So is everyone on the Stevia bandwagon now?
How bad is sugar for you? Or is it again - the portion control we should be more focused on?
Re: Sugar Substitutes
Refined sugar is pretty much the worst ingredient in the modern diet. It affects your metabolism, has no nutritional value, its addictive amongst several other issues. So you really should try and avoid it as much as you can.
Stevia and all other natural sweetners such as xylitol really don’t taste as good as sugar. They all have an odd aftertaste and although they’re considered safe for consumption people do experience certain side effects. With stevia few long-term studies have been done to document its health effects in humans.
If you’re diabetic then its probably a great option but i have slowly tried to decrease my dependance on sugar in general by eating less and less. I still love it but i can easily get by without adding it to many things like tea, oatmeal, etc. and I’ve grown accustomed to preferring desserts that are not as sweet. Substituting with natural sugars such as those found in fruit is also a good option to help with those cravings.
Re: Sugar Substitutes
I’m a tad wary of all these artificial sweeteners because so many people now are saying that its terrible for you. I don’t like to try new things because theres not enough research to know what its really about. I like molasses, honey, maple syrup and sugar in the raw if I must add sweetener to what I’m having.
Re: Sugar Substitutes
^ not true. i’m diabetic…i’ve been taking a lot of sweetener [up to 20 packages of Splenda in just my tea every day] for 7-8 years now. i asked my family doctor and he advised me that there are NO indications by any studies done that it is harmful…it’s absolutely safe!
one must watch other foods that have sugar in them. it’s a good idea to check for each food’s ‘Glycemic index’.
Re: Sugar Substitutes
I understand that, like I said there’s differing opinions out there and this is fairly new stuff, so I try to avoid things in general that are unnatural or not thoroughly researched. From what I understand it does contain sucralose which isn’t exactly great for you. In my case, if I must sweeten anything I’m having, I do it only with natural things. There are plenty of natural sweeteners out there!
Ex: I know too many people who eat oatmeal as a ‘healthy’ breakfast. But tehn they add a truckload of sugar and kill it! Why not sweeten it naturally with (dried)fruit or honey? Just as yummy, if not better, and healthier too!
Re: Sugar Substitutes
oh ok…fair enough! 
lol @ healthy oatmeal with truckload of unhealthy sugar 
Re: Sugar Substitutes
actually , the whole sweetner idea really scares me too .. I read an article recently about Aspartame ( also a sweetner used in diet drinks and other edibles ) is actually E.coli faeces or excretion .. that made it even worse for me to get anywhere close to a diet soda !
I guess in modern times we are all so hooked on sweet stuff , its nearly impossible for us to live without it .. I guess Moderation in consumption is the key ?
Reha, you know when you mention potion sizes ,here in the UK, over the years , the potion sizes have gotten reduce significantly but alot of my colleagues would go help themselves with a second serving ! that killed the whole idea of a smaller potion .. but for hungry tummies , I dont know if smaller portions is the answer 
Re: Sugar Substitutes
If you don’t want to do sweetners, how about Agave nectar?
It tastes so yum. Just like honey and a bit sweeter than sugar.
Re: Sugar Substitutes
Well, my efforts are right now to cut down on sweets.
But sometimes (aka everytime) that is not possible 
So, what is a good solution?
I’ve never had agave nectar actually.
Re: Sugar Substitutes
Ive never had agave nectar either, heard alot about it though. Give it a try, take it a day at a time. There are plenty of healthier sweets out there. You can melt a little bit of dark chocolate and pour over strawberries, the sweet from the fruit itself and the chocolate is very satisfying! You can have chunks of pineapple and mango with whipped cream, a little goes a long way. Whipped cream has very little calories and sugar in it. My personal favorite is slicing and peeling some pears and frying in a little bit of water or butter then sprinkling with cinnamon a pinch of nutmeg and chopped walnuts and pecans on top. Yummay!
Re: Sugar Substitutes
i am totally off sugar, gave up some months ago after reading Sweet Poison by David Gillispie. i use Rice Malt Syrup for the occassonal sweet treat as suggested in the book. Never felt better 
Sugar Substitutes
Aspartame is suppose to be very bad for you. Sweet n low and equal are awful things. It’s been linked to MS and migraines. Of course not everybody will get symptoms. But any artificial stuff is awful for your body. In general if it is artificial it is bad for you. Sugar is indeed addictive and very bad for intestines. Do the research.
Re: Sugar Substitutes
if it’s true, don’t you think it would have been banned in the western world or at least warning issued by Health Departments?
i asked my family physician and he advised me that it’s pretty safe and also that there has been no studies done linking aspartame with health issues.