January 5, 2009 | Filed under: un-vlogged
Embarking on 2009’s version of a New Year’s Diet Resolution, I’m trying to reduce my carbs and sugar intake in order to make my jeans fit. Jeans I wore two years ago now don’t make it too far past my knees. Seriously. So it’s sort of a modified South Beach diet I like to call "Bekah Beach Diet".
One thing that tripped me up last time was that I have a zero tolerance policy for artificial sweeteners. They’re vile. I’ve tried Equal, Splenda, Sweet n’ Low and even the 50/50 Splenda/sugar baking blend to no avail. They’re hellagross.
Stevia? I had high hopes.
The sh*t is nasty. It makes my coffee taste contaminated. It sort of tastes like this.
So I keep the added sugar in my coffee and try and reduce it elsewhere.
11:51 am
January 5, 2009
@ 4:47 pm
But…but… the commercials show a woman dipping a strawberry in it, the truvia glistening like sugar crystals and the woman going into ecstacy at the taste. You mean… the commercials are less than truthful? I am so disillusioned!
January 5, 2009
@ 7:29 pm
I’m not a fan of that shit either. I do like Splenda though.
January 9, 2009
@ 12:57 am
I know what you mean about the jeans. Gained 25 pounds in the last year, thanks to too much travel (hotel food) and moving to the US. I don’t do artificial sweeteners, either. But, hey, you’ve got a gorgeous coffee cup!
January 23, 2009
@ 12:52 pm
I like the “hippie sugar” - you know, raw unprocessed brown sugar crystals. Trader Joe’s or any health food store carry it. I doubt if it’s significantly healthier for you, but I can use a bit less of it and still get the sweetness level I want.
January 31, 2009
@ 10:11 pm
I’ve never tried truvia. That seems foul. I like stevia, but only when it’s already an ingredient in my teabag - it’s in the stuff I use to help me fall asleep and the other stuff I use that clears my lungs.
Artificial sweeteners suck, but there’s always honey - decent alternative to sugar.
February 3, 2009
@ 1:59 pm
I just tried it in coffee and it’s awful. I don’t know how it’ll be in other stuff, but coffee and Truvia do not mix. I was worried it was just me, but apparently not. So now I have a backer that I’m not crazy.
At least not about that anyway. One heck of a way to get me not drinking coffee, though (every time I look at it, I think of the taste and don’t touch it).
February 3, 2009
@ 4:30 pm
Truvia is marketed as natural stevia, but it is actually an extract of stevia with added erythritol and unspecified “flavors.” I like stevia better than Truvia.
And yes, the commercials are misleading. Quelle surprize!
June 21, 2009
@ 10:16 am
I really like Truvia and haven’t tasted an aftertaste or bitterness at all. To me it’s even a little sweeter than the real thing. Splenda makes me feel sick and I find myself gulping down milk or anything else to get the nasty taste out of my mouth. Plus it’s all powdery like and just eww in general.
I add Truvia to all my made to be sweetened beverages also to my fruit smoothies and am now starting to bake with it. My husband doesn’t even notice any change in taste. My kids love it because they can indulge in ‘koolaid’ more often.
I think it all boils down to personal pallet. Some people are more inclined to favor certain textures and tastes that others can’t enjoy.
Since I have given up real sugar in my coffee and soda pop (instead I drink Crystal Light with added Truvia), I have lost 13.7 pounds in just under three weeks. I haven’t even begun an exercise regimen yet.
I suggest that you maybe try one of those nondairy low fat creamers that is sweetened already- like the Vanilla Coffee Mate. Very good and low cal, compared to cream and sugar.
Best of luck!
July 6, 2009
@ 6:35 pm
I find Truvia a true God Send. I have tried it on strawberry’s and raspberries like the commercial shows with no after taste. I use it in my hot and cold herbal teas. I add packets to my bottles of crystal light. I also use it in my morning protein drink. I have lost 65 pounds since last August with the help of Truvia. What I am lookig for is a bulk source for the packets and a granulated sugar replacement. Eighty packets for $6 doesn’t go far or last long. I find no after taste at all. I also enjoy Splenda and can find it at Costco and Sam’s Club for about $17 for a 1000 packet box. I am hoping to find Truvia that way also. Closest I have found is 12 boxes of 40 packets for $47.88.
October 5, 2009
@ 2:44 pm
I’m very picky and selective about the health issues presented by sweeteners. My preference is Stevia. Fortunately, plant propagation has improved for much better tasting results from the extracts. As for artificial sweeteners, no way! Chemical sweeteners should be banned, they are a poison. Splenda, in my opinion is in the same boat. Its like the crack coccaine of sugar. What scares me more is the processing. I am trying Truvia out now on a trial basis, I do like the flavor, but in the ingredients there is one listed as “natural flavors”. What the hell is that? The FDA approved code for chemical additives? I’d like to know. Meanwhile, I’m starting to grow my own Stevia. Even then, I carefully researched where to get the best seeds from a plant strain known for its flavor, (Cherrygal.com). I just like my food as “unprocessed” as possible. As for safety issues, I am in agreement with the japanese that have a total ban on chemical sweeteners and use stevia commercially. Plus, the indians in South America have been using it for thousands of years and they didn’t did not get sick and die.
November 30, 2009
@ 1:21 am
Maybe it’s like the soapy cilantro syndrome. Where a bunch of people think cilantro is the greatest thing, but some people think it tastes like what happens after they start cursing in front of their parents.
I love truvia. I remember having “sugar-free” candies made with it (stevia) here in the U.S. before it was banned. I’m glad it’s back. I just wish i could find it in “bulk” and not in those silly packets which make it way overpriced.