people with corn allergies don't react negatively to it... tasted pretty good in my oatmeal cake...

Saturday, March 22, 2008, 11:52 PM

Add comment
i used to use artificial sweetener in beverages instead of sugar but didn't care for the idea of using unnecessary chemicals. i use sugar now and haven't noticed any change in my weight which makes me think i may as well just consume sugar. more importantly is to just cut back on sweet things in your diet and when you want a sweet have a nice home baked "treat" with sugar and butter! (in moderation). i do bake with agave nectar and can't tell the difference (baking with splenda seems to leave a strange aftertaste). if you want a really rich tasting sweetener try manuka honey.

Sunday, March 23, 2008, 11:05 AM

Add comment
Personal Story

Some of you may have read this before, as I have added this comment to similar postings.
My Mother NEVER smoked a cigarette in her ife and at 51 was diagnosed with the number 1 smokers cancer. The doctors had all kinds of big meetings and it was determined that the fact she drank about 5 Diet Pepsi's a day in the 80's was the culprit. The sacharrin which was found to cause cancer in lab rats had also given my Mother and countless others throat cancer. My Mother died at the age of 53. After all of the radiation and feeding tubes she once said to me, "I wanted my whole life to be thin and now I am thinner then I ever was, and look at me, I am dieing."
So sugar yes, 100% natural! Your body knows how to deal with sugar after years of evolution. These man made sweeteners and chemicals your body has no idea what to do with. Humans were never designed to ingest such things.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008, 9:59 AM

Add comment
My cousin is a doctor and his motto regarding any kind of chemical in food is "I'll battle heart disease over cancer any day." He only uses butter, sugar, flour and other natural sweeteners, thickeners, etc. (in moderation, of course). He is adamant that the chemicals used to make usually "forbidden foods" (real soda, sugary treats and desserts, butter replacements) accessible again all lead us to eat more of those things than we should. You may only drink one regular soda because you know it's not good for you, but you'll drink 5 diet ones because they have 0 calories and fat. But yet, you're putting 5x the chemicals into your body, which will lead to some form of cancer someday, which leads to more chemicals in your body because of the chemo and radiation. People these days don't want to have self control. We are willing to eat or drink anything because it says "Sugar free" or "Fat free" and don't even take into consideration what's in their it its place because WE WANT IT. I remember my grandmother being a diabetic in the 70's and she couldn't have candy, cookies or sugar in her coffee anymore. That was it, end of story. But now we want our tasty cake and want to eat it too, so we'll eat any ingredients as long as it tastes good and we don't have to deprive ourselves!! We're spoiled!!!!

Tuesday, March 25, 2008, 10:23 AM

Add comment
I am the 9:59 poster

I avoid artificial sweetners and margarine like the plague. Anything that has been hydrogenated or enriched is off limits as well.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008, 10:56 AM

Add comment
I treat all artificial sweeteners like they are poison and avoid them like the plague! I was diagnosed with lupus for ten years... then I stopped consuming all artificial sweeteners and it "went away". My doctors were baffled, but all of my blood tests returned to normal and all of my symptoms disappeared! This is the absolute truth. Avoid all artificial sweeteners! Use real sugar!

Tuesday, March 25, 2008, 12:12 PM

Add comment
Sweet N' Low

I guess no one uses the pink stuff anymore except me. I have been using it since I was a teenager and I'm not 36. I don't use it often though, mostly in my tea. I haven't really been a tea drinker these last 15 years until recently. I typically have 2 cups a day 7 days a week using 14 packs of sweetner a week. I really prefer it to sugar and that's probably because I'm just used to it. I don't really drink much diet soda anymore, just on occaision, but it used to be the only thing I did drink. Now I'm a water only girl.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008, 4:54 PM

Add comment
whoo hoo splenda!

Tuesday, March 25, 2008, 4:58 PM

Add comment
to the person who posted on Tues. and had the lupus that went away after stopping sweetners: how much artificial sweetners were you using and what. what symptoms did you have that went away? I was just diagnosed with lupus and am trying to figure out some nutritional issues. I use some splenda, about a packet a day but think I'll just have sugar as it's not that many calories for a small amount. Growing up before people knew anything much about food I used saccharine, also aspartame, etc. but still not in huge quantities so I'm just curious about the lupus connection.

Wednesday, March 26, 2008, 11:40 PM

Add comment
I got agave nectar because it is a natural sweetner and supposedly better for you but it has 60 cal in a tablespoon so what's the point? Why not just use sugar? The agave was ok in my oatmeal but had a bad taste in my coffee so I'll just use it in cooking until it's gone. Not really sure why this would be preferable over sugar?

Wednesday, March 26, 2008, 11:48 PM

Add comment
Lupus Diagnosis and aspartame

To 11:40, I consumed a great deal of artificial sweeteners for many years. For at least 6 years, I often drank 10 cans of diet soda a day, plus I ate yogurt, ice cream, etc made with artificial sweeteners. Lupus diagnosis was made based on a positive ANA test, severe itching, joint pain, and rashes when I went in the sun. For years, my family told me to stop drinking soda and eating all "that fake food". One day I had enough of the pills and craziness, so I quit consuming the fake stuff cold turkey. Within 3-6 months, all of my symptoms diasppeared and felt totally normal. My postive ANA test also became negative along with normal sed rates and such. My doctor was baffled, but I've been symptom free with normal blood work for over a year and a half. I treat all artificial sweeteners like poison and have never felt better! I also avoid most processed foods.

Friday, March 28, 2008, 1:07 PM

Add comment
I use agave nectar in tea and real brown sugar for everything else. I need less than a tsp of nectar to sweeten a cup of tea.

Friday, March 28, 2008, 6:25 PM

Add comment
Calories are the enemy !
Chemicals are our friends !

Friday, March 28, 2008, 6:28 PM

Add comment
Calories are fuel!
Chemicals can be dangerous!

Monday, March 31, 2008, 11:17 AM

Add comment
Stevia infertility

That's great news!!
I won't have to get a vasectomy then maybe if I drink enough coffee with stevia.
Honestly, people make it sound like a bad thing that it could cause infertility, with the world population the way it is today I'm amazed it's not looked at as a good thing

Link

Sunday, March 27, 2011, 2:54 AM

Add comment
Splenda

I have been using Splenda for amost a year, and I have had no ill effects. This has allowed me to remove sugar from my coffie, cereal etc etc.. I'm pleased with it.

Sunday, March 27, 2011, 11:19 AM

Add comment
Sweetners in Coffee?

The only time I really ingest artificial sweetners is in diet soda (which I probably only have 3-4 times a week) and in my coffee. Coffee is my biggest problem: I drink about 3 cups a day, so I really don't want to take in all that sugar (for my weight as well as worrying about cavities). I normally use Splenda, which I thought was the healthiest (versus Equal and Sweet n Low). Then I heard that ALL artificial sweetners are bad, so I started using Stevia. Now I'm hearing bad stuff about Stevia! What's the best way to sweeten my coffee?

Monday, March 28, 2011, 3:48 PM

Add comment
I wouldn't fear Stevia. Japan has been using it for decades without noticing problems.

Monday, March 28, 2011, 6:16 PM

Add comment
sweeteners are linked to cancer, sugar affects your body like heroin. Use agave, maple syrup, brown rice syrup or stevia :D

Thursday, March 31, 2011, 5:25 AM

Add comment
Brown rice syrup, Maple syrup and agave are barely better than sugar. Agave is high fructose, and fructose is linked to insulin resistance. There may be fructose in fruit, but MUCH less than what you get from consuming agave.

Stevia is great- but better in liquid forms, and definitely best without maltodextrin. Xylitol, erythritol, glycerin, and stevia are the only sweeteners I use.

Saturday, April 02, 2011, 12:21 AM

Add comment
I absolutely love diet coke with splenda. i drink about 10 oz a day so i asked my doctor 3 years ago if splenda was ok. She said "everything in moderation". My guess is that Splenda is probably too good to be true. Zeroe calories in a perfect world would have no repercussions. I used to drink at least 2 cans a day, and have greatly reduced my intake. Water is really the best option.

Saturday, April 02, 2011, 9:53 PM

Add comment








Related Content:

How To Lose Weight- The Basics
Weight Watchers Points System
The Fat Smash Diet
The Eat To Live Diet
The Beck Diet Solution
How To Get The Motivation To Lose Weight

 

How To Be Successful Using PEERtrainer

How To Burn Fat
Online Weight Loss Support- How It Works
Does Green Tea Help You Lose Weight?
Tips On Using PEERtrainer
Visit The PEERtrainer Community
Diet and Fitness Resources

Fitness

Weight Watchers Meetings
Learning To Inspire Others: You Already Are
Writing Down Your Daily Workouts
Spending Money On A Personal Trainer?
How I Became A Marathon Runner

 

Preventive Health

How To Prevent Injuries During Your Workout
Flu Season: Should You Take The Flu Shot?
Are You Really Ready To Start PEERtrainer?
Super Foods That Can Boost Your Energy
Reversing Disease Through Nutrition

New Diet and Fitness Articles:

Weight Watchers Points Plus
How To Adjust Your Body To Exercise
New: Weight Watchers Momentum Program
New: PEERtrainer Blog Archive
Review Of The New Weight Watchers Momentum Program
 

Weight Loss Motivation by Joshua Wayne:

Why Simple Goal Setting Is Not Enough
How To Delay Short Term Gratification
How To Stay Motivated
How To Exercise With A Busy Schedule

Real World Nutrition and Fitness Questions

Can Weight Lifting Help You Lose Weight?
Are Protein Drinks Safe?
Nutrition As Medicine?
 

Everyday Weight Loss Tips

How To Eat Healthy At A Party
How To Eat Out And Still Lose Weight
The Three Bite Rule
Tips On How To Stop A Binge