Refined sugar is "natural" in the same sense that refined cocaine is "natural." Yes, they both come from plants, but they are also both refined via chemical processes to be something that nature never intended. HFCS is refined via chemical too, as are "artificial" sweeteners. (Sucralose/Splenda is refined via chemical process from refined sugar, for example.)
What I'm saying is that this argument is rather pointless. Refined sugar cannot be argued to be good for the body, and for soft drink companies to attempt to claim so is disingenuous.
I am addicted to Splenda....or, maybe, I'm just addicted to the taste of 'sweet?' Back in 2006, I was up to 2-3 tablespoons of sugar in my coffee and I drank 4-6 cups a day. In addition, I also drank 1-2 Pepsi's a day. It was not unusual for me to buy a bag of Hershey's kisses, hide them in my desk drawer, and consume the whole bag by myself within 2 days. I tried Stevia,but it left an aftertaste. I tried having agave nectar in the house. The problem there is that I can't taste it in my coffee....and, it tastes just like honey on peanut butter sandwiches. But, I digress. I now use Splenda and I use quite a bit of it. I've thought many times of quitting the use of all artificial sweeteners, but I'm nervous about doing so. Yes, I believe with 100% certainty that it would be healthier to do so, but I will miss my "sweets." I'm just full of excuses, huh?
Last edited by GirlyGirlSebas; 04-29-2009 at 01:19 PM.
I'd rather have a teeeeeny smidgen of real sugar than a bucket of fake sweetener, it just tastes gross LOL
mmmm taco saladmmm I make a "fake" one, with the ground beef mixed with ground turkey, some seasoning, tons of salad and light ranch dressing it's super yummy
ewww the "taco salad" sounds soooooooooooooooo gross...i guess because i hate taco bell in general..and so does that dominoes thing..blech gag me with a spoon (someone i know used to say that alot lol)...
now i agree about the regular sugar being much better for our bodies in general than the artificial..but like she said-moderation
now i agree about the regular sugar being much better for our bodies in general than the artificial
A toxic chemical is a toxic chemical. And sugar is a toxic chemical.
I'm not saying anyone who uses sugar (or Splenda, or cocaine, or commercial household cleansers) is a bad person; I'm just trying to point out that these are ALL chemicals, and to rationalize one as being "better" than others is, from a scientific standpoint, illogical.
IMO, that rationalization is one prop for our collective, ongoing use of sugar: "It's not that bad, because it's natural" is an attempt to validate our active addiction to it.
However, earthquakes, swine flu, species extinction, and cancer are all "natural" too. That doesn't mean they are desirable to us, individually or socially. We let sugar off the hook, though, because we enjoy it.
sure it has buttery instaflake-style mashed potatoes, sweet kernel corn, KFC's signature artery-clogging gravy, KFC's equally fat-tastic popcorn chicken, but you forgot that it's all topped off with three kinds of melted cheese!!
I had the feeling as I was writing about it that I was forgetting something--how could I forget the cheese!?? Gahhh, that just sounds so horrible!
I have to get a little nervous when people say things along the line of "there ought to be a law" and "food like that shouldn't be legal" not that anyone specifically said those words on this thread, but the premise is implied. It is up to each and every one of us to be responsible for what we put in our mouths and down on the table in front of our families. It is our responsibility to learn the facts and share them with others when it's appropriate. I don't want to live in a country where the government tells restaurants what they can offer me, and by the same token, tells me what I can and cannot eat.
But I do think that terduckens should be at least a social taboo. Is there an emoticon for vomit? Somebody told me once that there's a version of terducken where the entire atrocity is shoved inside a whole pig and the entire monstrous horror is roasted whole.
Hehe, my mom gets those potato bowls from KFC without cheese, cause it makes her feel better about it. Back in the dark days I used to eat those, but hey, we could fill a whole book with the disgusting things I used to eat before I started the health journey this year.
I doubt very much that I'm the only one on this site who used to eat shoestring potato chips with a fork from a bowl with ketchup on top.
Last edited by freshmanweightorbust; 04-30-2009 at 12:08 AM.
Reason: EEEEEEEEWWWWWWW
Uhh, I'm late coming to this thread, since it appears to have veered off slightly towards another topic, heh, BUT--
I just want to say that O. M. F. G. I saw an ad for these things and I instantly thought, What the CRAP--carbs stuffed with more carbs?!?! That must have like 1500 calories and 100 grams of fat!! ...And yet I swear my mouth instantly started salivating. I literally haven't had pasta in months, and I'm a freakin' vegan, but D*MN, even I want one of those things!! LOL, do I ever!
But, I digress. I now use Splenda and I use quite a bit of it. I've thought many times of quitting the use of all artificial sweeteners, but I'm nervous about doing so. Yes, I believe with 100% certainty that it would be healthier to do so, but I will miss my "sweets." I'm just full of excuses, huh?
