pretty-happy-healthy-me-deactiv asked: i just want to tell you. i love all of your posts about avoiding HFCS. i looked at that list of foods and it really made me angry, i'm trying really hard not to go on a rampage in my kitchen and throw everything away. i just wanted to tell you that it is my vow to completely avoid HFCs like the plague (no matter how much i love raisin bran crunch).

i wanted to ask you how you feel about those throwback sodas? i don't drink them because i think they are a waste of calories,but my mom loves them. I also wanted to know what you thought about Splenda, i'm a big coffee/tea drinker and i have basically cut unnecessary sugar out of my diet...but is using splenda just defeating the purpose?

Haha! Look at my little revolution! My husband keeps “making fun of me” because I’m “famous” now. He’s ridiculous. Anyway! I had a hard time not going to the grocery store and breaking/or slashing everything with HFCs in it. So I understand what you feel hahaha.

Anyway. I’m actually kind of proud of the companies doing “throwback” sodas i.e. real sugar. Which is so much better then regular sodas, despite the calories. I don’t personally drink soda, but my parents will sometimes get mexican coke (i.e. from Mexico) because it has real sugar in it, which does make it so much better for you (respectively).

Splenda. Sigh. Aspartame scares the shit out of me. I would never ever recommend to use Splenda. The new Stevia product is pretty good, and there was another one that my mom found at Sunflower or Trader Joe’s or something, but I can’t remember. If you are going to use “sugar” in your coffee/tea (I think) you are MUCH better off taking the 20 calorie “hit” and using Sugar in the Raw,  or using honey or agave nectar but if you are really worried about calorie intake, PLEASE switch to Stevia (or the like) and not Splenda.

Here is my thing, i can understand cutting out excess sugar, but the little sugar you get from Sugar in the Raw (which is much easier for your body to break down) or Stevia… I don’t think it defeats the purpose at all. If you cut everything out of your life, it’s not a life style change, it’s a diet. So I do allow myself a little treat every day. But like a 100 calorie VitaTop, nothing big, nothing that will “break the bank.” But just a little something. Because taking everything away, causes slip ups and binging, etc.

Mini-rant over. Let me wrap up. Splenda, scary as hell. Avoid like plague. A little sugar or stevia will not kill/ruin everything :)