Tuesday, May 8, 2018

Aspartame

Aspartame (sometimes sold under the names NutraSweet or Equal) is a very popular artificial sweetener used as a “healthier” substitute for sugar in food products today.

Saying that it's used in food products today is an understatement. This substance is used in FAR more items than you may think, which is where the charade begins.

Before I began my health and wellness journey, I used sweetener packets (aspartame) in my tea, coffee, smoothies, etc. My thought was that I’m not using more than 1-2 packs a day, so it’s no big deal.

But using even 1-2 packets per day of a product containing aspartame is problematic in itself. The problem gets worse when you look closely at the rest of the food items you’re ingesting. Why? Because aspartame... is. In. Everything! To be more specific, it's in over 5,000 products sold today. Some of them may be obvious to you, but others may take you by surprise.

First, I'm going to show you a list of food products that contain this deadly product. Then, I'll explain the effects it can cause you internally and externally. Last (here comes the fun part, when I stop crushing your dreams of eating tasty food), I'm going to give you some delicious, uber-healthy (internally and externally!) alternatives and recipes that you can make and eat instead!
Some of the products that contain aspartame are:
  • Sugar-free ice cream
  • Iced tea
  • Jams and jellies
  • Ice cream toppings
  • Fruit spreads
  • Sugar-free ketchup
  • Sugar-free cookies
  • Pudding
  • Nutritional bars
  • Non-carbonated diet soft drinks
  • No sugar added pies
  • Flavored water products
  • Chewing gum
  • Vitamins
  • Diet soda
  • Hard candies
  • Instant cocoa mix
  • Flavored syrups
  • Coffee
  • Cereals
  • Breath mints
  • Carbonated soft drinks
  • Meal replacements
  • Powdered soft drinks
  • Protein drinks
  • Tabletop sweeteners
  • Vegetable drinks
  • Drinkable yogurt
  • Fat-free yogurt
  • Sugar-free chocolate syrup
  • Sugar-free yogurt

I used to opt for artificial sweetener as a way to keep my weight down, as many people do, but looking at anything artificial as the “healthier” option is where the real problem begins.

Eating foods in their natural state will always be healthier than something made in a lab.

However, not only does aspartame cause carbohydrate cravings (yep, you heard me!), it can actually cause you to GAIN weight rather than lose it. It can also cause a whole array of other problems; when I say “problems,” I mean "disasters."
These "disasters" may include:
  • Weight gain
  • Obesity
  • Diabetes
  • Alzheimer's
  • Parkinson's
  • ADHD
  • Formaldehyde buildup in the brain
  • Frontal lobe inflammation
  • Symptoms that mimic multiple sclerosis
  • Neurologic problems
  • Cognitive problems
  • Cancer
  • Headaches/migraines
  • Dizziness
  • Seizures
  • Nausea
  • Numbness
  • Muscle spasms
  • Rashes
  • Depression
  • Fatigue
  • Irritability
  • Insomnia
  • Vision problems
  • Hearing loss
  • Heart palpitations
  • Breathing difficulties
  • Anxiety attacks
  • Slurred speech
  • Loss of taste
  • Memory loss
  • Joint pain

These things ACTUALLY happen to people. Millions of people consume aspartame every day. Scary as this is, there is a solution!
DITCH THE PROCESSED FOODS, SWITCH TO HEALTHY SWEETENERS.

Opt for homemade meals and always, always read the label. A good rule of thumb is to ditch any food products that contain more than five ingredients.

Choose healthy sweeteners, such as dried fruit, fruit, stevia leaf, raw honey. The only side effects these natural choices cause are health, wellness and satisfaction.

Delicious recipes (sweet AND savory!) can be found on my website, or have a look at some of my favorite sites. Your taste buds will not be disappointed!

Now that you have this information, you don’t have to be a part of the aspartame charade any longer. You have the facts. You know about the alternatives. Please don’t put yourself at risk any longer, or ever again. So go ahead; make the rest of your life the best of your life!

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