BG Health: Eating Right Edition

[Cream Soda]

hmm, just how is it as bad? With no calories and no sugar, I'd assume, even if it was bad, it wouldn't be nearly as much so.

[Kalmado]

coke zero ingredients: Carbonated water, colour (caramel E150d), phosphoric acid, sweeteners (aspartame, acesulfame-K), flavourings (including caffeine), acidity regulator (E331). Contains a source of phenylalanine.

Information on side effects of aspartame.

People tend to go two ways on if aspartame is truly bad for you. I know personally I feel like shit whenever I drink anything with artificial sweeteners.

[Cream Soda]

ah, I don't drink it often anyways, just when someone else offers it lol. I haven't actually ever bought the stuff.

How about powerade zero though? I do pick those up from time to time

[Tajin]

Almost nothing will harm you from time to time. Its having 2+ everyday that screws you in the long run.

[Amiricle]

Here's an easy cream sauce I use fairly often:
Tablespoon of butter with an ounce diced onions & teaspoon of minced garlic. Can add some chicken, tofu, etc here as well. When onions are soft, add 1 ounce white wine. When wine is reduced by half add 1 1/2 cups of whipping cream and some parmesan. Cook till desired thickness.

I thought zero had sodium benzoate as well. That's ok in small doses, problem is they are putting it in pretty much everything so I cut it where I can.

I'm also in the camp that artificial sweeteners are toxic. IMO the only good sweeteners are honey and stevia.

[Talint]

Re: Soda and artificial sweetener

My dietician said it in a way that kind of stuck with me. "The problem with artificial sweeteners is that it doesn't trick your brain."

Also aspartame is nasty. If I have to have artificial sweeter, I prefer Splenda.

I miss soda the most. I gave up soda right after Pepsi introduced Throwback, which might have been the worst time to give it up. What a great reminder of just how flat HFCS tastes.

If you have sweet cravings, like I do, I recommend a small (small) square of dark chocolate in addition to the fruits. Dark chocolate is good for you in small amounts, and it really hits my sweet spot nicely.

[deshende]

When trying to get used to a new way of eating, I found it useful to track everything consumed so you can get a decent picture of what you're putting in your body. There are a lot of trackers out there, but I had pretty good luck with the nutrition tracker at http://www.sparkpeople.com/ . I think it'd be best if you were trying to use it to watch certain numbers (calories, carbs, etc) but might be good for just general info as well. You'd be surprised at the gotcha's that you don't realize when you actually enter in everything you eat.

For example, when I started going low carb, I figured Chinese food would be good because it's mostly meat and vegetables (and I'd just skip the rice). But then I found out that basically anything that is in any kind of tasty sauce is loaded with carbs haha.

[Amiricle]

Good advice. Also forgot to say that I add a pinch of white pepper & ground cloves to the sauce above when I add the cream. Should also say the measurements are educated guesses since I rarely measure anything unless baking.

[Dotsudoku]

coke zero ingredients: Carbonated water, colour (caramel E150d), phosphoric acid, sweeteners (aspartame, acesulfame-K), flavourings (including caffeine), acidity regulator (E331). Contains a source of phenylalanine.

Information on side effects of aspartame.

People tend to go two ways on if aspartame is truly bad for you. I know personally I feel like shit whenever I drink anything with artificial sweeteners.

Haven't we been trying to find something wrong with aspartame consumption in humans for almost forty years now to no avail?

And regardless of whether or not I'm mistaken in that, there are a million things that could explain your experiences, confirmation bias among them.

[Daemien]

I'm also in the camp that artificial sweeteners are toxic. IMO the only good sweeteners are honey and stevia.

Zero valid data to support this.

[Amiricle]

Zero valid data to support this.

Fair enough, I can admit when I'm wrong although while it may not be as bad, it's certainly not good either. I'll stick with honey and stevia for sweeteners.

[Tajin]

Regardless of scientific proof honey is the superior sweetener.
I use honey for my milkshakes and boy those shits can power china for a week.

[Binkie]

coke zero ingredients: Carbonated water, colour (caramel E150d), phosphoric acid, sweeteners (aspartame, acesulfame-K), flavourings (including caffeine), acidity regulator (E331). Contains a source of phenylalanine.

Information on side effects of aspartame.

People tend to go two ways on if aspartame is truly bad for you. I know personally I feel like shit whenever I drink anything with artificial sweeteners.

I feel goddamn awesome on artificial sweeteners.

[Dotsudoku]

Fair enough, I can admit when I'm wrong although while it may not be as bad, it's certainly not good either. I'll stick with honey and stevia for sweeteners.

And this is based on?

Sure is appeal to nature in here.

[Pirian]

Zero valid data to support this.

And you make these claims, how? Oh right, based upon nothing.

Seriously, a simple google scholar search on ONLY the word "aspartame" brings up MANY studies showing the negative side effects. If google scholar is bringing up these results, then just imagine if you searched an actual medical journal database.

It's like people here make claims without any basis for what they're saying in the hopes that the other side was making an empty claim as well. *cough*

[Amiricle]

And this is based on?

Sure is appeal to nature in here.

Lack of evidence? Multitudes of studies have been done on it, and while many have proven its not dangerouus, none that I have seen or can find managed to prove it is good for you.

[Amiricle]

And you make these claims, how? Oh right, based upon nothing.

Seriously, a simple google scholar search on ONLY the word "aspartame" brings up MANY studies showing the negative side effects. If google scholar is bringing up these results, then just imagine if you searched an actual medical journal database.

It's like people here make claims without any basis for what they're saying in the hopes that the other side was making an empty claim as well. *cough*

And with that much controversy, I, personally, would rather err on the side of caution.

[Dotsudoku]

And you make these claims, how? Oh right, based upon nothing.

Seriously, a simple google scholar search on ONLY the word "aspartame" brings up MANY studies showing the negative side effects. If google scholar is bringing up these results, then just imagine if you searched an actual medical journal database.

It's like people here make claims without any basis for what they're saying in the hopes that the other side was making an empty claim as well. *cough*

Do the same for vaccines. See what happens.

Or gluten, or MSG, or any number of substances that most people heard that one time are like totally bad for you, and that the greater scientific community does not acknowledge as harmful in normal doses.

[BaneTheBrawler]

No side effects + making food taste better is good for you. Wanna know how I know? Because I just (ok, in august) got out of the hospital because i almost starved to death. Hard to eat when everything tastes like ass and feels like glass going through/comin out.

[Dotsudoku]

Also an excellent point^. MSG, for instance, makes certain foods taste better without the need for additional, potentially harmful doses of other substances, like sodium.

Most of what you think you know about food safety is complete bullshit. Accept that, and move on.

And when erring on the side of caution with regard to controversy, you'd be wise to take note of who's treating it that way. There's controversy surrounding biological evolution. That doesn't mean that those who treat it as controversy aren't morons.