i have read some info on the site about artificial sweetners but am still a bit confused as to which ones are the best. i seem to find the ones which are permitted on atkins are impossible to get hold of.

in this country, what is the best artificial sweetner to use??

Hi Faiz,

Odd Sock has posted some very useful information about Splenda in the UK on this thread:

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthre...&threadid=32492

For more information on sweeteners read this article by Doreen T:

http://www.lowcarb.ca/tips/tips006.html

Hope this helps.

Andy

thanx for that info andy, i have read that article and it makes more sense not, but of we cannot get aplenda in the uk, what art sweetners are we supposed to use?

Hi Faiz,

I find the same problem as you. I ordered some stevia from the USA and ended up paying £8.67 in customs charge and it does'nt taste much better than Candarel. You can use Candarel which is aspartame and is allowed in Atkins. However, it apparently stall some people.

Also there is marmastase (or something of that sort) and Sucrone in Teso and Boots. They should be OK. Any sweetners ending with -ole or -ose is not allowed in Atkins. Most diabetic and low-carb chocolates are made with multitole

Some how I dont like the sweeteners anyway, they dilute the taste and you can tell you're not using sugar. They actually make you miss suger more...


Well, I hope it helps.

She

Sheila,

It's difficult to get hold of Stevia in UK..., but it's not impossible. I bought it a couple of months ago in the health store at Muswell Hill in London. Check this thread out, you'll get some more details on this:

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthre...15&pagenumber=1

I hope it heps

good luck!

Thanx Ella,

yes I found out recently that its available in UK. However, do you like the taste of it? Gosh, it makes me miss suger...

I hope we have splenda soon in UK . I heard its almost like suger.

She

It tastes nice when you use it in right proportion depending on in which form you are using it. People say it's good for cooking as it stays sweet after being heated. Haven't launch into serious LC baking yet - too lazy I've copied some info from the internet some time ago, I haven't tried it myself, but I hope you'll find it useful, unfortunately I lost the link, here's the text:

<<Using Stevia As a Sweetener
The information provided here is based on many months of practical experience using Stevia as a sugar substitute.
The only way I buy Stevia is as the pure white powdered extract. You can also buy a green extract (which is simply the ground Stevia leaves) and liquid extracts. My experience is that you get the best sweetening power with the least aftertaste using the pure white powdered extract. The brand I use is called "Now" which is available in my local health food store. It costs me $9.49 for a one ounce bottle (I'm sure it can be had cheaper elsewhere) but that bottle lasts a LONG time. My guess is that even at that price it is competitive with other artificial sweeteners.
I normally use Stevia in conjunction with other artificial sweeteners - I keep a box of "Sweet One" around because I want a sweetener that will take heat and not break down. Stevia itself is known to be stable up to about 400F. The reason I do this is because combining sweeteners seems to give better results. Thanks to Dr. Atkins for clueing me into this tidbit.
There are a several practical problems with using Stevia as a sweetener. First, since the FDA refuses to approve its use as a sweetener (despite it being safely and successfully used in Japan for that purpose for 25 years) and only as a "food additive" the manufacturers cannot legally put a sweetening equivalent on the label. Second, the sweetening power of the pure white extract is 200 to 300 times that of sugar. Inconsistency of that magnitude makes it important that once you find a manufacturer you like, you stick with them. Third, because it is SO sweet, using the pure powder alone is difficult to impossible.
These problems can be overcome to a great degree by making a liquid form of Stevia from the pure powdered extract. I got the formula for this from the "Paul on Sweeteners" web page. To do this, slightly warm 2 tablespoons of water (filtered or distilled is best) in the microwave. Add 2 teaspoons of white Stevia powder and stir until dissolved. It will take a minute or two until it completely dissolves. Store in a tightly closed container in the refrigerator - I use an old spice jar that has been thoroughly cleaned. This keeps in my refregerator for weeks. (By the way, this process can get a little messy. Static electricity sometimes makes the powder go places you don't want it to go. Expect a little waste).
One teaspoon of this liquid is the equivalent of approximately 3/4 cup of sugar or about 9 packets of artificial sweetener. As a rule of thumb, however, I substitute 1/8 tsp of homebrewed Stevia liquid for each packet of artificial sweetener. So, for the Atkins cheesecake, which calls for 12 packets of artificial sweetener, I normally use 1 tsp of Stevia liquid and 4 packets of Sweet One. You could simply use 1 1/2 tsp of the liquid, but I find that the mixture tastes better. For the Atkins fudge, which calls for 4 packets of artificial sweetener in addition to the aspartame in the pudding mix, I substitute 1/2 tsp of Stevia liquid. This works quite well. For a glass of iced tea or a cup of coffee, 1/8 tsp is fine (your tastes may vary).
There are various web pages that have more information on Stevia itself. If you are interested, go to the "Paul on Sweeteners" page - the links of interest are at the bottom of the page. >>

I've never used Splenda, but unlike Stevia it is not a natural sweetener. In any case, from my personal experience whenever I have something sweet even without sugar I start getting my old sweet cravings back. So, I'm trying not to tempt myself too much on that front. But again, it could be different for you. Just judge by your own experience.

Good luck

There's some good info there Ella.

{Ella: .... whenever I have something sweet even without sugar I start getting my old sweet cravings back.}

ditto. I do allow myself a treat once a month but make sure it is a one off. Two days running and I am hooked again. It's like I trigger off the memories on my cellular level - those programmes on BBC2 about genes and memories are just amazingly fascinating aren't they?
Take Care

Hi, Fiona,

Haven't seen your posts recently, so figured you must be busy with your job hunt. How is it going? I know the job market normally gets more lively between Feb-April, in City anyway. So, I hope you are going to get something fairly soon if you haven't got one already.

It's so true with sweeteners. I went over the board with those CarbLife chocolates, lost the count of how many I had a day, then was in denial for a while, didn't want to weigh myself and refused wearing my not so streatchy jeans. So, here I am back on Induction and my initial weight. Evil chocolates!

Yes, that programme on BBC2 about obese children and genes was very good. I thought it was a bit of a progress there, they mentioned insulin and diabetes, so who knows perhaps soon the channel4 Fat Club will be on those TV hicups programmes like Tarrant Videos.

I have tried Tetley decaf tea bags not bad but i cannot drink black tea and no sugar. I bought hermesetas sweetners and use one in my tea are these OK to use.

You are right bronagh. Black tea without sugar is bitter and not so nice. Add a little lemon (fresh or juice) and it is much better.

I find Green Tea is milder and much better to have without sugar.

Ella, the job-hunting is still going strong. It is such a long process. Thanks for your good wishes.

I haven't seen any of the Fat Club series yet. Always manage to miss them.

As for sweeteners, use whatever is available but keep it to an absolute minimal. The more I read the less happy I was to continue using sweeteners. I finally decided to use natural honey but in very very small amounts.

Take Care.