I didn't see anyone else with this question, but artificial sweetener gives me headaches. I'd be okay with having no sugar on Phase One, but I'm wondering if there's any sort of guideline about using sugar after P1? I don't eat much of it, but would want a tsp with my oatmeal at the very least.

Have you tried stevia or any other natural no cal sweetners? Maybe that would be a solution for you.

I'm a bit wary of using Stevia.

How 'bout agave nectar with oatmeal? I use it as a pancake syrup, it's wonderful.

Also, I don't care for artificials either. I'm on phase 2, and I'd rather use a small amount real sugar (which is a rarity in say, a salad mixture) than an artificial. Sparingly, I have still lost weight.

Hmmm...I don't know. Fructose gives me TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, DISGUSTING gas!

I'm just curious ... why are you wary of using stevia or other natural sweeteners? I have a stevia plant in my herb garden - I can pick a leaf off and chew it, and it is incredibly sweet. I buy powdered or sometimes liquid stevia. Xylitol (from berries) is another natural sweetner that some people prefer to stevia (too much stevia can give a bitter taste). BTW, I don't think a teaspoon of sugar in your oatmeal will do you any harm.

Sometimes people who are sensitive to artificial sweeteners are also sensitive to stevia. I get headaches, diarrhea and I vomit for several days if I have any artificial sweeteners, including the ones included in traditional toothpastes, mouthwashes, and medicines. Stevia was not as bad, but not something I cared to try again.
I'm not a SB'er, but I think it's a great program. Hope it's okay I posted.

The CSPI had an article on stevia and recommended not using it until more testing is done on it. Their info is here if you want to read it:
http://www.cspinet.org/nah/4_00/stevia.html

I did order some agave nectar -- we'll see if it causes me gastrointestinal issues or not.

Could you use some fruit or NSA applesauce in your oats? I also like agave

Thank you for the suggestions. I'll see how I do with the agave nectar.

Wife2 - thanks for posting that link. Since I do use stevia, I was interested in reading what might be hazardous about it, as I am concerned about what I put in my body (which is why I'm using stevia in the first place in place of splenda!!). The article was interesting, but it's 8 years old and references studies and work done in the 80s and 90s (1985, 1998). I also clicked on the linked at the bottom of the article, but that took me to an article referencing work on stevia done in 1989.

Since all of the negative information on stevia is 10-20 years old, I'm wondering if it's possible that it has now been found to be safe? I am also assuming that it is FDA approved (I'm not sure though?), since I know it is now being used and sold in the US in diet sodas.

If you (or anyone else) know the current research on the safety of using stevia, I would like to read it. I currently use a bit in my coffee, and I occasionally use it in smoothies or on my oatmeal.

Thanks so much, and I hope you enjoy the agave nectar!

The FDA banned stevia in 1991, but decided in 1995 to permit stevia to be used as a dietary supplement, although not as a food additive. I think Coca Cola is planning to use it in sodas sold outside the U.S., but is not allowed to inside the U.S.

Stevia is perfectly healthy, despite all the negative press. I've been using it for 20 years. The FDA banned it due to the huge sugar companies lobby effort. There's a lot of resistance to stevia, because it works much better than artificial sweeteners and sugar.

In Japan, stevia has been used for decades with no ill effects.

Actually Stevia in soda is being sold in the USA already (as I have a 6 pack sitting here that I picked up from my local whole foods store).

Interesting recent article on the process of getting it approved and of course all of the big companies lining up to get their piece of the market :
//health.usnews.com/articles/health/living-well-usn/2008/07/28/the-zero-calorie-sweetener-stevia-arrives.html


And you can bet the sugar industry worked hard at keeping this off the market.

That's what I thought too, though I haven't seen it locally yet. I did some further reading yesterday and found that indeed the sugar industry did work very hard to not allow stevia, and FDA caved and only allowed it sold as a supplement. That's been reversed.

I think I will continue to enjoy it in my coffee. Thanks everyone for the info!