I thought this was interesting....I won't post all of them, but the ones that I am reading that have to do with questions that have been posed I will.....if it is a nuisance, just let me know!!!
The Lowdown on Sugar Alcohols
When you read the ingredients in a package of sugar-free cookies, you may come across one or more unfamiliar words ending in "ol," like sorbitol, mannitol, and xylitol. These ingredients (along with isolmalt and hydrogenated starch hydrolyses) are also known as sugar alcohols.
Sugar alcohols are sugar substitutes derived from plant products like fruits and berries. They are low-calorie, slow-digesting substances commonly found in "sugar-free" products such as gum, candies, soda, and even toothpaste and mouthwash.
Although sugar alcohols have fewer calories than sugar, products with sugar alcohol may still contain carbohydrates. So it's wrong to assume that eating sugar-free foods won't boost your blood-sugar level. Read the label of any sugar-free product carefully, and always consume sugar-free treats in moderation. On the South Beach Diet, products made with sugar alcohols are included under the 75-calorie daily limit on sweet treats.
One more thing to keep in mind: Because sugar alcohols are slow to digest, they can have a laxative effect. Some people are more sensitive to this than others.
Okay, but I'm still confused... where did you get the 75 calorie limit for sweets? I don't remember reading that in the book, but I keep hearing people talking about it. I stay under it anyway, but I was just curious where that came from.
I read that in the book... I can't reference any page numbers because the book is currently on loan to a friend of mine. Can anyone help? If I remember correctly, it is somewhere around the phase I stuff. Maybe it is on the pages where they list "legal" phase I foods?
I find the subject of sugar alcohols interesting and sometimes confusing.
I have a colleague who ate nothing but Atkins products and lost a bunch of weight. Many say not to even touch the low carb bars, but there are some days in my life where I either eat the bars or nothing. Those are the days if I see another egg or a piece of meat I will scream and run far away.
One of the reasons I switched to SBD from Atkins has to do with lack of variety and the fat issue. But I find myself vaccilating between the two..perhaps out of fear?
Jocaro,
I do a combination of the two. Sometimes it will stall me out and I have to adjust. If I eat too many sugar alcohols, I will stall, but I am hypersensitive to sweeets...I can eat more fats and lost rapidly. I think that unless we are on phase 1 of either one, you do kind of learn what works for you, that what makes it your own way of living.....
I definitely stall when I eat too much of any artificial sweetener, or peanut butter. I can't eat the low carb bars or candies every day, every time I ate one on Induction of Atkins I wouldn't lose anything for a day or two. Since I've moved to Phase II, I haven't lost any weight, but I'm not willing to give up my apples (I have one a day) or my oatmeal. If it means I won't lose weight, oh well. At least I'm losing inches. :-D
Sugar Alcohols - Daily Dish
