Living Maintenance - It had to happen...

I had to give it up, or should I say at least scale back. And finally, I did!!

I usually drink 3 - 16 oz mugs of tea a day. I don't drink coffee at all, never did. Anyway, so when I started my journey, I got into tea. I find it a GREAT filler upper of my tummy and it's very soothing and stress relieving. In fact, it's very often the last think I eat (drink) at night. It's my signal that my food allotment is up for the day. BUT - I always have had each mug with about 3 tsps of Splenda in it. And that's on top of the other items I eat with Splenda in it. I know, I know. There are lots of folks around here who won't (& literally can't) use any artificial sweeteners whatsoever and I commend you all, but I'm just not one of them. But anyway, it was definitely time *for me* to cut back. But I was dreading it.

I figured I could get used to anything - hopefully - maybe - G-d willing. So I gave it a go on Monday and within a few sips I was fine. Just fine. IT was fine. It was good. And I enjoyed it.

My favorite tea is Celestial Seasonings Bengal Spice. It is VERY tasty.

I'm very proud of myself and feel great about it. I feel like I've just taken yet another step in the right direction (I know, I'm very dramatic). Of course there's still room for improvement, but that's okay. More room for improvement, means more things to learn and more growth. In fact, I hope to never stop learning and growing.

Anyone else trying to "change something"? "Improve" upon something? Anyone else learn or grow lately????

Good going, this an issue I also struggle with so I know how hard it is.
So in your honor one less splenda in all my stuff.. I can do it....

Why did you have to give up the tea? Just curious....

I'm also an artificial sweetener person....I'm trying to cut back, though!

My recent attempted improvements come in the form of me stopping the snacking...it's been DAYS now without any unplanned, mid-afternoon chocolate attacks (only ONE slip up)...so far, so good!

Edit: Nevermind...I see you're giving up SPLENDA....not TEA. Duh, Mindi...

Congrats!!!

What does the Bengal Spice tea taste like? I would love to try a new one.
I gave up any kind of sweetner in my tea/beverages the summer I turned 15. It took me the entire summer to learn to like iced tea without sweetner. Altho that was in 1975 and it was instant tea.. Bleckie.

Oh, RR..so glad for you! This is wonderful. Just wonderful.

I also use sweetners--Splenda or Equal. I know I need to cut back. I am a HUGE coffee drinker. I drink probably 6-8 cups daily--sweetner and almond milk in every cup!

Thanks for the encouragement. Maybe I will attempt to scale back.

I gave up artificially sweeteners about 6 weeks ago, and I can tell a difference. I hope you can feel one too as you continue!

On a side note, I have a local tea shop that make Gummy Bear tea. It's a fruit flavored tea, and I find the steeping gummy bears (yes, the tea has gummy bears in it) gives off enough sugar to sweeten my tea.

Also, if you want a little more natural sweet, try honey.

Congratulations - sometimes those are harder habits to change than the big ones. I gave up a six-pack of diet Coke a day habit over a year ago. I think I've had 3 or 4 since. (I'm very much an all or nothing person). Unfortunately, I replaced it with Crystal Lite. So now I get in my water consumption, but I have to kick the Crystal Lite. Oh well - one step in the right direction.

I gave up artificially sweeteners about 6 weeks ago, and I can tell a difference. I hope you can feel one too as you continue!

Tell the differance in what?

That is great Robin! I drink coffee and tea a lot... I use one tbsp of flavored creamer and one tsp of raw sugar in my coffee, 1 tsp of raw sugar in tea (sometimes a little stevia instead of sugar in the work tea) and I consider that serious progress. I used to just pour out of the bottle on the creamer and probably used 6 TBSP, I also used 12-15 tsps of sugar, or sometimes 12 little packs of sugar. Tough to cut back on something you have done for so long! I've actually been moving to 1/2 tsp sugar and 1/2 tbsp creamer lately but have slipped on it. I'm going to give it a try again tonight! :)

Congrats!!!

What does the Bengal Spice tea taste like?

It tastes like - GOOD. Try it!! It contains cinnamon, chicory, carob, vanilla, ginger, cardamom, black pepper, cloves and nutmeg. Give it a go. Good stuff!

I gave up artificially sweeteners about 6 weeks ago, and I can tell a difference. I hope you can feel one too as you continue!

On a side note, I have a local tea shop that make Gummy Bear tea. It's a fruit flavored tea, and I find the steeping gummy bears (yes, the tea has gummy bears in it) gives off enough sugar to sweeten my tea.

Also, if you want a little more natural sweet, try honey.

I was also wondering, what kind of difference have you noticed. I'm so curious! I certainly didn't scale down because of any ill effects whatsoever. I feel GREAT, my weight loss and now maintenance is also, well, GREAT. I was concerned with the possible unknown long term effects. That was the only reason behind my decision. Nothing that was currently occurring.

And I've no interest in adding in sugar or honey. Not for me. I know for some going the "natural" way is their choice, and that's fine, but I would rather do without then have to add in sugar (or honey). I'm a bit afraid of it, shall we say? And gummy bears? Nu-uh.

I drink coffee and tea a lot... I use one tbsp of flavored creamer and one tsp of raw sugar in my coffee, 1 tsp of raw sugar in tea (sometimes a little stevia instead of sugar in the work tea) and I consider that serious progress. I used to just pour out of the bottle on the creamer and probably used 6 TBSP, I also used 12-15 tsps of sugar, or sometimes 12 little packs of sugar. Tough to cut back on something you have done for so long! I've actually been moving to 1/2 tsp sugar and 1/2 tbsp creamer lately but have slipped on it. I'm going to give it a try again tonight! :)

Wow Shannon, you've certainly downsized as well! Great going.

Hey RR,
Way to ditch the fake sweeteners, your innards will thank you!!!! I banned splenda & all artificial sweeteners COLD TURKEY about 1.5 years ago & it was the best thing I could have done! No more mystery stomach pains and no more coated tongue!

I'm also a tea lover and my hands down favorite is Bigelow Carmel Vanilla, it's heavenly without anything added, I look forward to it EVERYMORNING & my cupboards are stocked with 12 boxes of the stuff. I've tried umpteen brands and nothing NOTHING quite tastes as good as this one does to me. They used to have a Bigelow Cherry Vanilla tea also, but they discontinued that sucker years ago and I miss it!!!

A few years ago I ditched sweet n low/splenda as part of my tea drinking habits. I will admit that I did it gradually so every time I had tea (hot or cold), I reduced the amount of sweetener. Eventually I stopped using it and now I couldn't imagine those things with a sweetener in them.

RR...where do you buy Bengal Spice Tea? It sound wonderful.

Oooh, Bengal Spice sounds yummy. I drink loose tea, is Bengal Spice in bags already? I'll have to look for it!

I'm sitting here right this minute drinking a pot of tea, actually. My absolute favorite is a mix from a local tearoom that is called Bucaneer--black tea, vanilla, chocolate, and a touch of coconut. I use 2 sugar cubes per mug as well as a creamer (8 ounces) of milk over the whole pot. I've been thinking I should try halving my sugar. Maybe I'll give that a go. :)

Thanks for the nudge, RR!

Robin - it was seriously an adjustment on the coffee, let me tell you! I used to joke that I drank cream and sugar with a splash of coffee for color... :dizzy: now it is almost the other way around! I find I actually like the coffee flavor!

I get looseleaf tea from Harney & Son's. My current favorites are Green Hot Cinnamon (http://www.harney.com/Green-Hot-Cinnamon-Loose-tea-in-4-ounce-tin/productinfo/44487/) & Hot Cinnamon Spice (http://www.harney.com/Hot-Cinnamon-Spice-Loose-tea-in-4-ounce-tin/productinfo/44233/). Love them! They come in tea bags, too.

WTG RR :)
Bengal tea does sound very good. Which brand do you buy? (i see, celestial)
I have been drinking green tea with blueberries, sweet without sweetener. At work I drink lipton black tea with 1 sweet n' low, like every other cup.

I just have my tea or latte now with no sugar or sweetener. Once I got used to it, now I really enjoy the nonsweetness of it. Sweet would ruin it, so it's not even an effort anymore. You start to appreciate the flavors of the tea or the coffee more.

I've been cutting back on the artificial sweeteners too. I use half what I used to. I've also cut way back on the diet soda. I used to drink 3-4 cans a day. Now I have maybe two in a week. Someone mentioned mystery stomach pains from artificial sweeteners. That might give me incentive to cut back more. The only problem with eating so healthy is my stomach issues, but maybe part of it is the sweeteners:?:

I'm a tea drinker, but not an artificial sweetener drinker (can't stand the flavor). I used to put sugar in my tea but cut it out a couple years ago. My current favorite tea is Stash decaf vanilla nut creme tea. It is SO good! No sweetening needed. When I was a kid my favorite was Celestial Seasonings Harvest Spice, but they discontinued it. :( It was also so good it didn't need any sweetener.

http://www.celestialseasonings.com/products/detail.html/herbal-teas/bengal-spice

The brand is Celestial Seasonings. The link is above. I've also stock piled it. Now that I hear discontinuing tea is a common practice, I'm REALLY going to stock up. Okay. Now I'm getting all nervous. Okay. Breathe.

I haven't completely eliminated artificial sweeteners. JUST in my tea. For now. Truth is, I really have no plans for cutting it out completely. We shall see.

It is amazing what one gets used to though, isn't it? I wonder if in a short period of time I will feel as if, "How did I ever drink tea with sweeteners?" For now, I'm not there yet. But I'm on the road to it.

I have zero stomach/head/anything issues from the sweeteners or anything else for that matter. I consider myself very fortunate in that area, given the enormous quantities of produce I consume a day. VERY fortunate.

After this thread I was moved to try my cinnamon tea this afternoon with no sweetener and & I love it! Woo hoo! :)

After this thread I was moved to try my cinnamon tea this afternoon with no sweetener and & I love it! Woo hoo! :)

:bravo::cp::cp::cp::bravo:

:cp: Way to go Robin!

I still use 1 drop of stevia in some fo my teas. Bengal Spice and Chai teas are great plain, but there is something about black and green tea that I just want that hint of sweetener.

I still bake with some Splenda, but otherwise, I have given up artificial sweeteners completely.

I'm a former Diet Coke addict, so I consider this a major accomplishment.

My favorite tea is probably Good Earth Chai (http://www.amazon.com/Good-Earth-Chai-25-Count-Boxes/dp/B001BM68RA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=grocery&qid=1255648787&sr=8-3) (regular and decaf), but I have so many that I love. I went wild with buying teas when I stopped drinking soda. Hot tea is truly an indulgence I savor every day :)

Way to go, Robin! Backing off the sweet tooth can be a real bugger - I've never been a sugar craver, but SALT - yikes, that was tough! Over the course of this year and relearning how to eat ... I've swung the other way and need intense spicing/heat on more food. I put chili seasoning on steamed broccoli, and paint corn on the cob with Tabasco! I love tea also and have been a big fan of Celestial for a long time. Tazo makes some good stuff too. My DH brought back a big selection of green and black loose teas when he went to China, and one of the green teas is distinctly sweet all by itself - very different.

Finished my first mug of tea this morning, while on the computer browsing around and doing a tad of work. And I was drinking that tea and enjoying it just as much as I had been with all the Splenda in it. No. That's not true. I was enjoying it MORE. Because I knew that the Splenda was NOT in there. So that made it even more enjoyable!

It was definitely yet another "why the heck didn't I do this earlier?" moment...

ICUwishing, I also HEAVILY spice my foods. I like tasty foods, I find them much more satiating. I too use chili powder on broccoli, cauliflower and some other veggies as well. I use cayenne pepper too. The more taste, the more flavor, the more I'm satisfied. I stopped relying on oil and frying and other fats and caloric items to make my foods taste good - and turned to spices. Spices I never even used back in the day - rosemary, thyme, cilantro, cumin, etc. A whole new world of food opened up to me when I gave up the caloric stuff. :)

Robin, I should take a picture of our spice drawer - you'd get a chuckle out of it. We have a Penzey's spice store that's about 10 minutes from my piano teacher's house ... FUN place! Best recent discovery: Tabasco on popcorn - omg. Fire and crunch - life is GOOD!!!

I love spice on my foods, as well... I use a lot of Ring of Fire (http://www.mikeanddianes.com/engine/cart/products.aspx?cat=1) hot sauce (best hot sauce ever IMO), cook with fresh peppers, use a lot of cayenne, chili powder, peppers, curry powders, etc. Love Penzey's - no store near me, have to do mail order... :(

LOL, my sister and I usually make an annual trip to Penzey's, it's a 40-mile trip. We could just mail order, but it's so fun to browse the store and smell stuff. She has to supplement during the year with mail order (she's an excellent cook and has a big family). I get to supplement from her cabinet :).

I'm sooo jealous of people who actually get to go to Penzey's!!!!

I've never liked sweetener in my tea. I can always tell when I'm in the South, cause I usually forget to say "unsweet" when I order tea, and oooohhhh boy! I always think, "Yep, I'm in the South!!" :lol:

Okay. All this Penzeys talk. I had to investigate. And I am drooling. I think I'm in love. But quickly had my heart broken when I searched further and found there is no store any where near me. :(

Robin - there isn't a store near me either, I do all mine by mail order. Not as good as the real store, but it does the job. They are great with shipping, I've never had a problem with an order, and they send me the same coupons that they give in the stores with a code to redeem online.

And Robin ... with a decent-sized order ... they throw in a free sample. Some of the blends are HEAVENLY. Nice, nice people too. :) Make a pilgrimage at some point, because walking in the front door is like hitting a wall of exotic smells.

ICU - I forgot the free sample! I've gotten Sandwich Sprinkle, Greek Seasoning, Shallot Salt, Herbs de Provence, a couple of different pepper blends and a curry blend as samples. And the samples come in a decent little size! And a pilgramage to a store sounds like a great idea...

Oh, and Robin, the catalogs they send have recipes scattered throughout with the nutritional information listed. :)

It's not normal how excited I am about this discovery. I'm off to go order some catalogs. It's the next best thing to being there. Although being there would be divine. Just divine. I'd probably do more damage though.

Pilgrimage? Pilgrimage? Hmmm..

OMG, I too, am excited. THere is ONE store in Indianapolis, and low and behold, it is about 2 miles down the road from work, which means I can go on my lunch hour as they are not open of the evening when I get off of work. I can barely stand it and I am going one day next week.

Thanks for the tip I just bought the Celestial Seasonings Bengal Spice and I love it!!!! also gonna try the honey vanilla camomile...;)

Shannon, crazy me to forget the recipes! And they have all of them in a collector's hardcover book now, too - Penzey's One, I think it is. The Chili 9000 blend is wicked! I was lucky enough to receive Brady Street Cheese Sprinkle as my free sample once - I have been back for that one, too. I also use their cocoa powders in my protein shakes ... Robin, you MUST try the Aleppo pepper - it's so divinely smoky and clean heat! In fajitas, on eggs, in chili, sprinkled on a veggie burger ... there is NOTHING this stuff can't make better!

I have to go home now. I'm all hungry. :)

ICU - I just got the Chili 9000 in my last big order, haven't tried it yet. I also just got the Hot Curry, which I've been waiting to try. I've been thinking about the cocoa powders, which ones do you use? I think Penzey's One is also available as a monthly magazine too maybe? Aleppo Pepper... yummy... I got ground Ancho last time that was really good, and I have California & Indian red pepper. Love the spicy...

Robin - DH introduced me to Penzey's when we first got together, with a Vindaloo Chicken dish using the Vindaloo seasoning blend... fantastic... I also love the Bold Taco Seasoning, though I'm thinking about making up my own next time so I can cut the salt down.

Annie - I'm jealous that you have one so close! Enjoy it!

The market spice tea from... I think the place is just called market spice? It's in Pikes Place Market In Seattle.... It's really good!! We've mail ordered it a few times as I live nowhere near Seattle.

One of the best teas I've had w/o sugar.

I can hardly breathe that's how excited I am. After Annie mentioned she's got one 2 miles from her work (lucky you) and the rest of the gang chimed in with specific spices that sound just too good to be true, I was in a funk. I said let me check this out again. And I checked out the locations and lo and behold, I don't know how I missed it, there's one about 45 minutes away from me, near a place that I go to once a month!!!! Still don't know how I missed it, don't really care right now. I will be headed there in about 2 - 3 weeks or so!!!! Woo hoo!!!

Okay. Something just popped into my head - This should just go to show folks, how enjoyable food is to people who adhere to a healthy lifestyle. And how we don't feel deprived. I'm not making myself clear here, but, oh whatever.

I've got a Penzeys nearby! I've got a Penzey's nearby!


Thanks for the tip I just bought the Celestial Seasonings Bengal Spice and I love it!!!! also gonna try the honey vanilla camomile...;)

I'm so glad you got it and loved it. It's something else, isn't it? Very unique and VERY tasty.

Congrats Robin! I've always liked my tea black. I think tea can be so flavorful, doesn't really need any help from sweeteners or milk which distort the taste.

I've got a Penzeys nearby! I've got a Penzey's nearby!


:D

Still get the catalog. It's (mostly) calorie-free food porn. It doesn't change a great deal, but it's still fun to sit down with and read just for fun once in a while. ;) I'm such a dork.

Well, ****.

I just got this article forwarded to me tonight about the link between "Excitocins" and Multiple Sclerosis. I did some research and it looks like there may be a DEFINITE link between heavy use of Excitocins (particularly Aspartame and other artificial sweetners) and M.S. Many of you here know 2 of my sisters have been stricken with this. After doing some reading (from several credible sources) about how exactly the artificial sweetners can produce brain lesions, I have decided I am no longer using the sweetners.

I think I was meant to see this thread. I think I was meant to read that Forward in my email.

It just isn't worth the risk. I love my ongoing coffee habit and truly enjoy it even. Sadly, it will no longer be with artificial sweetners.

:D

Still get the catalog. It's (mostly) calorie-free food porn. It doesn't change a great deal, but it's still fun to sit down with and read just for fun once in a while. ;) I'm such a dork.

Being as I'm such a dork too (which I think is a GOOD thing), I WILL get the catalog!



It just isn't worth the risk. I love my ongoing coffee habit and truly enjoy it even. Sadly, it will no longer be with artificial sweetners.

I think upon giving it up, in a very short time, you too will have one of those "why didn't I do this earlier?" moments as well. You'll see. :hug:

And now that I've cut it out in the tea, I'm thinking where can I cut it from next? :?::dizzy::?:

My younger daughter uses XYLITOL as a nasal spray for respiratory issues. I was reminded here a few weeks ago that it can also be used as a sweetner.

Yesterday I found granular Xylitol at a Natural Grocery. I used it this morning in my coffee. It's actually not bad. The dowside is that it's more pricey than artificial sweetners. $6.49 for a pound.

Anyway, just wanted to share.

Xylitol's supposed to have some benefits in killing bad mouth bacteria, too.

I've been reading up on excitotoxins for a while - it's pretty scary stuff. It's almost as hard to avoid MSG and its variations as it is to stay out of HFCS.

One other suggestion for those trying to cut the sweeteners out of their coffee - give it a little shot of a good cinnamon. Cinnamon is gaining value as a blood-sugar regulator, and there's very little breakfast food that it doesn't work with (ok, maybe not eggs!).

I guess I can count myself as lucky as I don't like my tea sweet (hot or cold). A little lemon in cold tea is great, but I'll drink it without as well. I'm in love with Irish Breakfast blend, but will do plain Lipton without qualms. I've never really been one to like the flavored teas--including Chai. I just don't "get" chai.

ICU, I love the taste of cinnamon in my coffee, but it never dissolves.

Julie, I'll share my secret on that one because you and I share the higher fat requirements ... while I can deal with cinnamon floating on top of coffee, when I'm in the mood for the "good" (read, RARE!) stuff, I blend 1/4 tsp cinnamon with 1Tbsp of heavy whipping cream, and 1Tbsp of Penzey's natural high fat cocoa in the bottom of the cup, and then add in the coffee. The cinnamon seems to suspend in the cream and distribute more evenly. The Tbsp of cocoa is only 15 calories, the coffee is nuthin', and the bit of cream is 52. Half and half might work - I've never tried it. Beats the heck out of the expensive custom coffees!

Hmmm, I gave up artificial sweetners - i.e. in my case diet coke/pepsi, about a year ago. I've always drunk my coffee blackand my tea with a smidge of milk (and forget iced tea - shudder - can't stand it). So now basically all I drink is water, coffee, tea and wine. :) And I have a smoothie/protein shake made with almond milk 1-2 times a week. I almost never drink any kind of juice.

Interesting the connection between artificial sweetners and MS. Another reason not to use them - besides for me the taste. :) I tried all the products: puddings, hot chocolate, yogurt, and I could always taste the artificial sweetners, so I eat less or none of the stuff sweetened with sugar/honey, etc.

Julie, I'll share my secret on that one because you and I share the higher fat requirements ... while I can deal with cinnamon floating on top of coffee, when I'm in the mood for the "good" (read, RARE!) stuff, I blend 1/4 tsp cinnamon with 1Tbsp of heavy whipping cream, and 1Tbsp of Penzey's natural high fat cocoa in the bottom of the cup, and then add in the coffee. The cinnamon seems to suspend in the cream and distribute more evenly. The Tbsp of cocoa is only 15 calories, the coffee is nuthin', and the bit of cream is 52. Half and half might work - I've never tried it. Beats the heck out of the expensive custom coffees!

Sounds yum.

I do put up with the floating cinnamon too. I just wish it didn't do that.

When I started losing weight in April 2008, I was having a latte every morning. But now I seem to just have it as a treat one or two times a week. I didn't change on purpose, I just kinda stopped wanting it every day.