How is the Real Whole Food effort going?  Remember, it’s just a journey.  Resolve to evolve:)Today I’m going to write about Diet Soda, and there’s so much information that it’ll be a struggle to keep this short.  If you DON’T drink Diet Soda, there’s still pertinent info here, as artificial sweeteners and phosphoric acid are in many, many food products.

Here’s the gist of it:  Diet Soda is Pure Poison.

Here’s the details, and some surprising facts:  The National Institute of Health and the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition have both recently published the results of huge studies – more than 300,000 people, and longer than 14 years, where they accessed the health risks of Diet Sodas.  So these results are pretty substantial.  And surprising.

Please don’t read those bullet point as me giving regular soda the green light, because that stuff’s poison too.  Pure Chemical Concoction . I’m talking about “diet soda”  for a reason:  There is a false sense of security that when we consume foods or drinks that are low in calories, /diet, we’re doing something good for our weight and our bodies.  If we’re talking about low cal veggies, that’s true.  If we’re talking about low cal Frankenfoods, that’s completely wrong.I bet if you’re a diet soda drinker, you’re feeling a little anxious right now. I understand.  I was addicted for years myself. But it matters that you give it up;  and Moms, it matters that you set the example for your kids.  Again, this stuff is poison.  If your kids see you drinking it, they’ll want to drink it because it’s Delicious and Highly Addictive.Okay, back to the facts.Diet Soda is usually sweetened with one of two sweeteners.   NutraSweet (aka Aspartame), which is a Neurotoxin that overstimulates brain neurons and causes neurological symptoms such as dizziness, seizures, depression, breathing problems, and weight gain.  Studies have linked it to cancer, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, and multiple sclerosis. Aspartame contains methanol, which converts to Formaldehyde.  In the body.  Gross.  NutraSweet  also spikes insulin, that’s your fat storing hormone. The other predominant sweetener is Splenda (aka Sucralose).  Sucralose decreases good gut bacteria by about 50%.  Also, Spenda is made by adding Chlorine to Sucrose;  this creates chemical changes that make this completely unsafe for pregnant women as there’s a link to birth defects and other prenatal conditions, and Chlorinated compounds do have suppressive effects on the Immune System. Splenda/sucralose also spike insulin (more fat storing), and some studies link it to migraines, gastrointestinal issues, and thymus gland damage.  Yikes.All soda, Diet or regular, caffeinated or non-caffeinated,  contains Phosphoric Acid.  Here’s the Diet Soda /  Osteoporosis Link.

Phosphorus is a necessary mineral in our body. The problem stems from OVERconsumption of Phosphorus; the average American consumes at least 3X as much as they need.  Phosphoric Acid is very Acidic (obviously);  Calcium, which we store in our bones, is Alkalizing.  When our blood becomes too acidic from the excess Phosphoric Acid, our bones give up their Calcium to neutralize the blood, or bring it back to Basic.   Have you ever heard of “swiss cheese bones”,  because that’s what can happen when the bones have to constantly give up TOO much Calcium to bring the blood back to homeostasis.

In 2012, the Surgeon’s Generals Report predicted that by 2020, 50% of ALL Americans will have weak bones. Several studies and groups, including the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, definitively link phosphoric acid with osteoporosis.   Not good for us and Not good for our kids.

• Diet Soda drinkers are 61% more likely to have Heart Disease.

• Diet Soda drinkers are 34% more likely to have Metabolic Syndrome.

How bout the bullet point that Diet drinkers drink twice as much, what’s the significance there?  Artificial sweeteners are hundreds or thousands of times SWEETER than SUGAR.

What this means is YOU’RE TRAINING YOUR TASTE BUDS, AND YOUR BRAIN, TO LOVE THE TASTE OF  “VERY, VERY, VERY SWEET”.  This is a bad thing. Sugar is Addictive. Artificial Sugars are addictive. Your “taste” for “sweet” will be excessive.  Your bodies desire for carbohydrates, starchy or sweet, will be reinforced and intensified. Does this sound familiar?  Because if it does, and you want to break your Diet Soda habit, I do know a way, other than cold turkey. If you’re good at Cold Turkey, go for it!  If not, email me.

I want to point out that I used the NIH and AJCL studies because they’re well known organizations, and the studies were enormous.  But truly, the amount of studies out there, from different Universities or other scientific groups, confirming that Diet Soda drinkers have a higher risk for obesity and health problems, is big.

Here’s my wrap up:  Even though Regular Sodas are a horrible, unhealthy, pure chemical concoction;  Diet Soda, because of the addition of artificial sweetener, is even worse.   Diet Soda drinkers have a greater risk of Depression, Weight Gain, Diabetes, Heart Disease, Obesity, and Metabolic Syndrome.  The myth of Diet Soda making you skinny, or making you look like Beyonce or Taylor Swift (who are paid promoters), is a Marketing Lie. I feel like yelling “Rage Against The Machine” here:)

Again, if you’re addicted, please email me. Read your labels, drink water, eat meats, healthy fats, tons of vegetables, some fruits, some nuts, some dairy, some seeds and legumes. Choose RWF