Connie’s Confession: Sugarfree “Sinning”

Well, I’m really embarrassed. In fact, I’m not sure if I should even post this item.

You see, last night, I disappointed myself. I let myself down. In fact, my actions might make you lose respect for me. I know I have.

Siimply put, I allowed myself to be ruled — not by sugar, but by a bunch of bite-sized Joseph’s Sugar-Free Coconut Cookies containing maltitol.

I’ll get straight to the point.

  • Please don’t abandon me for my sugarfree "sinning."
  • Please continue to post your fascinating comments.
  • Please keep sending friends, family members, co-workers, and more to this site.
  • Please keep returning to this blog for the scoop about sweets — sugars and artificial sweeteners.
  • Please learn from my mistakes!
  • Please read on, because I want your ideas for how I should have handled this and could have handled this.
  • Please be gentle with me because I feel like crap today!

Granted, I didn’t turn to cookies with sugar, dextrose, high fructose corn syrup, barley malt or honey. But I did cave into cookies, even if they had maltitol and not sugars.

You see, artificial or low-calorie sweeteners just aren’t as safe as we’re led to believe by the companies that sell them. I’ve been "forced" to study this, because members of my KickSugar group kept asking me about fake sweeteners.

I’m pissed off at myself, because I know better.

Maltitol is one of a group of sugar alcohols or polyols. These low-calorie sweeteners — which also include sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, lactitol, isomalt, and hydrogenated starch hydrolysates (HSH) — have been linked to gastrointestinal problems (something I experienced a bit this morning).

Of course, many of you might think, "Well, they didn’t have sugar. Isn’t that all you’re worried about?"

Well, all I know is that this sugar alcohol did something to my body, because I’m not feeling so hot today. I got some stomach reactions, and now I’m experiencing a post-maltitol brain fuzz, ache and fatigue. Whatever the case, these sugar alcohols have something in them that troubles my poor body. (My body is really angry at me today for not revering it as a temple last night.)

Here’s what happened yesterday: By last night, around 8:30 p.m. I was utterly exhausted. Yikes, I haven’t been that exhausted in ages! I also needed dinner vert badly — I was way past meal time — it had been eastily four or five hours since I’d eaten. And I’d been sleep deprived for days (was working really hard this week), and then I was so wiped out after that fascinating two-day media conference.

The day was also somewhat challenging to say the least. In fact, yesterday, right before lunch, when my stomach and dipping blood sugar needed healthy brain food, I allowed myself to be put in the "hot seat," if you will.

Joel Roberts — former wildly popular radio host in L.A. who’s now a media trainer — conducted a mock radio interview with me to prepare me for when SUGAR SHOCK! is published. Joel asked me questions at such a fast pace that I spouted out things that I hadn’t intended. I’m still blushing. My comebacks weren’ fast enough either. But while I was disappointed with myself, others said that I fared well in these "mock interviews." In my mind, I stand to improve greatly, but I think I could pull it off. Suffice it to say that some other things were going on, too.

Then, I was experiencing low blood sugar as well, which, of course makes one fuzzy-headed. Not the time to head out to a grocery store to get paper products, some organic chicken, organic eggs, and some TP.

Tired and hypoglycemic as I was, I just didn’t think properly, because I put those maltitol-laden cookies into my basket, too.

Rather than berate myself more, I want to come up with ideas of what I should have done:

  • Since I was really hungry and having a hypoglycemic reaction. I should have rushed home and had a small healthy snack. (I could have waited til today for paper towels.)
  • I should have just gone to bed early.
  • I could have written my thoughts and feelings down first.
  • I could have touched based with my KickSugar group, who always want my help.

Any more ideas? As for me, I need a nap. (Now don’t think that I’m just goofing off in the middle of the day — if you knew my long, long, long work hours lately, you’d be absolutely shocked!)

Send me your thoughts as to what I could have done differently. Share your similiar experiences. Let’s help each other, OK?

2 thoughts on “Connie’s Confession: Sugarfree “Sinning””

  1. Hi Connie~
    What I do in situations like that when I’m in a store is I go find something that fits the healthy snack category that I can eat — then I eat it while I’m shopping and put the wrapper up on the check-out stand. I’ve never had anyone ask me what I was doing or told me not to do it…and it’s a great way to take care of myself when I notice I’m feeling a little “off.”
    Also, for me, when I eat a good amount of things with gluten/yeast (like wheat, oats, and many other grains, breads and cookies), I get “brain fog.” So while your experiences could have been related to the maltitol, they may also have been related to some other food sensitivity like wheat, gluten, yeast — which are common allergens.
    I’m glad you’re going for a nap — that sounds like a kind thing to do because if there’s one thing I’ve found out is that when I have a foggy brain feeling, the quality of whatever I do is pretty poor and I get easily frustrated. So it’s better for me, and everyone around me!, when I just take care of myself and rest.
    See ya when you wake up!

  2. Sorry you had a bad time, Connie, but it just goes to show those sugar alcohols are not good things. You ask how you could have done differently. Well, the best thing is to carry something suitable to eat so you’re not left vulnerable to low blood sugar. But you know this. Shucks, we’re all human. Look after youreslf.

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