Over the years many of us that are insistent on watching our weight have switched from sugar to Equal, then from Equal to Splenda, etc, etc. As we look for ways to be healthier and control our weight better, we find "better" products. I personally switched to Splenda years ago until just a few months back when I read some alarming information!
If you aren't aware of what blood sugar / insulin is, then you probably should be. I'll promise you that if you don't learn now, you will likely learn when you are older. I covered some of the details in my latest article, "Post Pardum Weight Loss".
Anyway, this is where the alarming information comes in. I just happened to look at the Stevia box at the health food store the other day and realized that it had clinical information on it comparing Stevia and Splenda. I thought that was cool, until I actually started to understand that what it was saying was Splenda has been cheating me all of this time!
According to a little chart on the back of the box, Stevia is the only sweetener that doesn't spike your blood sugar when consuming it. If the whole point in using an artificial sweetener is to control your blood sugar, then why wouldn't I just use sugar instead of Splenda or Equal?
My point is this, all of those diet sodas and skinny lattes that I thought were "safe" for my weight, may not be? If that's true, I'm sooooo upset that I've been sabotaging myself all of this time!
Of course every time I've switched sweeteners, it's been because another new one comes out and has a study that debunks the old one. Since this is also the case, I'm skeptical. However, in the meantime, I'm staying away from Splenda, diet soda, etc.
Here are three great sources to read if you would like further info:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/83499-stevia-insulin-reactions/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Splenda
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevia
Of course, many of you are probably asking, what does it taste like? I can tell you that depending on the brand, it tastes like an artificial sweeteners. Because it's 200-300 times sweeter than sugar, you don't have to use very much. Personally, the Purevia brand seems a little more palatable. However, I'd like to research some more before I settle on a particular brand.
Lastly, as I've been researching this post, I've noticed that Stevia is actually not recommended for anyone who is pregnant or nursing due to a lack of information in those conditions. Check out Side Effects here:
Webmd
Please do yourself a favor and watch this short video on sugar's effect on your body:
Take care & God Bless!
Bob
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