on 5 Solutions to TRIPLE Fat Loss Results
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on Digestive Exercise?
A little while back I sent you an email with the subject “1+1=3?”, informing you of the unstoppable synergy that occurs when you combine a killer metabolic resistance training program like Turbulence Training along with my Cheat Your Way Thin diet system.
And today, I’m back with another stellar math lesson to wow your friends with: 0 does NOT equal 0.
Sounds like some ass-backwards calculus nonsense, I know, but it’s actually a very practical equation. Or should I say “non-quation” (Yes, I know they’re called inequalities, but non-quation sounds WAY cooler to me, and it’s my blog).
Let me explain.
This morning, I sat down to a bowl of Bran Flakes. It was a rather large bowl, because hey, not only do I preach big breakfasts, I eat them, too.
To that bowl I added two packets of Splenda (now, before anyone responds freaking out about me using two packets of Splenda, you can find my thoughts on artificial sweeteners [backed by actual research] here).
And as I sat there, enchanted by the morning anthems of the neighboring fowl, enjoying my flakes of bran, the label on that little yellow box happened to catch my eye.
You see, the label read “0″ calories and “0″ grams of sugar per packet. After all, that’s the whole point of using an artificial sweetener – to avoid both of the aforementioned.
That said, I couldn’t help but feel as though Mr. Splenda wasn’t telling me the whole story. In fact, I knew he wasn’t, because, well, I’m “in the know”. And today, when you leave this blog post, you’ll do so in a similar position.
If you know anything about ingredient lists on labels, you know that the ingredients are listed by quantity. That is to say, if something appears first within the lists of ingredients, that particular food item contains more of that ingredient than everything else listed thereafter. If it’s dead last, probably not so much.
The list of ingredients on each 1 gram packet of Splenda reads: dextrose, maltodextrin, sucralose.
Now, sucralose is the artificial sweetener commonly refered to as Splenda, but what about the dextrose and maltodextrin? According to the list of ingredients, there is actually MORE of these ingredients than there is sucralose.
Answer: dextrose is sugar, and maltodextrin might as well be (it’s GI is actually significantly higher than table sugar).
So, why is it in there and just exactly how does that equate to zero calories?
Well, the problem with artificial sweeteners like sucralose and aspartame is that they are so sweet that only an extremely small amount is necessary to replicate the sweetness of sugar, an amount too small to “package”, thus the necessity of carriers like dextrose and maltodextrin. That said, both dextrose and maltodextrin do contain calories, and each possesses a rather high GI.
Why then does the label say 0 calories?
Here’s the rule. If a serving of a food item contains less than 1 grams of a nutrient, it need not be counted on the label. In reality, a 1 gram packet of Splenda contains about .1 gram of sucralose and .9 grams of “sugar”. Still, it’s less than a gram, so the product is listed as calorie-free.
Not a major issue if you’re only using a packet or two, but I knew a guy in college that probably used about 30 – 40 packets worth of artificial sweeteners per day. That ain’t 0 calories. In fact, it’s actually more than 100 calories of pure sugar from what is supposed to be a sugar-free, calorie-free product.
Hoodwinked we’ve been.
Oh, and have you ever used calorie-free, fat free cooking spray? The stuff is pure oil. Zero calories? Well, if you use the ridiculously small “1/3 of a second” spray that might coat the pan from my niece’s Malibu Barbie Dream House kitchen set, then yes, it’s less than one gram of fat, and “legally” zero calories.
But if you’re human (not plastic) and you possess normal-sized cookware, think twice before you succumb to the manufacturing giants’ notion that you’re cooking calorie-free. You’re not. Better than coating the pan with a brush lathered in oil? Yes. Calorie-free? No.
And that’s the problem with serving sizes. Often times manufacturers will adjust the serving size to a unrealistic quantity in order to be able to claim “zero” or at least a lower number of calories per serving. To give you a perfect example, one that I just today came in contact with: Vitamin Water 10. Only 10 calories!
Per 8 oz.
Now why would they put the serving size on a 20 oz individual-sized bottle as 8 oz? I don’t know anyone who is buying a Vitamin Water and drinking it in 8 oz intervals. You buy a bottle, you drink the bottle. And you know what? They don’t even sell an 8 oz bottle. That’s called bogus.
I say all that to say this: be mindful of “zero” claims and serving sizes. Sure, these products may be better alternatives to whatever they are substituting for, but you can’t just pile ‘em high and pretend that the calories aren’t adding up.
Zero aint zero, my friend.
Find this post helpful? Question? Comment? At least 50 replies and I’ll be back with more content tomorrow!
Talk to you in the comments section,
Joel
(First comment – boo-yah! The advantage of living in Dubai!)
Joel, why not avoid all that headache and use stevia instead? I’ve been using it for a while now and the taste has really grown on me. I even use it in Morrocan tea to the dismay of some purists over here!
hey, is this true to drinks that claim to have zero calories? (coke zero, sprite zero etc.) they can come in pretty big bottles, up to 2 litres or something, i think.
Hmmm… sneaky, I never thought of that but I will definitely start paying attention to the portion size on the ingredient label. Not that I buy that many pre-packaged 0 cal food items, since I find it a little hard to believe that there would be any real nutritional value in them without containing any cals whatsoever.
Thanks for the enlightenment!
Yikes – I have switched to Coke Zero but drink litres of it! I have not been losing as much as I would like – will check labels and serving sizes more closely now – thanx Joel.
Joel,
Same is true with trans-fats! Packages will actually make a big deal of being trans-fat free when in fact they do contain trans-fats following the under 1 gram rule. I contacted Mission brand tortillas because right on the front of their packages they advertise 0% trans-fats! The fourth ingredient on the list of ingredients lists hydrogenated soybean and/or palm oil. They admitted that it was there and that they were working on it? Working on it?? How can you advertise 0% when it’s one of the ingredients? It if was actually 0%, nothing would BE there!!
Hi Joel.
Yes, that was a very useful article, thanks. Common sense when you come to think of it, but still needed pointing out.
I use Xylitol or one of its derivatives myself. Any views on that?
Yes Joel, how do the various Coke, Sprite Zero do on the real calorie front? I just can’t drink flat water when I eat, there has to be something for the palate. Is sparkling mineral water ok on a regular basis?
I did not know that! I love your blog posts, and you’re a super genius!
Thank you.
Awesome post Joel…the marketers get us again! This is helpful information to keep in mind when wandering through the grocery store, evaluating food items from their ingredient lists and calorie counts! Thanks!
I knew there was some calorie content in the “zero” calorie foods but THANK YOU for putting that into perspective! WOW! A person could end up with 100 extra calories a day from a zero calorie food!
Correct me if I am wrong but I assume that the above mentioned stevia (though a natural alternative to the artificial stuff) falls into the same calorie trap.
This is hilarious, thanks for discussing it.
I have wasted so much time staring at product labels trying to figure out exactly how many calories are in them…per 100gm, per half packet, per serving…some products I’ve just put back on the shelf in disgust.
BTW thanks for the big breakfast post. I’ve upped the protein in my breakfast smoothie, and am having more protein for lunch and it’s making a big difference.
I appreciate the post, the energy you put into it and the information it contains, but it leaves me feeling hopeless. Once I learned to the read the labels, I thought I could trust that the information given was true. Now I learn that zero doesn’t equal zero. I don’t use sweeteners, so this particular label doesn’t effect me, but what about everything I have learned to eat? What about my balsamic vinegar? Non-fat yogurt? Natural peanut butter?? Not happy today.
Very interesting and it shows how the manufactures and advertisers rely on our ignorance.
That’s why you’re better off drinking water and learning how to enjoy foods without added sugar of any kind.
Dave Palumbo said this same exact thing in 2008…i thought i was going to learn something new this morning.
thanks for reitarating it though…
Joel,
I have noticed that with many products, and that stuff about 20oz to 8oz, I’ve noticed that as well in a different format. Sometimes bread products do that as well, instead of telling you how many calories are in a slice of bread, they tell you how many are in a certain amount of oz’s and than you have to figure it out to make sure you’re not eating too little or too much.
why not just stay away from the chemicals and stick with the all natural sweeteners if you are going to use them…I have read that aspartame was created as a pestacide…if you look closely at your labels it is in a lot of “low cal/diet” packaged foods as well as gum.
People need to read this everyday because they learn this one day and the next day they are buying some crap that says 0 calories.
Instead of asking Joel… Hey what about my wife’s cookies? Look at the freaking label. I don’t look at fat, carbs and protein anymore. I look directly at the ingredients, serving sizes and calories. Don’t be lazy, look at the ingredients too.
Look at the ingredients in whole grain bread and then look at white bread, sometimes the ingredients are the same, sometimes the difference is 1.
Joel, please, write about this at least once a year (or month) because everyone forgets about it and this is important.
Excellent post, in a perfect world we would be only eating “real food”. But since we’re stuck in this one we’ve better read the f***ing label, and read it carefully. Once I bought a jar of special prune jam with: no added sugar on the label. The way I saw it it was like eating (cooked) fruit. So there I was finishing the jar, and casually reading (with my glasses on this time) label and there it was: right after prunes on the list of ingredients: fructose. So I guess they meant no table sugar added, wtf?
You hit the bull’s eye with this topic Joel. Kudos!!!!!! You know I have the same thought when I drink the zero coke on the airplane every week back n forth. It is so damn sweet and very close to the regular coke, it has to be loaded with some hidden stuff. Anything that tastes great to the tongue has to have some hidden culprit that is adding into the calorie bucket. I guess the only way is proportion control if it tastes too good to the tongue. Anything else, you can load up the plate. Load the salad but drizzle the dressing!!!!! Load the coffee cup but trickle the cream and dust the artificial sweetner!!!!
I am also wondering about pure stevia. I realize that the packets have the maltodextrin, etc but you can buy pure stevia. I use this ALL day long. What are your views on that?
If you use the liquid version of Splenda there is no carrier and no carbs or calories. If you use prepackaged in little envelope Stevia, it’s the same as Splenda, but again, use the liquid version and you need no carrier, so you get no carbs. I primarily use liquid Stevia, and the bottle says it has @500 servings with 1 – 4 drops bering a serving. Ha! I need 8 – 10 drops in a big mug of coffee! Oh well. Way better than sugar or packets of the faux sweeteners.
I drink Splenda sweetened diet soda but I usually cut it with about 1/2 water, too. :-)
And i still like the invention of those oil sprays. Atleast you are in control. Like taking a shower versus bathing to save hot water.
Where as with oil, I wish someone came up with a squeeze top, like the medicine meaure for babies. You literally have to squeeze and then the stuff comes out in droplets.
Eye opening. I have been off the articifial sweetners bus for awhile because I became sick for months. I read labels and knew better, but I was just desperate to lose weight. The quick fix is always so tempting.
Oh Golly I use stuff like hot sauce all the time simply becuase it has ’0′ calories Now im in trouble But thx Joel It’s never to late to stop
I have been reading labels for years. The challenge most people don’t think about what they read. As you have pointed out, a small package can contain more than one serving. As for bottled water, Kangen water is the best. I bottle it myself from my machine at home and it is the purest water available.
As for sweeteners, salt, and other spices to flavor foods, I have gotten away from all of them. I have used Stevia in the past but have gotten used to the natural real flavor of food. Sugar is poison. Artificial sweeteners are also. Sea salt is better than mined salt. I have grown to love the natural flavor of veggies and grains. If there is something I don’t like, I don’t eat it!
Our food is not just about the extras we put on it to cover the lack of flavor and nutrients. It is about finding naturally nutrient rich food and developing a taste for what it really is. Organic foods are more initially expensive, but I go back to the statement, “nothing is more expensive than what is thrown away” which includes nutrient deficient foods that pass straight through the system into the commode. These foods rob our bodies of enzymes and energy trying to digest them. Organics also have a more robust flavor. Since they are nutrient dense, we don’t have to eat as much to get more of what our bodies really need.
I will never use sweeteners from a little tear open packet again.
This is not news to me. I already knew all this. When eating, drinking diet stuff (like pop) you still need to have moderation in all things
I remember the labeling policies at Europe. They had to show the nutrition facts either for 100 g. of solid food or 100 ml (about 3.4 oz) of liquid. No matter what the product was. I think that’s why, there, one can find pill versions of Splenda with only .2 g of carbs as excipient as opposed to .9.
Here, at Mexico, we can find both: per 100 g. or per “serving size”. I don’t know how the regulations for labeling are here, but sometimes the macronutrients and calories are listed with one or even two decimals. For example, Zero Coke has 0.5 cal per 200 ml (~6.8 oz).
By the way; I found a product called DiabeSugar. It commes in packets as Splenda and it uses Sucralose also, but its excipient is Isomalt instead of maltodextrine/dextrose. It is still almost 1 g. of a sugar alcohol, but one of the less harmful.
Easy solution = pure stevia :)
This drives me crazy. I remember when I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Spray came out. Yes, it’s oil. Use five sprays and you have the negligible calorie count. But I was talking to someone one day who was SO excited about this “low calorie nonfat” option that she was unscrewing the top and pouring it in the pan to cook in it! Uhhhhhh…no.
Yup I totally agree with you… That’s why whenever I come across
Somehing that says 0 grams of trans fat… The fact that there even
A label for trans fat.. I deterr away from it
I love your writing, it is FUNNY as well as informative!
thanks for staying up late… how did you concentrate so late at night?
I must admit with your intro I was on the hunt for typos and sleep-deprived-expression-errors… what does that say about me??? lol
anne
PS Disapointed I cant get the prograde in Aus :-(
Well I’ll be swaggered! What a snarky thing to do. LOL
I KNEW it *had* to be too good to be true. I do use splenda…plan on using it for at least the next year to lose a ton of weight (ok, so not a *ton* so much, but very close).
Alas, I over-use it. Another habit I will need to break! I was always afraid to delve deeper into the calorie mist surrounding Splenda but ignorance will not be bliss all over my hips.
Thank you for giving me the proverbial kick in the habit!
Joel, I truly enjoy your articles so keep ‘em coming!
To safer health,
Sherri
Originally Posted By LisaThat’s why you’re better off drinking water and learning how to enjoy foods without added sugar of any kind.
I agree with Lisa. Or at least, as Dallin said, moderation.
Joel, I love you! That ‘fat=free’ label on the cooking spray has p’d me off ever since I frist saw it. Ridiculous. Oil is the only ingredient – how can oil be fat-free? Do they think we’re morons?! And they add the maltodextrin to all stevia powders, too, and not saying a thing about that it is sugar. Glad I’m no the only one to be so picky.
Definitely something to keep in mind. I usually mostly Stevia these days but I occasionally I will use other sweeteners. I don’t over do it but it is still important that I keep close watch on my intake.
Hello Joel,
I was told that Spenda is not good for the body, so changed to Stevia which I use in my coffee. For my breakfast which is oats, bran,fruit and unsweetened yogurt, I use a product called “Panela” which is a natural sugar, directly from sugar cane. It is very healthy, it does contain calories yes, but these are healthy ones, eg Protein, carbs, vitamins and trace elements which the body needs. I am aware of my daily calories, so measure this as part of my intake. I also use it in a pro drink after training. What are your comments on this product please and if I am using it correctly.
Thanks
Brian
(Apologies in advance for the length of this post).
Another sneaky way to abuse the labelling legislation seems to be on the increase, over here in the UK at least: using ‘composite components’ (my term) with their ingredients in brackets after.
This promotes the good parts to the top of the list (even if some of them are in small quantities) and splits the sugar up across several entries in the ingredients list, thereby pushing it down the table and, to an extent, disguising it.
Now, I wouldn’t eat this stuff for a number of reasons, but I think the labelling is appallingly cynical and I look at an example below.
It does occur to me that all this fuss about sugar substitutes begs the question: why must we sweeten up everything we eat? Anyway, that’s another topic; on to the labelling example…
I saw the following example while staying with a friend and have retrieved it from the manufacturer’s website. Kelloggs Coco Pops Coco Rocks (see http://www.kelloggs.co.uk/products/cocopops/Cereal/coco_pops_coco_rocks.aspx) has, as its first ingredient:
‘Cereal Flours (Maize, Oat, Rice, Wheat)’ which looks like it’s all full of grainy goodness, but…
The next is ‘Sugar’ (but, of course, there might be more sugar than any of the individual cereals listed). After that is another composite: (deep breath, this is a biggie)
Chocolate Flavour Filling (14%)(Sugar, Vegetable Oil, Cocoa Mass, Fat Reduced Cocoa Powder, Skimmed Milk Powder, Milk Whey Powder, Emulsifier {Soy Lecithin}, Flavouring)
So, straight away we know the sugar they are admitting to is over 14% – but, wait! the first entry in this list is sugar TOO.
Next entry is ‘Glucose Syrup’ which is a type of, let me see – ah yes: sugar.
Next up is ‘Chocolate (3.5%)(Sugar, Cocoa Mass)’ which hides yet more sugar.
It finishes off with a list of industrial-looking chemicals and then some vitamins.
They do, at least, have the per-100g nutrition information and you won’t be surprised to see 75g of Carbohydrate. They’ve somehow managed to keep it down to 32g of sugars, so maybe I was ungenerous about the amount of cereals in it. Joel can tell us about the GI of highly-ground, highly-processed cereals though, I’m sure.
If you made it this far – well done! Caveat emptor has never been so true, and I am reminded of someone’s advice that, if the ingredients list is longer than 3 entries, don’t eat it.
You’ll appreciate Brian Regan’s routine on food labels and serving sizes:
Thanks for the informative piece.
Awesome info Joel! I never believed the 0% stuff or for that matter, the 100% claims on food products, juices, liquids. It’s nice to know, that someone in the know is willing to impart the wisdom to all. I’ll pass it along.
Peace….Tony
Loved your article today – i always expected as much…just didnt have the know-how to prove it; well, that changd today! Thanks.
@Stef73 –
I have a hard time with plain water, too, so I have taken to adding True Lemon, True Lime, or True Orange crystals to my water. They taste great, come in handy to carry packets, and their ingredients are:
Citric Acid, Lactose, Lime – Lemon – or Orange juice, the oil from the fruit, and here’s where you get to Maltodextrin (4th), and then Ascorbic Acid.
They are manufactured in the states and can be ordered off the web by going to http://www.truelemon.com, or may be available in stores like Safeway, Wal-mart, etc., in the powdered drinks and teas section. I live in a rural area and they are hard to find, so I order them off the web. $3 for 32 servings isn’t a bad price. I use them in hot liquids, as well as ice water.
i always thought that zero always meant something else, thanks for the information
Agave is the way to go!!! Natural sweetener that has a lower GI than sugar and is 25% sweeter. Good stuff.
Isn’t better to use something natural like honey to substitute sugar instead of using something manufacturated?? I’m asking, not saying :D
I must say joel, you do surprise me with the quality of your insights, especially this time. Good work.
Thanks Joel…very informative. Really gives you something to think about when reading those labels.
hey bro! start checking your stevia labels too. . im a Gen Manager of a natural foods store (who concurs with Joels stance on artificial sugars. . )
most stevia packs have maltodextrin. . i prefer the 100% pure stevia with no addives . . . which leads me to my next point . they used to offer 100% splenda/ nutrasweet back in the day. . no fillers. . but i havent seen em in a bit.
@Joel . HAHA man you were just reading my mind . . . . . I read an article (that i lost) that was talkign about actual caloric content of splenda. . something like it wasnt much less than actual sugar
I actually recently discovered this myself. I visited england in June, and saw all the diet sodas and other low calorie items with like .48 grams of sugar, and i remembered that america never has anything less than 1 gram, so i assumed that meant even if they have .48, it can be listed as calorie free.
Thanks for the verification. Ill continue to eat “calorie free” items in moderation.
Originally Posted By James
hey, is this true to drinks that claim to have zero calories? (coke zero, sprite zero etc.) they can come in pretty big bottles, up to 2 litres or something, i think.
They don’t use the carriers in these types of beverages, so yes, they actually do have zero calories.
Joel
Originally Posted By Nadine
Yikes – I have switched to Coke Zero but drink litres of it! I have not been losing as much as I would like – will check labels and serving sizes more closely now – thanx Joel.
Wouldn’t recommend that kind of “diet” soda intake, especially one that’s caffeinated like Coke zero. See my artificial sweetener recommendations in the post that I linked to above.
Joel
Originally Posted By Richard
Joel,
Same is true with trans-fats! Packages will actually make a big deal of being trans-fat free when in fact they do contain trans-fats following the under 1 gram rule. I contacted Mission brand tortillas because right on the front of their packages they advertise 0% trans-fats! The fourth ingredient on the list of ingredients lists hydrogenated soybean and/or palm oil. They admitted that it was there and that they were working on it? Working on it?? How can you advertise 0% when it’s one of the ingredients? It if was actually 0%, nothing would BE there!!
Very, VERY true about trans fats. Many manufacturers get away with the “zero” claim here as well by reducing serving size to work around the less than 1 gram rule. This is really one where you need to read the label!
Meant to include that in the post, but somehow slipped my mind…thanks for mentioning it!
Joel
Originally Posted By Stef73
Yes Joel, how do the various Coke, Sprite Zero do on the real calorie front? I just can’t drink flat water when I eat, there has to be something for the palate. Is sparkling mineral water ok on a regular basis?
Flavored waters are OK, there are some that are not artificially sweetened, and many more that are…if you must have something carbonated regularly, I’d go with a flavored seltzer.
Joel
Originally Posted By Karen
I knew there was some calorie content in the “zero” calorie foods but THANK YOU for putting that into perspective! WOW! A person could end up with 100 extra calories a day from a zero calorie food!Correct me if I am wrong but I assume that the above mentioned stevia (though a natural alternative to the artificial stuff) falls into the same calorie trap.
With the packets, yes. Just something to be mindful of.
Originally Posted By Claire
This is hilarious, thanks for discussing it.I have wasted so much time staring at product labels trying to figure out exactly how many calories are in them…per 100gm, per half packet, per serving…some products I’ve just put back on the shelf in disgust.
BTW thanks for the big breakfast post. I’ve upped the protein in my breakfast smoothie, and am having more protein for lunch and it’s making a big difference.
Awesome, Claire! You’re very welcome :)
Joel
Originally Posted By Greg
I appreciate the post, the energy you put into it and the information it contains, but it leaves me feeling hopeless. Once I learned to the read the labels, I thought I could trust that the information given was true. Now I learn that zero doesn’t equal zero. I don’t use sweeteners, so this particular label doesn’t effect me, but what about everything I have learned to eat? What about my balsamic vinegar? Non-fat yogurt? Natural peanut butter?? Not happy today.
Hey Greg, it’s all about the ingredient lists…be mindful (not paranoid)…vinegar and non-fat yogurt do have zero calories and zero fat respectively. Most products do. The “calorie free” stuff is mostly where the issue lies, and provided you are only using a small amount as I mentioned, not such a big deal.
Joel
Originally Posted By Joe
Joel,
I have noticed that with many products, and that stuff about 20oz to 8oz, I’ve noticed that as well in a different format. Sometimes bread products do that as well, instead of telling you how many calories are in a slice of bread, they tell you how many are in a certain amount of oz’s and than you have to figure it out to make sure you’re not eating too little or too much.
So much for practical labels, huh? :)
Originally Posted By Arbel
Oh Golly I use stuff like hot sauce all the time simply becuase it has ’0′ calories Now im in trouble But thx Joel It’s never to late to stop
Many things do indeed have zero calories…again, just be sure to read the ingredient lists :) And again, quantity does come into major play here.
Originally Posted By Dallin
This is not news to me. I already knew all this. When eating, drinking diet stuff (like pop) you still need to have moderation in all things
Sorry, next time I’ll try to write about something that all 70,000 newsletters subscribers have never heard before :)
Originally Posted By carlos
You’ll appreciate Brian Regan’s routine on food labels and serving sizes:
Brian is HILARIOUS. One of my favorite comedians and I can’t even count the number of times I’ve seen him Live. Highly recommend that if he’s ever in your area, go see him! Will be an evening to remember!
Joel
I can only quote Kym as she is correct about aspartame, I read a article on aspartame and the damage that it can do to the body over a period of time, my take on all chemicals, I would never knowingly take any, better safe than sorry.
Hey I need to read the “per 100 grams” part of the label so my brain can get what % it is. I never did figure out “serving size”
What about Equal and Stevia? Do they fall under the same situation as Splenda?
Joel why not use raw sugar or sucanat ? (sugar cane natural )
i kind of figured that, but what about stevia? is there calories in that?
Thanks Joel. Great post. Why am I not surprised to see the food industry manipulating their labels to make a quick buck?!?
Thanks Joel! Good post! Yes, I am a label reader BIG TIME! I know the corporate BS to market crap products with “natural”, low trans fat, low fat, now fat, no calories…etc. and I don’t fall for it. Since I have read many blogs and real resarch, I know now that what is on the label tells a story, NOT the pretty packaging or million dollar commercials.
Knowledge is power and I appreciate you shedding some light on this subject! ;-)
Artificial means ARTIFICIAL!!! Been there, done that, almost died. Your body isn’t stupid. Stay away from that junk. Guess no one else is as old as me and hasn’t had to suffer the consequences yet. Took me 2 years to kick the addiction and make my way back to good health. All because I believed the marketing hype.
Equal has .89 gms of dextrose.
Equal and splenda ARE the reasons low carb diets fail by keeping blood sugar up all day (every hour for a cup of coffee?)
I watch people put 5 packets into a large cup of coffee. 5 packets has almost as much carbs as a teaspoon of sugar and MORE glucose. I think added dextrose is one of the causes of the obesity epidemic.
They say it is more sweet than sugar, if so, why do people use so much. Is it a progressive addiction?
A teaspoon of sugar has 4.5 gms of sucrose, that is about half fructose, half glucose (dextrose). So 5 packets of equal raises glucose levels MORE than a teaspoon of sugar.
How do you like that?
Fructose is not handled by insulin. A cup of strawberries has less glucose 2.63gms than 4 packets of Equal 3.56gms .
cup of raspberries 2.29 gms of glucose.
So, if you want sweet tastes and don’t want an insulin reaction. Eat berries.
@alex – Splenda packets that contain dextrose still have sugar in them.
Some are liquid and do not. There is one made of Erythratol and stevia. It is very good, “natural” (though an extract).
Originally Posted By C-JO
Artificial means ARTIFICIAL!!! Been there, done that, almost died. Your body isn’t stupid. Stay away from that junk. Guess no one else is as old as me and hasn’t had to suffer the consequences yet. Took me 2 years to kick the addiction and make my way back to good health. All because I believed the marketing hype.
http://bodytransformationinsider.com/access/aspartame-safety-2/
@Joel Marion – Read it — that’s what got me in trouble in the first place. I believed it too until I was so dizzy I couldn’t function and ended up in the emergency room. Testing revealed I was addicted to artificial sweeteners and splenda was the only one I had used prior to my illness. Everyone told me it couldn’t be. I didn’t want to believe it either. But guess what. I walked away from it and haven’t had a bit of trouble since.
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Hey, it’s Joel! So you want to know a little more about me, huh? Well, I’d be happy to oblige :-)
I guess it all started back in 2001 (my freshman year of college) when I was just a “skinny fat” 19-year old kid. At the time, I was spending close to 2 hours a day in the gym (now my workouts last about 30 minutes), and despite my efforts, you’d probably never guess I worked out a day in my life by looking at me...read more
