Who hasn’t seen Cindy Crawford or Beyonce hawking the Diet Sodas? Or the thin, happy woman who has a fridge full of artificially flavored diet yogurts? How about the frozen diet dinner commercials where the skinny woman sits down to her Styrofoam plate, fork to mouth, with a blissful look on her face? Statistically speaking, we’ve been subjected to thousands of these subliminal messages in our life time. But it’s all a fake !! Diet drinks and diet foods make you fatter, not thinner, and sicker, not healthier. Study after study after study proves this.
Sweeteners include Aspartame, Sucralose, Splenda and Equal. If you’re buying any type of diet/low cal product, they’re in there. Despite DECADES of studies proving their defects, here are just a few: Splenda absolutely decreases GOOD gut bacteria by about 50%. That’s our immune system. We need it! Aspartame absolutely causes all kinds of Neurological Damage, from dizziness, to seizures, to depression. All artificial sweeteners are linked to cancer.
But here’s how they make you FAT: all of them stimulate overproduction of Insulin and Leptin. All of them! Insulin is your Fat Storing Hormone, that’s it’s job. Leptin is supposed to signal the brain that you’re full. OVERstimulation of insulin and leptin, which happens easily, causes cells to start resisting the effects of both, i.e. too much insulin zooming around the body, damaging arteries, eyes, extremities, heart, and liver, and leptin that never sends it’s signals of satiety because brain cells have shut off those receptors.
Here’s another way artificial sweetener make you fat: they come in foods and drinks that make the brain expect nutrients. When the nutrients don’t come, the brain sends out signals to Get More Food, because the brain and the body need and want nutrients. Empty calories don’t work.
As you read more and more labels, you’ll be surprised at the amount of foods artificial sweeteners are in. You don’t need these and your kids don’t need these.
So what about Real Sweeteners?
Sugar: In 1820, Americans consumed about 10 lbs a year, in 1920, it was about 80 lbs per year, as of 2010, Americans were consuming about 196 pounds PER YEAR. This is a huge problem! Besides all the health consequences, and the weight consequences, studies show that SUGAR IS AS ADDICTIVE AS COCAINE. Think about that when you feed your kids sweets – do you want them to have a life time of battling the sugar monster? Do you like battling sugar addiction?
Agave Nectar: a major darling nowadays, but don’t be fooled. It’s highly processed and has more Fructose than High Fructose Corn Syrup, up to 80% more!! There’s been a powerful and successful marketing campaign behind this product.
Sugar Alcohols, like xylitol or erythritol, which are made from wood and corn. Two problems: the liver has to metabolize these (liver disease/overwork), and they cause extreme stomach problems for many people.
Organic Raw Honey ( plain pasteurized honey is really worthless): lots of live enzymes (if you don’t kill them with heat), and health benefits – if you don’t over do! It’s still a sugar.
Organic Coconut Sugar – new kid on the block: minimally processed cane sugar substitute comes packed with micronutrients and has a very low glycemic score of only 35. Not a bad option, but don’t overdo.
Stevia : Great Option BUT get the real stuff!! Read the Ingredient labels bc most Stevia products are loaded with “other things”. Look for Stevia or Stevia Rebaudiana. This stuff if actually a plant you can grow in your herb garden. Warning!! IF you’re allergic to Ragweed, this may not be for you. They’re awfully close cousins.
SInce the number one delivery system of artificial sweeteners is Diet Drinks, here’s a suggestion: plain water, mineral water, seltzer water (with lemon or lime if you like), organic tea, or organic coffee (non-organic tea and coffee are loaded with pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides) .
Read Your Labels because what you feed your body is who and what you are. Your health, your weight, your mood, your hormones,… Our food becomes our Body.