Sweetners

[kendallina]

Is there a better sweetener than another to use on Atkins? I've heard a lot that Splenda is preferred on Atkins, but was thinking that since all sweeteners are counted as 1 g of carb, would it be horrible to use Sweet 'n Low or Equal instead?

[not2late]

Equal is aspartame. Dr. Atkins didn't like aspartame because it stalled or slowed weight loss in some folks. In the 1992 DANDR, he explained that it was excessive use of aspartame and defined "excessive" as 3 or more servings daily.

Sweet N' Low is saccharin. Saccharin is an acceptable sweetener on Atkins.

[kendallina]

That it explains it, not2late. Thank you! You'll have to excuse my misspelling of sweeteners...it's been a hectic morning.

[fawn]

I prefer Stevia
It is a natural sweetener. I've done a great deal of research lately on artificial sweeteners.
My concerns are as follows:
Sweet N Low = coal tar
Splenda = chlorine 2% heavy metals and arsenic )2% too much for me.
Aspartame Methyl Alcohol which turns to formaldahyde (a deadly neuro toxin) refused by the fda 8 times and pushed through with manipulation

Just some information to think about. Use your artificial sweeteners very sparingly (if at all) and very carefully. Do not heat aspartame.
Artificial sweeteners are just that......artificial.

[katiewash]

I second the Stevia emotion.

Stevia is a small, green plant native to Paraguay, and is about 8-10 times sweeter than sugar teaspoon for teaspoon, and has zero calories and a glycemic index of 0. Besides, I would rather use a natural product than a manmade, chemical one.

It can be a little difficult to get the hang of using it, you can't just dump it in by the packet and stir. It tends to stick to itself, so you have to stream it into your coffee as you're stirring. Small price to pay to have coffee, tea, or lemonade once in a while. You can also use it on oatmeal, cereal, etc.

It's worth checking out.

[kendallina]

Thanks for the info everyone. Where can I get stevia and how is it packaged?

[katiewash]

I got mine at Wild Oats (do you have one of those where you are?) but I think you can get it at most specialty (translate: "yuppie") grocery stores. I bought a box of 50 packets. I don't remember exactly what it cost, though. I think it ran about $9 a box. I just googled it and found a lot of websites that are selling it. The brand I have is "Sweetleaf Stevia Plus". Somebody else may know if you can get it at health food stores.

[fawn]

Yep I buy mine at whole foods health food stores. I use greenleaf Stevia clear liquid. It's not quite as bitter. You can find powder at Trader Joes and if all else fails (I don't like giving my money to these people) GNC also carries Stevia.

Xylitol is a good one to research as well. It is from the birch tree.

[kendallina]

Thanks y'all. I'll check out the Fresh Market, Earthfare, or GMC for some stevia.