Sweeteners

[Matt]

Does anyone have any views on Sorbitol and Maltitol?

The only thing I can find is to avoid them during the induction period.

E.g. the carblife dark chocolate made of maltitol claims "1.65gm" carbs per bar.

[Karen]

There is a great article on sugar alcohols in Low Carb Tips in the orange bar at the top of the page.

Karen

[juicyjacki]

Hi Matt, I placed a big order for carblife chocs about a month ago and proceeded to munch through them. I have been on a stall for three weeks. I'm not sure if it because of these or something else ( i started drinking caffinated coffee again and diet coke). I am now on my first week off them and i hope that it will get me off my stall - cos i have so much to lose! I have been using canderel for years and been drinking diet coke too - so maybe i might have to completley give up all artificial sweetners :thdown: :thdown: :thdown: :mad:

I am finding it hard to be patient - i have some serious weight to shift - i wish i could just be given the answers now, like what is making me stall, how long will it take etc, but i suppose i am going to have to be patient. I think i am going to take the purity route - just try to eat meat & fish with no frills - because processed food is full of crap that posses a bit pitfull if your are not careful.

The only way to find out if you have a reaction to anything is to try it - a bummert i know, i hate wasting valuable weeks on a possible weight gain situation - but look at it this way - it took years to put the spare tyre on, and its gonna take years to come off again, and what is a few weeks extra?

Hope this is of some use - let me know if you have tried them and what your progress is.

Jackie :p

[fiona]

I must admit I have gone off sweeteners of any kind since talking to the manager of a Health Food Shop here in the UK.

Stay off all sweets if I can - if I must have something have the real thing once a month : honey in small amounts.

Perhaps it is not the sweeteners but what goes with it: cream etc etc which do increase carb intake and starts the cravings off for me.

Stay with it juicyjacki ... the whoosh fairy rewards those that refuse to be distracted from their focus on LowCarb. I found natural is best - only way I know what it is I am eating.

Take care.

[Matt]

Thanks for the responses all - I'm in week 7 and haven't stalled yet, and have taken the decision to avoid the polyol based sweeteners and associated products. I agree its a small price to pay vs the upside (for me this is 22lbs so far in 7 weeks, and perhaps more importantly, I haven't felt this good or clear headed for a while - I think is due in no small part to giving up caffeine too).

[odd sock]

I would like to know why we cannot get several of the natural sweetners here in the UK... or could I be blatentlyoverlooking them?

One of the big ones being touted in the States (and mentioned many many times on this discussion site) is 'Splenda.' Supposedly, it is made from the evaporated juice of the sugar cane, though I may have been temporarily insane at the time. Or made from Stevia (see below)? Or made by trolls in their underground kingdoms in trade for designer shoes? I degress... anyway, I have read that it is quite nice compared to the chemically-derived sweetners.

The other natural sweetner is Stevia Leaf, sometimes called Sweet Leaf. This is an herb, not a refined product. One is able to buy it in Herbal/Healthfood shops in the US, but when I asked at my local shop they said that it had been banned in the UK even though it was easily obtained in Europe. Does anyone have a reason why?

Although I am not a sugar-fiend, I would like the occassional cuppa on the sweet side. Can't abide any chemical-tasting stuff, some which make my throat close up (allergic?). Any suggestions, solutions, or answers?

Thanks!

[odd sock]

oh LORD!

why can't I get through all the replies and forums to look for the answer BEFORE i ask the exact same question???
:rolleyes:

Please see the discussion on Splenda somewhere below for all who are interested!

Sorry, All!!!

I shall be more careful in the future!