To have NSA products or not...

[luv_bug]

I'm curious about people's opinions regarding the NSA added chocolates and diet pop (made with splenda). Have you found that the pop stalls you? What about NSA added choclates (i.e. Russell Stovers). I'm trying to decide whether I should cut them out completely from my diet or not -- I have found that I have lost weight in past despite having it but am wondering if it is impacting presently... In any events -- your opininons an personal experiences with both are greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[Corpuscavernosa]

Clearly everyone is different, but I don't notice any stalls for diet pop or Russell Stover.

I only drink diet pop once in awhile just because adequate hydration is so vital during ketosis. Anything carbonated can have a dehydrating effect AND that usually means you're not getting water. Plus if it is caffeinated, you get an additional diuretic effect.

That being said, I drink plenty of caffeine in coffee and tea. I'm also careful to drink a ton of water throughout the day as well.

NSA chocolates are a great treat once in awhile for me. I eat maybe 2 pieces a day at most because 1) I don't want to stall fat burning (sugar alcohols are absorbed slowly and don't affect insulin levels, but that's time your body could be burning fat) and 2) I don't want to fart and crap my brains out. Those things hit my lower GI something fierce if I don't watch it.

First time I had them I didn't know about the effects and knocked out a whole bag. Pretty much one of the worst (and funniest) days of my life.

[melehundele]

Originally Posted by Corpuscavernosa

...sugar alcohols are absorbed slowly and don't affect insulin levels...

Actually, for many, if not most, they DO affect insulin. Many, if not most, diabetics (who have to watch these things for reasons other than weight loss) see a delayed spike in their blood sugar with many of the sugar alcohols compared to sugar. Common concensus is that they hit later and at about 2/3 the strength of sugar. I know that I do have to inject insulin to cover at least some of the sugar alcohols.

Given the price and the rest of the side effects, my diabetes educator said to just eat a small amount of regular candy instead. Of course, THAT wouldn't be LC! (And I certainly don't want to inject more insulin--the fat-packer-oner--than necessary!)

[luv_bug]

Melehundele, what was your experience with splenda sodas/pops?

[melehundele]

To be honest, I don't really like the taste of Splenda pop and generally drink pop that has nutrasweet instead. I drink Crystal Light but that has nutrasweet too. I don't think nutrasweet affects me...at least I hope not, because I REALLY drink a lot of it

I do bake with Splenda and prefer to use Splenda in my coffee. From that use, I don't think Splenda itself affects my blood sugar. However, granular Splenda (and Splenda in packets, just like Equal in packets and saccharin in packets) are mixed with a filler and that filler is usually maltodextrin, which is another type of sugar. Maltodextrin does cause a blood sugar effect. THAT was a surprise, when I one time drank a whole bunch of coffee and didn't know whether the creamer or the caffeine was causing a blood sugar spike...it was actually the "sugar free" powdered Splenda!

So I have to be careful to cover the affect of the powdered forms of artificial sweetener with insulin. For that reason, I am using only the tablets of Splenda (very little filler) or liquid form in my coffee. If bulk is needed in a recipe I still use the granulated, but may reduce it by using some liquid Splenda (like the DaVinci SF syrups have) or some stevia to replace part of the granulated Splenda.

[luv_bug]

Interesting -- I think I'll go 1 week without the Splenda pop and then decide whether I want to have some again (counted as 1-2 carbs obviously...) It never seemed to affect me before -- but then again, I also have been eating alot of NSA chocolate almonds lately -- which could be impacting ... so maybe without both in my diet i can add the pop back in and see if there is an impact...

[melehundele]

I think it is more likely the chocolate is causing an effect. Splenda in a beverage probably does not have a filler with it. But the chocolate probably has sugar alcohols (sorbitol, mannitol, and so on), which do affect insulin (though less and later than sugar); the chocolate nuts are probably the culprit.

That said, it probably isn't a bad idea to cut out pop, too, for many reasons. I would if I could, but it is a tough habit to break. I already quit smoking and now am trying to quit carbs, so I gotta keep some vices

[luv_bug]

I understand the tough habit to break I've been white-knuckling it for the past 2 days ... hahaha ... hopefully today will be a better non-pop day (hahaha) We shall see ... I'm totally addicted to the stuff ... already have given up carbs for a year (I think I used pop as a replacement??) hahaha!

[2big4mysize]

Good for you Richard Simons sp? was on a talk show a few years ago and said he had dropped 15 pounds just stopping diet sodas cause they bloated him.

[luv_bug]

Good to know ... I need to do whatever I can to move down on the scale now.. It's still nice to have a diet pop though.. I'm finding that part the hardest...

[Corpuscavernosa]

I also had a SERIOUS pop addicition. I used to drink 2 44oz. Mt. Dews per day. When I went back to LC I made a concerted effort to drop pop entirely for many of the reasons posted by our fellow LCers.

Now, the only sweetener I use are the DaVinci (or Toriani) syrups. They truly have 0 carbs and no filler. I bake with them and to cure my pop cravings I get iced coffee (or Americano) and put in a little 1/2 n 1/2. It totally gets me by and now I haven't the sligtest urge for pop. I also like my coffee sweet so using the syrups not only tastes better, it also saves me probably 5g of carbs/cup!

[fancyface]

I have not had problems using either, and have no plans to cut them out. Some of the threads I have read do raise flags with the diet sodas, but right now, what I am doing is working beautifully and I am sticking to it.