[zanytranscriber]

We prefer to use natural products, like sugar, to artificial products, like Splenda. I notice that the recipes call for Splenda. I would like to know if there is a formula for using real sugar versus the artificial in these recipes. We also use meat with no antibiotics or hormones added, so prefer to stay as natural as possible.

[greeneyes]

The low-carb natural alternative to sugar is stevia. Search the posts for discussions on sweeteners.

[Dingie_Dinah]

I use Splenda, unless I am cooking with chocolate. Then I use wheylow.

check it out at www.wheylow.com

For some reason splenda+chocolate = bitter to me. It's just my taste, I'm sure.

I also must admit, my sugar-shaker at home has whey-low in it. Just don't tell the family!!! They still think it's the "real thing!"

There isn't one drop of "real" sugar in my house. It's a secret.... sssshhhhhhh!!!!!


_________________
Dingie Dinah
Stella Style since 5/2003

May you always have
Love to Share,
Health to Spare,
And Friends Who Care

"Nothing Tastes as Good as Thin and Healthy Feels"

'Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.'

[jkmfrog]

real sugar is out. Sometimes natural is not good. Tobbacco also natural .

Stevia, for those who are ok with the taste/aftertaste, is the natural alternative. Baking or cooking with it can be problematic, but some folks seem to make it work.

[lowcarbcrystal]

Hi Sandi-I too like to use as much natural products as possible. I use stevia when I need some sweetner. I also only eat organic, grassfed animal products. Crystal

[crazywoman]

Sandi, Natural is best. That is highly stressed on this site. But.... sugar is extremely high carb. You won't be very low carb if you stick to sugar. To answer your question tho, Splenda Granular (which when the recipe just says Splenda s what it means) measures cup for cup like sugar.
I've never used Whey Low, but you might want to check it out. It is natural. It is a combination of sugars, which somehow cancel each other out carb (and I think) calorie wise (or almost anyway). www.wheylow.com

And/or as some said stevia. Some always use stevia. But others say they don't like it for certain things. Baking being one I think. I do use Stevia on occasion, usually along with other sweeteners. And not all stevia's are created equally in taste.

Another product some use for some things is Agave Nectar.

You will have a hard time getting low carb to work if you insist on using real sugar. (other than Whey Low)
_________________
Billie
4'8" Started LC WOL Aug 2003

BBcode

My mind not only wanders, sometimes it leaves completely.

[zanytranscriber]

Thanks for all the input on the sugar versus artificial. When I have asked questions on other forums I've tried, no one has actually answered any of my questions. The wheylow does sound good. Mostly, we just don't eat that many sweets anymore, not like we used to anyway. Anyway, thanks again for all the responses. To the unfattening process!!

[wiccanmalenurse]

Sandi, Hi my name is David and Welcome to the site. If there is one subject that would make me leap (well ok hobble) to the computer after my appendectomy, it is this one. Please read my profile and see what going all natural did for me! All natural "sugar" in it's pristine white granular state caused me to be on an insulin pump running average 150 units of Humalog a day, 2 diabetic oral medications, Nexium from Gerd, 2400MG of Neurotin for diabetic neuropathy, lisinopril for high blood pressure, caused me to be totally blind in my left eye and left with only a 20 degree field of vision in my right. I have all this documented and recorded and it can be shown to ANY medical staff or person who chooses not to believe it! The sugar was a slow poison. It made me crave more therefore eating more and I ballooned up to 345 pounds with a 58 inch waist, a size 4 XL shirt and belts that had to be made special order as the store didn't make em big enough for me! I don't mean to sound harsh or offensive as that is NOT my intentions but I also assure you that the consumption of sugar as a "natural product" will not benefit you. As Jen said tobacco is natural as is opium, foxglove, mushrooms and poinsettias but all things created here on Earth are not to be consumed because they are natural! America has misled the general public with a propaganda add campaign that has made us the fattest country in the world along with the distinction of having the highest rate of diabetes and heart disease! I can not be supportive of ANY WOE that contains HFCS or natural sugar. Down the road (and yes it is eventually coming) you will start to see the guidelines change and the recommendations of it's use not so boldly touted. The American Diabetic Association has already understood the importance of diabetics NOT using any sugar and have even started to come around by taking it one step further and understanding that it is also the carbs that diabetics partake of which turn to sugar that affect their blood sugars and diabetic complications as well. I am a nurse and I have been on this WOL since October, 2005 and my HA1C was a 3.7 upon admission to the hospital Monday night for an unexpected appendectomy, with my BS check being at 91. After one single solitary day of being pumped with IVs full of dextrose (sugar) my blood sugar was at 190 and they were trying to come in and give me insulin. I sent them packing, asked for my doctor, stopped the nurse form hanging a second bag and went around in circles with the surgeon (sorry Dr D) I then found the nurse hanging potassium and when I returned home, my BS went back down to a 99. It IS all about what we choose to put into our mouths. I choose to live a low carb lifestyle because of the changes it has had in me. It has saved my life and there is no dispute. New doctors that bad mouth this WOL quickly find me whipping out pictures, lab reports and medical files (no I am not kidding either) showing how "their suggestion" of NOT doing low carb has affected me in the past. Yes it is true, I can be the patient from Hades but hey does the doctor care that I have a beautiful wife and children to live for, or the fact that I come back and "just do as he instructed me based on what he was taught" ignoring the fact that the SYMPTOMS are only getting worse and I am dying for sure. Sugar is not an option in a low carb lifestyle period. I don't care if you are WW, SS, StellaStyling, Atkins, Protein Powering, South Beaching etc, etc, there is NO sugar allowed. I hope I didn't sound rude or harsh but I am passionate about this and if you don't heed my warning from my own personal experience, you may very well find yourself in the same predicament I was in back in 2005. Never say never as many people here will tell you, it CAN happen. Take care and good luck and I sincerely hope you will give some thought to NOT using the sugar. In my humble opinion, the use of it because it is natural is far more dangerous than the use of an artificial sweetener. That is what I have learned from my experience anyways. It is great that you are learning to eat healthier and natural as possible! This WOL encourages that with fresh meats and seafood, an abundance of fresh vegetables and fresh cream butter and olive oils all which are natural but yet allow the body to work for itself rather than against itself. And the contributing factor (again imho) that makes the body work against itself is HFCS and "natural" sugar! Take care, good luck and again, welcome to the forum. I hope to see ya around,
David
_________________
Praise loudly, blame softly and treat each person you meet as a brother or sister!
"Stella Styler for "Life"!"

[jkmfrog]

(Welcome back David!)


Just a couple of comments on whey low and agave nectar. They are primarily "natural" fructose. Some folks find that these sweeteners are low gycemic, and are not processed by the body the same way as sugar. Other folks find that their body treats natural fructose as a high carb item and it has similar effects as suagr. If you use one of these items and don't find your weight dropping, or find that your blood work is still "bad", you may need to consider another low carb sweetener.

[wiccanmalenurse]

Thank ye, Thank ye and Thank ye Jen fer the warm welcum back! I also would like to add that the whey low worked great for me taste wise and blood sugar wise. The price is what I wish they would work on concerning it! The agave nectar many here on this site have used successfully but I must add that although it sweetened well and was natural, it did raise my blood sugars. As jen said this could just be my body and will not affect you in the same way. That is what a lot of this WOE is all about, trial and error, fine tuning to an individual plan that we are able to keep our BS down, continue to lose inches and stay healthy! You gotta love Stella Style! Take care y'all,
David
_________________
Praise loudly, blame softly and treat each person you meet as a brother or sister!
"Stella Styler for "Life"!"

[lowcarbcrystal]

I love how passionate you are David. No one can argue with your experience and results. You're right, natural isn't always healthy. Crystal

[wiccanmalenurse]

Thank you Crystal! I am indeed passionate about this WOL! So many people out there letting FAT kill them and dictate their emotions, actions, recreation, activities, health and behavior when they don't have to! Don't try to use the excuse and come crying to me telling me they are compulsive eaters cause if I listed what I ate daily, you all would pass out. There is a plan of action called Stella Style/ low carb healthy eating that will solve the fat problem or there are excuses plan. Those are the only 2 plans I have tried and I assure you the first one did wonders for me! Take care and hey at least we can eat cheesecake and for me eating cheesecake is as "natural" a process as there is,
David
_________________
Praise loudly, blame softly and treat each person you meet as a brother or sister!
"Stella Styler for "Life"!"