What's the best thing to put on Grape Nuts?

[JeeberD]

So I'm trying to lose some weight by eating healthier, so that means both eating breakfast almost every day, and then when I do not eating crap that I love like Pop-Tarts or Coco Pebbles.

I decided to pick up some Grape Nuts since I remember them not being too terrible when I was a kid, but back then I loved to puts tons and tons of sugar on them. Since tons and tons of sugar would go against the whole "weight loss" thing, I need to find something else to put on there to sweeten it up.

So far I've tried bananas and blackberries, but nothing has quite hit the spot. What do you Grape Nut eaters out there use that works for you?

[st.cronin]

Splenda

http://www.splenda.com/

[terpkristin]

I guess it won't help you eat better, but I used to make home-made energy bars with peanut butter, honey, and grape nuts. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM. Just thinking about that makes my mouth water, and crave it again. Maybe I'll end up going and getting a box..

/tk

[st.cronin]

I've heard that Splenda can do bad, bad things to you down the road...

I thought the point was to lose weight?????

[Fritz]

grape lips?

[RendeR]

Where have you heard this? I've heard just the opposite, that its basically the same suger compounds but the calorie carrying fluff is removed somehow.

I'm interested in learning more about it.

This was directed at Jeeber, fucking time stamp bug.....

[hhiipp]

Milk.

[JeeberD]

Splenda

http://www.splenda.com/


I've heard that Splenda can do bad, bad things to you down the road...

[st.cronin]

There actually is a healthy sweetener, called stevia. It's what I was thinking of... somehow in the fog of am it got confused with splenda.

http://www.stevia.net/

[rkmsuf]

urine. it's sterile.

[Raiders Army]

A hot, naked chick.

[JeeberD]

Where have you heard this? I've heard just the opposite, that its basically the same suger compounds but the calorie carrying fluff is removed somehow.

I'm interested in learning more about it.

This was directed at Jeeber, fucking time stamp bug.....

From a different message board...

Originally posted by B-ball freak
I made a post in the anxiety attack thread that was wrongly started in the D&D forum a few days back. I have been suffering from them for about 8 months, causing me to quit my gigging among other things. I have had a few episodes where I literally thought I was having a heart attack (chest pains, shortness of breath, palpitations, the whole 9 yards). I have been hospitalized twice, the second time receiving a heart catheterization. The doctors all gave me a clean bill of cardiac health. I haven't really discussed it with many people because, frankly, I was embarrassed. I've been truly puzzled by these attacks because it just doesn't fit my modus operandi.
I started to go over the things in my life that have been different over the last year. I came up with:

1. more responsibilty at my job
2. Been on the Atkins diet off and on (mostly on) since last November
3. The realization that my gig of the last 15 years was just not going to make it any longer.

I ended up focusing on the diet but not because of why you may think. Because of Atkins, I have taken sugar out of my diet altogether. I started using products that had Splenda (Ice Cream, Chocolate and the like). I decided to do a little research on it and what I found was a little bit shocking.

here is one source:

http://www.foodanddiet.com/NewFiles/splenda.html

In response to the studies about the dangers of saccharin and, more recently, aspartame (NutraSweet), along came Splenda. Splenda is the marketing name for sucralose.

Sucralose is a chlorinated sucrose derivative used as an artificial sweetener. It is sold in packets and in bulk for home use under the tradename Splenda, and is used in thousands of products. It's everywhere and, according to reports from our visitors, so are the problems arising from its use.


The problem with sucralose, as it was with aspartame, is that it was rushed to market and through the FDA approval processes without thorough, long-term testing to prove or disprove its potential health hazards. The information is only now being considered by independent organizations and watch groups.

Based upon information supplied to us by our visitors, we note the following possible side effects from consumption of sucralose:

bloating
abdominal pain
gas
nausea
diarrhea
headaches
migraines (severe headaches)
heart palpitations (fluttering)
shortness of breath
depression or overwhelming anxiety
spaced-out or drugged sensation
joint pain
dizziness



here is another:

http://www.deepdownwellness.com/althealth/splendasymtoms.html

Is Splenda Making You Sick?
Find Out Some Common Reaction Symptoms
(from Mercola.com)

Splenda, which is the brand name for the non-nutritive sweetener sucralose, is added to hundreds of foods and beverages sold in the United States and abroad. At this time there have been no long-term studies done to show how this manmade substance reacts in the human body. Despite this lack of research, Splenda is showing up in many products, even those that claim to be “healthy,” and Americans are buying them thinking they are somehow better than those with sugar. In all actuality, if you eat Splenda you are acting as a guinea pig in a science experiment since no one knows what the long-term effects of Splenda will be.


Maybe you are thinking, but it is FDA-approved so it must be safe. Well, I could fill many pages listing all of the “approved” substances that have turned out to be unfit for human use, but here are just a few:


Aspartame
PEDIARIX combination vaccine for children
Food irradiation
FluMist nasal flu vaccine

If you would like to know more about why Splenda is essentially chlorinated table sugar, you should read The Potential Dangers of Sucralose. Some chlorinated molecules serve as the basis for pesticides such as DDT and accumulate in body fat and tissues. Although is commonly thought that surcralose passes through the body unabsorbed, FDA research says otherwise. According to FDA tests, 11 percent to 27 percent of sucralose is absorbed by humans, and tests by the Japanese Food Sanitation Council show that up to 40 percent may actually be absorbed.


In fact, here is what it says on the Splenda Web site:


“Studies have shown that about 15% of ingested sucralose is passively absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. The small amount of sucralose that is absorbed is distributed to essentially all tissues.”


Along with the lack of long-term studies, sucralose has been the subject of fewer scientific studies than any other non-nutritive sweetener. Perhaps they are afraid of what they may discover. Already Splenda has surpassed Equal in dollar-market share, and any negative findings would surely cut into these massive earnings.


The Splenda site also states that Splenda causes “no known side effects.” Well below I’ve included a list of reactions compiled from those that readers have experienced. Although many of these symptoms could indeed have other contributing causes, most people stated that the symptoms began around the same time they started using Splenda, and then subsequently disappeared when Splenda was removed from their diet. You can read our Splenda testimonials to get their entire stories, and if you find yourself experiencing any of the symptoms below I urge you to remove Splenda from your diet if you have not done so already.

Splenda Reaction Symptoms
Flushing or redness of the skin
Burning feeling of the skin
Rash
Itching
A panicky or shaky feeling
Swelling
Blisters on the skin
Welts
Nausea
Stomach cramps
Dry heaves
Becoming withdrawn
Loss of interest in usual activities
Feeling forgetful
Moodiness
Dulled senses
Unexplained crying
Acne or acne-like rash
Anxiety
Panic attacks
Feelings of food poisoning
Headache
Seeing spots
Mental or emotional breakdown
Altered emotional state, i.e. feeling irate, impatient, hypersensitive
Pain (body, chest)
Bloated abdomen
Diarrhea
Trouble concentrating/staying in focus
Feeling depressed
Vomiting
Seizures
Shaking
Feeling faint






If you Google Splenda side effects you will find a slew of similar information. I just wanted to get the word out and also to see if anyone else has had any issues with it. (sorry, I realize this a post of Macbethian proportions but I thought it was worth the bandwidth)

[Raiders Army]

A hot, naked chick.
Or even better, two hot naked chicks.

[Raiders Army]

Or even better, two hot naked chicks.
Or even better, one hot naked chick on top of grape nuts, and one hot naked chick on the bottom of grape nuts...it'd be like a grape nuts sandwich.

[JeeberD]

There actually is a healthy sweetener, called stevia. It's what I was thinking of... somehow in the fog of am it got confused with splenda.

http://www.stevia.net/

From the same thread as my last post... :D

Originally posted by JeffB
Last spring, my wife and I considered nixing sugar from our diet in favor of Splenda. After some research, we were concerned that that 15% gastrointestinal absorption rate wasn't accurate. We were further concerned with how Splenda was rushed through the FDA.

Anyway, we ended up fiddling around with Stevia. Stevia is a natural sweetener, has no calories, causes no tooth decay, and in clinical research, its only side effect has been lowered blood pressure. Its way sweeter than sugar, but on the down side, it has a funny after taste and, in the US, its use is heavily associated with hippies ;). The FDA won't approve it as a food additive but has approved it as a "dietary supplement," keeping Stevia out of the food market. There is also no shortage of conspiracy theories regarding why the FDA won't consider Stevia as a food additive despite the fact its been used by millions of people around the world for even hundreds of years without being connected to any illnesses or side effects. Its been used in the Japanese food market since 1970.

You might want to do a little research on it and see what you think. I don't use it a lot, but its been good in tea and some baked goods.

[rkmsuf]

Feelings of food poisoning

What exactly is that?

[st.cronin]

The main issue with Splenda is that it's only been on the market for a few years - so long term effects are unknown. I don't see any reason to think it's dangerous, but stevia is probably a much better bet.

[Blackadar]

whiskey

[VPI97]

grape lips? You stole my answer

[Ajaxab]

My wife likes to put yogurt on her grape nuts. She likes this new yogurt called 'Whips' that basically tastes to her like whipped marshmellows. I haven't tried it, but she thinks it's great.

[Ragone]

I'd have to say penicillin

[oliegirl]

My wife likes to put yogurt on her grape nuts. She likes this new yogurt called 'Whips' that basically tastes to her like whipped marshmellows. I haven't tried it, but she thinks it's great.

I haven't tried that yogurt, but I take a container of light yogurt and dump it in a bowl, then add grape nuts until it's very thick and crunchy...YUMMY!!!!

[gottimd]

Iocane powder.

[rkmsuf]

put them on your forehead

[panerd]

Compare the boxes of cocoa pebbles and grape nuts sometime. I think you will be surprised about the nutrional difference. (Not implying that cocoa pebbles is all that great, but the supposed nutrional cereals aren't much better) About the only difference is that grape nuts will make you shit more.

[gottimd]

About the only difference is that grape nuts will make you shit more.
Try some Colon Blow!

http://snl.jt.org/arc/com/Colon%20Blow.jpg

[Subby]

Eggs and bacon are much better for you than Grape nuts...

[Sun Tzu]

Rectal Trout.

[ice4277]

Compare the boxes of cocoa pebbles and grape nuts sometime. I think you will be surprised about the nutrional difference. (Not implying that cocoa pebbles is all that great, but the supposed nutrional cereals aren't much better) About the only difference is that grape nuts will make you shit more.
Yeah, if you are trying to lose weight, a lot of the 'healthier' foods will have the same caloric content as some of the stuff that is 'not as good for you'. If you have a huge bowl of grape nuts and top it off with a ton of yogurt, you're getting more calories than if you had a pack of Pop Tarts.

[weinstein7]

Grape Nuts - You open it up, no grapes, no nuts! What's the deal?

[QuikSand]

feelings of food poinsoning

What exactly is that?


The sort of non-specific symptom that works wonders on sky-is-falling websites. Give it a try, it's easy:

I ate Splenda and the next day I had fatigue and flu-like symptoms , so clearly the problem was the Splenda .

[rkmsuf]

You know something is amiss when you have dry heaves, feelings of food poisioning and unexplained crying.

[Desnudo]

You know something is amiss when you have dry heaves, feelings of food poisioning and unexplained crying.

Dry heaves and unexplained crying at the same time would be extra uncomfortable.

[rkmsuf]

Dry heaves and unexplained crying at the same time would be extra uncomfortable.

throw in some diarrhea and you could be in the circus.

[paperstreetsoap]

Eggs and bacon are much better for you than Grape nuts...
really?

[Subby]

really? Really. Eggs are the perfect food. One slice of bacon on the side won't kill you either.

Cholesterol issues are primarily hereditary - you are either Lipitor-bound or not. If you eat eggs and bacon for every breakfast, as long as you exercise regularly, you are fine.

Anyway, eggs and bacon are better for you because they are high in protein and the fat keeps you full longer.

Most breakfast cereal is just not all that good for you. But it is always better than not eating anything, of course.

[Fritz]

Compare the boxes of cocoa pebbles and grape nuts sometime. I think you will be surprised about the nutrional difference. (Not implying that cocoa pebbles is all that great, but the supposed nutrional cereals aren't much better) About the only difference is that grape nuts will make you shit more.

same thing with many "nutrition" bars vs candy bars. the nutrition bars just call calories "energy."

[Desnudo]

Really. Eggs are the perfect food. One slice of bacon on the side won't kill you either.

Cholesterol issues are primarily hereditary - you are either Lipitor-bound or not. If you eat eggs and bacon for every breakfast, as long as you exercise regularly, you are fine.

Anyway, eggs and bacon are better for you because they are high in protein and the fat keeps you full longer.

Most breakfast cereal is just not all that good for you. But it is always better than not eating anything, of course.

The exercise part is the key, and lack of it is the only reason someone needs to diet in the first place.

I agree about the eggs keeping you full longer part too. I can eat an entire box of Frosted Flakes, but would have difficulty eating more than a 3-4 egg omelette. Also, a 3 egg omelette with a decent amount of cheese and some veggies doesn't have many more calories than a few bowls of cereal with milk.

If you're changing eating patterns, then eat a larger breakfast and lunch and dial back what you eat at dinner.

[gottimd]

So lets say I wake up in the morning and open up my window and there is a plastic king there with this monster breakfast sandwich, it is okay to eat it and its healthy for me?

[Desnudo]

Certainly better than a sheet of acid.

[Glengoyne]

The sort of non-specific symptom that works wonders on sky-is-falling websites.
...

It really doesn't help their case that among the products they consider "unfit for consumption" they list Aspartame, food Irradiation, and the Pediariz Combination Vaccine. All of them are still approved products or practices. The only thing they have in common is Internet "urban myth" type scares, and in Aspartame's case a few well documented side effects that apply to a relatively small percentage of folks.

[MacroGuru]

Im suprised no one has said....

Deez Nutz!!!

[KevinNU7]

So I'm trying to lose some weight by eating healthier, so that means both eating breakfast almost every day, and then when I do not eating crap that I love like Pop-Tarts or Coco Pebbles.

I decided to pick up some Grape Nuts since I remember them not being too terrible when I was a kid, but back then I loved to puts tons and tons of sugar on them. Since tons and tons of sugar would go against the whole "weight loss" thing, I need to find something else to put on there to sweeten it up.

So far I've tried bananas and blackberries, but nothing has quite hit the spot. What do you Grape Nut eaters out there use that works for you?
If you are serious about losing weight eat Whole Grain Cheerios

[Glengoyne]

Oh and as for Grape nuts for dietary purposes. Skip them and go for Oatmeal.

Seriously. It cleans you out, helps you feel full for a good period of time, and tastes pretty darn good to boot.

I'm not talking about the Quaker Oats instant packets. I'm talking about real, not even the rolled Oats in the round boxes. I buy Steel Cut Oats either in pre-packaged brand names or in the bulk foods aisle if the market has one.

They take a relatively long time to cook traditionally. 30 minutes or so. What I do is (Ala Alton Brown) cook them overnight in a Crock Pot. It is easy.
Drop in the Oats say 1 cup/part, add 3 parts water, and 1 part milk, creme, or half and half. Turn on the Crock pot when you go to bed, and eight hours later you have a great breakfast.

I've been eating Oatmeal for Breakfast, Salad or light for lunch, and then a reasonable dinner, and it has worked pretty well. My biggest problem has been lunch, I've been having trouble taking the time to do something even relatively healthy of late.

[mrsimperless]

Grape Nuts Bars

(6 servings)

4 cups Grape Nuts cereal
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup tahini
1 cup maple syrup
wheat germ (optional)

Mix together the peanut butter and tahini until well blended. Add the maple syrup and heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. Add the Grape Nuts and mix thoroughly. Spread evenly in a lightly oiled 13" x 9" pan. Sprinkle wheat germ on top if desired. Chill until firm and cut into bars.

And please for the love of God, don't try to substitute anything for the tahini. In fact, use only organic tahini if available.

[Karlifornia]

I can eat grape nuts dry.....yum!

[terpkristin]

Hmmm don't think that's the recipe I'd used in the past, but that looks interesting. Thanks!

/tk

[Subby]

Steel cut oatmeal with some fresh strawberries and a little splenda is a fantastic alternative to eggs...

[miked]

Cowbell.

[rexallllsc]

So I'm trying to lose some weight by eating healthier, so that means both eating breakfast almost every day, and then when I do not eating crap that I love like Pop-Tarts or Coco Pebbles.

Really? Eating breakfast is eating healthier (im serious)?

[terpkristin]

You know what's great fun?
Buttermilk Oatmeal Pancakes. You get the oatmeal (for fiber) and some great FLAVOR to boot. I make them once a week at least (recipe available upon request).

Though I'll second oatmeal. Steel cut is best if you have the time to cook it, and to keep this completely on topic, my dad likes to put some grape nuts on top of his oatmeal. Guess it gives it a bit of a crunch :) If I'm using "instant" or "quick" oats, I usually make them with milk, and halfway through microwaving, I put in some raisins or cut up a banana into it. SOOO good, and the heating of the raisins/banana allows some of the natural sugars to come out and permeate the oatmeal. Mmm oatmeal.

/tk

[Subby]

Really? Eating breakfast is eating healthier (im serious)?
yeah - skipping breakfast is about the worst thing you can do.

messes up your blood sugars, etc...

[JeeberD]

Really? Eating breakfast is eating healthier (im serious)?

Eating more often through the day keeps your metabolism going. Better to eat several small meals a day than two big meals...

Thanks for the input, guys. I was only able to skim over it right now, but I'll delve in deeper when I get time...

[mrsimperless]

I like oatmeal too, but I go with Quaker Oats instant of the raisin and spice variety. I keep a couple boxes in my drawer at work and just mix some up every morning.

One of the odd quirks I have with it though is that I can't eat it if it's made with boiling water. I instead use the hottest possible tap water to make it. For some reason boiling water is too hot and seems to melt the little grains together making it all mushy. It wakes a world of difference in the texture and the flavor.

Wow, no wonder I'm divorced.

[bbor]

Taco bell

[sterlingice]

As for the sugar talk, when it comes right down to it, just eat the damn sugar and take 15 more minutes of your day walking or swimming or whatnot. In the end, it's simple and fairly healthy if you can burn those easy-to-burn calories.

Try some Colon Blow!

http://snl.jt.org/arc/com/Colon%20Blow.jpg
Colon Blow and you in the morning?

SI