Your roving reporter is back from the shops!

[ladymoth]

I have returned from another of my tireless (?!) expeditions to the shops in search of products useful to us fibromites, and I have discovered a few!

1st stop M&S.

I found a 2pack of tee shirt bras for £16, and can report that as well as being reasonably priced and good quality, they fit well, and are blissfully soft and comfy. You can have a free bra-fit with a trained assistant, and there are lots of matching knicks available - all in a wide range of sizes from insignificant to tremendous.

I also found some pretty silk and cotton mix shirts, which are a tad expensive at £27.50, but again, beautifully soft, floaty and comfy, and they wash and wear very well indeed. I bought my first one three years ago, and it still looks new. I would recommend a size larger than your usual fitting - for comfort.

2nd stop Schuh.

Bought a pair of their GoWalk pumps. Very pricey at £46, but worth it if you suffer with your feet as I do. The shoes are soft, seamless and lined, and have a shaped, foot-supporting inner sole. They are machine washable, available in several trendy colours, and are very roomy - you might need a smaller size. The best thing is that Schuh will give you your money back if you don't like them - no matter if you have worn them!

These shoes are very comfortable indeed, and even manage to look quite smart. Lovely with trousers, but OK with casual dresses and skirts.

3rd stop Asda.

Now this is the biggie! We all avoid artificial sweeteners like the plague -- they definitely upset me terribly and make my joints ache even more - so I was interested when Stevia was introduced, as it is a natural product, no nasty chemicals.

I have researched it thoroughly - apparently it has been used for thousands of years in South America, as a sweetener and a medicine, and there are no recorded ill-effects.

It seems to have a mild blood-pressure reducing property if you take a lot of it, but this is unlikely to be significant.

I rushed out and bought some,(brand name Truvia) but it was VERY expensive at almost £5 for a dinky jar, and what's more, it had a faint, rather unpleasant, liquorice aftertaste - disappointing!

Well, Asda are now marketing their own brand of stevia which is much, much cheaper at £2.58 for a large jar, so I have bought some. It is free of aftertaste, due to new refining techniques, and it tastes very good - nicer than Canderel, and with a good 'mouth feel' that you don't get with artificial sweeteners.

This could be a godsend to the weight reducers among us, also diabetes sufferers, and those wishing to avoid sugar for the sake of their teeth.

I'm happy to use this on my fruit and cereal, and am fairly confident that I'll have no ill-effects from it - I will let you know!

I will be shopping again before too long - if I have any money left, so if I find anything useful, I will tell you all about it!

Moffy x

[Fibrofoggiest]

Hands Moffy a large cup of Earl Grey to recupe after her shopaholic morning

Earlier today i heard a very interesting programme about the dangers of sugar, they spoke about "stevia", is that the same sort of thing as Truvia, a natural sugar ?

Glad I don't have a sweet tooth after all they said......it was on the Food Programme at 12.30 on Radio 4 - made very interesting listening !

Foggy x

[ladymoth]

Yes - it's the same as Truvia - but that brand is expensive, and frankly doesn't taste good at all.

The Asda own brand is cheap and tastes great, so I'm trying it out to see if there are any ill-effects. There are none recorded that I can find on the web, indeed it seems safer than 'pure, white and deadly' sugar!

Time will tell - I shall pick up the podcast of that program, as I missed it -- it's of particular interest to me, as I am fascinated by nutrition (typical anorexic!)

I do have a rather sweet tooth, but my main use for this product will be to sprinkle on cereal, or to sweeten stewed fruit - which I love!

Thanks for the Earl Grey - so nice on a summer afternoon. I regret to say that first thing in the morning, nothing will do but a cup of quality 'Nato Forces Standard' - Yorkshire tea for the discerning pleb!

Moffy x

[shazzap12 in reply to ladymoth]

Hi. I have a very sweet tooth and have recently changed from sugar to Canderel. I don't find the aftertaste as bad as some of the others.

Can you tell me what Asda's version of Truvia is called

Thanks

Sharon

[ladymoth in reply to shazzap12]

Hi Shazzap - it's on the shelves with all the other sweeteners, it's got a green lid and is just called 'Stevia Sweetener'.

So far I like it, and haven't had the instant joint pains I get with Canderel - so I live in hope!

Moffy x

[shazzap12 in reply to ladymoth]

Thanks Moffy.

I will try and get some tomorrow

[Fibrofoggiest]

Hehehe as I only do coffee in the morning the idea of tea of any description for someone else is great. I like the pyramid bags sometimes, Earl or Lady Grey at others, as long as its in the afternoon.

Foggy x

[Fibrofoggiest]

Being of same ilk Moffy , I totally understand about the nutritional fixation, you ask the number I know it.......oh wicked wicked me....... I love stewed rhubarb but can't face it with no sweetener, so I tried, is is Splenda?........ It was revolting !!!!

By the way the Food Programme is repeated tomorrow at 3.30, maybe you could catch it then. The only thing about my iPad that I don't like is that it doesn't support a flash player, so listen again isn't an option.....bad Apple.

Foggy x

[mistymeana]

Thanks for the tip re the GoWalk shoes Moffy - haven't heard of that brand but will check them out when I'm in town tomorrow. I wear Toms for similar reasons. Again not cheap but comfy and a bit of self-congratulatory feel good factor built in knowing the purchase results in a deprived child being given a pair of shoes - preens smugly . Found a pair of black wool ones with a fleecy lining that I thought might do for work in winter. It has been suggested that I might be wearing slippers to which I thought "bovvered? I can at least stand reasonably comfortably. If mine feet offend thee avert thine eyes" bloody cheek of some GPs. As you can imagine, one tends to give as well as one gets. Keep up the good work. If I notice anything else useful while I'm shopping can I put it down to research too please? x

[ladymoth in reply to mistymeana]

Of course you can, Misty - we're always pleased to hear of useful buys for fibro sufferers, and it doesn't count as advertising as long as you're not plugging it for your own profit!

I like Toms, too - but the GoWalks are a bit more supportive in the sole - for me, anyway. Try some - I think you'll like them, and they do look reasonably smart!

Moffy x

[tulips123]

very helpful, thanks for that!

[Artyrosie]

Thanks for these tips - very helpful! I wear Fit Flop and find them completely brilliant - in summer sandals anyway. Worth the money but they are £50 - £70 ish, though I have a pair of their toe thong sandals and you wouldn't know I was wearing disability shoes!!

[Hidden]

Thanks for the tip Moth.

I take sweetex in tea and coffee because it's aspartame free.

I will definitely be giving this particular sweetener a go though.

Bibi x