Aspartame targeted for bogus study funded by parent company in Japan
Imagine for a moment that you read a news headline that proclaimed, "Study Concludes Eating French Fries Does Not Cause Obesity." Would that get your attention? Sure it would, until you kept reading and discovered that the company who paid for that study to be conducted was none other than McDonald's! Now how credible is that headline?
As off-the-wall as that example may sound, that is PRECISELY what has happened with a study on a rather controversial subject. This University of Maryland press release details the results of a study conducted by a panel of "experts" who declared the artificial sweetener aspartame is 100% absolutely safe for human consumption. Oh really?
Regular readers of my blog already know what I think about aspartame--or as I like to call it, NASTY-tame! I warned my fellow low-carbers to avoid aspartame if at all possible in my latest YouTube video because there are too many unanswered questions about this sugar substitute with some rather peculiar side effects.
Speaking from personal experience, I try to avoid NASTY-tame because it has done a doozy on my body in many ways when I consume more than just a little bit of it. I can tolerate about 1-2 diet sodas made with aspartame and that's it. Besides the disgusting flavor of aspartame (aka Equal and Nutrasweet), it also can bring on some of the most vicious headaches I have ever experienced.
Dr. Bernadene Magnuson assures us aspartame is completely safe
And this is something lead researcher Dr. Bernadene Magnuson, assistant professor of Nutrition and Food Science at the University of Maryland, acknowledged in this Reuters column about the study when she named headaches as "one possible area of concern" because "a small subset of the population" could be impacted by it.
Why do these "experts" attempt to say this side effect is somehow the exception and not the rule? Statin drug companies claim the same thing about their products causing joint pain in only a very small segment of the population when just about everyone I know who takes Lipitor, Crestor, or any of the other statins experience this. What's wrong with this picture?
Dr. Magnuson, along with various other panel members from the United States, The Netherlands, and Great Britain, examined previous research conducted on aspartame to determine whether there is validity in the claims that it leads to health concerns such as brain abnormalities and cancer, among other things. After sifting through over 500 studies dating back three decades, their conclusion was to give aspartame nothing but high marks as an approved sweetener.
“There have been continued questions in the media and on the Internet about the safety of aspartame,” Dr. Magnuson remarked. “Our study is a very comprehensive review of all of the research that’s been done on aspartame. Never before has a group with the breadth of experience of this panel looked at this question.”
But the real sticking point to this whole so-called study goes back to the point made at the beginning of this blog post: Guess who paid for this study to be done? It was none other than the Japanese manufacturer of aspartame--Ajinomoto Company Inc. who has an entire web site devoted to this "core strategic product" of theirs.
Just how credible is a study like this one? I'm not saying a study can't be objective simply because it is paid for by a company whose product stands to benefit from a positive report. But you have to admit something really screwy is going on around here when aspartame is given such flying colors by an allegedly unbiased panel.
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has given their seal of approval for aspartame, but my personal experiences consuming it are all that matter to me. Headaches, memory trouble, and even weight stalls have occurred whenever higher amounts of aspartame are in my body. I don't know about you, but I'd rather not even mess with these side effects which is why I stick with sweeteners like Splenda instead (even if it is more difficult to find diet sodas made with it).
You can contact Dr. Bernadene Magnuson about her study on the safety of aspartame by e-mailing her at bmagnuso@umd.edu.
In our eagerness to pump out another video in our new "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube" series, Christine and I went a bit long with Episode 4. It's not so much that we don't want to do longer videos, but YouTube limits the length to NO MORE THAN 10 MINUTES.
I found out this little factoid the hard way last night when I was up until 2AM trying to whittle this thing down to size so we didn't have to record it over again! UGH!
We had recorded a new video yesterday afternoon on artificial sweeteners and what a low-carb dieter can do to get something sweet in their diet. It was the usual fun video and I even started off serenading Christine with my own unique rendition of "Sugar, Awww Honey Honey." Plus, at the end, we gave a BIG shout out to all the wonderful people at my new "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Discussion" forum.
Unfortunately, the raw feed went 13 1/2 minutes long and that didn't even count the intro and outro! BOO HOO! Oh well, so I had to chop off the front and the back and leave the primary meat of the video as the totality of the content. It's just a lesson learned for future videos to keep a closer eye on the clock.
So, with that perspective in mind, now you'll understand why it seems the video abruptly begins and ends. Sorry about that, we'll do better next time. Check it out as we talk about Splenda, aspartame, xylitol, maltitol, oligofructose, and erythritol as well products that contain these sweeteners:
Yes, I know about stevia and even included several minutes of the original video talking about this all-natural supplement that's a popular sweetening agent that low-carbers use, but it was part of the chopping block. Perhaps I could do an entire video just on the subject of stevia since it is becoming more and more popular.
Leave a comment for Episode 4 and be sure to rate it and favorite it if you enjoyed what was presented. :) If not, then I'd still love to know what you thought about it.
Just in case you missed any of our previous YouTube videos, here they are:
- Promo video--A half-minute promotion of the new video series - Episode 1--Introduction of Jimmy & Christine Moore - Episode 2--What kind of fruits can you have on a low-carb diet? - Episode 3--What kind of veggies can you have on a low-carb diet?
Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube videos so you'll never miss an episode! THANK YOU so much to everyone who has supported us by watching and commenting on our videos. Please send your suggestions for future YouTube video topics to me anytime at livinlowcarbman@charter.net.
I get flooded with e-mails about Splenda-sweetened diet sodas
There is a lot of interest by people who are livin' la vida low-carb to find a diet soda that is sweetened with sucralose, commonly known as Splenda, instead of aspartame, aka Nutrasweet. Unfortunately, the options are few and far between and are getting smaller by the minute.
One of my readers wrote to me recently about how Diet 7-Up has changed from Splenda back to aspartame without even telling anyone. This happened about six months ago, but some people are only just now noticing the change.
Here's what she wrote in the e-mail:
My Mom and I are both diabetics and we bought some Diet 7-Up to drink knowing that it has Splenda, which is safe for us, instead of aspartame. There was nothing on the bottle about the change except in the ingredients label.
My poor Mother was in bad shape for an entire day because of the violent sudden diarrhea that aspartame causes in both of us. If you could warn your readers about this, I am sure many people would be thankful.
In my diabetic class, over 90% of us have some type of reaction to aspartame ranging from stomach problems to migraines. None of us ever had any problems from Splenda.
Because of this e-mail, I thought it would be best to share a list of the Splenda-sweetened diet sodas currently available on the market. It is certainly slim pickins, but well worth looking for when you want a diet soda.
Keep in mind these Splenda-sweetened sodas are mixed with another sweetener called acesulfame potassium, aka ACE-K, to enhance the sweetness:
SPLENDA-SWEETENED DIET SODAS WITH NO CAFFEINE Diet Rite, all flavors (12-packs, 2-liter bottles, 20 oz bottles) Diet Cheerwine (12-packs, 2-liter bottles, 20 oz bottles) Waist Watcher (12-packs, 2-liter bottles, 20 oz bottles)
You can also find many store brands that are sweetened with Splenda and ACE-K, but most of them have caffeine in them. Just read the labels carefully to avoid the ones with aspartame.
It will be difficult, but try not to buy into the highly-marketed, hyped-up diet sodas like the new energy cola Diet Pepsi Max and even Diet Pepsi Jazz or the vitamin-infused Diet Coke Plus and the ever-growing line of Coke Zero products just because they taste good with the ACE-K blend. They all contain NASTY-tame (that's my word for aspartame!) and should be absolutely avoided since there are just too many good alternatives available with very real questions about aspartame's safety still left unanswered.
Coke is currently going through the process of getting FDA approval for their name for stevia--rebiana--but The Coca-Cola Company has some corporate muscle to strongarm them into acceptance. If and when this comes out, it will become my new favorite diet soda. I'm assuming this one will also be an ACE-K blend.
The diet soda market is currently dominated by NASTY-tame offerings, but hopefully that will soon begin to change. If it's a cost issue, then I know I wouldn't mind paying a little more to get Splenda in Diet Cherry Coke or Diet Mountain Dew. I'd even like to taste Splenda in Diet Barq's root beer sometime.
Why not offer a few more choices?
For low-carbers like me who love drinking diet soda, that's all we're asking for. How about it soda manufacturers?
Did you know Diet Coke in Japan is sweetened with the plant-based stevia?
About a year ago I blogged about the controversial all-natural sugar alternative called stevia. At the time, I lamented that stevia was not approved by the Food and Drug Adminstration (FDA) to even be called a sweetener...yet! But that may be about to change if a joint venture with The Coca-Cola Company and a major food additive business has anything to say about it (and you KNOW they will because money talks!).
This USA Today story notes that Coke as well as Cargill Foods have decided to take a serious look at a sweetener they want to call rebiana (a shortened word used for Stevia Rebaudiana). Remember that name they have come up with because it's the term these companies are going to be using for stevia soon and it's been three years in the making.
For people who are livin' la vida low-carb and choose to avoid the use of the chemical-based sweeteners that dominate the marketplace, such as saccharin (Sweet 'N Low), aspartame (Nutrasweet, Equal), and sucralose (Splenda), many of us have been using stevia instead because it contains ZERO calories and carbohydrates. That's certainly impressive nutritional info for a natural alternative to sugar.
But it's gonna be a bit of an uphill battle to get stevia approved since the FDA has come down so strongly AGAINST approving it while this list of sugar alternatives get a free pass--all of which are made from chemicals. But there are still a lot of people who have concerns over the safety of these products (and I get e-mails from people ALL THE TIME about my support for Splenda--get over it already people. That stuff helped me overcome morbid obesity, so leave it be!).
As a result, that's the allure of having commercial acceptance of stevia in a popular product like Diet Coke. With crazy new product concepts like the vitamin-infused Diet Coke Plus (made with aspartame), the "calorie-burning" Enviga (also sweetened with aspartame and a touch of ACE-K), and their marketing darling of the moment Coke Zero (yep, you guessed it, sweetened with aspartame and ACE-K), this idea of making a Diet Coke with Stevia is the best thing they've come up with since my favorite sugar-free soda Diet Coke with Splenda was released to the market (although they've never given it the proper marketing IMHO!).
Interestingly, stevia IS already being used in Diet Coke--in Japan, where stevia boasts a robust 40% of the sweetener market, as well as in Brazil, China, and nine other industrialized countries. So what's taking America so long to get going with this in this country already? The FDA needs to get its head out of their backside and approve stevia as a sweetener.
Are they afraid of the competition it will give that disgusting NASTY-tame? If so, then GOOD! They should be because it's high time people have other alternatives. I'm tired of seeing Nutrasweet in EVERYTHING sugar-free/low-carb I would want to purchase. Put Splenda or stevia in some of these products already! There's a bunch of us who don't like aspartame at all!
Currently, the Coca-Cola Company has been seriously looking at this since 2004 and last week filed a total of 24 patents to begin removing the sweetest parts of stevia so they can come up with the perfect taste and blend of rebiana to be used in their future versions of Diet Coke.
It's not yet known if this new sweetener will eventually be phased in to replaced aspartame or if it will be mixed with ACE-K or other sweeteners in totally different products altogether. But clearly Coke is ready to put stevia on the fast-track to FDA approval.
As for Cargill Foods, they intend to use this stevia-based sweetener in foods like yogurt, cereal, ice cream, and other sugar-free sweet treats. This is expected to be a huge undertaking that could quite literally shake up the food and beverage industry unlike anything that has come along in the past few decades. This is long overdue in America and I can't wait to see it come.
A Cargill representative said this was a "significant investment," so don't expect them to take no for an answer from self-serving interest groups who will oppose the use of stevia in this manner to cover their bedonkadonks with the artificial sweetener companies. That's why Cargill has already begun the process of petitioning the FDA to use stevia as a food additive. It's gonna be difficult, but I'm confident they'll get approval. Stay tuned!
Although Coke is saying the stevia they have tested in several of their products has performed just as well as the aspartame and sucralose for sweetness, I'm not as convinced about it. Sure, stevia is an excellent product and I have used it myself in various forms, but the black licorice-like bitterness can be a real turn-off to some people. The blend will have to be perfect.
I'm sure if stevia finally does make it into a Diet Coke product in the next few years that they'll make it taste as sweet as possible by very likely using an ACE-K blend. It'll probably resemble the aspartame/ACE-K blends that dominate the Coca-Cola line of sugar-free products today. This will be a HUGE step in the right direction for the world's #1 beverage maker (although I wouldn't mind having more Splenda-sweetened options, too--HINT HINT!).
If rebiana becomes a household name thanks to Coke and Cargill Foods, then you can expect PepsiCo, Dannon, and other rivals in the sugar-free/low-carb market to develop their own versions of stevia-sweetened products--perhaps they'll be allowed to actually call it stevia. Actually, if they're smart, then they'll start working on this NOW!
I've long held that having an "all-natural" sweetener like stevia is already on the cutting edge and it's only a matter of time before it is as widely used in the United States just as it is in Japan today. It's not a matter of if, but when. I can't wait to try a Rebiana Coke with a green stevia leaf on the can as a logo to distinguish it from the other versions. This will be the most unique diet soda product to ever release!
Get ready for the brand new Diet Coke Plus coming in April 2007
The "healthy diet soda" wars continue on with the upcoming release of the brand new Diet Coke Plus™ coming to a store shelf near you in April. With nationwide distribution set for next month, The Coca-Cola Company is excited to provide their very first calorie-free, carbohydrate-free soda product that has been infused with vitamins and minerals.
According to the nutritional label, Diet Coke Plus includes 25% of the recommended daily allowance of niacin (vitamin B3), vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 as well as 15% of the RDA for magnesium and zinc in each 12-ounce serving. It is sweetened with an aspartame/ACE-K blend that has become the industry norm for just about every diet drink nowadays.
Attempting to get a leg up on their primary competition--Pepsi-Cola North America--as that company is set to release their own diet "energy" drink called Diet Pepsi MAX in June 2007, Coca-Cola North America is seeking to provide their loyal consumer base with a diet soda product that will serve as a supplement to their healthy diet, according to Coke's senior VP Katie Bayne.
“Consumers, including Diet Coke drinkers, are increasingly looking for more beverage options, and we wanted to offer them the convenience of a calorie-free beverage that is a good source of several essential vitamins and minerals, and one that delivers on the great taste that they have come to expect from us,” she said.
This is the second such "energy" drink that will be released in 2007 by the #1 beverage company in the world. In January 2007, the Coca-Cola Company in conjunction with Nestle launched Enviga, aka "The Calorie Burner," under a cloud of controversy from some who believe the product is misleading to consumers. But many people have been curious about the product likely BECAUSE of the criticism which is why Enviga spokesman Ray Crockett reports in this news story that it is "doing very well."
I was lucky enough to be one of the first people to try the new Diet Coke Plus today when the media press kit arrived at my door this morning. The packaging for this product is top-notch as we have come to expect from the folks at Coke. It's includes the famliar Diet Coke logo along with a multi-colored "Plus" with the wording "Diet Coke with vitamins & minerals" listed on the product.
Here's the packaging for the 20-ounce bottle, 12-ounce can, and 12-pack:
I really didn't know what to expect when I went to taste this new Diet Coke Plus. I just assumed it would taste like all the other new aspartame/ACE-K drinks that have come out over the past year or so including Diet Pepsi Jazz and Coke Zero. Boy was I wrong!
When I took my first swig from the 20-ounce bottle, I noticed a somewhat recognizable (but not in a good way!) taste I hadn't had in my mouth in a while--REGULAR Diet Coke! EWWWW! I'm so used to drinking my FAVORITE Diet Coke product--that would be Diet Coke with Splenda--that this Diet Coke Plus was not nearly as sweet as I have grown accustomed to.
Nevertheless, after that initial shock to my tastebuds, I put it back in the fridge for a few hours and tried it again to discover that although it wasn't nearly as sweet as say Coke Zero or Diet Coke with Splenda, it is certainly a little bit sweeter than a regular Diet Coke. I'd have to say that the creators of this new drink have hit a pretty happy medium between the aspartame-only and the aspartame/ACE-K blend versions that fans of both should enjoy Diet Coke Plus.
Even still, whenever a new version of Diet Coke comes out the diehard lovers of the original version worry that their beloved drink is changing formulas. Not to worry, loyal fans of regular Diet Coke who do not want the ACE-K! The Coca-Cola Company learned their lesson about messing with a formulation (remember New Coke from the 1980s?), so you can rest assured your favorite diet soda is not gonna change one bit.
“The millions of current Diet Coke devotees across America shouldn’t be concerned – America’s #1 diet sparkling beverage is staying just as it is,” Bayne added.
Diet Coke Plus is the next in an ever-growing line of Diet Coke products on the market today, including original Diet Coke, Caffeine Free Diet Coke, Diet Coke with Lime, Diet Cherry Coke, and Diet Coke with Splenda (which I'll explain in a moment why it is still hanging around despite the fact it was supposed to be discontinued in 2006).
You will begin seeing advertising for Diet Coke Plus in the near future with the slogan "Great Taste Has Its Benefits." They want to push the fact that this Diet Coke product has several essential vitamins and minerals while giving people the familiar taste of Diet Coke they have grown accustomed to. It's an intriguing concept that will certainly capture the attention of a public looking to live healthier. We'll have to wait and see if that can translate into positive sales numbers.
Personally, I like the idea of having a vitamin-infused diet soda. Heck, if you're gonna drink diet soda (and I AM!), then why wouldn't you want to add some vitamins and minerals to the mix to make it even better? Drinking just four 12-ounce cans of Diet Coke Plus daily will provide you with 100% of the RDA of vitamin B in your diet. Now that's just cool!
I had the opportunity to speak briefly with Coca-Cola North America spokeswoman Susan McDermott today about a few concerns from the low-carb community regarding her company. On the issue of aspartame use, she said they have conducted field marketing tests and the aspartame/ACE-K blend has been preferred by consumers as well as universally accepted across the industry as the blend for sweetening diet drinks. Fair enough.
When I stated that many of my readers would prefer a Splenda/ACE-K blend instead, McDermott insisted that aspartame is the most tested artificial sweetener in history and has been found to be completely safe by the Food & Drug Administration. While I acknowledged her point, I did express that my readers would like to have some more Splenda-sweetened options available as well. She said there are no new Diet Coke products in the works for the rest of 2007, but to not give up hope for the products you desire in the future. I guess we'll just have to be patient for now. :)
Speaking of Splenda, I asked McDermott specifically about Diet Coke with Splenda and what the availability of this product was like in 2007 since it was set to be discontinued last year. She said the product tends to sell great in certain regions and not at all in others, but it is still available for purchase. With so many different Coke products available today, local stores will only stock what they think they can sell. So if you want it and it isn't available in your area, then let the manager of your favorite grocery or retail store know. I was assured it IS available!
I'm so glad they took the feedback from so many of my readers last year after all and decided to keep Diet Coke with Splenda around for a little while longer just for us. Awww, wasn't that just so nice of them? :) Now if we can only get them to make Diet Cherry Coke with Splenda (and maybe caffeine-free), I'll be one happy camper!
Feel free to send your comments and feedback to The Coca-Cola Company regarding what you think about their product line by clicking here.
It's about that time of year when women all across America are busy organizing, planning, and getting ready for one of the biggest days of their life--THEIR WEDDING DAY! Yessiree, this is the one event that can bring out the best and the worst in so many people who let it encompass and worry to the point that they wonder if it's even all worth it in the end.
Can I get a witness?! LOL!
Seriously, your wedding is supposed to be a magical moment in your life that you should try to make as "perfect" as possible, but most people would just do well to simply take it all in and enjoy the process because you've got the rest of your life to contend with REAL issues that merit your attention. This concludes the relationship advice portion of this blog post. Please deposit $5.00 into the account of J-I-M-M-Y M-O-O-R-E. Hee hee!
There is another aspect of planning a wedding, though, that doesn't get as much attention as the invitations, the guest list, the cake, and the dress. What is it? You know what it is--losing weight. It's funny to me to watch the hysteria that happens when a woman is proposed to and she says "yes." The first thought that crosses her mind is, "Oh, no, I have to go lose weight now for my wedding!" This has always seemed odd to me since that handsome man who asked "Will you marry me?" didn't attach a rider to that proposal by saying "...and lose 20 pounds." Hmm, how many women would agree to that?! LOL!
Nevertheless, women put this pressure on themselves to lose weight and it has become as much a part of the tradition of holy matrimony as anything else. One of my newest readers who is getting married in September and says "wants to look my best" e-mailed me this week about how to lose those 20 pounds the low-carb way.
Here's what she wrote:
Hi Jimmy,
First off, I love your blog. Of course, I had heard of it but I recently started reading it and it's great!
I am wanting to start a low-carb diet. I've found that even whole-wheat bread and various carbs make me crave them more. I have about 20 pounds to lose, I just don't know where to start!
I weigh about 145 pounds and I enjoy eating foods like nuts and peanut butter, whole milk, and various full fat cheeses. I will eat meat like hamburger, steak and pork. I also love eggs and will eat veggies.
Can you suggest a possible meal plan? I thought about going to a nutritionist, I have one, but she has only recommended low- fat diets for me in the past which did not work very well.
I know you're very busy but I hope to hear back from you if you get a chance!
I'm never too busy to help a reader in need, so here's what I wrote back to her:
THANKS so much for writing and CONGRATUATIONS on your engagement. Marriage was the best thing that ever happened to me (yes, even more than my 190-pound weight loss!) so I know you will LOVE IT!
I'm proud of you for wanting to lose a modest 20 pounds in the next 6 months--ABOUT THREE POUNDS A MONTH! This should be easily within your reach.
You're exactly right that carbs make you crave more carbs and more carbs. It's a ruthless cycle that you DON'T want to get caught up in. Skipping the bread (even whole wheat has LOTS of carbs), potatoes, white flour, and the sugar will be an excellent start for your low-carb lifestyle.
You are on the right track with most of what you like to eat, although I would caution you about eating too many peanuts, peanut butter, and whole milk at least during your weight loss on low-carb. There are alternatives for all of these that are better when you are livin' la vida low-carb.
Instead of peanuts, try almonds and macadamia nuts. Instead of regular peanut butter, try a brand called Naturally More. Instead of whole milk (or even 2% and skim), try Calorie Countdown.
Eat up to 4 ounces of full-fat cheese daily as well as portion-appropriate meats like hamburger, steak and pork which you say you enjoy. Plus, eggs and veggies are a great start to your day. :)
A menu, eh? It looks like you have it all set with what you eat, so here goes:
BREAKFAST 3-egg omelet with your favorite veggies and a little cheese 8 oz glass of Calorie Countdown milk
SNACK 2 oz roasted almonds
LUNCH Hamburger steak 1 cup of salad greens (I LOVE spinach, but whatever you enjoy!) Full-fat Ranch dressing (I LOVE Hidden Valley and it's only 1g carb per serving)
SNACK 2 oz macadamia nuts or a Tablespoon of Naturally More
SUPPER Grilled Pork or Steak 1 cup of salad greens Full-fat Ranch dressing
Be sure you drink PLENTY of water (I drink between 1-2 gallons a day, but I'm a big boy still...get up to 1 gallon and you'll be doing great!). Also, I see from your e-mail address that you LOVE Diet Pepsi. Can I convince you to drink Pepsi One, Diet Coke with Splenda or Diet Rite instead? The aspartame in the regular Diet Pepsi has been found to sabotage weight loss among other health concerns.
If you get hungry (you shouldn't!), then nibble on an Atkins or other low-carb bar or perhaps a sugar-free chocolate bar if that floats your boat. These were essential during my weight loss and I could not have been successful without them. I LOVE ChocoPerfection bars and they are LOADED with lots of healthy fiber, too. And they really are AWESOME! :)
Hope this helps! You're gonna do GREAT! :D Write to me anytime. You're gonna be a gorgeous bride.
My response instigated a follow-up e-mail:
Thank you so much!! This really helps. I actually gave up aspartame a few weeks ago :D I just haven't changed my e-mail because so many people know it and I've been lazy! I had horrible withdrawals from the aspartame since I was drinking up to 10 aspartame-sweetened drinks a day. No weight loss yet but I would never go back to aspartame again.
I drink Diet Rite and Diet Coke with Splenda. Those ChocoPerfection bars sound great. Where do you get Calorie Countdown milk? Is it possible to order it? Let me know, and thanks again.
To answer her questions, I wrote the following back to her:
Diet Coke w/Splenda is MY fave. I wish they'd make a Diet Cherry Coke with Splenda, too. Not gonna happen, but I'd buy stock in it if they did. :D
Calorie Countdown is in the dairy section at most grocery stores. It used to be called Carb Countdown, but they changed the name of it last year.
You can get ChocoPerfection bars from directly from the company or at most of the major low-carb stores. I live on these things for my chocolate fix and they are remarkably good.
THANKS again for writing. YOU CAN DO IT!!!
This e-mail conversation is pretty typical of the kinds of e-mails I receive day in and day out. I am ALWAYS available to answer questions from just about anyone who wants to discuss livin' la vida low-carb. Write to me anytime at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. If I can help, I will. And if I don't have an answer to your questions, then I will do my best to find the answer. So don't be bashful.
As for this bride-to-be, it turns out she's a blogger at "The Health Fanatic" blog. She is actually soliciting advice from other low-carbers about what she can do to be as successful as she can be on the low-carb lifestyle leading up to her wedding day. You can leave her YOUR feedback by writing a comment to her at her blog.
Here's what she wrote on her blog:
Hi guys. Today I'd like to post about low carb diets. You may have read the Livin' La Vida Low Carb blog written by Jimmy Moore - which is an excellent blog on living a low carb lifestyle. Jimmy lost a huge amount of weight - I believe around 140 lbs - and has been eating a low carb diet for three years and kept the weight off.
I have about 20 lbs that I would ideally like to lose for my wedding. My first dress fitting is in June so that gives me about three months - a rate of around 2 lbs/ week. I became interested in low carb diets after hearing them get a bad rap and then reading in the media that they are as good for your heart as low-fat diets ( a study I read earlier this year). I have a nutritionist and she has always recommended a low-fat diet with plenty of carbs - but I find that those increase my cravings and make me want even more, while also leaving me hungry.
I don't really know how to go about such a thing, but I emailed Jimmy Moore himself and he sent me a great meal plan. I now have something to go on and will have to shop soon.
I recently tried Shirataki tofu noodles - these only have about 1g net carbs and can be found at health food stores or ordered online. If you haven't tried these, please do! I mixed them with a little bit of pesto and olive oil and I thought they tasted great! I bought them soaked in water, and the smell is a little off-putting (it says to parboil them to avoid this) but I just drained them and heated them up.
Jimmy is also against aspartame because he says it slows weight loss. I have been off aspartame completely for a couple weeks now and I only drink diet drinks sweetened with Splenda (Diet Rite and Diet Coke with Splenda are two of my favorites and I also like Pepsi One). Of course I am not seeing any weight loss yet, and the withdrawals were tough, but I think in the end I'll be glad I did it.
I used to eat more low-carb during the day - and eat carb-heavy cereals and sandwiches in the evening. Recently I've been trying to have a few carbs at breakfast and keep them low the rest of the day.
I've already provided her with my advice. So, how about giving this bride-to-be YOUR tips about how she should be livin' la vida low-carb? I know she'll appreciate hearing from people who have made this their permanent lifestyle change because she looks like she is ready to make that change herself. THANKS for encouraging her and showing her some love from the low-carb community! :)
The "invigorating" Diet Pepsi MAX drink arrives June 2007
In what is an obvious response to The Coca-Cola Company's hip and hot new low-carb energy drink product called Enviga, Pepsi-Cola North America today announced the creation of a brand new low-carb energy drink of their own called Diet Pepsi MAX.
There is very limited information available about this new Pepsi product releasing nationwide in June, but we do know it has zero calories and is fortified with extra caffeine and a little bit of ginseng to help "adults to get through the day." Pepsi has high hopes that this product will compete directly with Enviga and other similar energy drinks that have dominated the beverage market in recent years.
Nicknamed the "invigorating cola," Diet Pepsi MAX, which has done very well in test marketing with real consumers, is a product aimed at the 25-34 year-old demographic as well as anyone who is transitioning from sugary soda to diet soda. Even before I saw what it was sweetened with, I already knew Pepsi would be using a version of the ACE-K blends that have become popular with their current product line, including Pepsi One (made with Splenda) and the brand new Diet Pepsi Jazz (which has aspartame in it).
Rather than continue expanding their Splenda product line, Pepsi has stuck with their tried and true aspartame/ACE-K blend that has become the mainstay of products like the overhyped Coke Zero (which recently expanded their line to include Cherry Coke Zero as well). This is too bad since many low-carbers would prefer a Splenda/ACE-K blend instead, but the soda companies just haven't gotten that message clearly enough yet. Will they ever realize we don't like aspartame?!
Ever since I ended my recent diet soda embargo, I have been looking for more variety in my choices and Diet Pepsi MAX may provide that. But the jury is still out on it right now.
I contacted the corporate office for Pepsi today and left a message with someone there about conducting a taste test and blogging about it. I'll blog about it if I get the opportunity to try this product before June. Otherwise, I'll do a review as soon as it comes out in June.
One of the reasons Pepsi decided to make this new product at this time (aside from the heavy marketing presence of Coke's Enviga everywhere) is in direct response to a survey they conducted that found 8 in 10 people say they have trouble maintaining their energy during the day and 6 in 10 feel they can't get everything done that they need to get done in their daily activities.
Diet Pepsi MAX is being set up to meet the demands of that market of consumers with a delicious, calorie-free diet soda. Pepsi marketing spokesperson Cie Nicholson believes this is the right product at the right time for busy Americans.
"Adults have told us that they're constantly looking for the right balance to get them through their day and Diet Pepsi MAX is uniquely formulated to give the mind and body a boost," Nicholson contended.
You will see Diet Pepsi MAX coming in 20-ounce bottles, two-liter bottles and 12-packs of 12-ounce cans. This is a widespread product release that Pepsi is banking on being a viable product as will be evidenced by some pretty heavy-duty marketing and advertising when it comes out. Diet Pepsi MAX becomes the 13th cola product under the Pepsi name.
Stay tuned soon hopefully for my review of Diet Pepsi MAX if I hear back from them about the taste test. What do you think about the concept of a higher caffeine, ginseng-infused diet soda?
Why have Splenda in some products, aspartame in others?
I have been so thrilled to see the reemergence of Splenda showing up in a lot of products this year that used to contain aspartame in them. From Smuckers jelly to Mt. Olive pickles, it looks like the food manufacturers are FINALLY listening to the concerns of low-carbers and others who don't want aspartame in their diet at all anymore. Yet, it's almost impossible to avoid it nowadays.
For example, last night my throat started feeling a little sore and dry, so I knew a cold was coming on. I bought some sugar-free Robitussen when it was on sale a few months ago and didn't read the labels. Guess what the #1 ingredient in it is? It's ASPARTAME! UGH! Oh well, this is the only exception I'll make to my aspartame-free diet plan because I want to feel better from my cold and Robitussen usually does the trick.
While the move from Nutrasweet to Splenda has been slow, it is happening. But have you seen what Kraft Foods is doing with their Crystal Light products? One of my readers wrote to me so excited about discovering that Crystal Light now has a Splenda/acesulfame potassium (ACE-K) blend to sweeten their products and proudly displays the Splenda logo on their packaging. I was not aware of this, so I did a little investigating today and found something rather odd.
It is true that the ready-to-drink Crystal Light products do have Splenda and ACE-K in them, but the powdered versions of Crystal Light still contains aspartame. HUH?! What's up with that? If you are going to use Splenda in the ones that are already mixed, then why not use Splenda in the ones you mix yourself, hmm?
For the record, here are the ingredients in the ready-to-drink raspberry ice flavor of Crystal Light:
Ingredients: WATER, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, CITRIC ACID, MALIC ACID, SUCRALOSE AND ACESULFAME POTASSIUM (SWEETENERS), RED 40, SODIUM BENZOATE, POTASSIUM SORBATE, AND CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA (PRESERVATIVES).
Now, here's that same flavor in the powder mix version:
Ingredients: MALTODEXTRIN (FROM CORN), CITRIC AND MALIC ACIDS (PROVIDES TARTNESS), RASPBERRY JUICE SOLIDS, ASPARTAME (SWEETENER), RED 40, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, CALCIUM PHOSPHATE (PREVENTS CAKING), ACESULFAME POTASSIUM (SWEETENER), BLUE 1.
Nevermind the fact that the powder mix has the corn-based maltodextrin in it (see, Michael Pollan was right about corn being in EVERYTHING!), there is a bunch of aspartame in this stuff. I don't know about you, but I don't want all of that in my body because it can bring on headaches and stall your weight loss. BAD NEWS INDEED!
According to the Crystal Light page at KraftFoods.com, the aspartame powder mix has a short storage life once it is prepared by the consumer since it has to remain refrigerated to prevent spoilage.
"For freshest taste, beverages containing Aspartame sweetener should always be consumed within 5 days of preparing."
Ah, so therein lies the problem with putting aspartame in the ready-to-drink versions of Crystal Light. It won't last very long before going bad. That's why sucralose (Splenda) is used instead because the shelf life is longer without compromising the taste and quality of the end product.
So my question is this: Why not put Splenda in ALL of the Crystal Light products? What is the purpose of having aspartame as the sweetener in the powder mix and Splenda as the sweetener in the ready-to-drink products? It looks like we have a case of sweetener schizophrenia going on here, Kraft!
If you want to endear yourself to the discriminating sugar-free consumer who prefers to avoid aspartame in favor of Splenda, then why not change your sweetener to Splenda across the board? Doesn't that just make good business sense anyway without confusing your customer base? Consistency and honesty go a long way towards building a good rapport with customers, especially those who are concerned about their health.
My reader who saw the Splenda logo on a ready-to-drink Crystal Light product automatically assumed that Splenda was now in all of the Crystal Light products now. How many people like him will be surprised to see aspartame STILL in the powder mix? That can't be good for public relations, would it Kraft?
Let me tell you, for fans of juice Crystal Light is the bomb! These ready-to-drink products come in lemonade, raspberry ice, lemon tea, strawberry kiwi, peach iced tea, sunrise classic orange, and ruby red grapefruit. Just be aware that the Splenda is NOT in the powder mixes...yet! Perhaps they'll read this and hear from YOU and decide the time has come to take the plunge and go all-Splenda! We can hope, can't we?
Use this Contact Us page to provide Kraft with your feedback about putting Splenda in the Crystal Light powder mix, too. We might just convince them it's a good idea, so make your voice heard today! And let me know if you see Splenda pop up in any other products that used to contain Nutrasweet.
Look for the blue label on Mt. Olive pickles for the Splenda logo
I'm beebopping through the grocery store looking up and down the aisles for something new to add to my low-carb menu options and looky what I was able to find: LOW-CARB PICKLES! Granted, regular dill pickles aren't overly loaded with sugar anyway, but sweet pickles and bread & butter pickles have more sugar than I'm comfortable eating.
That's why I was glad to find the major pickle manufacturer Mt. Olive has created a whole line of their outstanding pickle products with no added sugars and they replaced the sugar with Splenda. WHOA, that's awesome! Just like Smuckers who recently changed from using Nutrasweet to Splenda to sweeten their jams and jellies, Mt. Olive is the next to get on the bandwagon and giving low-carbers a choice when it comes to their products.
I especially like sweet gherkins and their awesome sweet relishes which are made with cucumbers, water, vinegar, salt, and sucralose (Splenda). Each sweet gherkin pickle has about 1g carbohydrate and worth every delicious bite, too! I eat these in my spinach salads or as a side with a turkey and cheese wrap. The relish goes great with hot dogs and just about anything you would eat with pickle relish. The best part is you'd never know you weren't eating the regular version of these pickles because they taste so good!
I went out shopping last night to pick up a few groceries since my wife was in the mood for some raw cauliflower, broccoli and carrots with ranch dipping sauce. Mmmm, a low-carb dieter's delight for a meal since all of those veggies are EXCELLENT when you are livin' la vida low-carb. Since that is what Christine was craving, I was happy to take care of making sure my beautiful darling got what she wanted. Ain't I such a good hubby-wubby?!
I, on the other hand, also enjoyed a delicious and healthy low-carb dinner: a barbecued rotisserie chicken! Mmmm, that bad boy was off-the-chain! Oh, sorry, that means it was good in the vernacular of kids these days. Yep yep!
Anyways, as I was going up and down the aisles looking for any new products that may have come out appropriate for the low-carb lifestyle, I caught something out of the corner of my eye that was way down on the bottom shelf of the jellies and jams section. What was it that I saw? THE SPLENDA LOGO!
I look for the "Sweetened With Splenda Brand" all the time
When I bent down to pick up this glorious "new" product to see what it was featuring Splenda, imagine my surprise when I saw the product was made by Smuckers. Yep, the same Smuckers jams, jellies and preserves that have long been made with the artificial sweetener Nutrasweet or aspartame (my new name for it is nasty-tame)!
See for yourself the old packaging:
Nutrasweet pervaded the entire Smuckers line of products...until now!
Hooray for Smuckers!!! FINALLY, somebody is listening!!!
The store I shopped at had four flavors available: Apricot Preserves, Strawberry Preserves, Seedless Blackberry Jam, and Concord Grape Jam. Each teaspoon serving size has just 50 calories and 5g carbohydrates (ZERO sugar!). They are made with REAL fruit which only add a trivial amount of natural sugars rather than the gobs of man-made sugar (aka high-fructose corn syrup) generally poured into most jams and jellies these days. These Smuckers jellies are an EXCELLENT product for diabetics and low-carbers alike to use as part of their healthy lifestyles.
I was so excited about trying these Smuckers jams for myself, I decided to dab some on a ZERO carb cinnamon bagel available from Viva Low-Carb along with some real full-fat Philadelphia-brand cream cheese.
Holy cow, look how good this breakfast I had turned out:
A bagel with cream cheese and jelly with about 5g carbs
As gorgeous as it looked, the taste was even more phenomenal! I cut the bagel in half and toasted it in my toaster for about a minute. Then spread a layer of cream cheese and then added the Smuckers. Oh...my...goodness!!! That was an amazing experience and I was thrilled to be able to taste Smuckers jams again without all the nasty-tame in it. YEAH!
My only advice to you if you find a "Sweeted With Splenda" logo on the front of a product is to check the ingredients list on the back. If sucralose or Splenda is not the primary or only sweetener listen, then you might want to put it back. Some companies (not Smuckers, thank God!) put substances like stomach-busting sugar alcohols such as maltitol as their top sweetening agent while sucralose is near the bottom of the ingredients.
What is most sickening is how they so proudly display that Splenda logo like it means something. To me, that is nothing mroe than just false advertising and food companies should be compelled to stop deceiving the public! We should demand truth in labeling on sugar-free products so that others don't fall prey to this marketing gimmick!
The sugar-free companies STILL need a wake-up call and I'm so glad to see a leading industry name like Smuckers serving as an example for adding Splenda to their jams and jellies now. I hope they continue to extend this to their other product lines, such as the hot fudge topping, caramel topping, etc. as long as they avoid the maltitol. We will hope for the best and see.
Are there any other companies ready to axe the aspartame, too? If you are a company that has products that contain Splenda or if you run across a product that has not previously been sweetened with Splenda and would like for me to highlight it here, then please e-mail me this information. I want to share with my fellow low-carbers these excellent options for them to use while they are livin' la vida low-carb.
Coca-Cola wanted me to be one of the first to try Enviga
Earlier this month, I blogged about the very peculiar secrecy about the new energy drink called Enviga. This brand new beverage expected to be released nationwide in January 2007 as a joint venture between Nestle and The Coca-Cola Company has generated quite a bit of speculation about what the real contents of this product they are nicknaming "The Calorie Burner."
Because of the confusion about the product just two months from being released in the United States, a marketing representative from Coke contacted me last week to see if I would like to sample Enviga for myself. I agreed, but was cautious about the contents of what they were sending to me. What would be in this energy soda? Would it have the sugar I was concerned about? If not, what would it be sweetened with? These were just a few of the questions going through my head as I waited on the arrival of the package.
When it arrived this week in a bubbly, bright-green box, I was greeted by those three tall skinny cans you see in that picture at the top of this post. My wife Christine said they looked like beer cans, but I explained to her that shape of the 12-ounce can is typical for the "energy" drinks these days. "Oh," she said.
Before I dared to try one of these Enviga drinks, I read the label like a hawk and went immediately to the nutritional information. Guess what I looked for first? Yep, it was sugar. How much sugar does Enviga have? Would you believe there was ZERO sugar? As in zilch, zippo, not a bit! WOO HOO! I'm likin' the sound of that!
So then I went to the ingredients list to see what kind of artificial sweeteners that were used--once you get past all the healthy ingredients they put in this stuff (which I'll talk about in a moment), you see what they use to sweeten it. Aspartame is the third from the last ingredient and acesulfame potassium (ACE-K) is the very last ingredient. While most people who are livin' la vida low-carb don't care much for aspartame (at least I don't!), it doesn't look like they use a large amount of it in this product. I still wish they could have sweetened it with Splenda, but we already know about Coke's position on using that sugar substitute. But that's another story.
What about those "healthy" ingredients that supposedly help burn calories in this zero carb, 5-calorie per can drink? They include the following for each can of Enviga:
90mg of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) from concentrated natural green tea extracts. EGCG is a powerful antioxidant that combines well with caffeine to work wonders with your metabolism.
100mg of caffeine, the same amount found in a cup of coffee, to further enhance the calorie-burning process.
200mg of calcium to help people meet their daily need for strong, healthy bones.
According to the verbage on the can, not everyone will benefit from drinking Enviga.
"Three cans per day of Enviga have been shown to increase calorie burning by 60-100 calories in HEALTHY NORMAL WEIGHT 18-35 YEAR OLDS. Individual results may vary. Drinking more than three cans per day will not have an additional effect." (bold and capitalized are MY emphasis)
So, basically children, middle-aged and older adults, overweight and obese as well as people with any health problem don't need to drink Enviga to experience the "calorie burning" phenomena because it won't work in them. That's what Coke is saying right there on their packaging! They may not say it that explicitly, but it can certainly be inferred from that strange disclaimer on the can. And don't even think about trying to drink MORE than three cans in a day to burn more calories. It doesn't work that way, according to Coke. Okeydokey!
Coke says the ingredients in Enviga are recognized as "safe" by the FDA. What are those ingredients? I'm glad you asked. In the order from top to bottom on the can, they are:
Carbonated Water, Calcium Lactate, Concentrated Green Tea From Tea Leaves, Citric Acid, Natural Flavors, Phosphoric Acid, Potassium Sorbate and Potassium Benzoate (to protect taste), Aspartame, Caffeine, and Acesulfame Potassium
I like the heavy emphasis on the calcium and green tea and less on the sweeteners and caffeine. That is better than most of the energy drinks out on the market today which are loaded with caffeine and sugar that are decidedly unhealthy for you.
You probably want to know the answer to the $100,000 question--HOW DOES IT TASTE? They were kind enough to send me one of each of the flavors, including Berry, Peach and Green Tea. I drank all three of them for myself over several hours to give you my honest evaluation of each one.
So I took a big swig of the GREEN TEA flavor...
I really didn't know what to expect, so I was bracing myself. After an intial reaction to the less-than-sweet taste of the product (which is a good thing since most diet drinks these days are WAY too sweet), I liked it. The more I drank it, the better it tasted. I could feel a slight build-up of something on my tongue while drinking it, but the taste was pleasant enough to drink to the bottom of the can.
The same could be said about the PEACH flavor, although I am not a fan. Not bad, though, but my wife turned her nose up after one sip. She wasn't impressed, but she's used to drinking sugary sodas anyway.
Then I saved what I thought would be the best one for last, the BERRY flavor. Little did I know...
Puck-a-roo, what is that bittersweet wang in this flavor that made my eyeballs feel like popping out of their sockets?! It plumb made my face turn into Popeye the Sailor Man! Yuck-yuck-yuck! I think putting some spinach in this can would have made it taste better than this. But I will admit, it slowly (VERY SLOWLY!) got more tolerable as I drank it to the very bottom of the can. But watch out for that first swallow, it's a doozy! 8-O
When Coke rolls this product out in full force in January 2007, look for the distinctive sleek cans in individual, 6-packs and 12-packs. Each can of Enviga will have a suggested retail price of $1.29-1.49.
Obviously, there are very high hopes for Enviga and it should sell well thanks to the marketing muscle that both The Coca-Cola Company and Nestle will provide for it. If people don't expect too much out of the product and the alleged "calorie burning" hype that has surrounded it so far, then it may have a shot at reaching that target audience of people desiring a drink for their healthy lifestyle. People wanting to lose weight shouldn't put their hope in this drink.
I certainly don't see anything wrong with people on a healthy low-carb lifestyle drinking this product as part of their ongoing health and exercise plan since we all need to be consuming more green tea in our diets. This unique product may be exactly what you need to get more EGCG in your body to do the incredible thermogenesis process to invigorate your metabolism. And that would be a GREAT thing, don't ya think?!
A special THANK YOU to Coca-Cola for allowing me to try their Enviga product before it hits the shelves and share what the real deal is on this new product. I think most people will appreciate their attempts to provide a healthier alternative to the HFCS-laden garbage that has become the staple of the soft drink industry. Creating Enviga is a step in the right direction and I applaud Coke and Nestle for their efforts.
One of the funniest questions I get from people who first discover that I'm on the low-carb lifestyle is "What do you eat?" My smart alleck response that is only said in my mind is, "Food, ya idiot!" But I'm much more civilized than that and generally respond with a sampling of what I have eaten for that day.
So, with my 6 1/2 pound weight loss last week on this new twist on low-carb living from Regina Wilshire, people are asking what I did differently to lose so much in one week. As a service to you and to possibly help you get some ideas about what to eat on your low-carb lifestyle, I will list a sample one-week menu that I ate last week to lose the weight.
Before I get into the foods I ate, here are my supplements:
3 teaspoons of liquid multivitamin (no iron) 1 brick men's multivitamin (no iron) 200mg Co Q-10 200mcg Chromium Picolinate 250mg Acetyl L-Carnitine 1 brick B Complex Vitamins 6 tablets Shaklee Super Calcium Magnesium Plus 2 caplets Fibercon 2 softgels 1000mg each Flax Oil 2 softgels 1000mg each Fish Oil Concentrate
As for what I drank, I had liberal amounts of water and Splenda-sweetened soft drinks. The water intake was right around a gallon and a half a day and I averaged about 6-8 cans of diet soda daily as well.
Now, without further wait, here is my menu and exercise routine:
MONDAY 7:45AM - Atkins Shake 10:00AM - 4 organic eggs with cheese 1:00PM - La Tortilla wrap with turkey, cheese and mayo 3:00PM - 1/3 cup of almonds and walnuts 5:30PM - 8oz steak w/A-1, 1/3 cup spinach leaves w/avocado oil 8:30PM - Heavy whipping cream w/DaVinci Syrup
EXERCISE: 35 minutes walking
TUESDAY 7:45AM - Atkins Shake 10:45AM - 3 eggs, salad greens w/Ranch, 2 tbsps walnuts 1:00PM - La Tortilla wrap w/turkey, ham, roast beef, cheese, mayo 3:00PM - 1/2 cup of almonds and walnuts 5:45PM - 8oz steak w/A-1, 1/3 cup spinach leaves w/avocado oil 8:15PM - Heavy whipping cream w/DaVinci Syrup
EXERCISE: 30 minutes elliptical
WEDNESDAY 7:45AM - Atkins Shake 9:45AM - 4 organic eggs with cheese 12:15PM - La Tortilla wrap w/roast beef, ham, cheese, mayo 3:00PM - 2/3 cup of almonds and walnuts 5:30PM - Grilled chicken w/cheese, 3/4 cup spinach leaves, Ranch 9:00PM - Heavy whipping cream w/DaVinci Syrup
EXERCISE: 30 minutes elliptical
THURSDAY 8:45AM - Atkins Shake 9:30AM - 4 organic eggs with cheese 2:00PM - 10oz steak w/A-1, 6oz BBQ no sauce, salad greens with eggs, cheese, sunflower seeds, pepperoni, Ranch, 1 bite of sugar-free pudding and 1 swallow of Coca-Cola (I accidentally sipped my wife's drink! UGH!)
Well, whaddya think? Isn't this doable? I think it's AWESOME!
9-6-06 UPDATE: One of my regular readers was appreciative that I posted my menu from this past week online and had a few excellent questions for me:
“Jimmy, thanks for posting your menus. How different is this week’s menus different from the previous weeks?"
To be honest, not a whole lot.
"How specifically did you incorporate Regina’s tweaks aside from organic eggs and fish oil?”
There were some specific changes I made, including CUTTING OUT ALL ASPARTAME AND MALTITOL products (I still had Splenda-based ones, though!), switched to eating SOME organic eggs and meats, drinking ONE Atkins shake a day, and including those supplements that Regina recommended I start taking. Other than that, the rest is what I've been doing.
This Kansas City Star article is about the new increased focus by Americans on the detrimental effects sugar has on their bodies. But it also takes a highly critical look at "the low-carbohydrate dieting craze" and the dangers of sugar substitutes such as Splenda in what I believe is an attempt to discourage people from livin' la vida low-carb. How about if we set 'em straight?
Presenting it as evidence that the popularity of low-carb has waned, this story describes what organic foods manufacturer Stonyfield Farms did with their popular yogurt line called Moove Over Carbs to continue the sales success it has had now that low-carb is supposedly dead.
The article explains: "In January they pulled Moove Over Carbs from the shelves, and this month Moove Over Sugar takes its place. Except for the name, the product remains the same. Sugars are, after all, carbs."
Okay, let me see if I understand this correctly. The bigwigs at Stonyfield Farms decided to change the name of their product from "Moove Over Carbs" to "Move Over Sugar" in an attempt to boost sales because low-carb is not as popular as it once was. Uh, am I missing something here?
With virtually every other food company out there falling all over themselves to put "low-carb" on their packaging, why is Stonyfield Farms switching gears all of a sudden? I guess you could say they've become convinced that low-carb is out and low-sugar is in. But isn't it interesting they haven't changed the ingredients in this product at all? I guess you could conclude it's still low-carb although it isn't marketed that way.
Interestingly, while the packaging and name may have changed, a quick visit to the Stonyfield Farms web site description of the yogurt shows you a picture of the new "Moove Over Sugar" packaging, but at the very top of the page they still call it "Moove Over Carbs" as of Sunday night when I posted this story on my blog (they might change it now that I've pointed this error out to them!). I guess they can't make up their mind whether mentioning their product as a low-carb item is a good thing or not!
Supposedly, according to the article, "low-sugar food has become the new low-carb food." But my only response to that is "WHO CARES?!" If something has little to no sugar in it at all, then it is usually an excellent choice for people who are livin' la vida low-carb. Dr. Atkins continually focused on the negative aspects of sugar as a primary reason for weight problems in America in all of his books. In fact, I am devoting an entire chapter of my book on the subject of sugar because it is that important for people to understand the negative role sugar plays in regards to your weight and health.
Just as they did when low-carb first became popular, food manufacturers are now rushing to pump out "low-sugar" foods to help people identify products that are supposed to be "healthier" for them. Unfortunately, though, while these products may be lower in sugar than their regular counterparts, oftentimes they still have an unusually high amount of sugar that make them off limits to people doing a low-carb lifestyle. Just as so many of the so-called "low-carb" products failed to sell because they were not low enough in carbohydrates to warrant that lofty description, these new low-sugar products will face the same fate when people realize they are still getting much more sugar than their body needs.
Right now there isn't a standard to regulate what can be described as "low-carb" or "low-sugar" on the grocery shelves. While I do not advocate the government getting involved in this process, there needs to be an independent organization or board that gives what would amount to the "Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval" to those products that are actually found to be "low-carb" or "low-sugar" as defined by a consensus of health and nutritional experts on the panel. Representatives from Atkins Nutritionals and others would judge whether a product should be allowed to be labeled "low-carb" or "low-sugar" by establishing a carbohydrate and sugar threshold which cannot be exceeded. If we're going to be serious about truth in advertising regarding "low-carb" and "low-sugar" products, then this is something that must be taken into consideration as soon as possible.
Whenever people ask me about what to eat when they want something sweet while doing the low-carb lifestyle, I recommend they choose sugar-free items because they just don't need all that sugar. Even in popular diet bars there can be large quantities of hidden sugars you have to be aware of. I always tell people to read food and nutrition labels carefully and immediately put down any product that has more than a gram or two of sugars per serving in it. It's just not worth putting in your mouth when there are plenty of viable sugar substitutes that, in my opinion, taste just as good as sugar, but without the consequences that come from eating too much of it.
The article warns about the move to market low-sugar products and whether the sugar substitutes in those products are safe for people to use. Interestingly, the only sugar substitute mentioned in the article is sucralose, sold under the product name Splenda.
Splenda is the sugar substitute highly recommended by Dr. Robert Atkins in his books. That brand has become a household name with its little symbol found on thousands upon thousands of products these days. Most people (and especially low-carbers) are extremely comfortable with using Splenda and recognize it as an excellent sugar substitute with 600 times the sweetness of sugar.
But there are some who question the safety of Splenda. While I can appreciate the honest concerns about the foods sold on our supermarket shelves, this alarmist response to Splenda is a bit of an overreaction. There is nothing in this article about the real dangers that have been documented about some other sugar substitutes like aspartame (Nutrasweet) and saccharin. Just as they have done with the low-carb lifestyle, the media is attempting to villify Splenda to discourage people from using a product found to be safe in over 100 studies in the past two decades and prominently used by low-carbers everywhere.
The story cites a recent survey conducted by the Grocery Manufacturers Association, the world's largest association of food, beverage and consumer product companies, which found nearly half of all grocery shoppers are looking for products that contained "reduced sugar."
Well duh? This group of survey participants who want less sugar in the food they buy doesn't exactly exclude people who are livin' la vida low-carb as the story implies. Actually, it's quite the contrary. Those of us who are watching our carb intake are the ones who are most likely to be especially careful about the sugar content in the products we buy. Low-sugar generally equates to being low-carb.
But the same can't be said about low-fat. The vast majority of low-fat products have loads of added sugar and sodium in an attempt to as closely replicate the taste of the original versions of various foods as possible. The resulting consequence is usually something that tastes very discusting and the addition of even more sugar in your diet that you just don't need. If you're cutting out sugar from your diet, then you can't exactly be doing a low-fat diet!
So how about starting the low-carb lifestyle like millions and millions of us who have already done it with great success and you can cut your sugar while enjoying lots of tasty foods you just can't have on a low-fat diet! It'll be the best thing you've ever done in your life in regards to shrinking your waistline and improving your overall health.
At the end of the article, a nutritionist named Dr. Stuart Fischer, who runs his own practice in Manhattan and formerly worked under the leadership of Dr. Robert Atkins for nine years as associate medical director of the former Atkins Center for Complementary Medicine, expresses his opinion that artificial sweeteners do nothing to help people's "overall health" because they supposedly make you crave sugar-laced treats.
"They remind dieters about the taste of the forbidden fruit," Fischer said. "Does Alcoholics Anonymous recommend alcohol-free beer? Of course not."
While I am not even going to pretend to question Dr. Fischer's expert medical analysis of sugar substitutes, all I can offer is my own experience with sugar substitutes during my weight loss and weight maintenance over the past year and a half.
Sugar substitutes have been a godsend to me. Before I started livin' la vida low-carb, just the mention of the words "sugar-free" caused me to cringe. But times have changed and so have the sugar substitutes. You just don't know what you are talking about if you haven't even tried how wonderful sugar substitutes make Russell Stover candies or Z-Carb chocolate bars taste.
While Dr. Fischer said he is worried about people wanting to gobble up foods with sugar in them after consuming these sugar substitutes, I found just the opposite is true. Because the sugar substitutes are so good, I don't feel compelled to eat anything with sugar in it because I know it would go against my goal of losing and maintaining my weight. I have a unique phrase I often tell myself whenever I might be tempted to eat something with sugar in it. I can't tell you what it is right now because I use it in my book. But I think it can help anyone who wants to overcome their addiction to sugar. You'll have to wait until my book comes out to find out what it is.
The bottom line is this: Sugar is not good for you at all. You need to do whatever you can to avoid it completely, especially when you are on a low-carb lifestyle. Even just a little bit of sugar can kick you out of ketosis and foil your plans to lose and maintain your weight. If everyone in this country would just cut sugar out of their lives, I contend we would see the obesity numbers plummet to near single digits!
While the media has focused much of their attention on fat consumption, especially with people on a low-carb lifestyle, they need to turn their attention to sugar consumption, generally associated with people on a low-fat diet. The truth is that we can live without sugar. It might be difficult for many to break their addiction, but it can and must be done.
05/16/2005 UPDATE: I got a personal e-mail response today from Dr. Fischer.
Thanks for your e-mail and your excellent article. I am also glad for your personal success story and your hope of helping many others. After dealing with this tremendous subject since 1988, I wish that it would lend itself to monolithic thinking and simplistic answers (I am referring to how the media treats overweight and obesity), but human physiology and behavior are much more complex. Keep up the good work!
Best wishes,
Dr. Stuart Fischer
I guess he's on our side after all! Thanks for your kind comments, Dr. Fischer. I look forward to hearing more from you regarding how we need to deal with the obesity problem in the coming years.
Well it's about time! The Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo Inc., two companies I have long complained about for using aspartame to sweeten their diet soft drinks, finally got on the Splenda bandwagon after using aspartame exclusively for years.
I was watching television last night and saw a commercial for Diet Coke and about fell out of my seat when I heard the quick promo at the end of the commercial that blared, "And look for new Diet Coke now sweetened with Splenda!" I couldn't believe it! In fact, it's funny because now I will have to rewrite part of my book where I ranted against the big soft drink companies for not realizing those of us who are livin' la vida low-carb want and need Splenda in our diet sodas. Oh well, that's a good thing I guess.
Of course, to keep their customers happy, Coke says it will not be changing the regular Diet Coke that is currently flavored with powdered paint thinner, or Aspartame (brand name of Nutrasweet). Have you noticed how every company who uses Splenda in their products proudly displays their symbol on their packaging, but you are seeing less and less of the Nutrasweet symbol? Me thinks there's a backlash against the latter because people are realizing how harmful it is to their health.
Diet Coke with Splenda will have a unique packaging with a yellow streak on it for consumers to distinguish it from the regular Diet Coke. As for Pepsi, they will add Splenda to their one calorie diet soda called Pepsi One. Regular Diet Pepsi, sweetened with aspartame, will not be offered with Splenda, though. Both of these products are expected to be widely available to consumers over the next month.
You know, I really hope Diet Coke with Splenda does well because maybe they'll branch off and put Splenda in my favorite flavors, including Diet Cherry Coke and the new Diet Coke with Lime, which I think is the most incredible-tasting diet soda on the market today. But I'm sure the demand will dictate whether they will begin putting Splenda in their other products or not.
The jury is still out on the taste of these new products for me. Plus they still have caffeine in them, which is also not very good for you while you are livin' la vida low-carb. I have gotten so used to and enjoy drinking Diet Rite (which also doesn't have any caffeine it it, by the way!) that changing brands may take some time. The taste will have to be a lot better than Diet Rite for me to switch.
(As a quick aside, though, what's up with Diet Rite changing from a 12-pack to a 15-pack recently. Besides the new packaging looking awkward and costing nearly a dollar more, it's just strange. Maybe they're trying to start a new trend in the soda industry. I buy a lot of Diet Rite anyway, but the packaging and pricing is just odd to me. If you have any thoughts on this, leave a comment below.)
Speaking of Diet Rite, have you registered to win a free year's supply at their web site. It takes less than a minute to enter and you could be well-stocked for the next 12 months on the best-tasting diet soft drink on the market today!
I'll probably buy Diet Coke with Splenda when it's on sale and at least once just to say I tried it. I'll let you know what I think in a future blog entry once it hits the shelves.
