Sweet Misery

[tita2005]

Is there a symptom list for Splenda?

Thanks,

Theresa

[cleochatra]

deb-- I just bought a Mr Coffee iced tea maker and am going to drink straight herbal tea. I'll drink water as well, but to wean off of Diet Cokes and other beverages, I'm doing teas. Once I begin harvesting leaves from my stevia plant, I'll possibly add one of two of those as sweeteners. Maybe.

[deb3]

I love tea, but with NO SWEETNER? I think I'm just going to have to ween myself off and drink nothing but water!

[cleochatra]

Try brewing a bag of cinnamon tea with your regular iced tea. Or raspberry. Or chamomille. Or peppermint. It adds a little bit of sweet. Natural Stevia will also add a bit of kick.

[tita2005]

How hard is it to grow a Stevia plant?

Theresa

[Zer]

Originally Posted by tita2005

Is there a symptom list for Splenda?

See Splenda Sickness and http://www.holisticmed.com/splenda/splenda-adverse.txt and How To Report Adverse Symptoms - Splenda (Sucralose) Toxicity and...well you can google for more if you still think you need more data.

[cleochatra]

Theresa-- it is said that growing the plant is easy. Keeping it going the second year and/or propagating the plant through seed or cuttings is a little more effort. Even still, I paid $20 for four guaranteed plants. That's a lot of stevia! Even if it gets me through a year, I know I was spending $60-70 a month in Diet Coke alone (seriously).

[Diorskin]

This is an excellant thread. Thanks Fawn for starting. My DH and I live a decent organic lifestyle but really wanting to up the ante. So we looked closer to see where the artificial sweetners are present. For us Diet drinks on occassion, Crystal Light and chewing gum.

We are going to eliminate it. Will it be difficult? Not 100% sure but we do know it is not worth the risk. We both quit smoking, we gave up refined sugars and fast food. This is the next logical step.

I also bought the Mr Coffee tea maker last year - I make a very diluted decaf tea and drink it with lemon. Plain. Its just a matter of time before it is second nature.

I will miss Diet Coke but I do notice that the tip of my tongue turns numb after drinking a can of it. Not fountain Diet Coke but canned Diet Coke.

I also suffer from insomnia, joint pain and shooting bone pain. Hard to explain that.

I have read a lot on said subject. DH as well so now its just jumping ship.

I am alergic to Splenda and I do not offer it to my children either. Just not worth it.

PS: My first diet soda was TAB when I was 8 or 9 years old. Anyone remember that stuff?! lol. I used to sneak it from my mom. Gag.

[Zer]

Originally Posted by tita2005

How hard is it to grow a Stevia plant?

Just google on 'growing stevia' to see if you too can have your own stevia plant.

[Diorskin]

Originally Posted by cleochatra

Try brewing a bag of cinnamon tea with your regular iced tea. Or raspberry. Or chamomille. Or peppermint. It adds a little bit of sweet. Natural Stevia will also add a bit of kick.

mmm, nice idea Cleo. Thanks.

PS: My Diet Coke budget was crazy like yours once upon a time. I would seriously jones for Diet Coke.

[ghelen]

great-another aspartame thread-yay.

[Zer]

Originally Posted by cleochatra

Theresa-- it is said that growing the plant is easy. Keeping it going the second year and/or propagating the plant through seed or cuttings is a little more effort. Even still, I paid $20 for four guaranteed plants. That's a lot of stevia!

I've read that each stevia plant can be a slightly different degree of sweetness and call for testing to see what works to sweeten anything using that particular plant. Test as you go. Still, how nifty to have your own herbs and to know for sure that what you are using is clean and organic.

[Tooter]

Originally Posted by cleochatra

I'm too lazy to be anything but honest, and too scatter-brained to keep track of fabrications. All you get from me is 100% loud Milwaukee, Wisconsin-born truth.

It was cool seeing you have this "Revelation". Please keep us posted in this thread with your symptoms each day...how they are Leaving etc. You are not the only one who's eyes are opening.

This is an awesome thread. My eyes have been opening too.

[GardenGirl639]

A bit of a threadjack**

When you give up all artificial sweeteners, you'll be surprised at how sweet things actually taste.

I use blueberries in just about all my baking. You can puree them before you add them. Remember how we all added applesauce to make things low fat back in the day? Same idea, only you're adding sweetness. I also add them whole, depending on what I'm baking. I use frozen.

End threadjack**

I am virtually headache free now. It has been worth giving up diet Coke, etc. Ask my family. Not being in bed with a migraine for 3-5 days is a wonderful, wonderful thing!

[tita2005]

Where did you get your Stevia plant?

Theresa

Thanks for all your help!!!!!

[Zer]

Originally Posted by deb3

I love tea, but with NO SWEETENER? I think I'm just going to have to ween myself off and drink nothing but water!

Not necessarily. If you start some mint in a pot, it will provide you with the leaves for a fragrant brew that is soothing to a restless tummy and refreshing as well. Just pick a few leaves, wash well, bruise in your hand, then steep in hot water.

[Livywilltim-mom]

Love this thread, thanks Fawn and all who have posted!

Marking my spot for more info...

Peace

[Off My Duff]

Originally Posted by Tuscanytrace

until they started adding it to skim milk, which I didn't find out about until last year. So for about 3 years I was getting them again. But 7 years ago we switched to fresh local milk, raw, anyhow.

I've never heard of aspartame being added to skim milk-or am I misreading what you are saying?

Why would they add aspartame to milk anyway?

[LauraAnn]

Cleo,

I've had very similar symptoms too...

Dizziness,
myoclonus to the point of falling,
myclonus so bad that I had complete disruption of sleep
headaches,
numbness and tingling of extremities,
word finding problems ... the list goes on and on

They told me I had a movement disorder, then possible MS and finally decided epilepsy (because I had it as a kid and I think they didn't know what else to call it. I'm curious to see over time what happens not using this product anymore.

They even put me on seizure meds for the past 8 years. After seeing this movie I gave the aspartame and all sweeteners 2 days ago. I will see what happens. I'd be curiouis to see about you too.

[Diana]

Ok so what do you suggest for Gum?

[Zer]

Cinnamon bark softens as you chew on it. Makes a great 'gum' that dissolves completely and never ever loses its flavor. It's a perky flavor too. Cinnamon has thermogenic action, boosts metabolism, so MAYBE chewing on a bit of cinnamon bark will kick up a lazy metabolism as well as freshen the mouth of anyone who elects to gnaw on cinnamon.

[Diorskin]

Originally Posted by Diana

Ok so what do you suggest for Gum?

Good question Diana! Maybe someone knows. I am going to look around Whole Foods and see whats available. I think I recall Glee gum is natural but it probably has sugar in it.

[Zer]

Originally Posted by Off My Duff

I've never heard of aspartame being added to skim milk-or am I misreading what you are saying? Why would they add aspartame to milk anyway?

Might want to disguise soured milk by adding a sweetener. I've heard that chocolate milk is made from slightly sour milk that is not fit for sale without being disguised by sweetener and chocolate. Ugh! I've drunk LOTS of chocolate milk in my life, never realizing that it might be slightly spoiled milk under all that sweetness. Ugh!!!!

[cleochatra]

Check this out! (Hopefully Tom can carry some through netrition) Whole Foods sells Glee Gum. Now, there is a titch of natural sugar, but guess what? Who gives a frig? When you consider a regular stick of gum is a carb per piece, what's 2 carbs for 2 pieces of Glee?! (JMO of course. I'd let my kids chew that in a second).

LauraAnn-- isn't it baffling? And we were told aspartame is just fine. Pfft. I always drank it because Aspartame never stalled me! Well, not in terms of diet.

I hope you find your symptoms abating as well! (It was mentioned that the seizure threshold definitely was lowered due to aspartame).



I will keep you in my prayers.

tita-- I bought my plant through stevia-plant.com

[Zer]

"Our gum base is a mix of chicle, natural gums, rubbers, resins, and waxes."

And there is more at the site to explain about carnauba wax and resins, all part of Glee gum's natural ingredients.

Sugar is a trigger for me. It's about more than the carbs of a bit of gum. For me, a trigger can tilt my whole world, blow a month's worth of careful carb dodging. So, be aware.

[meeha]

Really interesting thread, I have use to drink diet sodas all the time and have been without for 3 months now. I just started using Stevia but can't really stand the taste of it, it has this bitterness to it. As far as Splenda I only use it when I make tuna salad, deviled eggs or whipped cream so not alot.

On the other hand I buy sugarfree popsicles and flavored water Capri Suns and Minute Maid juice boxes for my kids. I am now going to stop and try and find some other treats for them, I guess I rather they eat real sugar in moderation verses sweetners.

[DiamondDeb]

I watched Sweet Misery last night. Thanks for the recommendation, Fawn.

What an eye-opener.

I have avoided aspartame for years but consumed a lot of it before Splenda came along. I've used Stevia for several years now. Still, I can't help but wonder what lasting damage all that aspartame might have caused... More research to do.

[Margot 65]

LOL my hubby calls asparatame sweetened drinks 'dumb pop'

if he drinks one, he said he cannot think straight for the rest of the day.

I just noticed the correlation between these 'dumb pops' and my recent 'blurry vision' episodes I have been having. i did not drink any aspartame during my pregnancy, nor for the 6 months I breast fed.. but have had a few (2-3 a week?) since then.

There are times when I cannot see straight.. it is like someone has smeared vaseline all over my contact lenses, but when I take them out there is no improvement. So that will be it for that stuff in my house.

i am also on the lookout for gum sweetened without aspartame, but would like to find one with Xylitol that my kids would enjoy... I like the Xylitol for the anti-cavity properties, as opposed to flouride.

I found one online, it is called ZAPP:

Surfers Chewing Gum, Sugarfree, Gum Without Aspartame - Zapp Gum

[Adream]

I haven't watched this video yet, but definitely will later on today. Thank you for providing the link, Fawn.

I stopped using aspartame years ago when I realized I was feeling depressed, but in my head I'm saying to myself, "Why am I depressed? I'm happy - but feeling depressed? That was weird - then I read an article about the effects of aspartame. Stopped using the stuff, the depression went away.

Switched to Splenda when that came out. Read an article describing the effects the hydrocarbons in the Splenda attaching to the cells of the human body. Not good. Told my 23 year old DD to stop using the stuff!
Dangers of Splenda | Splenda Side Effects | Is Splenda Safe? | Splenda Info

We now just use Stevia, and Agave nectar. The Agave is natural and has a low glycemic impact.

Another video that was extraordinary - "King Corn." It is about the corn industry in this country, including the production of high fructose corn syrup. If anyone questions why this country's diabetes and obesity rates are rampant, it's because manufacturers add HFCS to EVERYTHING, and people don't realize what a dangerous substance they're ingesting. King Corn

[deb3]

Has anyone tried Zevia? Sodas made with Stevia. They're pricey, though, and you have to order on -line. I'm thinking just doing away with them all together is the best bet. Anyone have any suggestions for making Stevia less bitter?