Benefits of Xylitol

I don't like to use any artificial sweeteners or chemicals in my food. Stevia can be somewhat limiting, so I started using Xylitol. I really like it! I came across an article about it and thought I'd post some useful benefits of it.

Did you know Xylitol...

• Is a natural sweetener and sugar substitute that is extracted from plants such as fruits, berries, vegetables and oats. It originated in Finland where it was extracted from birch trees and is still widely used in Finland today.

• has a very low glycemic index of 7 whereas sugar has a glycemic index of 100. This means that xylitol is metabolized slowly and does not cause a glucose levels to rise rapidly.

• can actually help prevent weakening of the bones and improve bone density.

• increases white blood which helps fight many types of bacteria.

• Xylitol can help prevent candida (sugar which actually promotes candida and yeast problems.)
• helps to prevent bacteria in your ears and nose. It helps stop bacteria that grows in the tubes that connect your ear and nose together. Xylitol can even be used in a saline solution for nasal irrigation.(Xylitol is actually used in the product Xlear which I've used for several years as a nasal rinse. It works fabulously!)
  
• helps prevent tooth decay.
• hormonal imbalance restoring, and blood sugar stabilization for diabetic patients, lowering their insulin levels.
• It equals the sweetness of sugar
• It has 40 fewer calories than sugar
• can be substituted one for one with sugar; however, it has a drying characteristic so the recipe may need adjustment of its liquid levels.

The only xylitol side effect is when it is taken at doses exceeding 20 to 40 grams or more. This may cause diarrhoea, but not in everyone. Additionally, the unique feature of xylitol is that if you reduce the dose and gradually build up again, the body is able to adapt and eliminate the diarrhoea effect until doses of 200 grams or more are taken.

WARNING

Xylitol is considered very toxic to dogs and ferrets, among others. This is, in part, due to the fast-acting nature of xylitol. A dog who is suffering from xylitol poisoning can be in critical condition well within an hour of when the dog eats sugar-free gum, breath mints or candy. This gives the owner of a dog who experiencing xylitol toxicity a very small window of time to take the action that's required to save a dog's life.

VLCD 26

Weight 136.8 (-.6) Hallelujah!!!

Well it looks like the sunbathing yesterday didn't bother me. Go figure! That is supposed to make me gain, but not the steak? Hmmmm. I always knew I was different! LOL

FINALLY I'm not 137! I was that weight for 10 days!! (mostly because my 4 day interruption.) But I'm SOO glad to not see that number anymore! Good riddance!
I'm down .6, which brings me to 136.8 YAY! I love new numbers. Almost to my first goal of 135, and closer to my ULTIMATE goal
So I don't know what was with the .4 increase yesterday. It still bothers me I don't know what I did to gain. I wouldn't think the steak would cause it, but ya never know!

A little funny side note...I'm filling out new a medical insurance form and I got a kick out of it because I got to put my new weight for the first time! and this....
In the last 12 months, has any applicant experienced a weight gain or loss of 15 pounds or more?
Ummm yeah! How 'bout in the last 21 days!!
The littlest things amuse me!


I talked my friend into meeting for coffee instead of lunch today, (she doesn't know I'm on this diet) so we went to Starbucks. Oh! the Pumpkin Spice Latte is back!! My ultimate FAVE! But I stuck to my guns, and had green tea instead! Of course after telling her how good it was, she ordered it! LOL and a yummmmy looking muffin. It's okay, my size 6's are feeling lose and in 6 days that latte mine!!

I haven't been hungry at all. I've actually been forgetting to eat. Gotta love that!

Bfast - Coffee 2 T milk & Vanilla Cream Stevia (2 droppers)
Hot Green Tea w/Zylitol (3)

Lunch - Sliders (hamburgers w/mustard on cucumber "buns") Seriously my favorite meal!
1/2 Cucumber
1 Grissini
1 Cup of Strawberries w/Zylitol (1) sprinkled on it. (Yum!)


Dinner - 3.5 ounces of Grilled Chicken w/ liquid smoke & Franks
6 ounces of Asparagus
1/2 an apple

Calories - 470
Water - 145 ounces

WOW! I was seriously close to 500 today and almost went over. I'm really glad I put my calories in fitday before dinner. Those Zylitol calories add up! (10 cals a pkt) I had 4 today!

Speaking of Zylitol, I may be one of those that can't stomach it. Unless it was the smooth move and Mag. Or maybe the combo. I'll have to retest it in a few days. I love it though, so I hope it's not an issue.

VLCD 25

Weight 137.4 (+.4) Deja Vu. I feel like I've been at 137 FOREVER

Well, I'm not happy today. I'm up .4! Not just a little loss, not just a stall...A GAIN! What the?

I haven't done anything different except have a steak yesterday. My first one on Protocol. But it was very lean and I wouldn't think it would be a staller. I drank over a gallon of water as usual. Bernice probably needs to come visit me. I'm so tired of 137. I've been here for 10 days!

Well, I'm headed to the pool to have fun with the family. Tomorrow is a new day! On a positive note, I haven't been hungry AT ALL!! LOVE that!

Now to decide what to eat for the day. Risk with having steak again today or not. Hmmmm......NOT

Breakfast- Coffee 2 TB milk - (I've had 2 T of milk for quite a while no gains or stalls. Can't figure out for the life of me why a gain today!)

Lunch -
Sliders - Mini Burgers with mustard & cucumber buns. :)
1/2 Grapefruit
"Sprite" Lemon-Lime Seltzer water w/Orange Stevia

Dinner -
Biz's Shake

Calories - 405
Water - 165 ounces

I went to the pool with the family and tried to get some sun before vacation. I didn't put any lotion on, but laying out is a no-no. (water retention) But I'm okay with that, I don't want to be pasty on vacation and fry my first day.
I drank a ton of water today. It's only 5:30 and I'm already at a gallon!

VLCD 24

Weight - 137.0 (-.6)

Almost to 135! Even though 130 is my goal, I will feel so much better once I hit 135, I feel like I've been teetering here for sooo long!

Today was another great day. I haven't been hungry at all and it makes this diet so much easier! As a matter of fact, I didn't even feel like I was on a diet today. My meals were yummy!

Bfast - Coffee w/2 TB milk (I know protocol is 1. But I've done 2 TB a few times now with no difference in the scale and I can't drink it with just one. YMMV)

Lunch -
3.5 ounces Grilled Chicken w/ Franks & Liquid Smoke
3/4 of a cucumber, couldn't finish it all
1/2 Sm grapefruit

Dinner -
3.5 ounces Grilled Steak Mmmmmm so good!
3 ounces of cooked Spinach
1 Grissini

Dessert -
1 cup Strawberries
Hot Chai Tea w/ tsp Cocoa powder & Vanilla Stevia

Dinner was fabulous. The steak was so good, as was the Spinach. I added some marinade to the spinach and it was great. I am so full!

This is my first steak on Protocol. I've been really reluctant, because they never look lean enough, unless I'm paying $24 a lb. But I found one today that looked really lean and I got 5 servings from it. So I'm pretty happy! Well, I'll hold off a little excitement until I see the scale tomorrow. I hope my scale is nice, because I have 4 more servings waiting for me in the fridge!

Calories - 498 So close to 500. Whew!
Water - 135 ounces

VLCD 23

Weight - 137.6 (-.6)

I'm really ready to get back under 135. I've been at this weight before for quite a while previously, so I know it's a stall weight. Honestly, I was hoping for 1lb loss, but .6 is sure a whole lot more than before my break when I 0'd out and had .2's. So I'm happy about that.

I am so thrilled I wasn't hungry today! I had coffee for breakfast with 2 TBS of milk. Yeah, I know, 1 more than I'm supposed to. Let me tell you how I'm justifying that! I am having a shake for lunch which is only 190 calories for the whole meal. We'll see if it makes a difference. Usually I don't like to take a risk, but heck, it's Friday and I'm in a "living on the edge" kind of mood today! :)

Lunch -

Biz's shake

I tried 4 pkts of Zylitol and it just didn't taste very sweet, so I added S&L. Zylitol is almost 10 calories a packet, so I didn't want to add more. I hate using artificial sweeteners and usually avoid them at all cost, but I felt like I really needed something different, so I rebelled! Told you I was living on the edge today! heee heee

Dinner -

3.5 ounces of Grilled chicken sprinkled Liquid Smoke & Franks
6 ounces of Asparagus spritzed with Braggs
1 Apple
1 Grissini

Hot Chai Tea w/tsp cocoa

Calories 382
Water 145 ounces

So my challenge today was a year ago today, my Dad past away, AND today we are celebrating my son's 13th bday. So there is lots of yummy food, (chocolate, french fries, popcorn, chips, soda, wings and on and on) and plenty of reasons (wrong reasons...emotional reasons) to eat. BUT I'm not going to do it!

I'm going to make my hot Chai Tea w/cocoa and vanilla Stevia and think about how happy I will be in the morning when I get on the scale.

I'm so blessed to have a supportive husband who went out to get the food and served the kids while I was able to sneak away at a weak moment. Love him!!
Those french fries and chocolate, were very tempting.

Please scale, reward me tomorrow!!!

VLCD 22

VLCD 22 138.2 +.2

I guess today would be day 22 since I didn't do a complete P3.
So I went up some and down some on my P3. I ended up at a +.8 which I'm happy about. I thought it would be harder to stabilize.

I'm ready to get back to P2 and start losing again! I was hungry until lunch, but the rest of the day went well.

Lunch -
Grilled Chicken & Spinach w/ Braggs
Grissini
1/2 Grapefruit

Dinner -
Grilled hamburger patty
5 oz. Asparagus
Grissini
Apple

I know apples make me hungry, but I didn't have any other fruit. I didn't want to duplicate my afternoon fruit. I need to get to the store tomorrow!

So today went well aside from absentmindedly putting mosquito spray all over me!
I'm looking forward to getting on the scale tomorrow. I hope it doesn't disappoint!

Day 4 P3

Weight 138 +.2

Some of my favorite P3 things.

• I get to wear deoderant that works!
• Taking bubble baths!
• My morning Latte's
• Mixing my veggies & having salad dressing

All that said, I'm ready to get back on P2 and lose the rest of this weight. I really don't find it that hard to stay on the P2 diet now that I'm used to it. P3 has been fun, but it's not as exciting as I thought it would be. The things I miss the most are my skin care products and my latte's!



I'm hoping this interruption jump starts my weight loss again. We leave for vacation in a week, so I have a week to lose 5-7 lbs and hopefully I can do that by then. Otherwise, my vacation will be another "planned interruption" and I'll go back to P2 when I get back. I really hope I am able to finish. I'm ready to workout again!

Breakfast - Quiche & Latte
Lunch - Cobb Salad & Zevia soda (soda with Stevia. Tastes like such a cheat!)
Snack - Latte

My wonderful hubby is taking me out to dinner for my last P3 meal. I think I'll get a fajita salad! Mmmmm. :)

I had planned on counting calories to make sure I'm getting enough, and just out of curiosity to see how much I can eat without gaining. I'd have already gained 5 lbs by now with eating this way the last few days - pre-hcg. It is just such a pain to count calories and I've been so busy, I just haven't had the time. I'm just going to eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm full and follow the scale. So that's the plan next P3.

Can't wait to start dosing tomorrow!!