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Hi Barb--Sorry I lost your post, I'm just learning how to make my laptop "talk" to my desktop, and I'm afraid several posts were casualties! >I don't use artificial sweeteners but my diabetic husband does a lot. He >controls the diabetes through diet and pills. He depends on nutrasweet in >ice cream, yogurt, gingerale, pie, etc. etc. This is pretty typical, and is not discouraged by the American Dietetic Association. However, I am not in 100% agreement on the topic of aspartame use. > I'm convinced he needs to have a long trial period off all artificial >substitutes. Perhaps you could elaborate on this point. How well is his blood sugar controlled? Does he have other diagnoses besides diabetes? Does he have any signs or symptoms that could be attributed to aspartame? > He needs creative and satisfying alternatives that also exclu >de >sugar, honey, molasses...<groan, sob> Ah, yes; and for that matter, the rest of us could use some of those alternatives, too! > Any ideas will not only help him (by the way, one of his hobbies is >cooking) but will also reduce my ANXIETY level! I'd like a bit more information to give a fuller answer; however, as a start, there are a number of excellent and creative cookbooks for people with diabetes. As he likes cooking, this might be a good start. Second, has he looked into "carbohydrate counting?" Many RDs have replaced the old exchange lists with this newer outlook. Sugars are no longer excluded, as it's been found that ALL carbohydrates metabolize pretty much the same way, and need to be treated in the same way. This takes away some of the burden of trying to avoid all sweets. Sugar, honey, syrup, etc. can be used (with care), eliminating the need for aspartame. It does call for considerable attention to the amounts of carbohydrates used at a sitting, however. I agree that it would be good to eliminate all aspartame for a period of at least six weeks, and to keep a daily diary tracking symptoms, blood sugars, etc. This will allow for a comparison, should he decide to start using artificial sweeteners later on. If you can get me more information, I may be able to offer some further suggestions. Meantime, you sure have my full support! Best regards, -- Kathrynne Holden, MS, RD Editor-in-Chief, "Spotlight on Food--nutrition news for people 60-plus" Tel: 970-493-6532 Fax: 970-493-6538 http://www.fortnet.org/~fivstar You may wish to contact: Better Business Bureau of the Mountain States, < [log in to unmask]> for further information.