BunnyLoves

Nah, you could use Stevia or Splenda and it won't spike your insulin. Aspartame mimics insulin in the body actually! Crazy stuff.

Soberpotamus

I've been using Stevia in my coffee, tea and even in coleslaw!! My bf doesn't like it, but I'm ok with it in place of sugar in the coleslaw... It's a bit sweet in my coffee, still having to figure out just how little to use... it's SO sweet!

Smile123

Bunny,
Is this what you're talking about? ZEVIA - WITH STEVIA - NATURE'S ANSWER TO DIET SODAIt looks really good. What flavors do you like? I drink a lot of diet pop and I have been noticing lately how "toxic" the aftertaste is. Kind of worries me!

Soberpotamus

Omg... I didn't know this existed! Just looked it up and friended them on FB, Twitter and YouTube Thanks for posting that link! A store only 4 miles away from my house carries it, according to their site

stanleyhouse

Oh my gosh, I'm feeling less alone now that I know there are other people that may stop for a 12 pack of diet coke before they get to their hotel room. I never run out at home.
SH

Soberpotamus

Hi, I'm Jennie and I'm a Diet Coke-aholic.

aNewDawn

Diet coke and coffee... That's what I live on these days. Knowing that it's not all that healthy I also drink lots of water.

The whole aspartame and insulin stuff bothered me a lot, so I eventually talked to my doc who is also a nutrionist and was told that this is somewhat of an urban legend. I also had a few articles about that bookmarked, but can't find them... They would be in German though, so not much use here.

I'd say enjoy the diet coke for now and you can always go back and limit the amounts once you've got some more time sober. That's my plan anyway...

BunnyLoves

Ok, checked the name of the calorie-free soda I drink that uses Stevia instead of artificial sweeteners. It's called Zevia. They make a few flavors, and their cola one has 45 mg of caffeine in one 12 ounce can, but it seems like a lot more, and I have a huge caffeine tolerance! The cola one is ok, kinda like a flat diet Pepsi. The grape flavor is really good. They have a cream soda, a lemon-lime, an orange, etc. I found them at my local grocery store. Whole Foods or Trader Joes probably carries them, too. Stevia has come a long way, maybe you could buy SteviaSweet packets and see if you like that in your food better than Splenda.

BunnyLoves

PS, it's not an urban legend, I wish it was, cuz' I used to LOVE Diet Coke. I am Type II Diabetic, and I definitely notice bad reactions in my blood sugar levels when i drink it. The first thing I notice is shakiness, and then about 30 minutes to an hour later I am starving. I go to naturalist doctors. I was a strict vegan with my last baby, and everyone was freaking out thinking he'd be scrawny. Haha! He was HUGE and healthy and perfect. You gotta go by what you feel is right for you. A lot of these docs learn things out of old books.

Froglet

Just to continue, please look up the 'artificial' sweeteners in these 0 calorie drinks. If it isn't the taste you are chasing, then what is it?

These artificial compounds are subject to scrutiny and for good reason.

If you want to 'enjoy' soda, get regular, but if you think 'diet' is that much healthy, think again. I suspect you could compare this to drinking a light beer or something.

Soda is just as bad as alcohol, it's just portrayed as a less detriment because it doesn't give you the instantaneous effect, but over time, soda causes health problems. We keep soda at home as an emergency tool for my grandma. She has diabetes, and if her blood sugar level is too low, she drinks it for immediate relief.

Take cares everyone.

Soberpotamus

Froglet... yes, the artificial crap is what really scares me. I'm a healthy eater otherwise. What am I chasing in the diet drinks? Hmmm... caffeine is the drug I'm really chasing, I'm sure. Other than that... nothing really. Why diet? Zero calories! Also... it's cold... and I love ice in it. I guess it's sort of replacing my chilled glass (bottles...) of wine. When I drank, I'd drink half a day or so. The other half of the day I'd want caffeine... I guess I was regulating... up and down, up and down?? Maybe... but that's just my guess... Or... maybe the diet drinks were just my pacifier until I would break down and allow myself to drink. I was a fast drinker... 2 - 4 drinks/ hour.

Honestly... it might be time for me to get away from the caffeine. I don't tend to drink coffee so quickly and often... it's just too much caffeine for me to handle that way. Maybe I should do 2 cups/day and club sodas?

Anyway... today I am only doing Diet Sprite/7 UP/Mountain Dew... I've decided to cut out all the dark colored drinks for now... why? I have no clue

Soberpotamus

I just came back from the store with 4 big 2-liters of club soda!! It feels good to change bad habits... Now, we'll see if I can stick with it for a few days. If I can get to 3 days without the diet drinks I see no reason for going back to them...

stanleyhouse

Good for you, SoberJennie. I'm just not there.

Soberpotamus

SH, we'll see how long it lasts... I'm feeling good about it at the moment.

I guess what bothers me and I can't stop thinking this... my liver is finally free of alcohol but now it's having to deal with me dumping a load of aspartame and phenylaline into it... I'm no doc, but I know it probably isn't happy with me at the moment

Plus, I was logging into myfitnesspal.com daily and doing surprisingly well for the past month... even towards the end of my drinking! So... I guess I thought... it makes very little sense for me to use sobriety as some sort of excuse to dump loads of diet sodas into my body... and stop my workouts...

I do sometimes still walk, but I was doing Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred along with some weight lifting... most of that stopped two weeks ago when I focused on my sobriety, reading & SR... now I can see if I keep going this route, I'll probably gain weight from the carbs I've added back in, and the diet drinks have to be stalling my progress...

My conscience just keeps nagging me back to myfitnesspal.com to start logging my food/exercise again.

Jitterbugg

In absence of beer, I guzzle diet coke in very large quantities. 12-14 cans a day or a couple 2 litre bottles. Caffeine-free even. Is aspartame addictive?

Soberpotamus

Not sure it's actually addictive... it might be. But... I know that phenylaline is most likely the culprit... it produces something in it's breakdown that acts on dopamine and adrenaline... And dopamine is the neurotransmitter in the brain that's associated with pleasure and reward or reinforcement of behaviors... like food, sex, drugs...

So... I can just imagine why we are guzzling it

I fully believe that the US gov and the big labs that manufacture the artificial foods & chemicals they put into foods these days deliberately add phenylaline for this purpose... to basically get us hooked on foods... it's all about capitalism and money.

smileyblue

Green tea and chocolate bubble milk tea

guyinyvr

I have odd cravings like a lot of other folks do...especially sweets and I expected it after way too many relapses and withdrawals. I am trying to curb those cravings as its likely my whole blood sugar system needs time to readjust and last thing I need to do is sit up worrying about being either diabetic or hypoglycemic...oh ya , the whole fretting over stuff ,real or not ,is easing but still there !

Still I can handle a few cookies and ice cream and saying " Sorry officer , my cone dripped on my lap" versus " Slorry occifer , I'ze not under the affluence of inkohol"