Dangers Of Weight Gain With “Light” Food

The number one health issue in North America today is Obesity.  And it’s not just a problem for adults anymore.  Obesity in children is growing at alarming rates.  I could quote you statistics but really, just look around.  You will see the result of the Standard American Diet (SAD).  And yes, it is very sad.

Twenty years ago, artificial sweeteners came on the market.  They were to be the miracle every person was praying for in order to eat and not gain weight.  As they say, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Despite the fact that thousands of processed foods and drinks are now made with these artificial sweeteners, we have a higher incidence of obesity than before they were discovered.

The sad truth is that diet foods and drinks ruin your body’s ability to count calories, and in fact stimulate your appetite, thus boosting your inclination to overindulge.
You can go to many sites and research the scientific studies, and I encourage you to do so.  But all you really need to know is this:

1. ALL these sweeteners are chemicals
2. ALL these sweeteners are not recognized as food by your body
3. ALL these sweeteners confuse your body’s digestive intelligence thus causing organ malfunction
4. ALL these sweeteners have serious side effects
   1. ALL these sweeteners should be avoided if you struggle with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes or extra weight.
   2. ALL these sweeteners should be avoided for Healthy Lives

Here are just a few facts about the most common brand of artificial sweetener:

ASPARTAME

Also marketed, labeled as:  NutraSweet, AminoSweet, Equal, Spoonful, Equal measure

Aspartame is made up of three chemicals: aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and methanol. The book “Prescription for Nutritional Healing,” by James and Phyllis Balch, lists aspartame under the category of “chemical poison.”

Aspartame accounts for over 75 percent of the adverse reactions to food additives reported to the FDA.  A few of the 90 different documented symptoms listed in the report as being caused by aspartame include: Headaches/migraines, dizziness, seizures, nausea, numbness, muscle spasms, weight gain, rashes, depression, fatigue, irritability, tachycardia, insomnia, vision problems, hearing loss, heart palpitations, breathing difficulties, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, loss of taste, tinnitus, vertigo, memory loss, and joint pain.

Almost two-thirds of all documented side effects of aspartame consumption are neurological.

The following chronic illnesses can be triggered or worsened by ingesting aspartame: Brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, chronic fatigue syndrome, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, mental retardation, lymphoma, birth defects, fibromyalgia, and diabetes.

Another artificial sweetener to beware of is SPLENDA (Sucralose) especially because it is marketed as being a natural derivative of sugar itself.

SPLENDA (SUCRALOSE)

Splenda is essentially chlorinated table sugar. It is a synthetic chemical that was originally cooked up in a laboratory. In the five-step patented process of making Sucralose, three chlorine molecules are added to a sucrose or sugar molecule.

Below is a chart from www.mercola.com of documented reactions to Splenda.

For Healthy Lives replacing all these artificial sweeteners (CHEMICALS!!) with a natural sweetener is a must.

For those times when you just want a taste of something sweet, your healthiest alternative is Stevia. It’s a natural plant and, unlike aspartame and other artificial sweeteners that have been cited for dangerous toxicities, it is a safe, natural alternative that’s ideal if you’re watching your weight, or if you’re maintaining your health by avoiding sugar.

It is hundreds of times sweeter than sugar and has virtually no calories.