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Already know the dangers of sugar substitutes: aspartame is not
dangerous unless you have PKU, then it's deadly; and it will degrade
and taste awful if stale or heated. No danger with sucralose
(Splenda), except that it tastes "flabby." Sugar alcohols (maltitol,
mannitol, sorbitol) make marvelous laxatives but lousy sweeteners.
Saccharine (the pink stuff) tastes terrible although beloved by the
elderly. Contrary to prior belief, no danger from cyclamate (Sucaryl,
only available outside the US). Researched this extensively, and am
not one of those people who believes everything "natural" is safe
(nightshade? curare? aflatoxins?) and that everything that comes out
of a lab (including medicines) is "poison." Anything taken to excess
is unwise, but artificial sweeteners used appropriately and sparingly
are not a problem (other than an obvious esthetic one--they all taste
inferior to cane or beet sugar or honey). I prefer seltzer
(unsweetened) to diet soda anyway. And I never sweeten my coffee or
drink flavored lattes. (My husband is a cardiologist, who can eat
anything he wants yet has no sweet tooth, and he concurs).
As to vitamins, I prefer to take them the old-fashioned way wherever
possible: via the foods into which Mother Nature placed them. I do
take a multi, but it's a capsule. I always eat a good breakfast
within an hour of arising--I must or I will get peckish before lunch
and eat junk.
I meant it when I said "your mileage may vary." I used to do quite
well on Weight Watchers and calorie-counting/exercise, and then I hit
perimenopause. Suddenly I became insulin resistant, my blood pressure
crept up and so did my LDLs (fortunately, my HDLs have always been
freakishly high so statins are contraindicated), and to my horror my
washboard abs/pear-shape gave way to a definite apple- shaped
physique. Not just my cardiologist husband but EVERY M.D. I've seen
since then has enthusiastically recommended a low-glycemic diet (first
the Carb Addicts' Lifespan Plan, then Atkins and South Beach and now
the Glycemic Index Diet). The latter is what I'm gravitating toward,
but as a maintenance plan. Glycemic "load," rather than the bare
"index," is now thought to be the key--hence the theoretical
permissibility of small amounts of white flour in things like
sourdough bread or otherwise high-fiber-added food, or small amounts
of very dark chocolate containing sugar--the chocolate is more
beneficial than the tiny amount of sugar is harmful. Ditto stuff like
Basmati (but not jasmine or brown!) rice and converted durum pastas.
They are considered to have a low glycemic load when consumed in the
small portions for which they were intended. But-- and this is a big
"but," occasioned by a "big butt"--that principle is for long-term
lifetime maintenance. Even low glycemic load refined carbs can throw
a monkey wrench into the weight loss efforts of someone with metabolic
syndrome. I can no longer strictly follow Atkins because ketosis is
unwise for someone on a diuretic-containing anti-hypertensive drug
(which is keeping my b.p. nice and normal). But I tried Ornish and
Pritikin, and they were disastrous. The less fat and the more
carbs--even whole grains--I ate, the more starch I wanted to eat and I
kept gaining weight. You should also know that though my glucose is
normal (low 90s), type 2 diabetes struck every woman on both sides of
my family: mother, both grandmothers, aunts, sister, even first
cousins. I figured the sooner I began eating like a diabetic, the
longer it'd take to become one. My doctors (except for the
acupuncturist/chiropractor, who doesn't even have a masters' degree)
all heartily agree. I also eschew trans fats and try to keep my
protein as lean as possible (I treat myself to a little butter every
now & then--mostly on the small amount of sourdough bread I
occasionally"
Sandy
www.sandyandina.com
--Apple-Mail-34-81089135
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Already know =
the dangers of sugar substitutes: aspartame is notdangerous unless you have PKU, then it's deadly; and =
it will degradeand taste awful if stale or =
heated. No danger with sucralose(Splenda), =
except that it tastes "flabby." Sugar alcohols (maltitol,mannitol, sorbitol) make marvelous laxatives but =
lousy sweeteners.Saccharine (the pink stuff) =
tastes terrible although beloved by theelderly. =
Contrary to prior belief, no danger from cyclamate (Sucaryl,only available outside the US). Researched this =
extensively, and amnot one of those people who =
believes everything "natural" is safeof a lab (including medicines) =
is "poison." Anything taken to excessis =
unwise, but artificial sweeteners used appropriately and =
sparinglyare not a problem (other than an =
obvious esthetic one--they all tasteinferior to =
cane or beet sugar or honey). I prefer seltzer(unsweetened) to diet soda anyway. And I never =
sweeten my coffee ordrink flavored lattes. (My =
husband is a cardiologist, who can eatanything =
he wants yet has no sweet tooth, and he concurs).
As to =
vitamins, I prefer to take them the old-fashioned way whereverpossible: via the foods into which Mother Nature =
placed them. I dotake a multi, but it's a =
capsule. I always eat a good breakfastwithin =
an hour of arising--I must or I will get peckish before lunchand eat junk.
I meant it when I said "your =
mileage may vary." I used to do quitewell on =
Weight Watchers and calorie-counting/exercise, and then I hitperimenopause. Suddenly I became insulin =
resistant, my blood pressurecrept up and =
so did my LDLs (fortunately, my HDLs have always beenfreakishly high so statins are contraindicated), and =
to my horror mywashboard abs/pear-shape gave =
way to a definite apple- shapedphysique. =
Not just my cardiologist husband but EVERY M.D. I've seensince then has enthusiastically recommended a =
low-glycemic diet (firstthe Carb =
Addicts' Lifespan Plan, then Atkins and South Beach and nowthe Glycemic Index Diet). The latter is what I'm =
gravitating toward,but as a maintenance plan. =
Glycemic "load," rather than the bare"index," =
is now thought to be the key--hence the theoreticalpermissibility of small amounts of white flour in =
things likesourdough bread or otherwise =
high-fiber-added food, or small amountsof very =
dark chocolate containing sugar--the chocolate is morebeneficial than the tiny amount of sugar is harmful. =
Ditto stuff likeBasmati (but not jasmine or =
brown!) rice and converted durum pastas.They are =
considered to have a low glycemic load when consumed in thesmall portions for which they were intended. =
But-- and this is a big"but," =
occasioned by a "big butt"--that principle is for long-termlifetime maintenance. Even low glycemic load =
refined carbs can throwa monkey =
wrench into the weight loss efforts of someone with metabolicsyndrome. I can no longer strictly follow Atkins =
because ketosis isunwise for someone on a =
diuretic-containing anti-hypertensive drug(which =
is keeping my b.p. nice and normal). But I tried Ornish andPritikin, and they were disastrous. The less fat and =
the morecarbs--even whole grains--I ate, =
the more starch I wanted to eat and Ikept =
gaining weight. You should also know that though my glucose =
isnormal (low 90s), type 2 diabetes struck every =
woman on both sides ofmy family: mother, both =
grandmothers, aunts, sister, even firstcousins. =
I figured the sooner I began eating like a diabetic, thelonger it'd take to become one. My doctors (except =
for theacupuncturist/chiropractor, who =
doesn't even have a masters' degree)all heartily =
agree. I also eschew trans fats and try to keep myprotein as lean as possible (I treat myself to a =
little butter everynow & then--mostly on =
the small amount of sourdough bread I
=
--Apple-Mail-34-81089135-- |