HLG-Sugar vs. sweeteners

TinaL99

Which is "better" for you?  Calorie ridden sugar (in moderation) or man-made chemical-ey sweeteners like Splenda?  Have you tried any "natural" sweeteners like Stevia or Truvia?  I don't really like honey, especially for my coffee.

This question is brought to you by me trying to decide what to put in my coffee.

Telyco

I put reg sugar in my coffee. But I do put a little less than normal

NikCole

I really try and stay away from artificial sweeteners. There is so much controversy about how bad they are for you. They really haven't been around long enough to know what the long term health effects could be... which scares me. Plus they give me an upset stomach. I got a free sample pack of Truvia and I thought it was nasty... terrible aftertaste.

In my coffee I have been using either vanilla almond or soy milk... which gives it a little sweetness. Or I use the Coffeemate naturals (which are made with real sugar, not sweeteners... so it has quite a few calories... but I use a little of the creamer and a big splash of skim milk too) I also have been buying flavored coffee beans to brew my coffee... then I tend to not need as much added sweetness. 

MrsWhiteonWhiteSt

I'm gonna push my luck with artificial sweeteners. When I was pg I wouldn't touch them. Now I have splenda and ff creamer in my coffee every morning and whatever art. sweetener is in diet coke at lunch.

I find that when I'm eating healthy they are popping up everywhere.

TinyPinkBug

Sugar. 

I am pretty anti-artificial sweeteners, to me they taste gross.  Plus I am not a fan of consuming things that my body cannot metabolize.  I can usually tell when I have eaten something that contains sucralose a couple hour later by its effect on my guts.

I really don't know a lot about Truvia or Stevia, just that it is part of a plant.  I generally don't buy into anything that label's itself as "natural".  Plain old sugar is all natural, high fructose corn syrup is all natural just poorly named, arsenic is all natural and has a sweet taste, poison ivy is all natural...  That is more of a rant about the "natural" marketing we are surrounded by these days than the product.  But my guess is that sweeteners extracted from the Stevia plant and work the same as artificial sweeteners aren't any more healthy than the artificial ones.

Smile58

Sugar.

Mitzzi23

I am an oddball and like that artificial sweeteners are so sweet. I don't use them when baking or anything, but I have a diet soda everyday and prefer Splenda over sugar in my coffee. I have such a killer sweet tooth.

mrsoc

I used to do Splenda, but now I use sugar.  I switched from the flavored creamers to soymilk for my coffee.  I will occasionally have a diet soda.  

NikCole

also- if you consume artificial sweeteners it "tricks" your body into thinking it's getting actual calories/sugar. That does 2 things- one: makes you crave sugar more since your body is expecting it but never gets any. and two: over time will weaken your metabolism, so your body won't burn the actual calories you eat as effectively... it's almost like the boy who cried wolf... if you eat enough artificial stuff and gear your body up to think it needs to burn calories when it doesn't, then it won't when you really feed it sugar. (if that makes any sense at all!)

KD+BC

Mitzzi23:

I am an oddball and like that artificial sweeteners are so sweet. I don't use them when baking or anything, but I have a diet soda everyday and prefer Splenda over sugar in my coffee. I have such a killer sweet tooth.

I'm the same way. I put one Splenda packet in my coffee or probably a whole tablespoon of sugar. I used to put creamer in my coffee but since I'm off dairy I've decided that like coffee just fine with only Splenda.

ArcticFox

I refuse to touch any of the fake stuff.  There are all kinds of warnings for stuff like aspartame (like cancer-causing stuff).  To me, it's just not worth it, and it is one more processed thing that I don't trust. 

I have tried Stevia/Truvia, and occassionally I have flavored water (like Crystal light Pure).  But I don't drink any sweet drinks - no soda, coffee, etc.  The only thing I drink is green or tea without sweetener.

My thought too is that I would rather not 'waste' calories on a drink, I'd rather have a solid food and "put the calories towards that", if it makes sense.

I would probably go with Stevia or Truvia in the coffee if it was in my routine.

wendyj

I've cut down on using sweeteners over the last few years, though there are some times when I prefer them over sugar. I use flavored creamer in my coffee - I found that the PPV are equal for fat-free or regular, so I go with the regular. It's my indulgence for the day, and I use just enough to take the bitterness out of the coffee. I have gotten away from eating any yogurts with artificial sweetener. For one, I can't stand the aftertaste, and two, I'm left feeling more hungry after eating it than I was before. Now, if I have the choice between something with sugar and something with sweetener, I go with the sugar.

I think overall, either one is OK in moderation. It's an adjustment to cut back on both, and I can definitely tell when I've gone overboard on either. My body does not react well at all to it.

missyjg

I have one diet soda with dinner, that's usually it. And I usually don't finish it. We've cut way down on artificial everything (sweeteners, colors, preservatives). I started when I found out I was pregnant with B and we just kept it up. But I have a sweet tooth, BAD. So I try to stay away from too much sugar b/c I just want more once I have some. I've never tried Stevia or natural sweetners. Probably won't.

Mrs_Hark

good stuff in this post

i don't do much pop/soda- occasional i drink sierra mist or 7 up but since i stopped drinking colas years ago they really taste gross to me now, and i never drank the diet stuff that stuff tasted worse then gross to me.

but i do have a really bad problem with tea, more inporantly how much splenda i put in it 5 days a week. the last couple of months i've been haveing headaches on the weekend and it just dawned on me it's probably splenda withdraw! which means i should either cut back on the weekdays, start drinking my splenda and tea on the weekends or find an alternative way to sweeten my tea.

and while i think paula dean is a monster for waiting to out herself with diabetes until she got a fat deal with a drug company, i can simpatize with her love of sweet tea