Obesity Discussion Forums

[Obesity Discussion]

Truvia Sweetener

It appears that you can now buy Truvia sweetener in stores as a new alternative to other sweeteners on the market. To my knowledge, Truvia sweetener will be the first legal mass marketed Stevia derivative on the market. It could later wind up in Coca-Cola's soft drinks as well, as they were a part of the development of Truvia sweetener.

[SheaGrl]

Who has tried Truvia?? I had stevia a long time ago and it was kind of bitter, but maybe this is better?

[Obesity Discussion]

I haven't even seen it anywhere on the market yet....but I'm always keeping my eyes open for it....

[MichaelB]

I did a little reading on their site. Looks very promising.

[SheaGrl]

I quit driking diet soda a few years ago b/c of the aspartame, which for me, which for me was a huge feat. I still miss it and crave it sometimes, so I hope they try using stevia in diet sodas!!!

[MichaelB]

Did the aspartame have a noticeable negative effect on you, or was it just because you'd heard negative things about it as a sweetener? Did you notice a real difference after removing aspartame from your diet?

Seeing how long it's taken them to start using sucralose (Splenda) in soft drinks, I have a feeling it'll be quite a while before Truvia is used as well.

[SheaGrl]

There is the "aspartame in the short-term" and "aspartame in the long run" aspect to this question. For example, I know mold poisoning makes some people feel bad immediatly while others only get sick after years of being exposed.

I was never able to pinpoint that aspartame was making me feel bad. I had always heard bad things about it but ignored it because for me diet soda was a simple pleasure in life that made me happy! I always joked that I loved my cespool of chemicals and that I was preserving myself. Then a few years ago after an MD who was also a naturalpathic dr explained to me how horrible it was and why, I decided to try eliminating it. He said it would be hard because it can stay in your body for years (or the parts that can't get broken down can).

I do not feel any better or different now that I have eliminated it, but since I already kicked a habit, why go back? I'm not too sure about aspartame and its longterm effects-it might really indeed be a poison or it might be pefectly okay. I kind of figure I have enough problems, I dont need anything new down the line that I can potentially avoid!

For people trying to lose weight, I don't necessarily suggest trying to eliminate diet soda and starting a diet at the same time. They are both so difficult, I say one thing at a time. Quitting diet soda can wait, losing weight is more important.

By the way, they finally switched over a lot of the sugar free popsicles from aspartame to splenda Maybe one day the soda switch will come, my fingers are crossed!

[MichaelB]

Thanks for the response, SheaGrl!

Glad to hear that you hadn't noticed a real difference because it means I can stick with my crutch (diet sodas) for a bit longer but I agree, there's no reason to reintroduce it once you've managed to break away.

Originally Posted by SheaGrl

For people trying to lose weight, I don't necessarily suggest trying to eliminate diet soda and starting a diet at the same time. They are both so difficult, I say one thing at a time. Quitting diet soda can wait, losing weight is more important.

Ditto that. Either one can be overwhelming in it's own right.

[Fluffymomma]

I heard about it maybe passing the news one night. Personally, I just use regular sugar or Sweet N Low. I don't use much of either as it goes anyway. Never bought the Splenda but my mother in law swears by it.

I don't buy sodas much anyway and it's gotten to the point where lately, we have not had any sodas here at the house for about 6 weeks I would bet.

[monique]

Another reason to drink water instead of soda that I actually never thought of until I was on an underground cave tour a few years back! The guide was talking about how carbonic acid is what wears away limestone and that it was the same stuff used to carbonate sodas, which is why they gradually dissolve the enamel on your teeth! Well now I can't drink a soda without imagining the gradual melting of my teeth in a huge cavern, not appetizing!

Learn to love water and unsweetened tea and you can avoid the whole sweetener issue!

~Monique

[SheaGrl]

I'm trying! Easier said than done...I hate water!

[monique]

It's better when it's super cold. And maybe add a slice of lemon or orange, or a sprig of mint? I have trouble with how much I'm supposed to drink. I just don't get thirsty enough for 16 cups a day! But I try to force it down.

~Monique

[MichaelB]

Ditto that. I can drink it with ice in the water. Once it warms up, there's no way I'm drinking it unless I'm dying of thirst.

[LadyBrandon]

I must be weird then. I actually prefer my water at room temperature or slightly warm.

[Amy2310]

The only time I really drink water is when I'm at the gym, at home I can drink 2 litres of it, so long as it has fruit juice in, I tried water with just lemon juice in, I may try adding a sweetner to it instead.

[MichaelB]

Originally Posted by LadyBrandon

I must be weird then. I actually prefer my water at room temperature or slightly warm.

Not weird at all; it makes perfect sense to me.

Since you're living in the Great White North, "room temperature" is just a few degrees above freezing, eh?

[LadyBrandon]

Originally Posted by MichaelB

Not weird at all; it makes perfect sense to me.

Since you're living in the Great White North, "room temperature" is just a few degrees above freezing, eh?

Yes and it's always best to crack the thin film of ice covering my water before taking a drink.

Smartazz. Just for that you get a.....

[MichaelB]

<grin> I had a pen pal in Alberta growing up. She was hilarious...

I remember on a particularly "hot" month she reported that several townspeople had passed out from dehydration, because someone had misplaced the bottle opener and they were unable to open their beers.

In the winter, she'd often complain that their zamboni was still broken and they were reduced to sweeping up the kitchen floors by hand.

Kept asking me what it was like living down here in "Central" America.

We had a good time of it.

[Obesity Discussion]

Originally Posted by Fluffymomma

I heard about it maybe passing the news one night. Personally, I just use regular sugar or Sweet N Low. I don't use much of either as it goes anyway. Never bought the Splenda but my mother in law swears by it.

I don't buy sodas much anyway and it's gotten to the point where lately, we have not had any sodas here at the house for about 6 weeks I would bet.

I actually prefer the taste of splenda to sweet and low and equal. Different strokes for different folks I guess.

Originally Posted by monique

Another reason to drink water instead of soda that I actually never thought of until I was on an underground cave tour a few years back! The guide was talking about how carbonic acid is what wears away limestone and that it was the same stuff used to carbonate sodas, which is why they gradually dissolve the enamel on your teeth! Well now I can't drink a soda without imagining the gradual melting of my teeth in a huge cavern, not appetizing!

Learn to love water and unsweetened tea and you can avoid the whole sweetener issue!

~Monique

Aside from the carbonation being bad for your bones, sweetener making you crave other carbs, I do hear that the soda syrup when sent on big trucks in large quantities (for fountain sodas) require a "corrosive hazardous liquid" placard to be places on the truck.

Originally Posted by SheaGrl

I'm trying! Easier said than done...I hate water!

Crystal light or other low calorie sweetneers? Dunno.

Originally Posted by MichaelB

Not weird at all; it makes perfect sense to me.

Since you're living in the Great White North, "room temperature" is just a few degrees above freezing, eh?

I always tease my co-workers from Canada about the cold too. I refer to their homes as igloos.

[MichaelB]

I saw Truvia at my local Safeway the other night. 10 cents per packet, 40 packets at a time. Splenda was right around 3 cents a packet, 200 packets at a time.

Originally Posted by Obesity Discussion

sweetener making you crave other carbs

I've actually gone the other way, in that sodas are my go to "food" if I'm craving something a little sweet.

FWIW, I probably drink 5-8 cans a day...doesn't seem to make me want to eat other carbs.