To Artficially Sweeten Or Not? That Is The ? Diabetic Friendly Recipes

To artficially sweeten or not? That is the ?

recipesrule 15 years ago

I would love to hear others thoughts on Splenda and other artificial sweeteners. I have heard there are health effects from using these products. Do the risks outweigh the benefits or is it worse to use real sugar from a diabetic standpoint? I have been in a perpetual state of denial re my "condition" (see,I can't even say it! ) and change does not come easy when one is over a certain age! Non-compliant is the term the medical community uses. I want to make small changes, a bit at a time so I can make them stick. Any comments?
Betty

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nazzb 15 years ago said:

Hi
I bake and make jams for craft fairs and was baking with artificiall sweetener (canderel) but the results were't brilliant as far as texture is concerned. Then I found fructose, but being a sugar, I wasn't sure. I contacted Diabetes UK and enquired about the advantages and disadvantages of fructose. They replied saying that fructose does not bring any advantage as it raises the sugar levels as normal sugar does, and that in Europe there is a general consensus amongst doctors that the so called "diabetic foods" do not repesent any life improvement for diabetics. Their suggestion is therefore to eat normally sweetened recipes but in moderation - diabetics can have ANYTHING, in moderation...

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gemmee 15 years ago said:

My mother was diagnosed with diabetes way back in the 50's... and it seemed that every new artifical sweetener that came along was ultimately condemned. So I've been skeptical about any of them that come along. And I have seen a number of negative reports on Splenda as well. Seems that the flavour of the day these days is Stevia. I use it occasionally but tend not to rely on any sweeteners. I have multiple food sensitivities so cannot have any grains/flours, sugar, fruits, potatoes, rice. It was tough slugging for a bit, but eventually after a few months on the new diet, most of my cravings for anything sweet or any of those *bad* foods that I used to love have pretty much gone, and I'm feeling much better. Cravings for sweets never go away as long as you continue to try to find a replacement for sugar-- sweeteners actually perpetuate the cravings. I now find that even some vegetables like red peppers and beets actually taste quite sweet to me. I think my taste buds actually benefited from cutting out all the crap, as I find that I now enjoy meat and veggies a lot more than I ever used to

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dutchie326 14 years ago said:

I have been a diabetic for over 20 years and my sugar levels have stayed the same. I do use a mixture of splenda and sugar when I am baking. I have not had any problems with it. Like most things, if you listen to the negatives, and think it will harm you, don't use it. Look at commercials for medicines. If we listened to them, no one would take life saving meds for fear of dying. I use it and will continue to do so as long as my sugar levels are low and it is not harming me in any way.

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dutchie326 14 years ago said:

nazzb is right...moderation is the key.

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