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<p>True, but the calories are the same. If you don’t want 10 teaspoons of sugar in your drink you don’t want the corn syrup equivalent either. BTW, sodas with actual sugar are still made in Mexico and Hawaii, and we can get the Mexican ones here in San Diego in Latino food markets. In Hawaii, since the sugar is produced locally but the corn syrup must be shipped in from the mainland, it’s cheaper to stick with sugar.</p>
<p>Isn’t the sweetner stevia derived from “in whole form” from the leaves from a plant called stevia? I’ve seen packets for the stevia plant in the seed rack at the garden shop.</p>
<p>By the way, I rarely drink sugar sodas anymore, but I have to say that Mexican soda with real sugar has a wonderful taste. I’ll treat myself to Tamarind Soda about once a year. Although by reading the labels I’ve noticed that more and more of the Mexican soda brands sold in our local stores in NJ contain corn syrup instead of sugar.</p>
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<p>I do too. The “real” stuff always tastes better.</p>
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<p>That would be great if I could get away with it, but I’m now in my 50s and my metabolism has slowed down. I’m not a teenager any more. So I’ve had to cut back to keep from developing a weight problem. And accepting some some low-cal substitutes in my diet is a key part of my (so far successful) plan to stay skinny.</p>
<p>Jones’ Sodas are made with sugar. They are still too sweet for my taste. I dilute juices with water, but this trick would not work with sodas, so I stopped drinking sodas long time ago. I do make exception for Italian sodas (Aranciata and Limonata) which are made with real juice.</p>
<p>coureur - I’m a 51 yo female, I hear you completely on the “my metabolism has slowed down” - I have cut down substantially on the “real” stuff. Egg white scramble (3 egg whites, 1 yoke), slide the stick of butter on the toast (rather than using a knife to cut it then spread it), a teaspoon of mayo (at most) on a wrap. It’s challenging but I get the taste which is what I’m looking for.</p>
<p>I used to use small amounts of Splenda but I stopped all artificial sugars about 6 months ago. I can’t see how they could be good for you…although I’m not sure they’re horrible. Some folks though seem to have strong negative reactions…probably more than we know. </p>
<p>I used to LOVE Fresca…kept bottles of it in the house and drained a few glasses every day. Loved it…but I knew it wasn’t good for me so I’m off it now. I do water, some very lightly sweeetened (with sugar or agave) iced tea, and pelligrino with lime for dinner. I really don’t miss the soda anymore, although once in a great while, I’ll order a Pepsi as a treat.
I don’t know about Stevia. I have a bottle in my cupboard but I haven’t used it. I tried the OJ with it and it seems ok but it still strikes me as one of those fake products. I too go with eggs and butter and just eat less. Real foods. Can’t go wrong…</p>
<p>I never use artificial sweeteners. I use honey in everything, including my salad, I literally go thru gallons of it, and I am the only one in a family. I am surprised that it has no effect on weight, because if it did, I would be close to 300 pounds by now. Cold lemonade would be my preference over popcicles. I grind lemons with skin (too lazy to peel) add water and tons of honey, of course. Warning, it is bitter because of lemon skin, remove if you do not like bitter taste.</p>
<p>Miami, just make sure the honey you buy is the real deal - too much honey nowadays gets imported from China.</p>
<p>[Honey</a> Laundering: Tainted product still slips easily into U.S.](<a href=“http://www.seattlepi.com/local/397445_honey26.html]Honey”>http://www.seattlepi.com/local/397445_honey26.html)</p>
<p>About 1/3 of all honey in the US is China-produced according to that article.</p>
<p>I am not sure, I always buy it at Costco. Since after using literally gallons of it, nothing has happenned, I assume, it is safe. But thanks for warning, I will check it next time I use it.</p>
<p>I much prefer the “real” stuff and limit my intake over these artificial things that I’ve heard increasing warnings about some of the health risks. Our family can taste (& we all dislike the aftertaste) of these “sweetners.” Sugar plain & simple is just fine, as long as we limit how much we consune, at least for our family. Same with butter and many other things we love. We get HI & US honey & try to limit our consumption of products from other countries.</p>
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<p>I cut down too. It’s part of my three-pronged approach to staying skinny:</p>
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<li><p>Cut down where I can stand it: I no longer put <em>any</em> butter or margarine on anything - not on bread, not on pancakes, not on vegetables, nothing. Portion control. Fewer snacks - on the vast majority of days I eat nothing after dinner (except diet sodas) until breakfast the next morning. Seldom eat desserts. Seldom second helpings. And so on.</p></li>
<li><p>Use low-cal versions where I can stand it. Diet sodas, skim milk, low-cal mayo, low-cal salad dressings, etc. Some of these took a while to get used to, but they are worth it once you do.</p></li>
<li><p>Exercise. I’ve been a faithful runner for 37 years. And this has been a big help. But this year my left knee has started to complain about it. And so far I haven’t been able to solve this one. I may have to buy a bike soon.</p></li>
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<p>So for me the key has been to do a bunch of little things that add up to a lot instead of looking for that One Big Thing - the one secret formula or magic diet that will solve all your problems. I think those drastic diets (Atkins, vegan, etc.) just aren’t sustainable lifestyles. So instead of making big changes and feeling deprived or hungry all the time, I just shave off a few calories here and add some more exercise there. Don’t deprive yourself, just eat moderately and cut down where you can. So far it is working.</p>
<p>When I look at guys my age or even younger with big bellies hanging over their belts telling me that they just <em>have</em> to eat full-sugar, full-fat, full-calorie versions of their foods, I think “Well okay for you. We all have our priorities and we all make our choices. But your choice is clearly not the same as my choice.”</p>
<p>Cut down where I can stand it: I no longer put <em>any</em> butter or margarine on anything - not on bread, not on pancakes, not on vegetables, nothing. Portion control. Fewer snacks - on the vast majority of days I eat nothing after dinner (except diet sodas) until breakfast the next morning. Seldom eat desserts. Seldom second helpings. And so on.</p>
<p>since I cut out dairy- I dont really even miss it. Of course in summer it is easy, I dont know how my winter soup I make with leeks & potatoes from my garden is going to taste with an “alternative dairy product”, but maybe I will be able to tolerate goat milk.</p>
<p>Im impressed you have been a runner for 37 years, what with the having to wear compression bras 
and the hyperextension of my knees, I havent been able to run since high school track.
I <B rowing though.
& balsamic vinegar, try it on strawberries.</p>
<p>coureur…my knee started complaining about 5 years ago…and I had to stop running. I’ve had a few false starts since then (would really like to do it again!) but the knee always ends up hurting. So I walk and do yoga (really helped the knee normalize) but I miss running …and I HAVE gained weight too. I bike but not regularly enough…I guess I should try to get into it more.
You sound like you’re doing the right things…but I wince when I see your reference to diet sodas. Just think it’s really crappy stuff…but to each his own (this is coming from an ex Fresca addict). I just don’t like those artificial sugars…</p>
<p>They are saying now that sugar is not as real as we used to think, it is very much processed product.
toneranger,
Have you tried swimming and/or rollerblading? Everybody who swims before work say there is nothing else in a morning that can make you feel happier for the rest of day. it is very true. Rollerblading is just so smooth, it is easier on whole body than walking, that is if you do not fall, which I have done many times. But it is as addictive as swimming, I go back every spring and fall, summer is too hot and winter is too cold for rollerblading, but some still do it in a summer. I will not have anything with artificial sugars or for that matter low fat. Food should taste like food, not chemicals.</p>
<p>Interesting discussion – my daughter told me also, that aspartame turns to formaldehyde after you eat it – so, true or not? And what is the effect of that? </p>
<p>I am noticing that aspartame seems to affect me more in the last couple of years that it used to, so have cut way down on drinking diet sodas (but still have one now and then – love the fizzy stuff on hot days).</p>
<p>yeah, sugar is a highly refined. I don’t eat much. I thought I found a good product, blue agave syrup at TJs, but now I’m reading that it’s really no better than sugar. Don’t really trust stevia…although I should read up on it. Is Honey that much better than sugar? </p>
<p>Miami…thanks for the suggestions. I’m a horrible swimmer, can swim to save me life but never enjoyed it since I was taught to swim with noseplugs and never learned the breathing technique. No desire to start over.</p>
<p>I’m also pretty bad at rollerblading. But I do like biking and should do it more. Still not over my knee though…still have visions of running again one day :(</p>
<p>toneranger,
As I mentioned before, honey so far has no negative effect on me, weight or otherwise. I probably use much more of it than anybody in USA, I add it to a lot of food, making my own sweet yougurt also. i also add chocolate to many things. I buy unsweetened powder chocolate, it has only 15 cal / tablespoon. i go very fast thru gallon of honey, cans on chocolate and Lindt 85% chocolate bars.</p>
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<p>Snopes says False. Yet another bogus internet scare:</p>
<p>[snopes.com:</a> Aspartame – Sweet Poison?](<a href=“http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/aspartame.asp]snopes.com:”>Is Aspartame Responsible for 'An Epidemic of Multiple Sclerosis and Lupus'? | Snopes.com)</p>
<p>Hubby & I mostly eat off of saucers & the kids eat off of salad rather than the larger dinner plates. It sounds strange but really helps with portion control and we are still at or near our “ideal weights” and plan to remain so with BMIs around 21. Personally, we in our household prefer much smaller portions of “real” food than larger amounts of “diet” and other stuff. I guess whatever works for each individual.</p>