South Beach Diet Fat Chicks on the Beach!

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Old 08-19-2008, 12:05 PM   #1  
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Default The truth about Splenda?

Hi y'all,

I was reading on this board that splenda can affect people negatively, something I'd not heard before.

I also have been told by a nutritionist that splenda can be addictive.

What's the truth about splenda? Is it actually pretty bad for you?

And if so, what are we sweet toothed people supposed to do? Cut out sweets entirely? Except the occasional fruit, I guess.

I guess part of my question is also this: In an ideal world, what are we humans supposed to be eating? Grains, plants, animal protein that we've hunted, honey when we're brave enough to face the bees?

I think that SBD is really close to what we as humans should be eating. Lean proteins, whole grains, fruits and veggies.
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Old 08-19-2008, 12:17 PM   #2  
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From what I'v heard it isnt good for you. I personally dont use it because splenda allowed huntingdon life sciences to test animals for the process of creating splenda. (Which far too many people don't know.)

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Old 08-19-2008, 12:20 PM   #3  
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I'd like to say that Splenda can give me migraines. I can use it occasionally though, but I try to use Stevia instead, which comes from a plant and has no calories either.
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Old 08-19-2008, 12:21 PM   #4  
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This is really one of those "different strokes" kind of issues. Everyone is different so Splenda may indeed be harmful to one person while the next person suffers no ill effects at all.

I've read a couple of different (conflicting of course ) things about Splenda. One camp says Splenda is derived from sugar so is no more harmful than sugar (except better because of fewer calories). But, one article I read said that Splenda is so amazingly processed the sugar has been changed on a molecular level to more closely resemble insecticide than sugar.

I, personally, have elected to take as much of a whole foods approach as I can so just the idea of all the processing (and possible chemical treatment?) required to extract the Splenda from the sugar is pretty off putting to me. I've heard good things about both Stevia and Agave Nectar as replacement sweeteners. I keep meaning to try them but, quite honestly, since I "cleaned up" my eating, I just haven't had enough of a craving for something sweet that a slice of fresh pineapple won't satisfy me. (ok, bragging just a tad )
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Old 08-19-2008, 12:24 PM   #5  
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I have read the safety data, studies, and research on Splenda. I have looked at the data on being overweight and the health effects it has, knowing full well that artificial sweeteners make my personal weight loss path smoother. I have watched my body closely for side effects from using Splenda products, and haven't personally noticed any changes in my mood, behavior, or body (unlike aspartame, which makes me very sick...to each his/her own).

After all of this, I've concluded that Splenda will be a part of my weight loss story, in moderate amounts, until such time as any of those things I noted above change. That is a decision that everyone has to make on a personal level.
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Old 08-19-2008, 12:25 PM   #6  
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I use it but try to keep it minimal. I haven't had a bad reaction to it.
Overall I just try to keep the sweet stuff to a minimum or get used to things being not as sweet. For example I make the bean brownies often but put in much less sweetener than called for. I accidentally left it out once and found that the dark fudginess was what I was craving more than the sweet. I forgot the sweetener in the oatmeal breakfast bars this week and found that with the dried fruit they are plenty sweet enough for me.
However, I am addicted to my NSA fudgesicles and afternoon latte with a shot of sugar free flavored syrup, that is where I get most of my artificial sweetener.

Whenever possible in recipes, etc., I substitute agave nectar or stevia, which are natural.
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Old 08-19-2008, 12:26 PM   #7  
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I just made a cup of hot cocoa for a snack- cocoa powder, splenda, ff milk, and vanilla- and am going to observe and see what sort of effects, if any, that I personally feel. I didn't know that Splenda could cause bad effects until Cottagebythesea said so in the daily thread, so now I'm paying attention to my Splenda consumption and observing what happens.

And I really don't like that they tested it on animals... that's not cool, not cool at all.

But Splenda is the most convenient and best tasting 'sweetener' on the grocery shelves, though. It's convenient because every store carries it and it tastes way better than some of the other artificial sweeteners. I got this stuff called 'sugar twin' and man is that stuff nasty, it's absolutely bitter. It ruined a custard I made. I LOVE, LOVE LOOOOVE stevia, but it's very expensive and the only place that has it in this county is owned by my dad's ex gf, who despises me, and I don't want to go there... gotta find a site that sells it on the net.

Anyway, I'm curious to see who else has had adverse effects with splenda, as of right now I'm waiting, watching, and observing to see what happens to me.
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Old 08-19-2008, 12:35 PM   #8  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by uscarchie View Post
And if so, what are we sweet toothed people supposed to do? Cut out sweets entirely? Except the occasional fruit, I guess.
Um ... yeah? Sorta. I mean, I do think it's unnatural that we are conditioned to think we need sweets every day. I have 3-4 servings of fruit a day, and that's lots of sweetness. Actual dessert is once a week, not infrequently less than that. If you cut out sugar for a couple weeks, you find that you can go back to it and taste sweetness at much lower amounts.

I'm not saying this as someone who doesn't have a sweet tooth and doesn't get it. I was eating pints of premium ice cream for dinner. But, making desserts a once in a while treat actually makes me feel like I'm treating myself even more. Because now it's actually a treat, not an everyday food. I also enjoy my desserts even more because I'm now *much* pickier about them. Only the best!
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Old 08-19-2008, 12:37 PM   #9  
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personal choice.

I use it.
i use agave nectar too
I use stevia powder now and then
I use sweet and low and equal as needed.
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Old 08-19-2008, 12:42 PM   #10  
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My problem isn't desserts, persay. I don't usually eat them. I love fruit, but I've been eating that more rarely.

My problem is coffee. I drink 3 or so cups a day, and I have to have my coffee sweet and white. So I have splenda with it, and all in all, I think I'm okay with it.

I found the agave nectar to have somewhat of a funky after taste. Same with Stevia.
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Old 08-19-2008, 12:45 PM   #11  
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I find Post Surgery that Splenda makes me binge if I have alot of it
I made the PB cookeis with half the splenda then was the cookie monster
also It erm makes me pee uncontrollably
but that might be the maltodextrin in it I asked my md phd gf
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Old 08-19-2008, 01:14 PM   #12  
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Okay, I'll climb on my soap box here. I'm not out to offend anyone, I'll just throw my own experiences and opinions out there. Use what you can, ignore the rest.

I have a huge sweet tooth that only developed after I hit 40. I believe the reason why I didn't have one before, is that growing up, we never had sweets in the house, only fruit, and an occasional box of cookies.

We were an old-fashioned mostly Italian family who didn't believe in fluffy white bread, soda, or dessert every night. I wasn't allowed to drink soda at home. Sure I snuck a bottle of coke every so often. We only had a sweet dessert on Sundays and holidays. We ate a lot of fruit in between meals and for dessert.

It was only when I got into my 40's that I started feeding the sweet tooth that popped up thanks to those female hormonal issue. I've had to deal with the sugar/sweetener issue for over 10 years now.

I used to use Splenda. I drank a lot of Diet Coke with Splenda. I put it in my yogurt and ricotta, and I used it in tea. Until I started getting an adverse reaction, like a racing heartbeat and deepening depression.

So I did research on Splenda.

Splenda is basically sugar genetically modified and washed with chlorine.

No thank you.

Aspertame (Equal) well, don't even get me started. How that poison got into the food supply is simply astonishing! I just recently learned that they put aspertame into Centrum kids chewable vitamins. Wow.

I use very little sweeteners in my diet, and all of them are of the non-chemical variety. Yes, it's very tough to live without feeding a sweet tooth, but it can be done. Once in a while I get out of control and pig out on French Pastry or chocolate. But most of the time, I'm okay.

I've used Stevia for a very long time, but I use about 3-4 drops in a whole 32 oz container of yogurt. Stevia is safe to use. I'm not in love with the taste, so I use the liquid French Vanilla kind.

I will use a drop of raw honey or agave occasionally, in ricotta. or other things.

I believe that using artificial sweeteners every day hinders weight loss. No, I cannot prove it, but I believe that feeding the sweet tooth with fake sugar doesn't help the body lose its cravings and it is being sent mixed signals.

And yes, I believe that I can live with using a very small amount of natural sweeteners for the rest of my life, as long as I can have an apple or some berries at least every other day. It doesn't mean I'll never eat sugar. Once in a while, I lose control.

The human body wasn't meant to ingest all of that sugar or artificial sweetener. And sugar is in EVERYTHING now. No wonder diabetes is on the rise and people have gastro problems. Our bodies weren't designed to be full of sugar. And they weren't designed for artificial sweeteners either.
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Old 08-19-2008, 01:48 PM   #13  
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Belle Mer, that was a HIGHLY informative post. And I am not a fan of aspartame either, although I admit to having used it. It causes cancer in lab rats, right? Kind of scary to think of what it can do to humans, although I know we aren't very similar to rats. I avoided aspartame completely during pregnancy. I didn't know that Splenda was genetically altered and washed with chlorine, that's pretty gross actually.

I admit I will still use it despite the above post, but not daily. I do have to have something sweet every now and then, like a chocolate custard (to kill my pudding cravings) and etc. But I won't so easily throw it into everything I make, I'll use it more sparingly.

I used to make WONDERFUL ww chocolate chip cookies with stevia and everybody loved them... I wish I could get my hands on some stevia right now, it's amazing.

I forgot to add, it's been over an hour since I drank the splenda hot cocoa and I feel fine, but everybody's different. And I will still be watching out for any signs of anything that occurs after I consume splenda.

Last edited by Fat Melanie; 08-19-2008 at 01:51 PM.
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Old 08-19-2008, 02:05 PM   #14  
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Everyone has to make their own decisions on these things. I just throw out the info so people can be informed.

Here's a link to the liquid French vanilla Stevia:
Sweet Leaf French Vanilla Stevia

I find that you can find most things on amazon.com, though they sell it in my area at Whole Foods.

Last edited by Belle Mer; 08-19-2008 at 02:06 PM.
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Old 08-19-2008, 02:08 PM   #15  
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I cannot stand the chemical taste of Splenda/sucralose. I have stevia and use it, I'm not fond of the taste so much so I mix it with xylitol. Xylitol is a blessing for me! It has 60% of the calories in sugar so I use it in moderation, but sugar has a glycemic index of 65 while xylitol has a glycemic index of 7. Xylitol is a naturally occurring sugar alcohol and in my opinion tastes better than sugar. It tastes just like sugar but does not have the aftertaste that sugar has it tastes 'clean'.
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