Tuesday, January 25, 2011

no sweetener in your coffee?! say what.




{1./2.}

oh, i keep getting this question. so, here's the deal. i, miss ilovesplendahaveyouseenmysugarfreevanillalatte?, has given it up. that's right. just cream in my coffee. i used to ingest so much artificially sweetened "food". sugar-free pudding, yes please. key lime pie yogurt! diet coke, my fave.

listen, aspartame and sucrolose are scary stuff. if you must sweeten your coffee, try stevia. i don't like it personally, so i just learned to like my coffee without the sweetener. it's been months and i'm totally used to it and i can actually taste the organic coffee i spend my money on.

here's why you should give up artificial sweetener:

1. it's migraine inducing. head aches are one of the most common side effects.
2. you're more likely to gain weight when trying to "trick" your body.
3. it's linked with cancer.
4. it makes you dumb.

if sugar is your bag, it's better than artificial junk, but here's a little something that i learned from dr jockers:

your body is supposed to have 1 t of sugar floating around at all times. this allows your liver to do its job of ridding your hot bod of toxins. when you add more sugar to that, the liver is just trying to filter out the excess sugar, leaving the toxins to work their magic. when you add sugar to your system (sugar not found in fruit) it creates a breeding ground for disease.

ps a coke has 10 t of sugar!

so put down that sweetener friends! you can do it.

ps thanks for some of the nicest comments i've ever received. seriously.

19 comments:

blueeyedfreckle said...

first . I must say that I love all of your inspiring food posts Leslie. They are making me look at my food again and try (once again) to reevaluate what I feed myself and family. So thank you for that!

BUT, I keep reading about how to change the sweetner thing in your coffee, and I keep thinking... but coffee itself isn't good for you? so why change your diet so much for the good, but then leave in one of the most toxic things? (i don't drink coffee myself, and I've heard its hard to quit drinking, but I also see everything else you've been able to let go of).

Lesley said...

thanks for posing this question katie... coffee is something that i LOVE. it's my one vice if you will. i did some research and found this article:
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/diet-fitness/heart/articles/2009/06/25/is-coffee-bad-for-you-actually-drinking-coffee-may-be-good-for-you

i love getting this sort of challenge though! thank you!

blueeyedfreckle said...

yeah,I've seen those articles, and my husband has read alot of stuff, but he says the way they do those ("studies") is with correlations, not causation. But it is a stimulant however, and there is a whole list of negative side effects (along with the positive). If it is your "vice" I understand leaving it in, since you've taken so much out already, but I still wouldn't think of coffee as something "healthy" since it can lead to things such as cardiovasclar disease and addiction.

I hope you realize this really is just a friendly conversation Leslie!!! Franc keeps saying not to write anything or I'll lose my friend but I keep telling him that I just wanted to discuss it with you, I am not trying to be mean at alll1!!!!!!! just posing questions for thought.

BlueEyedYonder said...

My husband and I did the whole South Beach Diet. I was packing myself full of artificial sweeteners. Splenda was my bff and I was loving all things "sugar free" (i.e. diet coke, pudding, ice cream, etc.) While it "worked" (we lost over 50 lbs each in a year), I had debilitating ocular migraines almost once a month. It took me a while, but I eventually linked them to the artificial sweeteners. I have been "artificial free" for almost two years and have not had one of those migraines since.

On a separate note, we've also let our healthy choices slip and we've gained all the weight back. UGH! Slowly but surely, we are trying to get our diet/exercise back on track. Your healthy choices and recipes posted her on your blog are SO inspiring. Each time I read more about the smart moves you continue to make, I am motivated to get my butt in gear. Big bear hug to you for all of your hard work and for continuing to touch our hearts through your journey! XOXO

wren said...

fortunately i love my coffee black and always have but diet coke (or coke zero as it often is these days...cherry coke zero- YUM!)... now that's another story... i do find it very hard to give up completely.

AJ said...

i developed an allergy to aspartame during college and it was the best thing that ever happened to me! anyway, now i put about a half spoonful of honey in my coffee (also some soy or skim milk) and it's just slightly sweet enough for my tastes.

Dorothy at Belle of the Kitchen said...

Thank you so much for the reminder! I'm on a detox right now and was so tempted to put a packet of splenda in my smoothie this morning, but I'm so glad I didn't! It was sweet enough with the banana and I can appreciate the sweetness more without the sugar, real or fake.

My husband and I have both moved to coffee without sweetener. I love a good Cafe au Lait or Latte, but I find now I cannot handle sweetener in it!

Thanks for sharing your areas of growth...it's encouraging and challenging.

Jessica said...

hey! If you'd like to replace artificial sweeteners, and refined white sugar, try sucanat or rapadura! Sucanat is "sugar cane natural". It's sugar in its natural form, no additives or presevatives and it's great in coffee. It's a great replacement for brown sugar too!

jdavissquared said...

I've been off artificial sweeteners for a long time, but I'm still bad about consuming sugar. I've never thought about it that way!

Claire Kiefer said...

I'm still dealing with this issue. Fortunately, I hate artificial sweetener and would absolutely rather drink coffee without it than with. Well, I say that I hate artificial sweetener cause I hate splenda and certainly anything "sugar free," but I used to have a mean dependancy on Coke Zero. I've pretty much kicked that though (I have one once in a while).

But I love, love, love cream and brown sugar in my coffee (I really don't use white sugar ever, cause I think brown sugar is infinitely more delicious).

I'm on . . . week 3? of no sugar in my coffee and although it's slowly getting a little easier, I'm still grieving for my brown sugar. It just isn't quite the same. :(

Tiffany from HOLIDAY said...

I just kicked my Splenda habit so I'm really enjoying this post. I was reading how it was linked to alzheimers and muscle deterioration so I switched to Stevia. At first, I was not a fan but I just had to get used to it. Now, I totally prefer it to Splenda and Splenda actually grosses me out - thought I'd NEVER say that!

I had a co-worker pass away last year from bladder cancer. Her doctor told her that it was a cancer that used to mostly be seen in men, however, in recent years, more women were getting it and they were highly suspecting aspartame as the culprit (all that diet soda consumption).

Now I'm worried about my local yogurt shop...never thought about that. Hmpf...

O'Dell Family said...

I am SO glad you posted this because I have been wondering and not wanting to bombard you with questions! So, during detox can I have a latte with nonfat milk and no sweetener or is nothing better. Today was my first day, and I had only water. Are there other drink options? I don't drink alcohol at all, but are there any things to drink that are healthy and just a change from water? Thanks so much for helping the rest of us! So, one day down without the diet coke! Crazy!

Lesley said...

re: heather

if you're going to have a latte, make it whole milk, otherwise you don't get any of the health benefits of milk. skim milk is a waste of time. coffee is fine, as far as other drinks... water is best. try it with lemon if you need some variety. also, you can have tea. herbal tea is so yummy and there are so many great varieties. i love yogi tea. i'm proud of you for giving up the diet coke! go you!

Kip H said...

Leslie! Thanks for giving me the inspiration to start taking a look at my added sugar again. It is somthing that as a dietitian, I'm totally aware but also like to rationalize with the fact that overall I have a pretty healthy diet and a little sugar in my coffee isn't a big deal. Also I'm an irregular coffee drinker (0-5 cups a week). Claire, what I've really found has helped me is to wean myself down. If you are used to 2 spoons just use one for a week or so, then use a half until you are used to none. Ad for the debate about whether coffee is healthy this is truly an issue of moderation. Do you NEED that cup of coffee every single morning (and afternoon). Then you might have a dependence on it. Consider reducing your consumption. Or do you just enjoy the ritual? If that's the case mixing it up with hot tea (regular or decaf) now and again can achieve the same effect.

litte red afro said...

oh my! Leslie- now I really regret asking you that question!

xoxo Colleen

Sarah Elizabeth said...

Interesting post about the sweetener- i'm the same way with my coffee. Unsweetened almond milk and regular drip for this gal! I didn't know about migraines, but that's a scary thought. I have migraines, so I'm glad I dont eat anything that you listed. About Katie's question, I was under the impression that coffee was one of the only things that wasn't necessarily good or bad. Thoughts?

Lesley said...

re: mrs se
i think that with coffee, moderation is key. if you drink one cup of organic coffee a day, i think you're golden.

"hi, i'm ginnybranch stelling and i love love." said...

i love your rebuilding your temple posts! i thankfully never got into fake sugars( or sweetened coffee), but am trying to reduce my love for the real deal. i have sugar a sweet toot~ it is my biggest vice! i have gone cold turkey and given alcohol and it's been fine, but sugar is my one true love!

p.s i totally am glad you posted the water entry- it is KEY!

Rosy said...

I totally agree! I went off sweetener in my coffee and in diet foods/drinks a long time ago and when you get used to it you won't go back. I don't even take cream in it anymore. Thanks for posting this.