Artificial Sweetener, Helpful or Harmful Alternative?

Of course the person in the link is going to claim that artificial sweetners are evil. She's trying to sell her "alternative product".

The issue of artificial sweeteners really comes down to moderation of usage. Having one sweetened drink a day isn't going to make a significant difference healthwise. Having ten, however, will.

There are numerous sweetener options for the consumer, and all of them have benefits and side-effects. IMO, the best sweetener is sugar. 1 tsp of sugar only contains about 16 calories. But too much sugar has health risks, so the best option is to use sugar (or any sweetner) in moderation.

 

I have no idea if The Splenda I use instead of suger is healthier or not, but it's either that or nothing. Being diabetic I have to keep my blood sugar down, and I LOVE my brownies. They are low fat and sugar free and very good. Not as good as they could be but diabetics can't be choosy.

 

Aside from refraining in entirety, your use of Splenda instead of sugar, in the manner you're referring to, is a wise decision.

 

I'm diabetic also, and a few other reason i can not use sugar, I've been using splenda for 8 years and it hasn't hurt me yet.
jon-marc, do you make homemade brownies with splenda? I've been looking for the best possible brownie recipe with splenda, care to share yours? I have a few good recipes I could share with you.

 

I wonder if you will still have that same respect for her when you discover that she disagrees with your view on the fast food. Regarding the movie "Supersize Me", she says, as I have, that it makes for good entertainment, but isn't scientific proof. She also states that the movie can lead to the wrong conclusion. She's a proponent of my view of "eat less, eat right, move more, and move often", and she's also an advocate of being responsible for your own dietary health, rather than blaming the food industries for your health.

Her line of bottled waters isn't anything particularly new. It's simply bottled water lightly flavored with herbs. In and of itself, that's all well and good. The OP link is simply a marketing tool to sell her bottled waters. It's not intended to be an informational source for health of nutrition. She's not being dishonest in any way, but to cite the OP blog as a source for nutritional information or advice would be unadviseable, and disingenuous.

 

Even diabetics have to have SOME sugar to keep our blood sugar from getting dangerously low. When I start getting lightheaded and dizzy, I pop a piece of hard butterscotch candy in my mouth. It always takes care of the problem. That's why on TV when you see a person suffering from low blood sugar, someone puts a piece of candy in their mouth. The sugar revives them--like applying an electrical shock to an unconscious person whose heart has stopped.

 

Where did you acknowlege that? You cited it as supporting the claim that the fast food industry is responsible for obesity. It is not. A person choosing to overeat, and eat irresponsibly, is responsible for obesity. It is not the fast food industry's fault that people evereat, or eat badly.

So do I. The difference is I come from a position of you being responsible for what you eat. You come from a position of the fast food industry being responsible for what you eat. Dr Ayala's position is that you are responsible for what you eat.

That's true. Thanks for noting that. It's not wise for a diabetic to completely refrain from sugar intake.

 

Well, ya gotta die of something!

Artificial sweetners are my biggest risk factor! My only "vice".

I can't eat much real sugar (especially carbonated drinks) because I will get an AWFUL insulin rush (being hypoglycemic) that makes me sicker than sick (where's the barfing smily?).

I have sensory issues which cause most plain waters to make me want to (insert smily here) so I can't drink nearly enough plain water to keep me hydrated (I'm 45, ridding myself of the sensory issue ain't gonna happen). Tea gives me awful reflux, coffee has too much caffiene and decaf ain't worth buying, so diet soda is my friend.

If I die from drinking to much artificial sweetner ya'll are welcome to use me in the next campaign to stamp them out. More likely I'll die of old age.

Hey Donna, I have found that you can replace half the sugar in ANY recipe with Splenda and it will turn out just fine. Works great for my dh who is diabetic and me too (though I still have to watch sometimes). Something about just reducing the sugar that much keeps his levels much more even.

 

Benjamin, is there's a reason you're acting like a pompous jerk to menageriekeeper, or does that sort of thing just come naturally to you?

 

I use only Splenda in my baking, and it turns out just fine. As I said, not as good as with sugar, but your tastebuds adjust after a while. I drink sugar free Sprite and sugar free Cherry 7 Up.

I do use Splenda/brown sugar blend in my sweet potato pie though. That way I'm getting a little brown sugar in my pie but only half of what I would normally use. The pie turns out very well in my opinion. Of course, my baking is not with mixes because of the high sugar, fat and salt content in them. I learned to bake from scratch from my mother. She was one terrific baker.

As for Benjamin's reply, I think he was just being facetious--as I often am. Facetious humor is often misunderstood and taken as criticism and offends those who don't understand facetious humor. Years ago before I looked that word up in a dictionary, people would ask, "Are you being facetious?" Not wanting to show my ignorance in not knowing what that meant I would just say, "Probably." One day I looked it up and thought, "Why, yes, I've been facetious all these years and didn't know it."

 

I have no problem with artificial sweeteners, and using them does not make me crave sweets...that's a non sequitur. I use it because it makes some food (protein shakes, coffee) taste better, and the benefits well outweigh the risks, IMO. I would rather drink a diet pop with no carbs than a regular with 40 carbs, as I tend to limit my carb intake.

 

Oh wow! Are ya'll fighting over me? Ya'll have made my day! :laugh:

I expect my body to be plenty shriveled before it can be used for science. I tell my kids I plan to live until I'm 103, just so I can bother them!

Jon-Marc, I love the Splenda-Brown sugar mix. I make a baked bean and smoke sausage pot with it that is absolutely wonderful! My folks like it when I use the smoke sausage that are the size of a hot dog so they can eat them on a bun with the beans on the side. Either way it is a good summer dish and my husband can eat it with no ill effects.

Benjamin, try Stevia in your muffins or honey along with applesauce. I personally don't like stevia but know folks who love it.

Why is there a dating site ad at the bottom of the page? Google think we have relationship problems here on the BB? :laugh:

 

Sheesh! You guys gotta signal these things.

Please retract my comment. I had no idea. You guys shouldn't play unless you let everyone else on the field know the rules . Again, so sorry. I would have said what I did had I known that. One of the problems with bbs communication is that words don't adequately convey content, and in this case, I goofed!!!

 

Sorry Johnv. I've sorta been on a hiatus from the BB due to IRL stuff. I remember you from early on when I joined, but I'm thinking you must have come back while I was gone. I've only done a little hit and run posting for the last 6 or 8 months. Maybe longer even.