Diet pepsi

[Angelofthemarches]

Been wearing the freestyle libre for a few months now, BG OK until this week when doing Xmas socialising and thought I'd try diet Pepsi 2 days running (2 glasses on 2 occasions). Thought it was zero cals and carbs. Big mistake - BG rocketed out of normal range. OK, lesson learned. I know the artificial sweeteners are bad for me anyway.
But since I can't touch alcohol, this is leaving me very few options to drink when I go out. Mainly coffees or plain water. Any other ideas, please??

 

[chalup]

I am not sure which sweetener is in diet pepsi but suspect aspartame. I drink diet coke and aspartame does not affect me personally but we are all different. You might want to try a diet drink that is sweetened with stevia or splenda. One or the other might be fine for you. The only way to know is to try it and test. There are also hundreds of different types of herbal teas in all kinds of flavors that can be had hot or cold. Tea bags are easy to carry with you in a baggie.

 

[ewelina]

Are you sure it was a diet version? They make mistakes quite often in pubs/bars

 

[chalup]

Yes that is a possibility, I have had this happen.

 

[NorthernPrincess]

Easy way of checking - if you have a bg meter on you (obviously the libre won't work for this!) test the drink as you would your sugars - if it gives any reading other than LOW it's not sugar free. Better to be safe than sorry!!

Sent from my SM-G920F using DCUK Forum mobile app

 

[Terryrhino]

I'm a big fan of angostura bitters and soda water but to be honest I've never checked what's in the bitters as it's literally 3-4 drops to a pint i think it adds a lovely flavour

 

[Angelofthemarches]

Oh I'll try that!!

 

[WithoutSugar]

have a look here:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3192270/Diet-Pepsi-gets-rid-aspartame-customers-return.html

read the blue box text, why so contradictory comments from scientists?
one says all the substances in diet pepsi are included in other natural foods
the other says it's definitely a carcinogen

who do you believe?

 

[Angelofthemarches]

?? God only knows!!

 

[daisymj14]

@NorthernPrincess great tip with the testing of drinks, I am often convinced I haven't got a sugar free version but normally have to get everyone to have a taste!

 

[CatAndLucy]

I'm a coke addict, and diet Pepsi is my favourite. I have had to switch to diet Coke though, because Pepsi makes me crave sugar, and more Pepsi, terribly! I start off with a single can here and there and work my way up to several small bottles a day. I get to the point where my joints hurt, and I feel terrible, my diet goes to pot, then I go cold turkey, feel better, and the cycle starts all over again.
I'm forcing myself to stop now. I know I can survive on water alone, so I have got to. It's pretty **** though. :/

 

[Angelofthemarches]

So does it not raise your BG, though? I don't often drink it, I just wanted something other than water (since I can't drink alcohol) for the party season!

 

[walnut_face]

I tested Pepsi Max earlier in the year, Readings shot up, into the teens, but it was all over within the hour, retested , and found I was under 8 in 30 mins. I have no idea why this is the case, but my theory is,#

Your taste buds send a message to the brain about the flavours being experienced
Brain associates this flavour with 14 spoonfuls of sugar (the original cola drink) and causes your liver and pancreas to respond accordingly
After a few minutes when no sugar enters bloodstream instruction is cancelled

I have no way of proving this

 

[Angelofthemarches]

Yes this is what seems to have happened although in my case it took an hour - I've been wearing the libre. Scared the heck out of me! But if it had been sugar, it wouldn't have returned so promptly - my BG would have been all over the place for hours. But would like to find a drink other than water or decaff that didn't spike them!!

 

[CatAndLucy]

I've never tested my sugars while drinking Pepsi, but my hba1c has dropped so I don't think it can have much effect. For me it's more the cravings it causes which are an issue.

 

[Chook]

When I was still working I went in to a pub and ordered a double diet tonic with ice and lemon - by the time I was back at work and could test my sugars were in the 15s so I spent the rest of the evening at work drinking pints and pints of water. Sadly the pub in question is one preferred by the residents I work with so had to go back again quite soon - and did the drink test (as recommended above) - and, yes, it tested very high. So I went to the bar and spoke to the server and she swore she had given me diet tonic - so. assuming she had told me the truth, I asked to speak to the manager as I thought there must be something wrong with the tonic - possibly mislabelled? Interestingly he checked and the ONLY two tonic bottles that were in the recycling were the full sugar variety. Lesson learned. Nowadays I ask to see the bottle before its opened

 

[maglil55]

I'm a fan of Becks Blue their no alcohol version. It's a bit fizzier than normal Becks but otherwise it tastes like a lager. Only 9g of carbs and 1g sugar per bottle.

 

[Moira_Walker22]

Been wearing the freestyle libre for a few months now, BG OK until this week when doing Xmas socialising and thought I'd try diet Pepsi 2 days running (2 glasses on 2 occasions). Thought it was zero cals and carbs. Big mistake - BG rocketed out of normal range. OK, lesson learned. I know the artificial sweeteners are bad for me anyway.
But since I can't touch alcohol, this is leaving me very few options to drink when I go out. Mainly coffees or plain water. Any other ideas, please??

Have you tried lime and soda. Small dash of lime, refreshing and often quite a cheap drink as well

 

[Aisling]

I never had a problem with diet pepsi but anything with stevia in it sends blood sugar's through the roof. I tend to drink sparkling water with a dash of lime when I'm out so no mistakes can be made(this has happened a few times).

 

[Gemmablower]

Hi
I too believe it's aspartame, my daughter has had (sugar free) Products with no or negligible carbs with aspartame in the past and her bloods went from 7 to 14 within a few minutes, I trailed this with the libre with several products containing aspartame as I wanted to rule it out, even the sugar free jelly sends her high. The same as above, her bloods settled back into range after an hour.