South Beach Diet Fat Chicks on the Beach!

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Old 09-12-2007, 07:52 PM   #1  
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Is there anyone else who can't have artificial sweeteners? What do you do for the occasional sweet treat? I'm still on Phase 1 right now but am wondering for down the road.

I have chronic daily migraines (and occasional basilar migraines) and both aspartame and Splenda are triggers for me. I knew about aspartame and avoid it like the plague, after trying a shake for breakfast yesterday I confirmed that Splenda also triggers migraines (I suspected it previously, but usually don't eat it).
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Old 09-12-2007, 10:38 PM   #2  
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Can you do stevia? Splenda 1:3 times makes my lips and tongue swell and other artificial sweeteners make my throat close up and/or make me feel nauseous. Gross :P Stevia is fine for me and has no chemically aftertaste.
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Old 09-12-2007, 11:27 PM   #3  
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I haven't tried stevia yet, though I've heard of it. I'll look for it next time I'm at our local natural market.
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Old 09-13-2007, 01:46 AM   #4  
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Stevia is the way to go. You can also get an enhanced version for baking. Takes only a tiny bit to sweeten things and it is all natural. They have several websites that sell it too.

I baked some WW banana nut bread with the enhanced and it was really good.

Sorry about the migraines, those are the worst.
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Old 09-13-2007, 09:21 AM   #5  
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How about agave necter? I use it on everything from coffee, to a yogurt topping (mixed with almonds), as a pancake syrup etc. It is not mentioned in the SB book, but is good gycemic wise and can be used by diabetics.
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Old 09-13-2007, 10:01 AM   #6  
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I avoid Aspartame and Sugar Alcohols at all costs! My body stiffens up it's not pretty!
Splenda doesn't seem to have a bad effect on me nor does sweet and low but I keep my faux sugar to a minimum
You might also want to watch MSG too!
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Old 09-13-2007, 01:37 PM   #7  
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Thanks for the suggestions, everyone!

Oh yeah, I've been avoiding MSG (and it's hidden forms) for about 20 years now, it was one of the first migraine triggers I found. Nasty, nasty stuff! DH can eat ramen noodles and guzzle diet soda without a single problem, I'm amazed by how they affect people so differently.
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Old 09-13-2007, 02:47 PM   #8  
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Hi Kestrel. I have never really had a problem with the artificial sweeteners when I was eating them all of the time but I decided they weren't good for me and quit eating anything with them in it. Now when I try something with one of them in it I can't stand the taste and it makes me really sick to my stomach.

I use a lot of bananas and applesauce to sweeten things. For a special sweet treat I use nessa's oatmeal bars that are in the recipe section on here and use 1/2 banana and 1/2 applesauce and then add 1/4 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips to it. Of course you wouldn't be able to do this until P2 but it makes a great sweet treat. I cut it into 16 bars and have one or two each day without any guilt, cravings or weight gain.

It has taken me several years of trial and error to get recipes that we like to taste the way we like them.

Oh I also use 100% apple or grape juice in my cooking and baking. One of our favorite treats on the weekend is to make the apple pancakes in the recipe section on here and then make a fruit compote to put on top of it instead of a syrup of some kind. If we are doing apple pancakes I use just enough apple juice to get the apples going good and creating their own juice and then when they are cooked down I add cinnamon and nutmeg for added flavor. I have also done this with blueberries with a little grape juice to get them going. Peaches and plums have been what are ripe here now and I just used a little bit of water with them to get them going, as they are really juicy to begin with.

I know we are supposed to limit juice on SBD but I have found as long as I’m eating whole natural foods without anything added to them and pay attention to what I am combining together to eat in each meal, that I continue to loose and don’t have the blood sugar fluctuations I use to have.

Good luck with your search for natural sweeteners and what works for you Kestrel.
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Old 09-14-2007, 10:15 AM   #9  
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I think it's so amazing how different each person's body is! I totally agree, Sheba's Mom, that you have to experiment and see how you react to each thing. I've been playing around with agave necter, real maple syrup, and other non-sugar forms of sugar lately to see how I react. The agave and maple syrup don't seem to bother me at all for whatever reason, but I haven't had them in really large portions yet. I actually had a piece of cake with frosting at my retreat...it was made with all organic ingredients and didn't have any white flour (can't remember what they used...spelt?). The only non-SBD ingredient was maple syrup so I figured I'd give it a try. I was able to eat the whole thing without any cravings at all! I was so surprised! On the other hand, I tried a protein shake yesterday that was made with apple juice. It was the fourth ingredient and the sugar grams were low, so I tried one 8oz serving. Holy $%&*!!! I got an instant raging headache, the shakes...the whole nine yards. IMHO, it was WORSE than my reaction to cane sugar!

Am I the only one that feels nervous about using Stevia? I've talked with several doctors about it and only my psychiatrist (who uses it personally) had ever even heard of it. I know it's been used for years in other countries, but am totally unaware of any studies done on it. I get the whole "sugar companies and sweetener companies don't want anyone to know about Stevia" thing, but it still worries me. I think about problems we've had with interactions from other herbs, like St. John's Wort and Ginko Biloba, that have been used for hundreds of years, but still caused problems today. My psychiatrist thinks I'm nutty for feeling safer with Splenda than with Stevia, but I definitely feel that way, even though I'd like to feel differently. I'd love to hear what you all think!

Kestrel, could you perhaps make baked fruit concoctions? Like combining apples and cinnamon and maybe another fruit, like cherries or plums, and baking them? You could top it with a little plain whipping cream (unsweetened or lightly sweetened with a natural sweetener). I'd love to hear more about what you do--my nutritionist would like to see me give up all SF products as he thinks they are causing cravings, but I feel totally depressed at that thought--I just don't know what I'd be able to eat that would really be enjoyable! (can you tell that I love my sweets??? )
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Old 09-14-2007, 01:41 PM   #10  
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Laurie: I agree there are no studies on Stevia. One of the reasons I tried it is that my fms doc doesn't like me to have artificial sweetners, however, I have discovered that I can use Splenda, but none of the others.

Interesting your reaction to the apple juice. Scary huh?
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Old 09-14-2007, 09:15 PM   #11  
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I'm not sure how stevia is processed commercially or if anything is added to it, but I have a couple of stevia plants. I was told by the grower to pick the leaves and dry them, then grind them, then steep in water. So, If that is the same principle used in mass production, it sounds like the most natural way to go. If you put a leaf in your mouth and bite down, it is SUPER sweet
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Old 09-17-2007, 09:10 AM   #12  
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Wow, Cat, I didn't even think about what could be added during production! I'm just worried about possible side effects of eating stevia, how it interacts with drugs, etc. You know?

It's great that you can grow it yourself, though. That certainly is a natural way to go!
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