Sorbitol

When I first started competing I met several women who said they couldn't chew gum. Because of their diet!

I was really blown away, I mean, come on, it is sugarless.

Also, I have no trouble dropping body fat and I think that is for two reasons:

I am a stubborn coot and if I decide to do something, I will do it!

 I don’t cheat on my diet.

I have been reading BodyOpus and the diet is a total ketogenic diet for 5 days, then a carb fest for 2. Sounds super easy to me but when he started discussing the fact that you couldn’t even chew gum due to the carbs, it piqued my interest.

Now it all depends on how crazy, nuts, anal you want or need to be on your diet. Me? I have no problems weighing out my food; I do that year round anyway.

I have been known to eat a cookie (1) every few months. I eat chocolates rather frequently, but never when on a diet.

What’s the deal with gum?

 Sorbitol

Yes, most sugarless gum’s first ingredient is sorbitol. What is sorbitol? It is a carbohydrate! Sorbitol is a sugar substitute. It may be listed under the inactive ingredients listed for some foods and products. Sorbitol is referred to as a nutritive sweetener because it provides dietary energy: 2.6 kilocalories per gram versus the average 4 kilocalories for carbohydrates. It is often used in diet foods (including diet drinks and ice cream), mints, cough syrups, and sugar-free chewing gum.

It also occurs naturally in many stone fruits and berries from trees of the genus Sorbus.

This is a pretty high calorie “substitute”!!!

Sorbitol is also a laxative, it is not absorbed by the body well, and it can cause gastro-intestinal issues and if you eat a lot, like if you chew gum all day long, can cause weight gain!

I chew this gum every day, two on the way to the gym and two on the way home. I better pick up a new habit! At least before I go on the BodyOpus diet!

Gummy Bears

I don't think I have ever met anyone who doesn't love, or at least like Gummy Bears. I love the texture the most, they start off soft and actually become firmer and chewier as you chew them (I know because I just put one in my mouth to describe this!)

Gummy bears, like so many things in life can play tricks on you! Who would think that little, innocent, unassuming gummy bears could be deadly to a diet?  

Deadly?


You betcha!

See that cute little .99 cent bag above? Well, flip it over and look at the back.

 In case you cannot read this, 17 gummy bears (yes, 17) have 140 calories, 31 grams of carbohydrates and 21 grams of sugar.  YIKES!!!

This is more carbohydrate than I eat in any meal (other than post training) and way more sugar, the calories are about half of one meal for me.

All in 17 little gummy bears.....

I caution you to choose wisely and given an option, I would say "don't even have one" 

However, I do feel that gummy bears have a place in life, and can be extremely beneficial. 

Here is my son, Cooper holding a bag that is well over one pound of gummies, I just bought it at Cosentino's.

He doesn't look thrilled only because he doesn't want to be in the blog, but he loves gummy bears!

 

 

I encourage him to eat gummy bears.

 

Huh???


Active teens do not ingest enough carbohydrates to keep them going. I mean REALLY active teens and young adults, not just your average kid.

Cooper plays lacrosse, and sometimes he is playing several hours a day.  It is proven that everyone needs carbohydrates for energy, and often, young adults or very active people just cannot eat right before or in between events, so they need quick acting sources of energy.

Enter the Gummy Bear!

They are a great quick energy source, kids love them and will eat them. If you have a child or teen that plays sports and you worry about them not eating enough to sustain them, give them little bags of gummies to take with them on the sidelines, they will eat them I guarantee it!

Cooper had several friend doing the same thing  last year in outdoor lacrosse, they started feeling tired and popped a few of those colorful friends and everything was back to normal.

Again, if you are a weekend warrior, Figure competitor or general fitness buff- stay away from the gummies, leave them  to your kids.