Why You May Want to Ditch Artificial Sweeteners (And, 3 Smart Ways to Stop Sweet Cravings)
By Sarah Jio, Glamour magazine
I've been following the sugar vs. artificial sweetener debate for a long time, and for those of you who have been reading this blog for a while, you know know that I tend to fall on the sugar side (not that I love the stuff, just that I think it's the lesser evil). Recently, a nutrition expert spelled out the reasons behind this, and it really spoke to me. A must-read...
Should you give up your artificial sweeteners? Yes, says registered dietitian Susan Dopart, who writes over at the Huffington Post:
"When you are consuming alternative sweeteners, you are trying to fool your body," she writes. "And guess what? It doesn't work. Your body knows what you are giving it is fake, so instead of being satisfied, it continues to send the signal that it wants to consume something sweet."
Doplar points out research from the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, that found that people who drank diet soda did not lose weight, but rather gained weight.
"What didn't surprise us was that total soft drink use was linked to overweight and obesity," the lead researcher said. "What was surprising was that when we looked at people only drinking diet soft drinks, their risk of obesity was even higher. There was a 41 percent increase in risk of being overweight for every can or bottle of diet soft drink a person consumes each day."
Adds Dopart: "These products create the illusion that you can eat or drink more of them and not gain weight." (I also have some suspicions about agave nectar, which I'll save for another post.)
No, a little sugar isn't going to do you in, either. I prefer sugar over any other sweetener--artificial or otherwise--in moderation. But, it's easy for sweet cravings to get out of hand, so I love Dopart's suggestions for keeping sweet cravings in check:
1. Increase your protein: "Eating protein at meals and snacks lowers cravings. Choose from lean grass-fed meats, poultry, fish, legumes/beans, nuts/seeds, nut butters, organic cheese, plain yogurt, etc. Not eating protein will leave you hungry and craving more sweet."
2. Get your sweets from fruit: "Enjoy the natural flavor of berries, apples, bananas, and melons that have fiber attached to the fructose. Just make sure to have them with some protein for satiety."
3. Drink this: "Drink water, carbonated waters or unsweetened teas flavored with lemon, lime, cucumber and mint."
Smart advice, thank you Susan!How about you: Where do you fall in the sugar vs. artificial sweetener debate?
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Photo Credit: Condé Nast Digital Studio
