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Bad ingredients question
Does anyone else automatically avoid foods that contain certain
ingredients? For instance things that raises red flags for me: maltodextrin maltitol sucralose splenda aspartame partially hydrogenated oils I had a bad experience with aspartame so I tend to get paranoid about fake sugar stuff and so I rather deal with the high calorie no nutritional value aspect of real sugar over strange gastrointestinal distress symptoms and the like. Also how bad is high fructose corn syrup, I find it so common in everything much like the hydrogenated oils, does it do weird things to your body as well or is just more empty calories like sugar? Thanks for any info. HAMBURGER 345/173/180 Started March'03 |
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Bad ingredients question
On Sun, 29 Feb 2004 12:12:44 -0600, "JMA"
wrote: "HAMBURGER" wrote in message .. . Does anyone else automatically avoid foods that contain certain ingredients? For instance things that raises red flags for me: maltodextrin maltitol sucralose splenda aspartame partially hydrogenated oils I had a bad experience with aspartame so I tend to get paranoid about fake sugar stuff and so I rather deal with the high calorie no nutritional value aspect of real sugar over strange gastrointestinal distress symptoms and the like. Also how bad is high fructose corn syrup, I find it so common in everything much like the hydrogenated oils, does it do weird things to your body as well or is just more empty calories like sugar? Thanks for any info. HAMBURGER 345/173/180 Started March'03 I think it's a personal matter as to what risks one is going to take with food additives. High fructose corn syrup is just another name for sugar or so I've been told. I tend to avoid it when possible because I personally do better when I avoid actual sugar. OTOH, I do have a sweet tooth so alternatives like sucralose (which is the main ingredient in Splenda) do fine by me with no adverse reactions when done in moderation. If I use it too often, I get a nasty metallic taste in my mouth for a while, but that's just me. I'm waiting for some reliable source to release information that says Splenda really is bad for you and then I'll end up being screwed, but it beats weighing 300 lbs like I used to. Aspartame (NutraSweet) is still prevalent in a lot of products and is the lesser of two evils when compared to sugar for me. Too much of that will also make me feel ill. Malitol is one of those sugar alcohols that is found in a lot of "low carb" candies and bars and again I will choose it over actual sugar, but limit the amount especially because of the laxative effect. I have to depend on some processed foods and even the energy or meal replacement bars because I sometimes forget to eat and let my blood sugar get way too low when I'm really busy and then I'll go work out and I've come close to passing out more than once. I try to keep fruit in my car or gym bag, but it goes bad quickly so I keep a bar handy for emergencies. My endocrinologist has endorsed my use of these products over sugar filled ones, especially since they do work to take away the sweets cravings rather than instigate an actual sugar spree. Again, this is just me and I don't advocate my principles for others necessarily because what works for me might not do as well for others. With regard to fats, I keep my overall fat % of my diet to 20-25% which is higher than it used to be, but my fats come almost exclusively from olive oil, fish, and the small amount in lowfat cottage cheese. Again, what you're going to eat is a personal matter and it's not anyone's place to judge or condemn you for it *if it's working for you*. Obviously if you're doing a fantastic job with your weight loss and maintenance so far so the only thing I'd add is to continue using the strategies that have worked for you. Jenn Disclaimer for the anal retentive: I also eat a single hershey's kiss (sugar and all) at work each afternoon after lunch because I like chocolate and I can do it without busting my daily caloric limit or going into a feeding frenzy. So I do get added sugar in that respect and I'm not 100% sugar free. I, on the other hand, don't worry too much about eating any of these things, except that I try to avoid partially hydrogenated oils. I count calories and nutrients, but beyond that am not too fussy about ingredients. I routinely consume sugar substitutes as well as some real sugar. There are some sorts of sugars -- I think maltitol is one -- that give me diarrhea. But rather than thinking about looking for it on labels I tend to just avoid a particular product if I have a bad experience with it. Chris 262/155/ (holding in 152-165 weight class) |
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