Got a sweet tooth? Maybe a whole row of em? So do a lot of Americans. What’s the big deal, anyway? Supermarkets are stacked with artificially sweetened products- diet soda, artificially sweetened yogurt, and sugar-free candy and ice cream. A lot of diets even count these as “free foods”, and you can eat them until you explode for all they care. Can you really fill your body with chemical sweeteners without consequence? Have scientists outsmarted the human body with artificial sweeteners? I think not.
If it sounds too good to be true… yeah. Artificial sweeteners aren’t the magic pill scientists were hoping for when they sat in their chemical filled labs, altering the structure of natural food. The recent studies and reviews are pretty mixed when it comes to artificial sweeteners and weight loss. The argument that artificial sweeteners can help you lose weight is pretty simple: they’re calorie-free and could possibly lower overall calorie intake. But the argument that they hinder weight loss is more complex and a bit more intriguing.
Speaking of too sweet, meet Super Pepe! And he’s all natural.
Why artificial sweeteners may keep you from losing weight:
1) Artificial sweeteners may make you fatter.
Soft drink consumption (regular or diet) was linked to obesity and increased waist circumference in a 2007 study in the “Journal of the American Heart Association.” Yes, people who drank diet soda weighed more than people who didn’t drink soda.
2) They may confuse the body’s natural ability to count sweet calories, which can lead to overeating.
There’s a reason people compare taking care of your body to car maintenance. Your body is a fine-tuned machine, and it’s freakin smart. It has many mechanisms in place to alert you if you’re overeating. But this study shows that artificial sweeteners may disrupt this process and cause you to eat more.
3) Eating foods with artificial sweeteners make you crave sweeter food and drinks.
Artificial sweeteners are waaaay sweeter than natural sweeteners. It only takes a little bit of artificial sweetener to flavor your coffee or tea, but it takes tablespoons of the raw stuff. If you’re chugging diet soda like it spewed from the fountain of youth, then something that’s naturally sweet, like an apple, isn’t going to taste as sweet to you. If you consume artificial sweeteners, it takes more for you to get your sweet fix compared to someone who doesn’t do diet foods.
What next?
If you’re a diet sweetener junkie, don’t worry. Making the change to healthier, more natural foods can help you feel better and drop the weight. Try some of these delish recipes.
Non-artificial alternatives:
Instead of diet soda, try:
8 oz club soda (naturally calorie free) on ice
½ cup of your favorite fruit, sliced thinly (citrus, berries, cucumber, or melons are great)
1 Tablespoon of your favorite herb (mint and rosemary are popular)
Instead of ice cream, try blending these ingredients:
1 frozen banana (sliced before freezing)
2 dates
¼ cup almond, skim, or soy milk
½ cup berries
1 Tablespoon coconut shavings (without sugar added) sprinkled on top
What do you think about the artificial sweetener controversy? Are you going to drop the diet drinks and food?
I’m with you, I don’t like artificial sweeteners.
Definately will try the club soda idea.
It’s a refreshing summer drink- even though you don’t have much of a “summer” in Hawaii! Let me know if you come up with a good combination of fruit and herbs.
I have found that using very ripe bananas make any smoothie or ice cream even sweeter. Adding fresh mango or fresh pineapple instead of the berries is also delicious. Very satisfying. Thumbs down on artificial sweeteners.
Adding mango sounds delicious! I’ve tried pineapple and it was great- especially with the coconut.
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I’m fond of sweetening but thank God it’s okay. Haven’t gained weight.
Great ideas! You know, this reminded me of something I used to do all the time with water…I liked to add mint, lemon juice and sliced-up cucumber and let it sit in the fridge for a day or so. Then, I’d have some yummy flavored water to sip whenever I wanted and didn’t have to worry about an artificially sweetened, sugary drink!
I like your idea about letting it sit in the fridge to enhance the flavor. We are usually too excited and drink it right away. I’ll try to be more patient next time!
I’ve been doing everything right to lose weight… or at least I thought. I lost 15 pounds and then everything stopped. For the last 4 weeks the scale has not moved one way or the other and I am stunned. I have reviewed my food logs repeatedly, I’ve made sure I was getting enough calories, I’ve exercised. I have tried to figure out what I’ve changed that may be causing this and then it hits me…I bought a 41 oz hydroflask and I have been filling it constently with iced tea and splenda, I have almost stopped drinking the water I was drinking all day in place of my ice tea and splenda. I have been CRAVING carbs like mad, bread, cake,bread and more bread and even found cake made with splenda and was eating that like the store was giving it away. Then it dawns on me, the only thing I changed was the massive amounts of splenda I have been drinking, before it was a single glass maybe two of tea in the evening after work, lately I’ve been guzzling gallons of the stuff. I left my tea at home today when I went to work and I only drank water, I’ll have my tea in a glass for dinner and then thats it… I hope that turns the tide.
Congrats on losing 15 pounds! That’s interesting that you noticed such an increased craving for carbs when you upped the splenda intake. Good for you for figuring it out. Sometimes when I work with clients it takes a while to figure out what’s causing a weight loss plateau. Let me know if cutting back on the fake sweet stuff makes a difference for you.