Wellness

[cherry]

Sugar free products cost more than regular  ones. I just bought a small bag of sugar free Werthers carmels

There is only a 4 gram difference per serving, than the type made with real sugar. I would rather eat 1/2 as much of the real thing

I won't buy this again

A serving ,which is 6 pieces ,of regular  is 33 grams, and sugar free is 29  grams for the same sized serving,

[HerRoyaLioness]

I've noticed this also and have been told from a dietician that the sugar free are "better" carbs and will process through the system slower.

Whether we choose to believe this or not is up to us I guess, unless you want to do more research.  Sometimes I say just give me the real (cane) sugar!

[cherry]

@HerRoyaLionessthat might be true, but sugar free has other issues that  people must deal with. It can upset your digestive system terribly

[HerRoyaLioness]

Very true, depending on what it is sweetened with, which many times is not very good. And the amount used.

The only sweetener I will use is (pure, powdered) Stevia, mostly in my yogurt, works great and doesn't bother my stomach at all! 

[cherry]

I have never used any articfical sweetner, I must admit. I usually avoid things that require me to use it. but I have bought sugar fee pudding, and I do drink diet Coke

How does it taste?

[HerRoyaLioness]

@cherryI do not use it very often either, but when you use it correctly, it only sweetens what you put it in.  There is no after taste. I use it in iced tea, but the big thing is, and it matters a lot, is not to put too much in.  It is really easy to do and then it has kind of a bitter taste.  You have to experiment a little and it will give a pleasantly sweet taste when used in the correct amount.

You have to be careful to read the label and make sure you are just getting Stevia though.

As for diet Coke, well, there is no substitute, lol!!!  I'm addicted!  And I do also use the sugar free pudding mixes at times. 

I guess it's a balance of what works for you in the end.

[Trinity11]

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@cherry wrote:

I have never used any articfical sweetner, I must admit. I usually avoid things that require me to use it. but I have bought sugar fee pudding, and I do drink diet Coke

How does it taste?

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I buy Splenda and since you can cook with it, I use it to sweeten sweet potatoes with cinnamon. It's like having dessert.. 

[CelticCrafter]

When I see something sugar free, I steer clear - the aftertaste is just so bad.

I would rather do unsweetened than sugar free.

[Poodlepet2]

Cherry, I have seen the same thing you have with prices.  Artificial sweeteners-and I am guessing that Werthers SF is sweetened with capitol and a few other sugar alcohols-are not that expensive, but when something is sold targeted at a specific group, the price goes up.

My older sister always had a weight problem and my mother was forever putting her on diets.  Back in the 60's, tuna packed in water was a new development-and it was three times the price of tuna packed in oil!  Now, the reverse is true.

My DH always loved crunchy salty pretzel rods but decided he was eating too much salt.  When lower salt pretzels came out in the early 90's, they were far more expensive than regular pretzels.

Maybe the demand was not as great and it may have cost the manufacturer more to manipulate equipment to cut out salt, but he saw a market need for it.  When there is a demand, t h e price goes up.

With the diabetes explosion there's a demand for sugar free items, but there are unknowns about the sugar alternatives as well.  The advantage one has over the other is open for debate.  Cane sugar is known to cause sudden glucose increases, but for those with impaired glucose metabolism, it can also cause a hypersecretion of insulin.

Artificial sweeteners are all over the place. Splenda does not appear to have much of a glycemic impact, but that's not true for everybody. In spite of claims made by manufacturers, sugar alcohols are still carbs but seem to raise glucose slowly....but that's not entirely true for everybody either.  For some, it can make their glucose skyrocket.

The AD A gives recipes using cane sugar: controlled and used infrequently.  Since your A1c is stable, if you were to ask your doctor if you could have a Werther's every now and then-and your weight is not a problem, he would probably tell you to enjoy it.

Poodlepet2

[Moonchilde]

Many of us  (I am, the OP is) are diabetic, so it's not a choice - we need to find sugar substitutes - and each one of us chooses differently, from Splenda to Stevia to Agave to Sweet & Low. It just depends on individual taste buds (which science has proven ARE quite different from person to person). 

I've never seen the point in being "healthy and natural" if the taste of the product makes me screw up my face and spit the food out because of how bad it tastes to me. I'll take a chemical that, to me, has no bad aftertaste (Splenda in my case).

I don't know about the Werthers, but many "low(er) fat" foods have higher carb counts than the regular version. They take out the fat but put in more sugar. Ya gotta read labels.

As far as I've experienced personally, I'd have to eat a LOT of candy that contains sugar alcohols (which is probably what the dietician mentioned was referring to as being "slower") to have the Potty Effect. I have never had that problem unless I ate a way larger than I should have amount, like half a bag or box. But - I cannot eat more than half a dozen cherries at one sitting or I'm in deep trouble!