Ah, Sugar, Sugar. (Substitutes)

Slow but steady, right? I'm down 9.5lbs ** after about a month and a half of adjusting my low-carb regimen. That;s great, but I'm impatient. I want to lose more and faster. Recently, I chatted with someone on another social network and he reminded me to up my fats, lower the carbs, and adjust the proteins. I know that he is right because I've been reading other info and trying to head in that direction.

Getting more fat into my diet isn't too hard because I am in love with the new butter I've been using in my coffee. It's from KerryGold brand and it's from grass-fed cows. (And, yes, I remember being a little side-eye-ish about this a minute ago!) I still need to get more fat into my diet, but I'm working on it.

Losing some of the protein isn't a hardship, at least, not mentally. My problem is I haven't been diligent about thinking out my meal plans. Grabbing some bacon, pork, or beef is so easy when you haven't thought about side dishes and all that.

The hardest thing is ditching more carbs. Giving up pasta, bread, crackers, chips, and cookies bothers me not one bit. Those were never my weakness. It's my coffee creamer that I'm mourning. Every kind of creamer I like (and there are only a few) are loaded with carbs - especially because I drink more than a tablespoon per cup. A tablespoon's worth of creamer might as well be no creamer at all. It's like all foreplay and no sex. It's like only getting to watch someone make a cake and not getting even a taste. It's like when you dream you grabbed a handful of money only to wake up clutching empty air. It's- Never mind. I think you get what I mean.

Anyway, I've been trying to jazz up my coffee with lots of cream and different extracts. Vanilla is a favorite. Also, since I never did like table sugar in my coffee but still want something to sweeten it, I've been trying various sweetening substitutes.

Let's take a look at the different ones and why I do or don't like them or can't use them:

Brown Sugar
Love brown sugar in my coffee and, if I just have to ditch more carbs, I will start back using a bit of brown sugar mixed with whole heavy cream as a backup. (By the way, this explains the differences in light/golden and dark brown sugars.) Here are two different brand nutrition labels:

This one is the Bakers & Chefs Light Brown Sugar label. Note the 4 carbs per teaspoon. Teaspoon, ~sigh~














This one is the C&H brand of golden brown sugar. Same carb count. Same sad face for me.



Honey
Y'all know I love my honey, but it's not a great coffee sweetener. At any rate, I've been abstaining until I can get into good keto, but I am never giving up my honey full-time. I still use it on my mouth when I feel a cold sore itch trying to start (and I haven't restocked my Abreva since I started using honey instead). Just in case someone wants to use honey in their coffee (and definitely in tea), I'm including it here. There are too many types of honey to show labels for, so I'm going to show a common raw brand that I love.



By the way, those carbs? Those massive, massive carbs? That's typical for honey. Trust me, I try not to even lick my lips when I dab on some for a honey scrub or to treat a cold sore.

Blackstrap Molasses
First: ick. When I first started using 'strap to treat my low energy, the one way I couldn't stand it was in my coffee. The taste is too much. Like with honey, I am temporarily abstaining but when I do take 'strap, I put it in vanilla soy milk. As you can see, it's high carb but that's for a tablespoon, not teaspoon. Still, in coffee, ick.



Splenda
I have never, ever liked Splenda. Ever. My sister and most of my friends choose this for an artificial sweetener. I just can't handle the after-taste. Also, I hate the powder that puffs up when you open a packet. Just. Gross.



The other thing that bothers me is when I check the ingredients label, I see what someone just warned me about today. What's listed is Dextrose, Maltodextrin, and Sucralose.

I've heard that these can be just as bad as regular sugar if you're really, really watching carb intake. Also, dextrose = saccharine which reminds me of that nasty liquid stuff my mother used way back in the 70's. Ick. Maltodextrin is glycemically high (and I just made that word up, btw). Sucralose seems to be what gives Splenda it's "flavor", so ick.

Okay, so now that I have grumped and griped about those choices, let me share some other substitutes I've tried recently.

Truvia
I won't go into it much because I talked it to death in this post. I will say that I am learning a little more about sugar alcohols and all that.

As you can see it is not carb-free, just low-carb. Pay attention to that one ingredient of 3 grams in the photo on the left. Now notice the ingredients listed in the photo on the right? Hold on to that for a minute.

Erythritol...
We'll get to that in a moment

Just Like Sugar
I already talked about this in a post here. I like the taste (or lack of aftertaste), but I have to use too much to get any flavor. The stuff is too pricey to use so heavily. Also - and this is bigger for me - I am having trouble deciphering the carb counts.

Wha-?
Is it NO carbs or is it 4 carbs???

Another thing is that that there are nutrition label differences between the "tabletop" and jar versions. I submitted the questions about this to Amazon community and, usually, the Seller will chime in with an answer. Not so in this case.

Swerve
Now this is a sugar substitute I can get down with. There are 2 ingredients listed on the package.

Of course, I'd like this one the most. Look at the carb count...

Another thing I'm wondering about: what exactly are those "natural flavors"?

The best thing about Swerve is that, like Just Like Sugar, it really tastes a lot like table sugar right out of the bag. I did the finger-dip test to figure that out. There's none of the metallic 'twang' that is common with a lot of substitute sweeteners. But, then again, those carbs. If I want to enjoy my coffee, I have to choose between a teaspoon of this or a tablespoon of Almond Joy creamer. (I never use sweetener when I use the creamer anyway because it's sweet enough.) I have to say that I do like using this if I'm just adding butter and heavy cream to my coffee. Next time I make fat bombs, I'm going to try this on a few of them.

Erythritol
I mentioned that we'd talk about one of the ingredients in Truvia. Well, let's talk about this erythritol that is also found in Swerve. (I've heard that substitutes are often combined because doing so enhances their individual sweetness.)

The big positive of this one is that it seems so much sweeter than the other 'fakes'. The negative is that it does have a sort of back taste that sticks to my throat, but only if I use too much. Basically, this one is great if you are careful about measurements. I think it will be the best one to cook or bake with.

Once again, though, check that carb count...

 One last thing: according to the info panel on the back, Erythritol is "derived from non-GMO corn". I need to get my facts on this but, for some reason, I thought "corn" products were not great.

If you want more information about sweeteners, make sure you check out the Sugar and Sweetener Guide. I bookmarked the site so that I can go over and do some reading. Everything sugar is covered - even the history of sugar - and there are links to even more information.

For now, I have to tell you that I am alternating between the substitute sugars. It depends on what day it is. Also, I have been treating myself occasionally by using sweetened condensed milk in my coffee. This is a nice cheat as long as I make a teeny-tiny cup of coffee and add some heavy cream to break up the acidity of the brew. The label on sweetened condensed milk?

So, there you go. I hope this little rundown on the different sugars is helpful

Peace
--Free

P.S.:
** Today, it's official: I'm down 10 pounds!

**REVIEW** Living Natural Yacon Syrup

In my quest to eat healthier, live healthier and stay in shape, I've tried making small changes in my life. One of the changes was trying to get away from so much processed sugar. I talked about this before. And then again. One of my favorite substitutes for white sugar is raw or brown sugar. A favorite  substitute for those sugars is Yacon syrup. I've tried others and now I've had the chance to try Living Natural's  Yacon Syrup.

Yacon syrup has lots of benefits over the usual sweeteners a lot of us use. For me, the taste is the biggest positive. There is non of that metallic, artificial tinge or aftertaste.

Living Natural's Yacon has an exceptionally nice taste because, to me at least, the molasses type flavor was a little more pronounced that in other syrups I've tried. The texture was a little different also - almost grainier-looking but not actually grainy at all.

This is Living Natural Brand Yacon

To compare a difference of textures, this is a photo what another brand of Yacon syrup I use:

This one is darker & a tiny bit thicker

As for quality and taste, both syrups I have tried are nice. The Natural Life syrup is (to me) slightly sweeter while the other one has a more wine-like undertone. The main thing is the benefits of using them as an alternative to sugar. Some info straight from the product page:

• 100% natural with no additives or sweeteners and is extracted purely from the roots of the Yacon plant (Smallanthus Sonchifolius)
• high amount of fructooligosaccharides. This natural soluble fiber has been shown to reduce symptoms of constipation and improve metabolism.
• high in antioxidants and potassium and studies have shown it increases the levels of 'friendly' bacteria in the digestive system

From my own use over the months of Yacon syrup, I can tell you that using it on a regular basis did decrease my sugar cravings. (I have not used white table sugar in a few years, but I don't even use my brown or raw sugar in my coffee now except on an occasional basis.) When I started using Yacon syrup some time back, I was still coming down off my prednisone weight of (I shudder to even type this) 204 lbs. I am down to the 160's and would be doing better if I had not gone back on a steady diet of bread in the past couple of weeks... Also, it helps if you actually use the Yacon on a regular basis.

The suggestion is to use Yacon in beverages and I have grown to like the taste of it in my coffee. This time, I also tried adding a little bit to some rice (plain white rice with butter) and to some oatmeal. The taste was interesting and pleasant, but I had to experiment with how much to add to get the right amount of sweetness. (I ended up using about half a dinner spoon full.) Because Yacon has a distinctive taste, I got a sort of molasses-flavored treat with my oatmeal. I have to say that I like using this particular brand in my warm/hot food where I use the other brand in my coffees and some of my teas. I think it's going to come down to preference. Personally, I want to keep a variety around for my different uses.

I'd also like to add (as I usually do) something about customer service. The product page has a nice message:

When you order today, you're protected by our 100% quality and satisfaction guarantee together with our focus on exceptional customer service!

Finally, I will say this about using Yacon syrup: Any one of us who is trying to revise our diet and lifestyle to be healthy know that big changes come from lots of small efforts. Using an alternative to white sugar is one of the best changes I've made. Lord knows, I'm not giving up sweets if I can help it. Using Yacon syrup is a good way to make a single but important effort. Did that make sense? I hope so!

I will suggest to fellow healthy minded people that if you take one part of your daily diet that costs you the most calories from sugar, then use Yacon (or some other sweetener alternative) instead.

Peace
--Free

DISCLOSURE:
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Sugar: Crazy, Sexy, Cruel

After prowling the internet and talking to friends (online and in real life), I returned the Truvia that my sister bought for me the other day. Almost everything I read and heard about Truvia (except from the Truvia site) made me think of that crazy robot on the old TV show that would wave its arms and warn: "Danger! Danger, Will Robinson!"

So.

I went back to the store where my sister bought the Truvia to exchange it (opened, missing two sachets, and with no receipt) and.... They were really cool about it. They let me get a box of Stevia in the Raw, which was actually a bit cheaper, so I got change. He-ey!

Ingredients: Dextrose, Stevia Leaf Extract

First off, I have to say that I really did like the taste of the Truvia. It was the most un-artificial-tasting artificial sweetener I've ever tried. Not that I go around trying lots of artificial sweeteners but, when I've been desperate, I've tried Splenda and Equal. Ick. I just cannot stand that metallic-sugary aftertaste. There was no nasty back taste with Truvia. Matter of fact, I liked it so much, I just knew something was going to be wrong with it!

When I was looking into the Truvia, I kept running across information that made Stevia sound as if it was the safer alternative to other no-cal/low-cal sweeteners. Once I got the Stevia home, I started seeing information that makes it sound like the little imp brother to the big brother demon that Truvia seems to be.

I'd look at one thing and cringe, then I'd see something else and relax a little. Here's how this went:

First, I read about the dextrose that's in the Stevia in the Raw (which is what I got), but then I realized that dextrose is in so many things that it must not be any more awful than the air we are forced to breathe. (And, to be honest, this Stevia only has the dextrose and none of the other 3 mentioned additives.) Matter of fact, the worst thing WebMD had to say about Stevia was the bitter taste.

Dextrose doesn't sound any more awful than a lot of things I expose myself to by walking out of the house everyday.

If dextrose is really awful for every single person who eats food, why is there such a reference as "Best Sources of Glucose (Dextrose)"? And why would honey (listed as one source of high dextrose) then not be considered dangerous?

So, right now, until I see my doctor, I'm not going to worry about the dextrose that is in this Stevia in the Raw that I went through the trouble of obtaining. (Okay, I am a little concerned that the dextrose in products is likely from GMO corn, but it's tough to avoid GMO products already. It's not like I'm snorting or mainlining this stuff. I don't even know what "mainlining" even means, by the way; it just made me sound all tough.)

And let's get back to the Stevia.

When I saw what LiveStrong had to say about one of the possible side effects of Stevia, I had to stop myself from running out and buying up every box I could find. Did you see that part about "decreased appetite"? Man... bring that one right on! Maybe next time I go shopping, I'll check the health food store for some straight, no additive Stevia. Skip all the GMO crap, right?

With the Truvia, I did feel good about leaving it alone. With the Stevia in the Raw, I kind of feel like most of the negatives I've read about are due to people's strong beliefs about any type of food. I know and respect vegans for their dietary restrictions, but I'm not giving up meat.

One last thing: the Truvia was in a way cuter package.

Peace
--Free

Is Truvia a Good or Bad Thing?

I'm trying to kick another habit of mine: sugar.

This is going to be tougher than giving up smoking. Bear in mind that I said I was giving up sugar - not sweetness. Since my biggest sugar consumption is via my oh-so-very-necessary coffee habit, I am giving up the brown sugar I use. So... I have to find a substitute.

First up to try: Truvia. Actually, I'm now trying out the Truvia that my sister got for me. I put it in my coffee this morning and it was so good that I wondered why. Usually, I can't stand any kind of artificial sweetener. I hate the "bite" of the after-taste. Of course, I had to then look up some info.

Apparently the Truvia that my sister got me (because she thought it was the Stevia she's heard about) is not as good for humans as the marketing claims. I say "apparently" because I'm still scanning the online information that seems very anti-Truvia:

• This says that Truvia is less than 1/2 percent of "something made from Stevia".
• Of course, the Truvia site says this: "The best sweetness comes from nature. Truvía® sweetener is natural, great-tasting sweetness born from the leaves of the stevia plant." They make a claim of "from field to table" that I want to be leery of. This is a product associated, after all, with CocaCola.
• WebMD wasn't much help; its article is from 2008 - when Truvia was making its debut.  The article wasn't exactly encouraging. I wish there was an update.
• I'm a little bit worried about the "sugar alcohol" and the "natural flavors" in the Truvia ingredients. (One article noted that the FDA doesn't regulate the term "natural flavors".) I'm interested in the comments in this discussion. Apparently sugar alcohols are not really calorie free.

I'm going to finish the box of Truvia, then I'm going to try Stevia. Might as well get right to the source. For now, I am kind of enjoying the Truvia but, since it does come from CocaCola, I have a little bit of doubt that it's all that good for me. (Frankly, the more I read about Truvia, the more I'm considering returning it for some Stevia!)

I've got to do some more research. If I can't find a sugar-substitute that I like, I'm going to be a cranky girl. I can't imagine my coffee without cream and sug sweetener, and I cannot imagine giving up my coffee.

It's going to be a looooong couple of weeks!

Peace

--Free