Limit or avoid artificial sweeteners Our brains are naturally wired to crave sweets because brains are fueled by glucose.  When you supply it the glucose it wants, your brain rewards you with feel good chemicals that reinforce that choice and encourages you to choose sweets again and again. Unfortunately, sweets are no longer hard to come by and most of us have been conditioned to favor and choose sweets way too often! Because too many sweets cause a host of health issues ranging from obesity to diabetes to cancer and heart disease, manufacturers have stepped up with a variety of artificial sweeteners to satisfy our sweet tooth.  The problem is, these sweeteners are chemicals or natural foods turned into franken-foods that cause toxicity in the body and symptoms that are often confused with health issues.   Not only that, but your pancreas still releases insulin in response to the sweet taste, which then makes you eat more. Research shows that folks who drink artificially sweetened beverages gain more weight than those who don’t! For these reasons, you are actually better off using a small amount of sugar or honey to flavor your food and beverages than chemicals. Even better, choose stevia or erythritol and retrain your taste buds to notice the subtle sweetness in real food. Let’s take a closer look at artificial sweeteners: Two very popular artificial sweeteners are aspartame and sucralose. They are found in many diet foods and beverages. Aspartame has been dubbed a chemical poison and a potent neuro-toxin. Complaints about aspartame account for 75% of all food additive adverse reactions reported to the FDA. It has over 90 documented symptoms, some of which are very serious. These include nausea, dizziness, brain fog, vision problems, behavioral disturbances and more. It is linked to illnesses that damage nerve cells. Because one of the end results of aspartame consumption in our bodies is formaldehyde production, it puts us at risk for DNA damage, cancer, and the above-mentioned symptoms. Why this chemical is even allowed in our food supply is beyond me. Sucralose is not as dangerous as aspartame, but it is not without problems. Sucralose interferes with the absorption of certain medications, reduces good bacteria in your intestines by half, and can actually cause you to gain weight. It is more similar in chemical composition to DDT than sugar (even though it’s made from sugar) and can cause a variety of symptoms such as a stuffy nose or fatigue. It becomes toxic when heated, which is especially alarming since it is advertised as a replacement for sugar in recipes. Here are some easy substitutions to make: To sweeten a beverage or food, use stevia extract. If you tried it years ago and didn’t like it, give it another try. Manufacturers have greatly improved the taste. Liquid extracts even come flavored with vanilla and other flavors that are quite delicious. Or add a small amount of sugar or honey along with the stevia. Stevia is 300 times sweeter than sugar so you only need a tiny bit. Like all plants, stevia contains antioxidants that fight free radical damage. It does not raise blood sugar or insulin levels like sugar or artificial sweeteners and has an alkalizing effect on the body. Stevia is available in bulk or in packets. A little sprinkle really brings out the flavor of herbal teas. One packet lasts me four cups of tea!  Natural sodas are often flavored with stevia. Use ‘sugar alcohols’ judiciously. Despite the name, sugar alcohols are neither sugars nor alcohol. They do contain calories, but your body absorbs fewer of them than sugar. This is why some cause abdominal distress. If you are a gum chewer, choose gum with xylitol instead of sugar or artificial sweeteners. Xylitol is a sugar alcohol that does not generally cause gas or bloating (but too much may have a laxative effect). Nor does it raise blood sugar. As an added benefit, it fights plaque by reducing bacteria levels in your mouth. You can use xylitol as a sweetener in drinks or food too. (NOTE: Xylitol is extremely toxic to dogs.). Erythritol can be used in baking and cooking to replace some or all of the sugar. It is about 70% as sweet as sugar and has a mildly ‘cooling’ effect. If you need more sweetness, add in some stevia. Look for recipes on-line. Fruit can also be used to sweeten food and drinks and provide vitamins and minerals as well. Dates and bananas are very sweet and are used for making everything from candies to pancakes. Don’t overdo because too much fructose is fattening and unhealthy. Will you accept the challenge? Remember, this is not all or nothing. If you already avoid artificial sweeteners you have met the challenge. Congratulations! If not, begin slowly. Start by avoiding chemical drinks like diet sodas. Sweeten your tea and coffee with stevia or a little sugar or honey instead of chemicals. That in itself will do your health a lot of good. Carry a few packets of stevia with you and use it to sweeten plain iced tea or water if you must. Gradually up the ante and reduce your use of sweeteners. Are you in?  Let us know in the comment section so we can give you a cheer.]]>