Sugar or Artificial Sweeteners in Your Desserts and Drinks?

Saving calories on desserts isn't as easy as replacing that rich dessert you love with a sugar-free alternative. Many times the amount of calories you save isn't worth all the trouble found in sugar-free desserts. Here's the lowdown on why sugar-free desserts may do more harm than good.

Increasing Food Cravings

While many sweet desserts are blamed for causing food coma after a meal, going sugar-free doesn't solve this problem, nor does it leave you as satisfied. Sugar cravings are satisfied by sugar, sugar substitutes may leave you wanting. Despite giving in to a nutrient-poor sugar-free dessert, your craving for sugar will probably not be satisfied which could cause even more cravings. A just-released review by Purdue researcher Susan Swithers notes that artificial sweeteners do not trigger the reward center of the brain like sugar does. In addition, artificial sweeteners don’t trigger insulin response, which according to the author, “could impair energy and body weight regulation.” The results suggest this may cause more cravings and promote excess calorie intake to help “satisfy” the body’s need for energy from food.

Impacting Taste 

Sugar substitutes alter the taste of desserts made with real sugar, but even if you get past the difference in taste of artificial sweeteners, your body does not. In fact, the regular consumption of artificial sweeteners may alter the body’s ability to “recognize” sweet tastes from a metabolic standpoint. That means your “taste” for sweet things may not work as well after continued consumption of zero-calorie sweeteners. This could support excess caloric intake, which, if left unchecked, could contribute to weight gain. So, while artificial sweeteners have been proven to lower caloric intake initially, over time, they may have an adverse affect.

Saving Calories?
If you think that going sugar-free will save you a significant amount of calories, you may be wrong. Portion size is king but when you compare sugar-free versions of familiar desserts, you may find that the calories saved are not worth it. For example, the calorie difference between regular and sugar-free Oreos is 7 calories per serving. Hershey’s Special Dark Sugar-Free version saves about 40 calories from the regular version, but note it’s a slightly smaller serving. From brownies to flavored oatmeal, the same is true, sugar-free options may save some calories, but there’s no real drastic calorie save overall.

Reducing Artificial Sweeteners in Your Diet

Lowering the amount of artificial sweeteners takes the same strategies as lowering your sugar intake. Here are three tips to help you cutback on artificial sweeteners:

Add Fiber: Instead of trying to find comparable sugar-free replacements for decadent desserts, add fresh fruit to add sweetness. 

Switch to Whole Grains: Many desserts are made with refined grains, but adding whole grains to items like cookies or pancakes satisfies your hunger better, and gives you more vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids than refined grains.

Add Healthy Fats: Many products with artificial sweeteners have added fat to maintain taste. Instead of the butter, cream, and margarine used for desserts, add healthy fats such as avocado, nut butter, or olive oil where appropriate.

Your thoughts…

Do you use artificial sweeteners in your diet? Why or why not?

By +Carolyn Richardson on Jul 16, 2013 10:00 AM in Healthy Eating

Read more: Is Sugar-Free Dessert Better for You? http://caloriecount.about.com/sugar-free-dessert-better-you-b610356#ixzz2ZDyiblHe
Read more: Is Sugar-Free Dessert Better for You? http://caloriecount.about.com/sugar-free-dessert-better-you-b610356#ixzz2ZDy5rXFK

Why Diets, Slimming Clubs and Low-Fat Foods Keep Adding on the Pounds

FORGET DIETING…

Diets only work in the short term.  The US$ 40 Billion diet industry knows that yet they keep allowing you to waste your money.  You might lose a few pounds but then you put even more weight back-on.  Yo-yo dieting! 

             

           

FORGET STARVATION…

If you restrict your calorie intake you starve your body and become obsessed with eating.  Starving your body slows down your metabolic rate so you actually lose weight at a snail’s pace.

FORGET” LOW-FAT”FOODS & “LIGHT” DRINKS

“Low-fat” foods and “light” drinks only make your body hold on to the weight.  The artificial sweeteners in these drinks raise blood sugar thereby worsening the effect on diabetics and lead to a host of chronic illnesses.  Fat is not a bad word as your body needs a certain amount of fat for essential functions.  The hidden sugar and salt are far worse.

FORGET DIETING CLUBS

Dieting clubs are great for mutual support but they focus on calorie counting and ultimately want you to buy their brand of restricted foods.  Go for friendship, not for their system.

Do You WANT to Count Every Single Calorie… For the Rest of Your Life?

If you want to change your eating habits for life, I mean really change them by changing your mindset, talk to me.  I am a Clinical Hypnotist who specializes in weight loss.  I will tailor a programme for you based on a detailed assessment of why you are holding onto the weight.  I may recommend the amazing Gastric Band Hypnosis programme if suitable.  

I am based in Portsmouth in the UK but I help most of my clients in other countries over Skype.  Find me at EnglishSkypeHypnotist.

Another 10 Greatest Flat Tummy Tips of All Time

Roll (Up) With It 

A classic Pilates move, the roll up is 38 percent more effective at targeting the rectus abdominis (the “six-pack”) and 245 percent more effective at targeting the obliques than a basic crunch, according to an Auburn University study. To do it, lie face-up with legs straight, ankles, knees, and thighs together. Flex feet and extend arms overhead. Inhale to prepare as you lift your head, neck, and shoulders off the floor. On your exhale, continue to roll up by drawing in abdominals, reaching arms up and over toward feet. Keep abdominals contracted, with spine rounded in a “C” curve. Pause and inhale. On your exhale, roll down through each vertebra in a controlled movement, keeping heels pressed evenly into the floor the entire way up and down. Do 15 reps as controlled and precise as you can, as many days a week as possible. 

Get on the Ball 

Your coworkers who sit on Swiss balls may look a little odd, but this trick makes you engage your abs, Holland says. Try lifting one or both legs every half hour or so, which will work your core stabilizer muscles even more as you try to balance. 

Put the Pedal to the Metal 

Include the bicycle in your abdominals workout, Peterson suggests. A 2012 study sponsored by the American Council on Exercise (ACE) found this exercise to be the most effective move for strengthening the rectus abdominus, the long, flat muscle extending the length of the front of the abdomen. Do 2 to 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps three times a week. 

Stay Conscious of Carbs  

Carbohydrates take water to metabolize, and too much fluid can make you feel bloated, Henderiks says. But that doesn’t mean you have to ban all carbs from your diet. Opt for complex, starchy, and fiber-filled ones such as sweet potatoes, brown rice, legumes, oats, leafy greens, and asparagus, which are more slowly digested, and try to limit your daily tally to about 200 grams. 

Ditch Diet Foods 

Sugar alcohols such as sorbitol and mannitol are used as sweeteners in diet products—and they produce gas in the intestines, Henderiks says, which can make you balloon. 

Push Yourself 

Peterson is a fan of Chaturanga Dandasana—a.k.a. yoga pushup—for the extension and isometric contraction it provides: From plank, bend your elbows and begin lowering toward the floor, with every part of your body an equal distance from the floor. Keep your elbows close to your body, abs engaged (not clenched), back straight, thigh muscles active, and glutes soft. Start by holding the pose above the floor for 5 full, complete breaths, and work up to 10. Push back up to plank in 4 counts. Do 4 reps every other day.

Sneak in a Mini Abs Workout Anywhere 

Drawing your navel in toward your spine provides isometric training for the abdominals, meaning the muscles aren’t lengthening or shortening, but there is tension on the muscle fibers. Do it in the shower, at work, wherever! 

Laugh It Off 

Having a good LOL causes your abs to contract, Peterson half-kids. Obviously that’s not all you need to do for an A-list midsection, but it’s definitely an excuse to have some fun! 

Shake Your Salt Habit 

Your body needs some sodium to function, but too much can lead to fluid retention in the gut, Henderiks says. Put down the shaker and forgo processed and prepared foods as much as possible in favor of homemade meals so you can control the salt. Experts recommend maxing out at 2,400 milligrams of sodium a day, but this is one time when less is better. 

Don't Be an Airhead 

You likely don’t think you’re eating air, but talking while noshing, drinking from a straw, and chewing gum can all cause air to accumulate in your stomach, making it expand over your waistband. In addition to breaking those bad habits, taking smaller bites can also help you keep the air out, says Marjorie Nolan Cohn, R.D., author of The Belly Fat Fix and a national spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics. 

By Jennifer D'Angelo Friedman, Shape.com

Read more: The 30 Greatest Flat-Belly Tips of All Time 

Which of these flat tummy tips have you tried? What kind of results did you get?

The Non-Diet

I'm sure you've probably seen all of the headlines and media debate lately over the low carb vs low fat study results that were released recently. I'm not going to talk in detail about that today, because it seems everyone has been talking out it, and the study itself had many flaws and inconsistencies.

The fact that so many people are STILL searching for some type of diet "gimmick" saddens me.

I recently had the pleasure of meeting someone who I consider to be one of the most knowledgeable nutrition experts I've come across over the years.

Her name is Isabel De Los Rios and I was extremely impressed by her new program she put together at:

http://the-non-diet.com

If you want to sift through all of the confusion out there these days about nutrition, this site is definitely for you. Here are some of the great topics that Isabel demystifies regarding your diet:

*How to determine the exact types of foods that are most appropriate for your specific body and metabolism type. After all, we are all different, so 1 specific diet is NEVER right for everyone.

*The dangers of eating certain types of soy products... which types are ok in moderation, and which types shouldn't be eaten at all, unless you WANT more belly fat!

*What you need to know about dairy before ever buying another dairy product again

*Why "whole grains" are not always as healthy as the label claims, but how this "other type" of grain is a contender for superfood lists

*Is organic food worth the price?

*Over 100 healthy meal plans and even detailed shopping lists

*The honest truth about carbohydrates and how much you really need

*The major misconceptions about dietary fat that you need to know about

*Ideal protein-carb-fat ratios based on your specific metabolism and body type

*Everything you need to know about salt, artificial sweeteners, alcohol and more

In my opinion, this program is a MUST-READ for everyone that cares about their health and that of their loved ones, and wants to finally fully understand nutrition and how to get a lean body for life.

Make sure to grab a copy of Isabel's program today:

http://the-non-diet.com

Are Artificial Sweeteners the Answer?

Many people believe that using artificial sweeteners in tea and coffee or drinking "diet" or "lite" drinks is a good way to cut down on calories and therefore lose weight. True you reduce your calories but the health risks may not be worth it. There are 15 calories in one level 4g teaspoon of sugar or 25 in one cube.

Aspartame, a substance that can be found in artificial sweeteners, increases the risk of lymphoma cancer and leukaemia. It was originally discovered as a drug for ulcers, not a foodstuff. Another study also mentioned that the chemical actually damages DNA, increasing the risks of cancer and degenerative brain diseases in long-term use. It may help tumours to form which could lead to brain cancer. Aspartame causes an accumulation of formaldehyde in the brain which can damage your central nervous system and immune system.

Sweet is one of the four basic food tastes and we associate sweet foods with comfort:

"Eating sugar shoots our blood sugar levels up and triggers a spike in the hormone insulin, which is needed to prep our cells to absorb the sugar. If there are no other nutrients to sustain our blood sugar level, it crashes as quickly as it rises —and we crave another hit. This is how sugar addiction begins.

Moreover, sugar floods us with pleasure by stimulating the release of the neurotransmitter serotonin, and probably other mood-elevating substances. Scientists report that eating chocolate initiates a brain response similar to falling in love."

Sugar is cheap and adds bulk and texture. We become used to the sweet taste and prefer it to unsweetened foods. Sugar crops up in many disguises, simple carbohydrates with names only recognisable by anyone who has studied nutrition eg dextrose and maltodextrin. I found the latter in several "sugar-free" baby foods and drinks. Sugars fill us up, taking the place of real nutrients so we eat, gain weight and starve our cells of quality nutrition.

Remember that ingredients have to be listed in order of quantity within the product so best advice is to minimize or avoid products that have sugar, high-fructose corn syrup or corn syrup near the top of their ingredient list. Sugar can also be disguised as evaporated cane juice, cane sugar, beet sugar, glucose, sucrose, maltose, maltodextrin, dextrose, sorbitol, fructose, corn sugar, fruit juice concentrate, barley malt, caramel and carob syrup.

We are biologically made to consume sugars from natural sources such as fruits and not from developed sugars along the digestion chain. To digest them, our bodies have to produce sugar-dissolving enzymes and because so many people consume an excess quantity of sugars, often unknowingly from packaged and processed foods, our bodies can develop a sugar sensitivity and in time diabetes. Even some branded slimming foods contain artificial ingredients including sugar substitutes. Read all labels and be wary of food that contains aspartame, neotame, saccharin, acesulfame K or sucralose.

In one study the group found foods containing artificial sweeteners to be less satisfying than natural sugars so ate more. This has something to do with the brain’s perception of calories which can be confused when artificial ingredients are substituted for whole food.

The answer is to reduce our intake of sweet foods and drinks, full-stop and ensure that we eat as close to natural sources as possible. Easier said than done when pure foods cost more than processed.

If you must use sweeteners, look for products sweetened with polyalcohol sugars like sorbitol, xylitol, malitol, and mannitol. These are natural sweeteners that do not trigger an insulin reaction. They have half the calories of sugar and are not digested by the small intestine. However, while most polyalcohol sugars have no side effects, sorbitol is a natural laxative and can cause diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, bloating and flatulence.

The herb stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) may be the solution. Known in South America as the “sweet herb,” stevia has been used for over 400 years without ill effect. Stevia has been enormously popular in Japan, where it has been in use for more than 20 years, now rivaling Equal and Sweet’N Low. It’s 200–300 times sweeter than sugar, so just a small portion of stevia will sweeten even a strong cup of tea.

Another point to know is that regular consumption of fizzy drinks, especially the diet versions, has been linked to testicular cancer. Any young man, say 15-35, who drinks one litre or more per day on average is putting himself at risk. I knew a 35 year old man in England who drank 1.5l Coke every day and had a testicle removed. No one had ever told him of this risk. It has something to do with the phosphorous content I believe. A study in 1997 of 80,000 men and women by the Karolinska Institutet found that people who drank fizzy or syrup-based drinks twice a day or more had a 90% higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer than those who never drank them at all.

Read more:
Sweet poison: Informative article on aspartame
Splenda and sugar substitutes
Aspartame and Stevia
Calorie count in sugar
Fizzy Drinks and risk of pancreatic cancer
Fizzy drinks and pancreatic cancer
Calorie counter for 40,000+ foods

©Antonia Harrison 2008 from You Can Lose Weight Now and English Hypnotherapist in Belgium