Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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So, I drink the stuff. Not as much as water, but sometimes I want something cold with flavor without any sugar, and I was unable for one reason or another to make some regular plain iced tea.

As far as I can tell the two ingredients to be concerned about are aspartame and acesulfame potassium. The evidence on the former is mixed. Yeah, it's not paleo. But neither are chocolate, red wine, and coffee, and many of us grandfather those into our regimes. Also, I am under the impression (perhaps incorrectly) that Crystal Light has a lot less of it than diet soda, which is what people are usually concerned about when discussing aspartame.

As for the acesulfame potassium, from what little I can glean the Center for Science in the Public Interest makes a big deal out of worrying about it. But they're the jackholes that got the beef tallow out of fast-food fries and coconut oil out of movie theater popcorn. So my instinct is to always disagree with them.

I am familiar with the studies that seem to suggest artificial sweeteners 'trick' our metabolisms into thinking we ingested something sweet, kicking off an insulin response. But I have not detected such a response in me. Although I am going on how I feel, not actually measuring. But I can certainly 'feel' the insulin response when I eat other things.

So: Crystal Light. Not paleo, but also not worth worrying about in moderation? Or should I really cut that stuff out?

flag	asked Sep 16 2011 at 13:31 karlub 665●2●11

I should also probably mention that I water the stuff down as I go, so by the end of the pitcher it is at at least half the concentration they suggest on the package. – karlub Sep 16 2011 at 13:32

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it sems to bbe a soda...i wish it would be crystal light* light shining through cristals.. actually sugar is a crystal and when light shining through so sodas are crystal light... nice question....karlub.. – oak0y Sep 16 2011 at 13:34

vdh1979 · Answer 1 · 2011-09-16 14:10:07Z UTC

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If you want something tart like Crystal Light, make some hibiscus tea. I also like Celestial Season's Red Zinger. Crystal Light is full of chemicals.

answered Sep 16 2011 at 14:10

vdh1979
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The Quilt · Answer 2 · 2011-09-17 05:28:18Z UTC

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Crystal Light= http://jackkruse.com/msg-your-gut-and-your-brain-post-trauma/

Fuck no to artificial sweeteners.

answered Sep 17 2011 at 5:28

The Quilt
27.4k●1●13●82

	can you occassionally have it? Yep. But you should have asked me should I have caved and had it? Nope......but you knew that already. – The Quilt Sep 17 2011 at 5:52
	If I can't pronounce it I don't want to drink or eat it. – henny Sep 17 2011 at 6:06
	agreed......but humans are always lookin for the out card. – The Quilt Sep 17 2011 at 6:26

Vrimj · Answer 3 · 2011-09-16 13:49:41Z UTC

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Well just looking at the Wikipedia page for AceK it looks like it has been shown to cuase insulin secretion in the lab

Personally I would go with mint tea or even watered fruit juice first.

answered Sep 16 2011 at 13:49

Vrimj
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halii · Answer 4 · 2011-09-16 18:48:30Z UTC

I'm getting to be a huge fan of cold-brewed teas -- fill a quart jar with cold water, put in two teabags, put the lid on, stick in the fridge for 4+ hours. Easier than tracking brew times, and there's a huge variety of teas out there to try for different flavors. I'm a fan of Good Earth decaffeinated, white tea, and yerba mate.

As another drink I also like a bit of ACV + ginger added to water.

Jeff Rowe · Answer 5 · 2011-09-16 19:02:45Z UTC

I love Rainbow Rooibos or hybiscus teas, add some stevia and they taste awesome. You could experiment with various ginger ale recipes, and other natural soda style recipes, see if you can vary things a bit. Or even locate concentrated cherry/blueberry/cranberry juices with low sugar and -water- them down while adding lemon/lime/etc...

I do mainly green tea, coffee, and water... i keep my stevia intake to well below a teaspoon a day. I know to many people that cant drink water by itself and have to -add- flavor... ever seen MIO in the stores? all it is is a way to make water tase better and run the healthy reasons for drinking it.

curious · Answer 6 · 2011-09-16 19:04:36Z UTC

What about flavored water? You can put all kinds of stuff in water, and a little goes a long way—just a couple of slices of citrus (don't stop at lemon or lime—there's orange, grapefruit, pineapple...) or other fruit (mango, kiwi, apple...) in a big pitcher of water in the fridge adds a nice kick of flavor. You could also try adding cucumber, mint, ginger...there are tons of options, all of which break up the monotony and taste great.

karlub · Answer 7 · 2011-09-16 19:48:48Z UTC

Hey, everyone! Great suggestions all around. Many of them I actually do already, and I'm eager to try the ones I don't.

But the question was how bad do you think the stuff is for you? Not "What should I drink instead?"

I drink the stuff in a particular situation: I feel like flavor, and I don't have the time or provisions to do something better at that particular moment. I don't keep it in the pantry because I love it ;-)

Nance · Answer 8 · 2011-09-16 20:35:30Z UTC

I drank a lot of Crystal Lite in my time. I think my hesitation now is, I seem to feel better overall when I avoid as many chemicals/additives as possible. So, I don't think it matters exactly what's in an individual item but how many total chemicals you're ingesting.

In my case, when I really need flavor I squeeze a wedge of lime or lemon into my water. It meets the whole food requirement and avoids adding another man-made chemical dose.

Happy Now · Answer 9 · 2011-09-16 20:45:45Z UTC

I accidentally discovered that a weak lemonade made from store bought lemon juice (Santa Cruz is the brand I use) and stevia tincture tastes exactly like Crystal Light. I made it one day and suddenly had Girl Scout flashbacks because we used to drink it by the bucketful. I generally avoid stevia as a sweetener because it tastes like Nutrasweet to me, but if that is what you are going for, awesome!

Solshine · Answer 10 · 2011-09-17 01:48:11Z UTC

La Croix carbonated water does it for me. It makes me feel like I'm drinking a soft drink but has none of the crap. It's just carbonated water. I should probably look into the "Natural Flavor" in the flavored drinks but I mostly only buy the plain, lemon or lime versions.

I have also learned to love herbal teas like Tazo Wild Orange. Awesome flavors with no sweeteners whatsoever!

Rockgrrl · Answer 11 · 2011-09-17 02:17:40Z UTC

Aspartame is a really bad toxin from everything I've read... turns into formaldehyde in your brain, right? Is associated with cancer and nerve damage? Coffee, red wine and chocolate are usually pretty much products of nature (albiet not "paleo"). With so many other good things out there to drink why drink controversial chemicals at all?

sherpamelissa · Answer 12 · 2011-09-17 03:34:58Z UTC

After all the crap I put in my body over the last 40 years, if I feel like a Crystal Light or Diet Soda once in awhile I have it.

If you don't feel like it's affecting you with cravings or insulin response, then don't worry about it too much. The stress from worrying about it may be worse than what you are ingesting.

I have a bad habit where I overdo things, it'll be once a week, then three times, then I'm buying the 44oz Diet Mountain Dew from the gas station every day on the way to cheerleading practice, I mean, what?.... Oh, yeah, just don't let them roll into more than you intending in the first place. Maybe make sure you drink 2 or 3 bottles of water for every Crystal Light. :)

Annie · Answer 13 · 2011-09-16 13:46:20Z UTC

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I would avoid the Crystal Light. Try some HINT Water. There is the ingredient of "natural flavors" which is suspicious, but no sugar, no artificial sweeteners and they are quite tasty. Try different flavors, some do taste like flower water. I suggest Watermelon.

answered Sep 16 2011 at 13:46

Annie
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	I really like HINT water, but it is super expensive for just home use. You might try a nice thing of citrus water instead, you can use just rinds if you are being super careful with fruit, and it is really pretty in the fridge. :) – Vrimj Sep 16 2011 at 13:56
	My default is to just squeeze a lime wedge into some water. I always forget I have the limes, though! – karlub Sep 16 2011 at 14:04
	Just checked out Hint. I can buy it at the Wegman's supermarket near me. Thing is, that stuff is pricey. I'm unafraid to pay premiums for good food, but a dime an ounce is pricey. That's more than 3x as much as organic milk! – karlub Sep 16 2011 at 17:49

Hack Crystal Light

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