My first thoughts as I wandered the aisles of the grocery store were simple and innocent enough. “I haven’t made a dessert in awhile” “A cookie sounds amazing” “I wonder what I can find on the baking aisle…”
The pressure I feel is almost comical. I am probably considered one of the foremost “health nuts” in my small little community. I don’t eat sugar, processed foods, fruit, grains, starch of any kind and I turn my nose up at many of the artificial sweeteners that are commonly used, such as: Splenda, Equal, Sweet N Low, Malitol, and Xylitol (and this is by no means an exhaustive list). BUT MAN, I want something sweet!… But no sugar, no starch and definitely no fake food….and people watching me will expect nothing less than that.
…See what I mean about pressure?
So, I find myself on the baking aisle. I already know what I will find. But there is a new addition to the shelf. Pyure, an organic stevia blend meant for baking. Stevia is a sweetener I really have no qualm with. If you get it in the proper form (liquid extract that you typically only find at health stores) you have your hands on one of the most natural ways to sweeten foods, only behind buying a stevia plant and dipping the leaves into your tea (which you can totally do if you happen to not be a plant mass murderer like mua). Promising to not impact blood sugar or insulin, Pyure and Swerve are quickly becoming the most popular alternative sweetener to regular sugar.
And with claims like that I am intrigued but skeptical,
The mental argument that ensued should be added to the local TV stations daytime soap opera.
“No… if it sounds too good to be true, it is” -Good Angel
“You should buy it and try it and I bet you’ll like it” -Bad Angel
Bad angel won.
The ideas for everything I could do with it ran wild. I made cookies, no bakes, barks, brownies, pies, whipping cream (all LC, no added sugar, GF, LCHF).
I am pretty sure I was out of the bag in less than 2 days and I found myself braving Wal-Mart again just to get more.
Whoa… what happened here?
This pattern ensued for a little while longer before something dawned on me.
One little trigger for a “little treat” had turned into a insatiable appetite for a little something to eat, a little sweet treat. Just a “little”.
My appetite hadn’t been this high for sweets in many many moons.
And that was the start of what I am going to call the The 7 stages of understanding (much like the seven stages of grief).
- Appalled
- Angry
- Depressed
- Acceptance
- Education
- Resilience
- Enlightenment
I went from being aghast with my actions , to angry that I had let myself continue, then sad that I did it, to accepting I did, correcting the actions through education, then overcoming all of the negative to end with some peace.
…all over a little bag of sweetener.
If you could see me right now, I would be shaking my head.
Here was my problem.
While, maybe my blood sugar was fine, I think the erythritol messes with your Leptin and Gherlin hormones a little too much for my liking.
Lept, Gherli-What?
Yes, these little guys are your dietary hero and villain.
Leptin being your satiety hormone (“hey, dude, you have had enough-knock off the meat platter”).
Gherlin being the “gremlin” that attacks your mental fortate with an overwhelming persuasive chant of “feed me, feeeeed mee more, FEEEEEEEED MEEEE”-you get the idea.
So let this be a little warning to my friends. Whether you are trying to limit your carbs, cut your processed foods, eat a more “natural” plate, or just stop eating out; the good angel always has your best interest at heart. And if it sounds too good to be true?.. It probably is.
What is your take on baking blends like Pyure and Swerve?
Have you noticed an increase in appetite?
In Health,
Liz Jackson
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