Sugar or substitutes ?

[AnatW]

I was trying to search the forum, but could not find any previous discussion on the issue. I noticed that I started eating too many sugar-free products with sweeteners. I also noticed that too often I get stomach cramps. Is there a connection between those sweeteners and stomach ? I am on a weight loss road and I was thinking about going back to more natural products even if they add more calories. what is better: less calories or health ? Also, is brown sugar better to use than regular sugar ? how about honey ? I want to be healthy, but I also want to lose weight and not eat too much sugar.
Any thoughts ?

Thanks !

 

[bebop]

Let me give you my opinion and experiences. I am not a nutritionist, just a normal person who has lost her fair share of pounds and through trial and error, has figured it out and is finally maintaining. First of all, I am not one of those people who believes sugar is evil. There are aprox. 16 cal. per tsp. Secondly, I am not a big fan of chemicals in the body and artifical sweetner is a chemical. I don't think artifical sweetners are bad, and they can help in weight control but if you are getting cramps maybe there is a connection. Stop the sweetners and see if the cramps stop. Also, dairy products can give cramps if you are lactose intolerant - check to see if the foods that give you cramps are dairy.

You can find all kinds of opinions on the web - sugar evil, sugar good,etc.

When I was dieting, I counted a tsp. of sugar as a fat - I used 2 tsp. in my coffee and that was two fat allowances. When I was dieting, I didn't do a lot of baking but when I did, I tried to figure out the calories and count it accordingly.
Brown sugar has the same calories as white.

Sugar can be bad in weight control because it adds empty calories - If you have to drink soda - I would go for diet because I hate to waste 150 - 200 calories on an empty drink -

I found that when I wanted hot chocolate, if I Just measured out one cup of lo-fat milk, - counted it as a dairy, then added some chocolate - and counted it as a fat - I was more satisfied then the brands with the artifical sweetner that tasted lousy.

It all comes down to calories - unless you have a specific medical problem, ie. diabetes, hypoglycemia, or food sensitivity, sugar is not bad.

Didn't mean to ramble - Just while you are dieting, avoid heavily sweet things, (you know what foods) count the sugar you use as calories, points, fats - whatever, and use foods with artifical sweetners sparingly.

Hope I helped.

 

[Marnie]

What is better, less calories or health???? Yikes! I HOPE your answer is HEALTH!!

Search the forum for "aspartame" - you should find a lot of info

My opinion... I don't consume sugar substitutes. I don't want chemicals in my body. I've also heard stories of aspartame-related headaches, stomach cramps, nervous ticks etc. No thank you! Who knows the long-term effects?

The bottom line is you need to burn more calories than you consume. It doesn't matter where the calories come from (well, it matters nutritionally as far as getting the vitmains you need) as long as you burn them off. If you don't - whether they're from sugar, chicken or carrots - your body will store them as fat. That's why those low-fat cookies & desserts are so misleading. They may be low in fat, but they still contain calories (some have lots!) that add up.

marnie

 

[kristina]

I will pass on what my allergist's advice was to me, you can take it for whatever it is worth.
The closer the substance is to its form in nature, the better for you. Honey is best, followed by non-sugar cane sugars, then cane sugar. The problem with cane sugar is its highly processed. If you are going to go with cane, consider raw organic sugar. My allergist doesn't want me having any artificials. I feel better when I don't use artificials. His theory is the body has a very difficult time processing the chemicals and certain people (allergy patients being one) are prone to a plethora of potential adverse side affects (like drugs, not everyone will have the side effect).
However, you still have the calories to consider. Even though honey is better for you, if you go from twelve diet sodas to twelve ice-teas with honey, you gotta figure in for those extra calories. IMHO.
Kristina

 

[mogambo]

No one has mentioned stevia leaf. It has no calories, is safe, and is natural, it's just a leaf you add to tea that tastes sweet. So, it's useful for tea, not too useful for making cookies. My opinion, if anyone cares, is I never consume artificial sweeteners and I eat very little natural sugar, minimal amounts. Whether it's honey, molasses, sugar or maple syrup, the calories are pretty empty.

 

[kristina]

RE: Stevia

Mogambo,
I agree with you. I use stevia (and FOS) as well. My nurse turned me on to it. It's a different kind of sweet that takes some getting used to. I wish they would start making drinks with Stevia instead of the artificial stuff. Oh well.

 

[Marnie]

thanks mogambo!!

Thanks for the info mogambo!

By the way, I care about your opinion, and I'll bet lots of others here do too! You always have imformative things to say... so thanks!!

marnie

 

[kathryn]

Stevia is great!

But it's not just in leaf form. I usually get the liquid (in glycerin) to use in beverages. There is also powder available. There are some stevia recipe books out now that give exchanges and that include recipes for a lot of different foods (including cookies!). Stevia is particularly good as a sugar alternative (I prefer this word to "substitute", since the latter suggests that sugar is "the bomb" and everything else is a pale imitation ;-) )because it helps keep insulin levels even. It's also been shown to help prevent cavities (Rembrandt naturals toothpaste uses it as a sweetener and for its anti=bacterial properties). The Japanese have been using it for years in sugar-free foods (like diet coke), but I guess the sugar and artificial sweetner industries in the U.S. have too strong a lobby for stevia to become common here.

 

[Bobbi]

RE: Stevia is great!

Nutra Sweet contains substances which if used in large quantities give you diarhea. A friend of mine recently diagnosed with MS feels there's a correlation between her consumtion of sweetners and her MS.

I use sugar in moderation. I use honey in my tea and allow a little cane sugar here and there. I avoid high fructose corn syrup. Plain old sugar is better believe it or not. It doesn't raise your blood sugar as dramatically as the fructose. Sugar is carbohydrate. Carbohydrate has 4 calories per gram as does protein. Fat has 9 caloires and is different in composition, very easy for the body to store as it doesn't have to convert it. Sugar is a simple carbohydrate. A small amount of sugar is fine jsut avoid overdoing it.