Hello all, just wondering about Aspartame. I have read that is bad, but I cannot seem to find out why. ...I mean aside from the fact that it is not good for you in general. Is there something specific that it does to your carb intake?

Aslo, I cannot for the life of me find nitrite free bacon. Everything I see clearly says Soium nitirite. Any brand recommendations?

Cat

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Catahoulagirl
220/214/175

Hey, Cat. It will be very difficult to find nitrite free bacon....I don't even know if there is such a thing, but I think there is....maybe someone else will chime in here.

Aspartame, also known as NutriSweet and Equal have gotten some bad press....I am hearing alot of negative stuff about it. I don't want to get into yet another debate about the safety of this stuff....just Google aspartame and scope out some of the debates about it. My dad showed me an article a few years ago that stated that one of the major airlines will not allow their pilots to fly for 12 hours following aspartame consumption. It supposedly slowed their reaction times. (Dad was trying to get me to stop using Equal. I now use Splenda, except for the occasional Diet Pepsi.)

Also, I saw a show on TV that showed how aspartame was (supposedly) invented: a lab accident involving wood resin and formaldehyde......yikes! They said it boiled over and left a white powder that tasted sweet.

Who knows? Only you can make those decisions!

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Here's a good article on the dangers of aspartame.

http://www.mercola.com/article/aspar...en_dangers.htm

I do know that I avoid it, because it triggers migraine headaches for me. Also, I just don't like the taste, and you can't really use it in cooking, because it loses its sweetness.
As far as nitrite-free bacon; it does exist, but it can be difficult to find. The only place I have ever seen it near me is in a health food store. I do know they sell it at Whole Foods, because I used to buy it there when I lived near one. But keep looking. I found nitrite-free jerky in my local hfs the other day. :cook:

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Trina

Vice-President of the Intergalactic Order of Brussels Sprouts Haters

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Aspartame:

If you go back and read through it, somewhere in DANDR it says specifically that Dr. Atkins found with some of his patients that aspartame inhibited their ability to loose weight. Furthermore, when he took them off of it, their weight loss resumed.

Personally I did drink lots of diet soda on my first couple of months, until I hit a stall. During my stall, I found that reference, and cut out the diet sodas, and replaced them with water - that got my weight loss started again.

Since then, I don't think I have had any aspartame (aside from an occasional diet soda, maybe once every 6 months on average).

Splenda is better, but Stevia is the best supplement that you can get. Although Splenda tastes closer to sugar, stevia is all natural and better for your body. If you haven't heard about it before, you can probably find it in most health food stores.

HTH

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Started Atkins on 9/20/03
235-->190; 150 goal

Thanx All!

I have loaded up on splenda. I didn't really use a lot of sugar for cooking prior to my new lifestyle. So I have a feeling that it'll sit around for awhile. Most of my sugar intake was allready in the food. I was looking at Aspartame in diet sodas. I have purchased all the Diet Rites, and I likethe fruit flvored ones just fine. The cola however just cant measure up to diet coke. I think I will just watch and play it by ear.

The bacon thing is a REAL Bummer. I loves me bacon.....

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Catahoulagirl
220/214/175

cat-most things are definitely a "see what works for you" thing, or at least a lot. you may decide to select the brand of bacon with the least nitrates and not have problems with that.

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Fat Baggage- Is Yours Packed?

I love bacon, too. I just use good ole Oscar Mayer. I have bacon about once per week (sometimes more, but often less) and I'm not a great eater of other processed meats.

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Cat, while I *do* agree with that Aspartame/Nutrasweet is not healthy, that is not why most people here will tell you to avoid it...
For MANY of us here, using diet products containing this sweetener caused us to stall and even gain. I have even had some suspicious bloodsugar readings after using Nutrasweet!
Additionally, there seems to be a rather large consensus that sugar-free foods sweetened with Nutrasweet cause more cravings than those sweetened with sacchrine or Splenda... But as mentioned above YMMV (your mileage may vary).
I *occasionally* still use Nutrasweet (when I can't find Splenda), but for the most part I avoid it. I LOVE the new Diet Coke with Splenda! To me, it tastes MUCH better than the old Diet Coke.
As for the bacon, I think you can find nitrate/nitrite-free bacon at a butcher shop and/or health food store (like Whole Foods), but not I'm not 100% positive about that. Like Maggie, I just eat the good old Oscar Meyer stuff -- just not too frequently!
HTH,

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Summer

I still prefer the "pink stuff"---good ole Saccharine/Sweet n Low!! I have not really liked diet sodas since they switched from saccharine to aspartame. For about a year after that switch I had terrible diarrhea and intestinal problems until I figured out (DUH!!!!!!!!!!!) that it was the diet soda sweetener change that was bothering me. I can still have an occasional Nutrasweet diet soda or diet jello, etc. without having problems but once I use aspartame on a daily basis it wreaks havoc with my guts!!!! I also prefer the taste of the Splenda sweetened Diet Coke best but I still rarely drink a diet soda--usually only as an alcoholic beverage. (Naughty me!!! LOL!!!!!!!)
For my coffee and teas I usually use Sweet n Low packets. I think I am probably addicted to the stuff as in a pinch I can even use those tiny little saccharine tablets (remember them?? LOL!!!).
I am starting the Green Tea Challenge this month of August 2005 and I am drinking hot brewed Green Tea from bags (Lipton) with one packet of Sweet n Low and also drinking the Arizona brand of Diet Green Tea with Ginseng that is sweetened with Splenda already. I really like the taste of the Arizona brand and it is readily available locally and reasonably priced for a bottled drink. I buy the gallon size for only $2.49.
Cheers to all!!!
Peach in hot and humid PA ---- Good Ole USA!!!!!!!!!!

I have found a good bacon that is nitrite free, it's called Beelers and it's made in Iowa. I find it in my local supermarkets "health market" but they also have it at the health food store. It's pricey, but if you're eating a lot of bacon, it might be worth it.

Website is www.beelerspurepork.com It's currently under construction, though, so give them a call at 712-546-4402 or fill out the contact form and I think they are good at getting back. This is a small regional company; there may be others near where you live. Also, farmers markets now generally have vendors who sell organic pork and beef. This might be a good way to stock the freezer.

Good luck!

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Renee
1/19/04
261/220/160
41 lbs off
60 lbs to goal



Race to 199 Challenge
Labor Day Challenge: Focusing on the Journey
Personal Goal: 199 by 12/31/05

Ooh Lawbooks, I LOVE Diet Coke, but I can't handle the caffeine. :( Have you seen a CAFFEINE FREE Diet Coke with Splenda? That would rock!

I will look into Beelers and I guess I will drag my lazy butt down to the butcher shop as well.

Thanks guys!

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Catahoulagirl
220/214/175

Cat, I would like to second that idea that Coke come out with a Diet Caffeine Free Splenda Coke. Maybe if we can find a website for Coca-Cola and individually communicate to them that we LOVE the new diet coke and suggest that they come out with a caf-free version, better, a lime flavored splenda diet, they would listen to us consumers. I'm up for THAT!!!

I can find nitrite free bacon at Trader Joe's if you have any in your neck of the woods. They were started in California, so you might find one near you????? But it's REALLY pricey!!!! I, like Maggie, just use regular old bacon, unsweetened, and only have it occasionally. I COULD eat bacon EVERYDAY and not get tired of it.

Speaking of bacon, my new THING, is to take Hormel bacon bits (real) and add some to sour cream with a dab of horseradish and make a dip for my soy chips or cut up veggies. It's a slice of HEAVEN!!!!!!!

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You know what Barb, I actually did contact Coca-Cola! I figured if it's consumer demand that drives production, I might as well be a demanding consumer. I left and email at the dietcoke.com website, explaining that caffeine free was not necessarily a choice for some people, but it was mediucally necessary. To my surprise I actually got a response. The woman infromed me that they were developing new produt lines but she could not elaborate due to that being "proprietary information". I figure at least I was heard....

Cat

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Catahoulagirl
220/214/175

I went to dietcoke site and wanted to ask question when they will distribute other diet cokes to serbia&montenegro, since we only have usual diet coke. However, i couldnt send them my question since obligatory boxes are also name of state (in US), and no box for other country. I tryed to find cola site in my country, they dont have one (or i couldnt find it). I know I could just invent my adress in states but i just wondered what u think about this?I was somewhat upset cuz i have this problem with many sites...

ps. i would reaaaallllyyyy like to try those other cokes, like cherry one:crying: !

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first start date:april 2005(103kg) ;
maintained for year and half: 70 kg,
target:55kg, june 2007
71/67/55

Hey Ivana, try this link: http://www.coca-cola.com/worldwide/flashIndex1.html. They have a drop down list of countries. But the actual sites are in the native language,so I couldn't figure out if there was a specific area for emailing comments.

Cat

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Catahoulagirl
220/214/175