Aspartame/Nutrasweet: Sweet Poison

I've known for a long time that Nutrasweet, the brand name for aspartame, was poison. I read a lot of things years ago that convinced me that it was bad. That's why for years I drank regular soda. (For health reasons...haha.) After gaining a ton of weight, and a bunch more with all my babies, I've caved in and had diet soda on and off over the years. I know it's bad, but I fall back into the habit sometimes. When I can, I choose something sweetened with Splenda/sucralose. As if that's any better! We just don't know how toxic it is YET.

Well, in case you still think fake sweeteners are a good thing, check out this movie: Sweet Misery. In it, you will see aspartame victims and doctors talk about just how bad it really is, and how it is linked with a lot of conditions, including a significant rise in brain cancer.

Also, check out the Dorway.com and Sweet Poison website, which lists 92 symptoms that aspartame users often have. Some people will have a higher tolerance than others, as can be seen in the testimonials in the video. Some may have serious symptoms after a few days of use, or others may have symptoms come on much slower, after a longer time with higher usage.

One concern is birth defects. I've been trying to avoid diet soda up until now, knowing I'm pregnant. But from now on, if my husband comes home with soda for us, I will be dumping it right in the sink. I don't care about the lost money. I care about my husband, myself, and my unborn baby.

You may be thinking "what do I do if I can't use artificial sweeteners?" Try these:

Stevia: Personally, I don't care for stevia, but some do like it. It comes in a powder or liquid. I find there's an aftertaste. But then, there is with fake sweeteners too.

Agave: Agave is supposed to be a low glycemic sweetener. It tastes wonderfully mild. It's not cheap, but it isn't bad. I buy raw agave.

Honey: Okay, honey is not low in calories or low glycemic. But it is natural, and good for you. Did you know that honey is just as effective as cold medicine? I tried it on my son, and it worked. Try a little in your tea or baking recipes. If you need to use a lot, try something else.

Sucanat: (Also known as evaporated cane juice, or Rapadura) Sucanat is basically unrefined sugar. It still has molasses in it. It kind of tastes like brown sugar. I've used it, and it's a little different, but good. You need to mix it with the liquid ingredients in a recipe first, because it takes longer to "melt" and blend in. If you don't, you'll get grainy sucanat mixed in. This is also not low glycemic or low calorie, but it's good for cakes, etc.

Yacon Syrup: Another natural food. I haven't tried this, but it's supposed to be even lower glycemic than agave. Also more expensive.

For a drink, try mixing some fresh lemon juice with ice water and agave. It's really good.