~Eating "clean" and Splenda~

K

kfaircloth

Member
~Hi to everyone!~
What I would like to know is: I am trying to really keep my eating to good/healthy foods, to get rid of the last 10 lbs I need to lose, but the one thing I use is Splenda. Will this wreck my eating even though there is nothing in it as far as calories, carbs, etc? I am really addicted to the stuff especially with my oatmeal...YUM!:9
Do I have to get rid of this? Or can I enjoy it with certain things and still lose the weight I need?
And also, Morningstar Farms brand foods has a "Veggie burger" that is also YUMMY! :9 There are about 10 protein, 3 net carbs per 1 burger...How do I know if this is actually bad to eat or good to eat?
 
RE: ~Eating

I personally don't think Splenda is a food, and it's certainly not "natural," (even though the advertising around it tries to make it sound like it).

But, there are no "clean-eating police" around, and very few people eat 100% clean all the time. You have to decide for yourself if the possible risks overshadow the benefits.

As for a veggie burger: also depends on what you think is "bad" to eat. I personally avoid isolated or concentratd soy protein MOST of the time, because studies showing that soy may contribute to some forms of cancer used the isolates and concentrates (hundreds of years of humans eating soy FOODS have showed the opposite effect).

I look at the list of ingredients, and if there are chemicals or unnatural ingredients, I avoid the food most of the time, and at least don't make it part of my regular diet.
 
RE: ~Eating

I love splenda also. I personally will not give it up, but it is a choice you have to make for yourself. It really is not a natural food. As far as the veggie burgers go, all of my life I have eaten morning star farms products and other vegetarian meat substitutes because I do not care for meat. I have tried to eat more turkey and chicken the last couple of months and I really don't like it so I am going back to my veggie burgers. I would also like to eat as clean as possible, but I feel that meat substitutes do give me some form of protein and that is better than none.
 
RE: ~Eating

> I feel that
>meat substitutes do give me some form of protein and that is
>better than none.

If protein is what you're eating them for, there are many alternatives to either meat or the meat analogs, like tempeh, beans. Even a soy-based Keilbasa by Tofurkey, which is based on tofu, not on isolated soy protein.
 
RE: ~Eating

I eat it also for the flavor. I like it. I was reading the ingredients and I don't really know what to look for, but it seemed okay.
 
RE: ~Eating

What is the difference between a soy veggie burger (like a Boca Burger) or Morningstar Farms Veggie Patties and tofu? I didn't realize that soy isolate is different that soy milk. Is soy milk considered a "safe" soy product, along with Tofu, but manufactured soy products considered less safe because they use an altered form of soy?

Any help explaining this would be helpful,

Barb:) :) :)
 
RE: ~Eating

>I didn't realize that soy isolate is different that soy milk.
>Is soy milk considered a "safe" soy product, along with Tofu,
>but manufactured soy products considered less safe because
>they use an altered form of soy?
>
>Any help explaining this would be helpful,
>
>Barb:) :) :)

I am suspicious of soy isolates and concentrates (which remove one part of the soy--the protein). Some studies have suggested that soy may increase risk for breast cancer, but I believe all these studies were done using isolates and concentrates. On the other hand, studies of populations that have traditionally eaten soy FOODS (tofu and soy milk in China, and Tempeh in Indonesia) for hundreds of years suggest soy is actually protective against cancer and heart disease.

Studies have also been done on other foods that have been used beneficially by populations for hundreds of years (like Stevia in South America). When these studies use an isolated part of the food (like the steviosides in stevia), often negative results occur. The same with some isolated vitamins, where using supplements can show no beneficial or protective effects, but eating foods containing the substance does have a beneficial effect.

The elements in foods often have a synergistic relationship, that is, they work together, and the problem with isolating one part of the food is that sometimes as-yet undiscovered substances that are naturally found with the substance that is isolated, are necessary for the targetted substance to work correctly.

Whole foods are best. Nature knows what it's doing, and science hasn't discovered everything yet.
 
RE: ~Eating

Barb,
I hope you're not giving up on veggie burgers for good! There are plenty of really yummy alternatives to the Morningstar burgers(I know because for years I lived off of Morningstar products myself). Amy's California and All American burger are both soy isolate free and are truly delicious. Also, Dr. Praegars(sp?) burgers are soy free and SUPER delicious!! I know a lot of people eat the Boca burgers but I don't care for the taste and I'm not sure of their content. Don't give up on veggie alternatives because there are many options out there that I'm sure you'll enjoy. Everyone I've served these burgers to has loved them and most of them weren't even vegetarians!!

Carolyn
 
RE: ~Eating

Kathleen--

Something to consider for sweetening oatmeal without artificial sweeteners: dried fruit. Someone suggested mixing a tablespoon of dried blueberries in with the water when making oatmeal, and I tried it. It's delicious and subtly sweet, and makes an attractive breakfast, too. (We eat with our eyes first!)

Hope this helps!

Amy
 
RE: ~Eating

>
>I am suspicious of soy isolates and concentrates (which remove
>one part of the soy--the protein). Some studies have
>suggested that soy may increase risk for breast cancer, but I
>believe all these studies were done using isolates and
>concentrates. On the other hand, studies of populations that
>have traditionally eaten soy FOODS (tofu and soy milk in
>China, and Tempeh in Indonesia) for hundreds of years suggest
>soy is actually protective against cancer and heart disease.
>
>Studies have also been done on other foods that have been used
>beneficially by populations for hundreds of years (like Stevia
>in South America). When these studies use an isolated part of
>the food (like the steviosides in stevia), often negative
>results occur. The same with some isolated vitamins, where
>using supplements can show no beneficial or protective
>effects, but eating foods containing the substance does have a
>beneficial effect.
>
>The elements in foods often have a synergistic relationship,
>that is, they work together, and the problem with isolating
>one part of the food is that sometimes as-yet undiscovered
>substances that are naturally found with the substance that is
>isolated, are necessary for the targetted substance to work
>correctly.
>
>Whole foods are best. Nature knows what it's doing, and
>science hasn't discovered everything yet.

I just want to say that I come from generations of eating products such as Morningstar farms and Worthington and there is not one single history of breast cancer in my family. I think that if a person takes into consideration all that they say can cause cancer, you could not eat or dring much of anything. After all there is a warning out now about eating too much fish and the mercury content in it. My great grandmother was a vegetarian and she ate meat substitutes and lived to be 101. With no kind of cancer. My grandparents are in their 80s and healthy. I know that my personal experience with these products is not bad and I will continue to eat them. But that is just me. Everyone will have to do what they feel is right for their body.:)
 
RE: ~Eating

Carolyn,
Thanks for the info about other veggie burgers.
I will check them out. Also, good points about taking all health advice in moderation. I'm working on finding a balance of eating more of a vegan diet without feeling too restricted.

But back to the original thread about Splenda: I agree about adding dried fruit or even frozen organic fruit to oatmeal instead of Splenda. I couldn't tolerate Splenda without feeling like my sugar cravings were set off -- almost worse for me than regular sugar, so I really need to avoid that.

Barb:) :)
 
RE: ~Eating

Thanks everyone! for all the informative info. I will defiantely try the dried fruit and water addition to the oatmeal!
 
RE: ~Eating

I eat splenda too. I can't give up everything. It does have carbs though. It has about 1g of carbs per tsp. due to the stuff they add to make it granular. Liquid Splenda has no carbs.
 
RE: ~Eating

i love splenda. i don't know too much about it, except what one of my biology classes has discussed. It's made from sugar, basically the sugar molecule is modified in such a way that we can't digest it, so it just goes in one end and out the other. that's the way it sounded anyway.
maddie
 
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