Sugar and Sugar Substitutes

So I emailed the TeAm personal trainer (that sounds cool!) about sugar and substitutes. Here is what she said and attached some articles:

Happy Eating!
TeAm Healthy



Yes....almost everything has sugar, and the sugar substitutes are no better. They can cause bloating and serious gas if you consume too much. This is like equal, sweet-n-low, and sugar alcohols. You are better off using Stevia for a substitute other than that just consume natural sugar like honey, molasses, and granulated sugar in small amount. Let me know if you have any other questions, and have a nice weekend.

Truly, Carry

Understanding artificial sweeteners and other sugar substitutesSugar substitutes are loosely considered any sweetener that you use instead of regular table sugar (sucrose). Artificial sweeteners are just one type of sugar substitute. Some sugar substitutes, such as aspartame, are promoted because they add virtually no calories to your diet. Newer sugar substitutes, including stevia and agave nectar, claim to be lower calorie, tastier and healthier options.
The topic of sugar substitutes can be complex and confusing. One problem is that the terminology regarding sugar substitutes is often open to interpretation. For instance, some manufacturers call their sweeteners "natural" even though they're processed or refined, as is the case with stevia preparations. And some artificial sweeteners are derived from naturally occurring substances — sucralose comes from sugar, for example. Sometimes sugar substitutes are categorized by whether or not they contain calories.
Regardless of what they're called or how they're classified, sugar substitutes aren't magic bullets for weight loss. Take a closer look.

Artificial sweeteners----NOT GOODArtificial sweeteners are synthetic sugar substitutes but may be derived from naturally occurring substances, including herbs or sugar itself. Artificial sweeteners are also known as intense sweeteners because they are many times sweeter than regular sugar.
Artificial sweeteners currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are:
Acesulfame potassium (Sunett, Sweet One)
Aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet)
Neotame
Saccharin (SugarTwin, Sweet'N Low)
Sucralose (Splenda)
FDA approval is being sought for other artificial sweeteners. And some sweeteners, such as cyclamate, are not approved in the United States but are approved for use in other countries.