Inability to Process Nutrasweet, etc.
 

Hi. I'm wondering if anyone else here has had problems with Nutrasweet, Splenda, and/or any other artificial sweeteners.

I can not process them - they make me physically sick (nauseated, dizzy, etc.). So obviously most sugar-free foods and drinks are out for me. Not so easy for a newly-dieting soda addict!

If anyone has this same issue, have you had any luck with any other products? I've heard a bit about Stevia, but at this point I'm a nervous about even trying anything similar.

Thanks in advance!

Carol

I'm with you girl! I have IBS and I get insanely sick from that stuff. Stevia did not work for me.
Also, check your toothpaste. Unless you are using an all natural toothpaste like Tom's of Maine, your toothpaste has sorbitol in it, an really nasty artificial sweetener. It took me months to figure out why I always had diarrhea and nausea after brushing my teeth. Good luck!
By the way, I lost 4 pounds last year without using any artificial sweeteners. It can be done!

I was a little surprised to hear that you had problems with Stevia, Chickybird . . . that is quite unusual since Stevia is usually very well tolerated by most that are bothered by the chemical type of non-caloric sweeteners.

I would recommend that you try it Carrie . . . it is a completely natural product and you only need to use a tiny bit becaue it is so much sweeter than sugar in the first place.

Good Luck to you both . . . guess I'm a one of the lucky ones . . . Splenda and I get along very well together.

Nutrasweet (aspartame) is very very very bad for you anyway.

Any alternative would be better. The following articles should help you decide on a sweetener that is right for you.

http://www.sweetpoison.com/aspartame-sweeteners.html
http://www.holisticmed.com/sweet/

Good luck!

snapless, thanks for the websites. The case histories for aspartame poisoning were really eye opening. I work with young kids (they are not diabetic, before anyone asks) and it drives me wild to see parents give them diet sodas and sugar free gum. Little kids' digestive systems and brains are still developing and are sensitive enough already; they don't need to be exposed to aspartame.

Thanks for the info everyone. I had no idea about the toothpaste - really makes you wonder what these people are thinking, exposing so many people to it without their knowledge or any real need!

I haven't tried Stevia. I saw it in an iced tea mix yesterday (one flavor of Iced Tea to Go, or something like that - that you pour into water bottles), and was wondering about it, but at this point, I'm a bit nervous.

I suppose it's best to try to do without them all anyway. But I sure miss my soft drinks!

PS, I noticed at my sister's tonight that even the kiddie toothpaste (Thomas the Tank Engine) has sorbitol in it. One of my nephews is not even two yet - does he really need that?!

Carrie, nope! Try this website:
http://www.tomsofmaine.com/toms/dept.asp?dept%5Fid=300
You can buy the products online or at whole foods. My walmart actually carries Tom's of Maine products.
There's also a FAQ page if you're curious. I've been using their stuff for years. I've even gotten my husband addicted, lol!

Thanks - I will take a look at it in the store. It's hard to tell from their website just what's in the toothpastes. If you look at the ingredients in their products in general, though, they list Sorbitol too.

I've never knowingly had a problem with toothpaste myself, but this is all making me wonder!

The artificial sweeteners are completely out for me. I only use Stevia which is a natural herb non-calorie sweetener. It can be found at health food stores. I order my vitamins and Stevia from a discount catalog, Swanson's. They also have a website.

Today I ran across something I hadn't seen before: Arizona Pomegranite Acai Green Tea tea bags. No calories, no carbs...no sweeteners! So I took a bag, dunked it in my cold water bottle for about 10 minutes, and voila! VERY tasty, lots of flavor, a bit sweet...I was very happy with it!

Jasmine tea is another thing (very popular in Japan) you might try. It's a unique flavor that you may or may not like but it is no carbs/no calories/no caffiene.

Thanks Suzanne. I will look for some. I'm very happy to have some flavor options now!

That's actually a good thing you can't have artificial sweeteners.... they're just not good for you. Someone up there ^^^^ posted a fantastic link.

I know this thread is pretty old, but I saw it pop up front and wanted to comment. You can absolutely lose weight without using artificial sweeteners. They all make me rather sick too, so I don't use them at all and I lost 63lbs last year. Finding a sub for your soda was probably going to prove to be the hard part, but it looks like you're doing great with tea! I just wanted to encourage you that you CAN lose weight without using artificial sweeteners. :)

Keep up the good work!