Next Addiction to Kill: Artificial Sweetener

[kahn265]

In the NEXT challenge - the one that starts in September, I want to kill off my addiction to artificial sweeteners. I need the time to formulate a plan of attack and I want to be ready when I start it.

I know that after a while, I'll get used to it and my tastebuds will change. However, I'm not there yet.

For those of you who have squelched off artificial sweeteners, how did you do it? Any tips or tricks?

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail....

[VintageGeek]

I wish I could help you, but I just never developed a taste for it. I haven't tried any of the newer ones that claim to be healthier (like Stevia), but I was always turned off by the purely chemical makeup of the stuff.

What I would do if I were you is start researching the hell out of it - read all the articles you can find, those that claim it's harmless and those that claim it's the devil's dandruff. It's likely you'll find that the evidence is more in favor of "stay away from it," which might help you make better decisions.

When I wanted to kick my chocolate habit, I did this and found out some things about chocolate that absolutely horrified me. I still eat it occasionally (seldom), but every time I do, I think about the things I learned and it makes me want to not support that industry.

[bigm141414]

The biggest help was to cut out soda. That really helped. I mean a lot. A lot lot. Next I started cooking and packing lunches myself and which stopped me from eating sweet foods for the most part. Having fresh fruit and nuts around for snacks are a plus too since a lot of canned/dried fruit has added sweeteners to them.

And the last thing that helped is not carrying any cash on me. That way I couldn't go the vending machines to get my fix. Took me about 2 months or so to wind down the sweeteners and I have to say that now there are some fruits that are way too sweet for me.

[kahn265]

The biggest help was to cut out soda. That really helped. I mean a lot. A lot lot. Next I started cooking and packing lunches myself and which stopped me from eating sweet foods for the most part. Having fresh fruit and nuts around for snacks are a plus too since a lot of canned/dried fruit has added sweeteners to them.

And the last thing that helped is not carrying any cash on me. That way I couldn't go the vending machines to get my fix. Took me about 2 months or so to wind down the sweeteners and I have to say that now there are some fruits that are way too sweet for me.

I've cut soda because of cutting the caffiene. Food isn't too much of an issue - its mainly cutting Crystal Light and decaf w/splenda.

That being said, good tips.....keep em coming!

[CasiLeigh]

Stevia is actually a great option for your decaf. It's derived from a South American herb. You can find it in liquid and granulated form, the latter being perfect for coffee. I got my mom on it to get her away from Sweet n Low and it has worked like a charm. Just be careful, it has a built-in portion control: it tastes sweet until you add too much and then turns a bit bitter.

The fresh fruit is an awesome idea to squelch the cravings and I especially like watermelon and pineapple to distract me from wanting a sugary drink like Crystal Light. Also, make lemonade!! You can make this super healthy by using filtered water, fresh lemons, sweeten it with maple syrup (much better than processed sugar), and add a pinch of cayenne. Chill it in the fridge for a cold glass whenever you want, pack it in a thermos to take to work or out on errands, etc.

[VintageGeek]

Oh, just thought of this! Club soda with splashes of lemon and lime juice are your friend, especially in this hot, hot summer we're having. I have one every afternoon when I get home (sometimes with vodka too, but usually not), and it really handles my sweetness cravings, which is weird because it's not sweet really. Maybe its the similarity to soda? I dunno. But yeah, Crystal Light is a tough one to overcome - that stuff can be tasty.

[beepboop]

If you use sweeteners to have something other than plain water, you could try fruit-infused water. Treat fresh fruits/vegetables/herbs like tea, so steep the ingredients, don't use the juice. The flavor will be subtle; depending on what is used, a fuller flavor may take a day or two to develop.

Or just drink tea. You can decaffeinate any tea by tossing the first steep, though there's not much caffeine there anyway.

[RussTheAerialist]

I've switched to stevia, and that helps when I get a craving for bubbly stuff. I've found a stevia-sweetened soda on amazon fresh, but now I'm working to replace that with Talking Rain Water which is Soda water with a hint of fruit flavor. Once I've transitioned to that, I'm going to transition away from the flavored to regular soda water.

I still add stevia to my espresso in the morning, but I've been slowly lessening the amount that I add, and occasionally just don't add any to get myself used to the natural taste of espresso. It's working, but it's a slow process for me.

[kahn265]

I'll take a look at Stevia - However, I'm generally trying to completely rid myself of artificial sweetner because the sweetness on the tongue can trigger an insulin response.

I do like the "Fruit Infused Water" point - aka Aqua Fresca as it can be quite nummy. We made some on Sunday only to discover that the Canteloupe+Pineapple doesn't go that well together.

[RussTheAerialist]

I'm definitely looking at the stevia as a stop-gap solution on my way to cutting all sweeteners (artifical or not) out of my diet, but I know I can't go cold turkey on it, so I'm taking baby steps. The way I look at it, it's better to ingest stevia while I'm weening myself than to continue with all the other chemical crap out there.

[Drakenator]

It took me forever to get off soda and diet soda drinks. Like others, I quit carrying currency that allowed me access to the vending machines at work. I quit stopping at fast food restaurant drive thru's and convenience stores for a "hit". I started drinking unsweet tea or just water. At first the tea wasn't great...but I developed a taste for it. I only drink it on occasion now.

Not sure if any of that helped. Like mentioned above, I read more articles about diet soda and artificial sweeteners and that strengthened my resolve to walk away. I used to count the days on how long I had gone without it. After a few weeks I stopped counting and never looked back. I still love me a good hand made root beer but it is counter productive to my goals and if it doesn't create positive momentum toward my goals it is out of the question.

[Kristen]

I think the reasoning is backward--that you cut out sweeteners, then lose your taste for sweet. I think it's a matter of developing a different taste, then you won't want the stuff. You can't do everything on willpower alone, it will burn you out. You have to create a new normal.

One thing that helped me was geeking out on coffee and tea--learning about it, what affects the flavor (origin, processing, brewing method, etc), tasting for subtleties, really getting into the drink itself--made me realize that I don't want my coffee to taste like sweet, I want it to taste like coffee. When your palate has developed to a point where you can pick out subtleties like that, a floral aroma, a buttery body, this coffee is earthy, this one has a caramelly sweetness, the sugar becomes more of a nuisance than a flavor enhancer.

['Roos]

I do club soda and bitters (which are alcoholic, but considering there's about 1/2 tsp in a cup, if you like your club soda quite bitter, I don't really worry) to fix my soda craving. There are also some great fruit-juice sodas, if you're a fruit-juice drinking person.

Also, artificial sweeteners are kinda evil. Look into some of the studies on their effects on the body and you'll want to quit them more than you'll want to eat things with them in them.

[Kristen]

Bitters--yum!

Also, flavored sparkling water is good, but kind of unnatural. I drink the lime flavored sparkling water often, it's fairly cheap and satisfies a craving for something fizzy.

[Gumby]

I went cold turkey, but I was down to a single pack of Splenda at the time. It sucked for about a week until my taste buds adjusted, but I pushed through it and now I am free of all (natural and artificial) sweeteners.

I never had a Crystal Light habit, though. I only had to wean myself off of sweeteners in my tea and coffee.