Goodbye my sweet, sweet friend

sweeteners
sugar
(What The Fast?!) #1

You guys…I have a serious sweet tooth. Even before I started keto, I put liquid Stevia in my coffee in the morning, squirt flavored Stevia in soda water, and put it in faux hot cocoa in the evenings…and I realize now, it has to stop.

I just finished reading Jason Fung’s The Obesity Code and I think I finally understand insulin and insulin response. One thing that really hit home for me was when he said “you can swirl sugar or saccharin around in your mouth and spit it out, and it will still cause a release of insulin.” Basically (if I’m understanding correctly), regardless of the type of sweetener, your body has an insulin response to eating something sweet - whether that’s actual sugar or a faux sugar. Fung also says that even though you may not see an increase in your blood glucose, there is still an insulin response.

So, with that, I’m saying goodbye to Stevia, Splenda, Swerve, and all the rest…at least for now. Everyone says the cravings go away, so I guess it’s time for me to test that hypothesis.

I wonder if Coconut Butter/Manna gives the same response, even though it’s natural sweet without any added sugar or sweetener.

#2

this is what the journey to health is all about…n=1, test test test

Let us know what you discover! :grinning:

(Scott Telfer) #3

It take a while but eventually you become accustomed to it and it loses its appeal. Will be hard work, but worth it :slight_smile:

#4

It’s called the “cephalic release of insulin” which just means that awareness of the sweetness triggers the release instead of the body waiting for it to enter the bloodstream; this is because insulin is released fairly slowly compared to digestion and without some advance notice that calories are entering the system, the delay would allow blood glucose to rise more quickly than it does after a meal without it.

(What The Fast?!) #5

So…for me, something sweet signals to my brain that I’m done eating. Especially if I’ve eaten a salty meal - I always crave something sweet right after.

I just drank a glass unsweetened chocolate almond milk (which I would usually add a couple drops of Stevia to) and that seems to have kind-of, sort-of done the trick…

I wonder how long it will take to break this sweet tooth.