what an artificial mess!

So I have concluded that my overuse of artificial sweeteners (coffee, diet drinks, gum, etc.) is causing my severe digestive "issues" and starting tomorrow I want to do sort of a detox from all this processed foods and stick to more natural stuff for a bit and hopefully get the ol' bowls and stomago back to normal. Because gas,etc. is really cramping my style. But, I need caffeine. I'm in my senior year of college and have no time and need caffeine to get me through the day, so is it ok to do a bit of diet soda or something while I do this whole 'detox' thing- and are any "better" than any others as far as artificial sweeteners go? I have many tests/presentations this week so gotta be awake. 

Also, I love mustard on sandwiches, etc. and have been addicted to the stuff for years. Is that ok to eat while I do this "eating more natural" thing? I eat healthy already, I would just like to replace some of my artificial things with natural stuff for a bit to try and feel better. Because I feel like crap (pun not intended). I need to stop chewing so much gum, sweetening my lattes even more, rolling in splenda (not really, but you get the idea), etc. 

Thanks! ANY advice at getting off artifical stuff is more than welcome!

Have you thought about drinking tea? Diet soda has artificial sweetener and it might hamper your efforts. I like Yogi teas because there are a lot that are very sweet on their own and there are a few that are detoxifying (I might worry that these could make you 'go' a lot though >_<)

Yes, I love tea but it never gives me the boost I need. But a detoxifying tea sounds great, I'm going to look for that!

I think I need to do this, too, haha.  Splenda every morning is beginning to not agree with me.

Try stevia extract; it's a natural, calorie-free sweetener that is actually supposed to be VERY good for you.  It's a supplement.


Beware, though, 1/8 teaspoon is like a tablespoon of normal sugar.  Too much is actually bitter.

But anyway - give it a go!  Trader Joe's (and I'm sure any normal pharmacy) carries it.

It is possible to just wean yourself off of needing sweet-tasting snacks/drinks. I stopped putting any sweetener in my coffee at all because I didn't want sugar cals or chemicals. It tasted lacking for a little while, true, but not forever. In about a week the flavor of coffee and milk was all I craved. I either have a soymilk latte (sort of a treat) or put about a tablespoon of 1/2 and 1/2 (20 cals, more flavor than a half cup of skim) in my coffee. Yum!

I'm still looking for a good gum solution. The sorbitol in Orbit (not technically artificial) still gives me tummy issues, but I don't know what is better.

A great tasting spread for sandwiches is avocado, almond butter, or tahini

If you enjoy the zest of mustard, just read the ingredients and make sure it doles not contain a million of them or any preservatives!

I like mustard, and I have found a few brands at my local shopping centre that only have 4 - 5 ingredients, all natural, no added sugar or ore preservatives!

I think your better off using a little honey or maple syrup to sweeten cereal and things rather then sweeteners, I have heard that the body can feel unsatisfied with the artificial stuff and not feel satisfied on the zero calories and then crave the calories of actual real sugar!

why not eat a snack rather than drinking all these artificial drinks?  i know i get more energy from a good snack rather than coffee.  i used to also drink l ots of these drinks when i was restricitng and trying to stave off hunger, now i eat more and have more energy and am not constantly trying to drink rather than eat.

I love avocados and all that, but they dont have that kind of stuff at my school's dining hall sadly, and I usually eat there when I'm on campus (which is about all day). I'll check the labels, though.

Would black coffee and soy milk be ok on detox, or should I eventually give up caffeine all together? Also, has anyone done a similar "detox" type thing and have any foods to definitely eat/not eat? I'm not looking for anything extreme, so to speak, and definitely NOT for weight loss. Thanks again so much! All this advice is quite helpful!

I almost completely eliminated artificial sweeteners. No more splenda only the 2 tbs serving of Mrs. Butterworths sugar free syrup once a week or so on my pancakes. I don't put it in my tea anymore. I was also  having digestion problems from it. I have recently quit chewing gum which I was totally addicted to. I noticed when I did chew gum throughout the day I was getting really bad gas and pains. I think it was a combination of the air I was taking in while chewing and the artificial sweeteners in the gum. They are just not healthy and once you get over the initial withdraw, (mental) it is fine. If you need to eat desert better to just eat real sugar or honey.

Yeah, and I only drink those artificial drinks because I need the caffeine or because I like a soda with some meals, etc. I'm really not a sweets person, I prefer salty foods so I don't think I have a sweets addiction neccessarily. And I've been drinking this kind of stuff for a while, years before I developed an eating disorder. I just have been chewing more gum and drinking more artifical stuff (and eating artifical things- as overprocessed foods are usually best when I'm on the go) because I've been so busy/stressed.

Should I expect withdrawl symptoms from artificial sweeteners?

Well, I am no doctor nor do I play one on tv  but I can say for sure that cutting out diet sodas can only help. That stuff is toxic.

Mustard, hmm can't imagine it causing a problem.

I agree, just use some real sugar or real honey. Neither are that heavily laden with calories in moderation.

Sue

Mustard IS natural. Diet soda is NOT. If you really must keep up your caffeine habit switch to coffee or chew caffeine gum or (temporarily) take no-doze. If the sweeteners are what's messing with you and you keep on eating them, the problem is not going to get better.

Rather than keep looking around for more 'natural' sweetners, I'd also encourage you to bite the bullet and start drinking your coffee without sweetners or sugar.   I remember having 2 spoons of sugar in every cup of coffee all the way through my teens until one day when I decided it had to go and it was time for me to grow up.  It tasted horrid for a few days but then I got used to it.  Now, if I accidentally get a cup of sweet coffee it tastes absolutely spit-it-out revolting!

BTW... you don't need to 'detox', just retrain your tastebuds not to expect very sweet foods all the time so that you become less 'sugar tolerant'.  Drink unsweetened drinks, eat unsweetened foods,  don't eat too much fruit, and you'll find they go back to normal pretty quickly.

Oh, Toridl, I am so with you.  I was never a soda or sweet stuff person until I started "dieting" this summer.  I went from soda literally once a month or less to drinking maybe 8 diet sodas a day!  And I drink tea in the morning with 6 splenda packets...Ohhhh, I feel so guilty!  But I'm not ready to give it up yet.

Good for you, though.  Maybe you'll inspire me.  I know it's a mental addiction, so once you get in the habit of going without all the sweet stuff, you'll wonder why you ever used it in the first place.  Getting to that point, though...

I am not very fond of caffeine and if you're going all detox, you should try to wean yourself off that, too.  It can make your body crazy and potentially weaken your bones.  But I know all about finals and stress and lack of sleep...  Tea is a good idea, as it does have some caffeine.  Have you ever tried teas specifically meant to "energize" you?  I have seen them in the grocery store.  It might be worth a try.  Or there's always energy drinks.  I personally loathe them, but my husband loves sugarfree amp.  Theoretically they have other herbs and minerals to boost your energy and may be arguably better for you than coffee.  Pretty dang artificial, though.

Oh, and I agree with the above posters that mustard is not bad for you.  Even the french's classic yellow is pretty much natural: contains only mustard seed, water, vinegar, salt, and random spices.  The only thing questionable is "natural flavor."

Well, best of luck both with your detox and all your presentations and stuff.

Maybe coffee made with flavored coffee beans with vanilla soy milk would help?  I'd just bite the bullet & add the 15-45 calories for coffee sugar into my log & avoid caffeine withdrawal...ugh not fun!

The problems you are having from the gum might not be the sweeteners in it. I was having some digestive problems when I was younger and I was addicted to chewing gum! My Dr. told me to stop chewing the gum because you swallow a lot more air when you chew gum and that can add to stomach pains and gas.

I do think moving away from the artificial sweeteners is a good idea though. My sister is a Dr. of chemistry and is always telling me about how they change into these different things in your body which don't sound very pleasant.

Ok, I'm going to stick with black coffee/unsweetened tea for a while, per all this wonderful advice. And keep my mustard :).

Thank you all!

Whew, slow on replying to this one but I have to agree with general opinion: throw out the sweeteners, and take your coffee and tea without sugar! It really doesn't make that much difference once your tastebuds adapt. A good example: being sneaky, my mum and I offer to make my dad's tea for him. Why? Because he puts THREE teaspoons of sugar into his tea! We put half a teaspoon! Does he notice a difference? Answer: no! Sad, really. xD We're waiting to spring it on him one day.

Speaking of my parents, my mum's favourite jacket potato filling is mustard. Obviously not a lot of it given it is a strong flavour. Still, wierd one, that.

OK, starting tomorrow I am giving up the sodas as well. I have a long night of studying tonight though so had to give in and get at diet cherry pepsi as it was calling me from the vending machine here in the library :). I've decided, per all this brilliant advice, to stick with black coffee, hot/cold tea (unsweetened) for my caffeine fix. It's a tough road, but I can do it :).

And lalabanana, potatoes and mustard sounds DELISH! :)

I drink milk/soy/almond milk in my coffee.  You don't need artificial sweeteners if you use a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of milk.  I'm not giving up my coffee habit anytime soon and diet drinks are not what I want to drink.  I know some people who sweeten their coffee with honey.

I like mustard (preferably garlic mustard) as a sandwich spread, sometimes a bit of ranch dressing.

Probably a bit late now- but maybe for future reference!!

I have experienced the same thing:

gum helped me concentrate: replace with carrot sticks (the crunch-factor really helped concentration!) and take big gulps of water in between ea stick .

Diet sodas: artificial sweetner + bubbles= sore stomach. Go for water (flavour with lemon for a zing), or if you need the caffiene (cos dont go cold-turkey- withdrwal is NOT nice) go for a coffee. Drink plenty of water with it too b/c caffiene can be dehydrating, and to think clearly you need to be very very hydrated :)

Dont forget exercise and sleep too- i often put these 2 things in the "do later" basket- BUT they help your study SO much