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Floydy
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12-06-2018, 09:32 PM
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Sweeteners

Ever health conscious, one of the things I'm trying to discard from my diet are sugar-based foods. Fair enough, most foods do contain sugar as part of their ingredients, but as far as adding sugar to cereal, coffee etc, I'm cutting down if I can.

I take sweeteners in coffee now, which is a start, but after hearing conflicting reports about them and they pose health risks too, I'm wondering if they are actually any better than sugar? Before I start using sweetener on cereal I'd like to know more about this substitute if possible.

Any ideas?
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12-06-2018, 09:59 PM
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Re: Sweeteners

Sweeteners are worse for you then sugar

I don't know the exact science or terminology but what sweeteners do is to con your body into thinking you have taken on sugar and that cons your pancreas into producing insulin to go off and combat it, only for there not to be any sugar. ~so eventually, the body stops producing the insulin because it learns there is none, and there you have it - diabetes

Thats the simple as I understand it version but theres lots of papers about it online
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12-06-2018, 10:02 PM
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Re: Sweeteners

Add fruit to your cereal to replace the sugar ..... the different taste it would give you replaces the need for sugar.
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12-06-2018, 10:19 PM
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Re: Sweeteners

The human body gets addicted to the sweet taste of sugar. It is up there with the most powerful types of drug, and the more you get, the more you want.

By replacing sugar with a sweetener Floydy you are keeping the addiction alive, just as a smoker takes nicotine from a different source to satisfy the habit. The only way to rid yourself of the addiction is to go completely cold turkey until your body no longer craves it....
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12-06-2018, 10:43 PM
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Re: Sweeteners

No no no no no no no no no no !

Sweeteners are terrible things, carcinogenic, stay very well clear. In years to come they will get banned.

You're doing the right thing otherwise.

Remove any bags of white refined sugar you have in the house, pure poison, throw it away.

Beware cereals. Even if you're not adding your own sugar to them, the vast majority of them are loaded with sugar anyway. Even those one would think healthy.

Kelloggs Bran Flakes - 14g sugar per 100g (14%)

Kelloggs All Bran - 18g sugar per 100g (18%)

Kelloggs Special K Original - 15g sugar per 100g (15%)


Pretty shocking really when these products would be deemed by most adverts and slimming clubs to be good for you.

An average serving size of cereal is said to be 30g though I suspect it will be more in reality for many people. Even at 30g though, those cereals are delivering the equivalent of 5-6g of sugar per serving which is between 1 teaspoonful of sugar and 1.5 teaspoonfuls.

Years ago I used to put sugar in tea and coffee and then like you thought sweeteners was the way to go to reduce sugar. Thankfully I didn't do it that long. I ultimately just stopped putting any sweeteners in tea and coffee.

If you find this hard, here's a way to achieve it.

Stop drinking your normal tea/coffee completely for about 1 week. In their place drink fruit teas and green teas or your choice. Japanese rice tea is a nice substitute but I found Clipper Green Tea the easiest.

After a week you will be craving your normal cup of tea/coffee quite badly.

At that point make your normal drink with NO sugar or sweeteners and drink it and you'll find it's actually fine. The caffeine kick you needed was the most important element and that familiar taste of your regular brew.

Aside from this, make sure you now examine the nutrition labels of absolutely everything you pick up in the store. You'll be surprised at the sugar content of most.

Remember that 4g sugar is 1 teaspoonful.

Avoid those products where you would be eating that amount in a serving.

Some are obvious. Ketchups, brown sauce, all fruit juices etc. Some are less obvious like tins/cartons of chopped tomatoes or passata, natural yoghurts and the like.

Check everything and continue giving sugar the heave ho.

You'll lose a stone pretty quickly once sugars are out of your diet.

GL
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12-06-2018, 11:11 PM
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Re: Sweeteners

To my way of thinking sugar is a natural food - sweeteners are not! I would never use artificial sweeteners - I'd rather go without.

Can't you just cut down on the sugar or replace it with glucose powder?
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13-06-2018, 02:02 AM
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Re: Sweeteners

Originally Posted by Realist ->
No no no no no no no no no no !

Sweeteners are terrible things, carcinogenic, stay very well clear. In years to come they will get banned.

GL
There is absolutely no scientific evidence for that whatsoever. Just hearsay and pseudo science babble.

https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/...ers-fact-sheet

https://www.cancerwa.asn.au/resource...eeteners-myth/


There are plenty of other studies that a Google search will no doubt unearth
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13-06-2018, 02:40 AM
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Re: Sweeteners

Artificial sweeteners contain alcohols that cause diarrhea
Most artificial sugars end in ‘itol’ and there are a lot of them.
Sugar is healthier for you in moderation but it’s in most packaged foods so if you eat packaged foods, it’s harder to wean yourself off of it

Ideas? I’d switch to either honey or maple syrup
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13-06-2018, 03:42 AM
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Re: Sweeteners

All very interesting, thank you
Meanwhile, I've been looking into this via the net and the jury's out to be fair. Whilst there are many forms of sweetener, the general consensus is that they don't seem to be sure if sweeteners a better alternative to sugar or not.

This all began with me feeling slightly nauseous at work where I use a sweetener in my coffee (but maybe it's milk I have an allergy to? Or coffee itself?). Then again, I take a small amount of sugar in my coffee at home, or sometimes none at all if I have two biscuits instead.

I will now throw away what's left of my sweeteners container and ween myself off sugar gradually at home as well.
I do drink herbal tea and I will not be giving up coffee but the thing is, while I can drink coffee or tea without sugar if need be, I can't imagine Weetabix for example tasting very nice without a little sugar on it. I do eat other cereal without sugar such as Fruit 'n' Fibre or Crunchy Nut Cornflakes, so perhaps that is the way to go?

This is just another in a long line of foods which I am becoming more careful about. I no longer eat ready meals, that much bread anymore (I now eat wraps at work) and I go easy on milk. I like a beer at the weekend, which of course contains sugar but I know my limit. Plus, I need a social life after working nights all bloody week!

But why oh why do manufacturers continue to laden their products with so much sugar when everybody knows it's bad for us? It's the same with salt too. The government are trying to promote healthy eating, and they make more of a stand against what goes into our food items, shouldn't they?

Any further comments would be most appreciative.
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13-06-2018, 08:51 AM
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Re: Sweeteners

Fruit and fibre and crunchy nut are both totally laden with sugar - as are bran flakes, hence you still liking them

You are better off with porridge if you truly wish to wean yourself of the sugar

Fridge porridge is imo opinion nicer then hot porridge, just add milk to the oats and leave in the fridge overnight. Add berries to taste

Beige carbs should also be avoided - bread, pasta, rice

I quit added sugar back in my 20s. Coffee was difficult at first so I quit making it with milk. Black coffee, no sugar I found easier to get used to. Funnily enough now I only have a tiny dash of milk in my tea as I find that tastes sweet as well

Ive been slowly cutting bread out, not totally as I love bread but I find it bloats me. For my lunch box I take in left overs whenever possible, much more filling. Plus a sandwich never filled me so a packet of crisps and a biscuit were always part of that lunch - no longer, crisps are now a rare treat along with biscuits

Cant remember the last time we had a ready meal, gave up on those years back and now even though I think they would make life so much easier, I just cant eat them as to my taste buds, they are poisoned with salt

I scratch cook every day. I do use salt, but tiny amounts, doubt if more then 2 teaspoons a day are used in cooking for 3

It does take time for your body to get used to cutting sugar, and Im not a clean eater so theres still sugar in my diet, but a lot less then their used to be
 
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