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Nuts and candy w/Splenda

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Posted 6/4/2007 11:37 PM (GMT 0)
I'm hot on the trail of what makes my fasting numbers rise and I think I'm narrowing it down. Both nuts and Brach's candies (w/splenda) seem to give me higher fasting numbers if I eat one for a snack at night.

Does anyone else notice that? And we're not talking huge quantities here, boys and girls, I'm talking less than 1/8 cup.

I'm bummed ... I thought they were a fast and TASTY snack!!!

Post Edited By Moderator (LanieG) : 8/13/2010 12:31:41 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 6/5/2007 2:32 AM (GMT 0)

Oh, yes, those candies.  I bought Estee brand sugar-free butterscotch and my numbers rose.  Well, that's happened when I've eaten them alone.  I don't know if it would be different if I ate them right after a meal though.  The same thing with 'sugar-free' chocolate.  Nice dark, heart-healthy chocolate, no sugar - but, again, when I ate 2 squares, my numbers went higher than they should have.  about the nuts, I also found I have to ration the almonds, walnuts or pecans out, like a handful, during the day and it's ok, but at night, I can only eat 4 or 5 so they don't drive my morning number up.  Still in the stage of figuring out what works and what doesn't.

Lanie  eyes

Posted 6/5/2007 2:44 AM (GMT 0)
Part of the job of the night time snack is to put some carbs into the mix so your blood sugar doesn't bottom out during the night and cause your liver to convert glucogon into glucose. By eating a 'sugar free' snack you are defeating the purpose of the snack. Try graham crackers and peanut butter or an apple with a one inch cube of cheese. These snacks provide carbs along with protein and fat to the blood stream and help keep everything level. On nights I'm feeling deprived I have 1/2 cup of ice cream in a baby cone to serve as my snack.

Remember, we want moderate, level sugars without a lot of spikes and lows. That's why eating smaller amounts and eating more frequently is often better for sugar levels than trying to eat all 'carb free' foods. The other thing is that the 'sugar free' candies often use sugar alcohols to get the volume and size of the sugar they are replacing. These sugar alcohols can have an adverse effect on your sugars and actually lower your sugar enough that your liver does the glucogon thing.

I know it sounds backwards but sometimes you have to eat a little bit and do it more often to lower your sugars in the long run. The secret is to keep your body happy without it feeling deprived.
Posted 6/6/2007 5:23 PM (GMT 0)
Anything made with Splenda or the sugar alcohol malitol makes me spike higher than the real thing made with sugar. Sugar Free Jello pudding, sugar free chocolate, calorie free water flavored with Splenda- they all do me in, and most are not calorie-free or low calorie either!

I actually get lower numbers with Lindt dark chocolate ( the 75% kind), super premium ice-creams and the like. It's probably all the fat that mellows out the spike- and it tastes better to me too :-) sandy

Posted 6/6/2007 10:45 PM (GMT 0)
Hmmmmm. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr. And other noises. LOL.

I guess my "treat" will have to be a small scoop of ricotta cheese with whipped cream on top! That doesn't touch my blood glucose.
Posted 6/6/2007 11:54 PM (GMT 0)
Mmmmmm, yum. Lindt chocolate is a permanent guest in our house (hey, my hubby is Swiss!). I'd rather have a 2 gram of carbs per square of the good dark stuff than anything carb-free/low-fat. Like cheese, I just can't fathom enjoying the taste of low-fat or low-carb chocolate and cheese. I've also found, for me anyway, that the sugar alcohols and "fake" stuff sends my sugars skyrocketing. Diet pop and most sugar-free things makes me feel bloaty, too. Again, the real thing works better for me, in the appropriate portions of course :-)

Cheers,
Kris
Posted 6/7/2007 1:22 AM (GMT 0)
Well, at least I know now why my readings are so high in the morning after my sugar free snacks at night. Nuts don't seem to spike my sugar, but that good fake chocolate does. LOL! And the sugar free cookies too!
Posted 6/7/2007 2:22 PM (GMT 0)

Here's a little snack you might enjoy-

I take a cup (5.3 oz, small container) of the Greek Style (F A G E, or Trader Joe) yogurt, mix in a packet of True Lemon or True Lime and a couple drops of Stevia (you could use any sweetner you like), then I mix it up (this tastes like creamy lemon chiffon) ( 6 grams of carb/13 grams of protein for the fat free kind).

I put a dab of whipped cream (the real stuff- but Cool Whip would work too) and shaved Lindt dark chocolate ( I use 1 square - 1 carb) on top.

I could mainline this! It's going to be 90 here today, and I already have my veggies ready for the grill- so I think I'll have to put this on the dessert/snack menu...

 I'm thinking it would work with unsweetened Kool-aid powder too, but I love the lemon and lime. I have used flavored Stevia (chocolate raspberry is sooooo good), nut butter, and baking oils (the kind you use to make hard candies- LorAnn).  I made butterscotch at Christmas and didn't mind passing up the Yule Log!

sandy (who just made herself hungry)

Posted 6/12/2007 3:28 AM (GMT 0)
That whole sugar alcohol thing is a little confusing. I really dont understand it, so I just stay away from things that have it.  If anyone can explain it to us, I would appreciate it.

I have a high sugar problem so a "little ice cream and part of a sugar cone" had me laughing. Never again for me. But I do still crave the carbs!

I am hooked on these Atkins bars with 1g of sugar, and little carbs.  

 

Posted 6/12/2007 12:22 PM (GMT 0)
I hear you ... there are no "small" anythings for me either.
Posted 6/12/2007 1:35 PM (GMT 0)

I enjoy nuts when I can because they do feel like proper honest food, not modified chemically altered versions of stuff we're better off without anyway. That said, there's nuts and there's nuts. My nut of choice these days is the taste-tastic macadamia (I don't know if you have another name for them in the US - you have a habit of that sort of thing.)

Peanuts and cashews are delicious, but I have to be very careful not to overdo them (peanuts aren't really nuts anyway!) with 8% and 21% carbohydrate respectively it only takes a few too many before trouble ensues. How true of many of lifes peasures. However, the humble macadamia is a virtuous wee fellow. At only 4.8% carbohyrate and 77% fat (woo-hoo!) I can scoff a 60g UK size bag with relative impunity. Now to be able just to do that without having to take a shot to cover it feels like such a privelidge that I can pretend I'm a normal person and not a numbers-obsessed nutter (sorry) for just a little while.....

All the best,

fergusc 

Posted 6/12/2007 2:21 PM (GMT 0)

From a fellow nutter:  Whoa.  Fergusc, are you sure about the 21% carbohydrate for cashews?  The container I have says: cashews 28 grams (about 1/4 cup) 8 grams carbohydrate, 13 grams total fat and 5 grams protein.  Another good nut is the pecan:  per 28 grams of this nut:  4 gr. carbohydrate, 21 gr. fat and 3 gr. protein.  Peanuts are an even better source of protein compared to these however with 7 g.  I also have a problem limiting intake so I have to take them out of the can and put that can out of sight to stop nibbling.  Unfortunately, I think all these are over salted.  Even the "lightly salted" ones have too much salt and the unsalted ones are a little too bland.  (Yes, macadamias are called macadamias!)

Lanie 

Posted 6/12/2007 3:21 PM (GMT 0)

Hi Lanie,

Yeah, pretty sure about the cashews - if the nutrition information on the side of the packet is anything to go by. Some of the package info is more informative than others, which can often be misleading. The packet I'm looking at right now tells me (per 100g) 20.8g carbohydrate, of which 6.7g is sugars and 14.1g is starch. These are all carbs of course as the pancreas, marvellous little organ that it is, still isn't quite up to the task of distinguishing between the two or reading the labels. If your label says 8g of carbs in 28g, then that is almost 29% carbohydrate - a fair bit higher than the humble British cashew.

It could be a result of differing production methods I suppose? Whenever I go to the US I find food generally is noticably sweeter than it is here in Europe - you lot love your high fructose corn syrup!

Oh, pine nuts - fabulous too. Wonderful when toasted, virtually no salt, and only 3.8% carbohydrate. It would give the macadamia a run for it's money if only it wasn't so tiny wee.

All the best,

fergusc

Posted 6/12/2007 3:38 PM (GMT 0)
OMG ... cashews are one of my DOWNFALLS. Here I thought I was being "good." Oh dear ... I'm such a food junkie that I best not purchase anymore. It's sooooooo easy to go overboard.

Macadamias, eh? Ok. But probably not the chocolate covered ones. LOL.
Posted 6/12/2007 3:52 PM (GMT 0)

Oh, that's it!  Well, now would you really eat 100 g. of cashews?  I just weighed some whole cashews (medium sized) and that would be about 65 cashews!  The can I have says a serving is about 1/4 cup (28 g.) and that's about 22 cashews.  (This is all approximate after all; I'm using a little kitchen scale here.)  The portion size is what's important then.  I wouldn't even eat 22 cashews at a time to tell the truth, more like 15.  High fructose corn syrup is added to many packaged and bottled goods here and that really is a problem for those who rely on processed foods - many of which also have partially hydrogenated oils.  All the more reason to eat fresh food.  By the way, I think pistachios are also a good choice but I don't have any in the house to see about the nutrition information.  Take care.

Lanie 

Posted 6/12/2007 4:13 PM (GMT 0)

It's just the proportion of carbohydrate that I keep an eye on, Lanie, on the basis that if it has a lesser effect on my blood sugar, then I can eat more of it! You could call it informed gluttony?

I've got some pistachios here too if it helps - 8% carb, 18% protein, 55% fat. I love them all. What I've yet to find is something called the mongongo nut which as well as having some promising numbers is, interestingly, a staple of the few remaining hunter-gatherer tribes in Africa. They seem to enjoy a pretty healthy existence on a diet composed predominantly of meat, milk and nuts and some seasonal veggies and fruit when in season. They seem to live longer, healthier lives than most of us in the developed world despite the absence of medical care so I think there's probably quite a lot we could learn from them.

All the best,

fergusc

Posted 6/12/2007 4:48 PM (GMT 0)
Fergusc, if I were a hunter-gatherer, I'd also be lean, probably not dealing with blood sugar issues, and live maybe a lot longer - or maybe not because I don't know what the lifespan of the !kung is but I suspect their lifespan may not be as long as ours now.  In any case, given that I do live in a typical suburb here in the States with all the 'conveniences', I'm satisfied preparing fresh vegetables from our farmers' market, eating nuts from a can, and buying chicken and meat wrapped in plastic (You won't find me killing my dinner.)!  And wine, white wine.  Hard to hunt and gather wine.  :)

Lanie

Posted 6/12/2007 8:57 PM (GMT 0)
So you're telling me you're not going to stomp your own grapes!?!
Posted 6/12/2007 9:14 PM (GMT 0)

Nahh, stomping takes too much time.  I lure them into a bottle.

Lanie cool

Posted 6/13/2007 2:13 PM (GMT 0)

After I read this thread the first time... I've quit buying all those lovely sugar free treats sad . No more lovely chocolates at night. I'm sure I'm better off, and maybe I'll lose some weight. The late night snacking has always been my downfall tongue .

Bear

Posted 6/16/2007 5:34 PM (GMT 0)
Oh my gosh I feel horrible. I have been buying these sugar free brachs chocolates for my uncle in Canada and now he is addicted to them. He is a type 2 diabetic too and I thought I was getting him a treat. I am going to call him today and tell him (suggest) to try a real chocolate and test his sugar and see if that is ok. I know he has had a hard time with his numbers and now I am wondering if it is because they buy a lot of fake sugar free foods.

SO MUCH TO LEARN! brain overload....aaaahhhhhhhhhh.

I just want to let you all know that today I am committing to myself for the record....to start keeping a journal and writing down my numbers. I have resisted because I find it all a bit controlling but geesh this is getting tiring not knowing what will make me get good numbers.

hugs

julia
Posted 6/22/2007 4:13 AM (GMT 0)
The FDA really ought to do something about the sugar-free candy labeling. It's a complete scam. 

I think someone on this forum once pointed out that 10 grams of sugar alcohol is like 5 grams of regular sugar.  Something like that.  I forget the specifics since I am not eating them.

And they are so darn expensive. If you have to, maybe you might as well eat one regular candy as opposed three or four of the "sugar free".

 

Posted 8/13/2010 3:37 PM (GMT 0)
Hi everyone,  I'm new to this thread and I'm glad I found all of your information here. My husband is type 2 diabetic and we just found out that splenda spiked his blood sugar this morning.  Your right, this sugar free crap they sell is a scam! His blood sugar jumped from 140 to 179 after 3 cups of coffee with splenda, just within 1 hr. I don't have much faith in the fda doing anything about this scam, but we can get the word out. This is totally unexceptable fooling the public like this. Especially with people that are diabetic.

Mel 

Posted 8/13/2010 4:16 PM (GMT 0)
I think it's an exaggeration to say Splenda is a scam or to blame the RDA.  When we say something is sugar-free, it doesn't mean there are no carbs, only that there is no sugar in the ingredients.  The box of Splenda on my shelf says that 1 teaspoon has less than 1 gram of carbohydrates, which means there are carbs in it; so, if you use several spoons of it in your coffee, then the coffee will have some carbs.  Carbs don't have to be 'sugar' to raise blood sugar.  If your husband also puts milk or one of those flavored creamers in the coffee, then the carbs are higher.  If he's drinking three cups of this coffee, then there's no surprise his blood sugar rose!  Is he on meds?  I'm not, so I have to consider all the small amounts of carbs in food.  All sweeteners have carbs to some small degree.  Also on my shelf are:  Only Sweet (stevia and maltodextrin: 1 g carb per packet); PureVia (erythritol, isomaltulose and stevia: 2 g carb per packet; Stevia in the Raw  (dextrose and stevia): less than 1 g carb per packet).  In order to keep a more even level of blood sugar, he needs to consider even the smallest amount of carbs.
Posted 8/13/2010 5:12 PM (GMT 0)
No he does not use cream of any kind in his coffee. Yuck  He used 2 packets in his coffee, total of 6 packets for 3 cups of coffee. If something says there is carbs in it, they have no business calling it a sugar free product or advertising as such.   Carbs of any kind  "will turn into sugar".  That is why carbs are so dangerous to a diabetic.  This is a total scam in my opinion and people need to be warned about it. It is false advertising to lead people to believe that  because there is no sugar or calorie's in splenda that it is safe for diabetics. That is wrong! And should be corrected.

And the FDA in my opinion are not looking out for the people.

Mel

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