Well, if this isn't just the most interesting little experiment. I can "lurk" here and watch the progress. How FUN!!!!

How much do those glucometers cost anyhoo? I haven't had any diabetic issues, so I don't have any of this stuff (well, except a bag of E-tol)

Have you guys done any other testing on say.......splenda, Stevia, aspartame, etc. It would be interesting to see how that stuff affects bg's too. (if any)

Barb - 30 lbs gone FOREVER!
www.iwsgroupinc.com - website design and development


Atkins-3/14/03
174/144/135 5'2"
"A little knowledge is a dangerous thing."
Knowledge is POWER

Ok. Whey-Low. NOT good for me.

0800 b.s.g. = 101mg/dl
0805 drank whey-low 50g/water mixture
0835 b.s.g. = 166!!!
double checked b.s.g. = 162!!
0935 b.s.g. = 91mg/dl

anyone want a bag of whey low?


"Do, or do not. There is no 'try'."
- Yoda ('The Empire Strikes Back')
Start Atkins 9.1.03
225/198/130ish
Valentine's Day Goal: 180

Just wanteed to say thanks to you all for sharing your experience with all of us. Especially using yourselves as guineau pigs. (Maggie has this idea patented). I would rather donate blood than stick my finger with a lancet. I do, in fact, donate blood regularly since they won't let 0 positves off the hook. and that needle seems like it's the size of a 10 penny nail. Yet I'd rather do that than the finger prick. So you all have my admiration.

Rob
310/230.5/180

Me, a skeptic? I trust you have proof.

This experiment could grow considerably.

Barb, you can get the meters fairly reasonably at any discount drug store. I have the cheapest one I could find. I am not a diabetic either but it runs in my family, big time. So I keep track somewhat as I am at the age now that it tends to show up. Actually, it was that fear that brought me to the LC world. The kicker is the price of the test strips. They get you every time.

I bet Maggie has done tests on some of the other sweeteners, I have not. I guess I should at least try splenda and stevia as I have them both on hand and actually use them. I would like to try the others but I'm not adding them to my diet so hate to spend the money on them. Another one I want to do is with yogurt and kefir.

It does take a while to perform the tests, and you have to remember to do it first thing in the morning. I was starving before I finally got that two hr reading done.

Rave
232/169/130
57yo. 5'2"
Started Atkins 6/1/02

The only other sweeteners I tried this way are maltitol and liquid splenda, which (liquid splenda) is now only available in a few kitchens around the country since the McNeil Laboratory goon squad shut down the couple of people making it available.

I had bought a bag of Maltitol from Steele's long ago and then forgot about it until my episode with the Endulge bar. I tested the maltitol. Dreadful for me. A bit worse than the Whey-Low - which thank you for trying, Tara, since I was highly skeptical about the claims made for that product. Bet you were feeling a bit "crashy" with that big rise and precipitous drop. Yeesh!

With the liquid splenda I used 30 drops (equivalent in sweetness to a bit more than 1/4 cup sugar - about 50 gms. Flat response. I haven't tested the packets or pourable stuff with all the fillers. I suppose I could do that, since I have plenty around that I haven't used since I got hold of the liquid.

I've got to order some more strips, but when they get here I'll do the Splenda test.

This is great. I can take all our results and put them in a sticky when we're done, as a matter of information for anyone who's interested in how various sweeteners impacted a few individuals' blood sugar. It may not be perfect research but it beats the heck out of all that "negligible impact on blood sugar" jive all these products give us.

I'll volunteer for the xylitol if, when I next go to the HFS, they have any.

Maggie
5'1" ~~ Atkins since '98 (160+)
Maintaining nicely (110 +/-)
~~ Couch Fauxtato for Life, Redhead until further notice! ~~

Cool!!! That would make an awesome stickie!!!

Barb - 30 lbs gone FOREVER!
www.iwsgroupinc.com - website design and development


Atkins-3/14/03
174/144/135 5'2"
"A little knowledge is a dangerous thing."
Knowledge is POWER

You "vampiress artificial sweetener testers" are the BEST!!

I'd donate some strips or something if I knew where to send them! Not that I HAVE any, but I'd BUY some....

Char

Don't squat with yer spurs on!

No worries Char...
I've been waiting for work days to test mine, as I have free access to the glucometers and I don't have to buy that expensive stuff
I do, however have a bag of whey low that needs a home, if you wanna help a sista out


"Do, or do not. There is no 'try'."
- Yoda ('The Empire Strikes Back')
Start Atkins 9.1.03
225/198/130ish
Valentine's Day Goal: 180

Hey all you veteran testers.

If I wanted to test yogurt vs kefir vs whole milk, what quantity should I use?

Rave
232/169/130
57yo. 5'2"
Started Atkins 6/1/02

I did my yogurt vs. milk tests a long, long time ago. I used a cup first thing in the am, yogurt one day and milk the next. I got about the same result from both of them. Not completely frightening, like with some of the AS's, but it didn't fit into my acceptable range.

Later, when I first tried kefir, I did an 8 oz trial as well. The rise was slower and not as much as the milk or yogurt, but still a bit more than I wanted. I found that I do better with a couple of 4 oz glasses of kefir in a day than I do with one 8 oz glass.

I do the same thing with fruit. I tend to spread it out, always eating it with some fat or protein to slow down the absorption rate.

Maggie
5'1" ~~ Atkins since '98 (160+)
Maintaining nicely (110 +/-)
~~ Couch Fauxtato for Life, Redhead until further notice! ~~

Uh, Tara, thanks, but I think I'll take a pass on that one!

Funny, I had considered buying some of it until I saw you were gonna test, then decided to wait. Now I'm glad I waited!!

You guys DA BEST

Char

Don't squat with yer spurs on!

I think I have to slow down on the Kefir.

But I LOVE it so.

I am also going to try not having so much Torani and Davinci syrups.

I'm leaving it out of my decaf for a few days and see what happens.

Barb - 30 lbs gone FOREVER!
www.iwsgroupinc.com - website design and development


Atkins-3/14/03
174/144/135 5'2"
"A little knowledge is a dangerous thing."
Knowledge is POWER

OK, the Splenda (packet variety) report. Did it just this AM.

6:30 93 (6 1/2 packets of splenda * in enough water to dissolve it.)
7:00 132
7:30 111
8:00 95
8:45 93

Ok, so I did my last BGL 15 minutes early, but I was starving and am noshing on a lox & cream cheese roll-up as I write this. It's perfectly clear that I'm not going to crash with only a 2 point drop in the last 45 minutes, so I'm going to consider this close enough.

* (This is the rough equivalent in sweetening power to a bit more than 1/4 cup of sugar. )

The search for truth continues! But in the meantime, it's past time to put the coffee on!

Maggie
5'1" ~~ Atkins since '98 (160+)
Maintaining nicely (110 +/-)
~~ Couch Fauxtato for Life, Redhead until further notice! ~~

quote
The search for truth continues! But in the meantime, it's past time to put the coffee on.

Maggie the things you'll do for science. I think I'll put on my second pot for the day and join you.

Rob
310/230.5/180

Me, a skeptic? I trust you have proof.

LOL, Rob!

With a nice big mug of coffee at my side, and no longer starving, I just wanted to comment on today's test results. Not the worst for actual use, is my conclusion.

Remember, there was nothing to "buffer" my absorption of the splenda, and few of us would ingest that amount at one sitting with nothing else involved. My tests of things that I've used splenda IN (i.e. mock danish, cocoa, etc.), weren't that bad. These are dishes that only use a packet or two and include other ingredients to slow things down. Result: Slower rise, not as high, slower decline.

Bottom line: It's an acceptable sweetener for me, if not my "sweetener of choice." Not a "freebie" like DaVinci syrups or liquid splenda, but ok for moderate use.

... AND, don't forget, I'm borderline 2DM, so my metabolism of any non-fiber carb is impaired. I'm an interesting test subject since I consider myself a "worst case" scenario. Everyone should keep that in mind when looking at my results and trying to make a judgment for themselves. I think most people with normal sugar/insulin metabolism would get slightly less of a reaction. Still, it's a good lesson to remember that the fillers in the non-liquid splenda DO have SOME effect on one's blood sugars.

Maggie
5'1" ~~ Atkins since '98 (160+)
Maintaining nicely (110 +/-)
~~ Couch Fauxtato for Life, Redhead until further notice! ~~