Parcels arrive

I was delighted to receive my two keto parcels yesterday, only two days since I ordered. I believe one would have reached me even sooner, had there not been a delay by New Zealand Post in Whangarei.

My happiness soon turned to dismay when I realised that the sweeteners in some of these products are ones I believe are not beneficial to one’s health. I have used erythritol and stevia in the past, but these newly-bought items come with Cyclamate, Sucralose and Aspartame. One doesn’t have to research far to find negative comments about these sugar alternatives. The truth is artificial sweeteners have dangers lurking beneath the surface, including links to weight gain, diabetes, heart disease and a number of other health risks. Kavita Rao M.D

I have given up sugar numerous times in the past and once I get past those first few days of wanting the sweet treat, I find the craving disappears. I don’t want to find myself down a rabbit hole by consuming these products if they are only going to keep the craving up or ultimately harm my health.

The main item I was looking forward to receiving was Aeroplane Jelly, something I haven’t been able to find at the local supermarket. Many people talk about it on the Keto Facebook page as one of their favourite sweetening options. I opened the packet and poured some of the jelly crystals onto a plate of plain yoghurt, something other members had recommended. I was immediately hit by a whoosh of sweetness, that did actually taste like the real thing. Then I read the packet and found the sweeteners were the same as mentioned above. I was left with a strong, bitter aftertaste for the rest of the afternoon and in fact can still feel it this morning.

The sweet Thai chilli sauce also contained unsavoury natural sweeteners. Now my dilemma. Do I just put these newly acquired items away and instead use my old faithful sweeteners and herbs as alternatives? I think that would be the best bet. I hadn’t even thought about the sweeteners these new items would contain when I ordered them. The only other sweet thing I ordered was some coconut condensed milk, but this actually comes with about 10gms of carbohydrate per serving, so is something I will have to be very careful about eating anyway.

At the end of the day, I feel that cutting out the sweet things altogether will be my best alternative. As I mentioned, when I do this, the craving generally only lasts a few days. I can see by using these artificial sweeteners, that I am only prolonging this sweet need.

This kind of thing is all a learning curve for me and I wonder if I am already addicted to some of these sweeteners that have been slipped into our everyday products, unbeknownst to me and other consumers. Once, when I was on Jenny Craig and travelling, I stopped at Subway, believing that would be a good alternative to my diet. I did order sauces to accompany this meal and immediately, I was fighting a sugar craving, something I had not experienced for several months.

I do like to eat naturally anyway and to make my recipes from scratch and I can see that now, more than ever is a good time to be doing this.

Among my other items ordered, was a kilo of almond flour, which is a great alternative to plain flour, and in my other box were my keto loaves of bread. I am happy to have these in my freezer for future use.

My last item was a cream cheese spread, which is absolutely delicious. I haven’t checked the local supermarket for this product, but I must do so. My only problem here will be not consuming too much at one time. It has a very salty flavour and also, I believe, will be a good alternative to any sugar cravings I do get over the next few days.

So that is my box of groceries. I guess I thought that the items would contain the magic ingredients necessary to make my diet easier and more successful but at the end of the day, I see that there is no magic answer. Losing the weight will come down to common sense and consistency and the sooner I reduce those cravings, the better.