I'm of the opinion that artificial sweeteners are bad for our bodies.
I have this view because five years ago I discovered that they were causing my heart palpitations.
I stopped consuming them immediately and haven't had palpitations since.
I was angry when I first discovered this.
I wondered how many other people experienced the same thing and felt that same stab of fear for their health that I did? I wondered why this information wasn't printed on the packages of these products.
The culprits for me were Aspartame and Sucralose.
I depended on them to help me live with my sweet tooth and keep calories down.
So many low calorie sweet snacks and drinks contain them.
They add an element of gladness to a dieter who's trying to cut down on calories.
Here is a list of possible side effects.
Blurred Vision Ringing in the ears Migraines Dizziness Confusion Depression Anxiety Irritability Insomnia Palpitations I'm of the opinion that science and marketers will tell us what they think we want to hear about food products just to make a buck.
In advertising marketers conveniently leave out the possible toxic effects an item may have on our bodies.
Everything seems strictly driven by money.
I think advertisements for artificial sweeteners should contain dialogue about some of their side effects, the same as the ads for prescription medication.
I think it's time to get back to what's more natural.
Honey for example has only 20 calories a teaspoon and sugar has 15.
Surely these few calories won't break our calorie banks for the day.
Sugar has gotten a bum rap over the years.
All you ever hear is about how bad sugar is for you and how we should be working to eradicate it from our diets.
Why? In moderation, sugar is not bad for our health.
Now I'm not talking about dextrose or high fructose corn syrup.
I'm talking about pure cane sugar.
The stuff we put in our coffee or sprinkle on our cereal each day.
That sweet goodness we stir into our iced tea on a hot summer day.
That's the stuff I'm talking about.
We've all heard the arguments against sugar, how it raises insulin levels and taxes our bodies.
This is substantial enough information to realize that we must consume sugar in moderation.
In my opinion it's much healthier putting a teaspoon of sugar in your cup of coffee than putting a packet of artificial sweetener in it, and I'm quite sure it's not going to cause me to gain weight.
Ok, ok, I know you're going to argue the insulin thing with me and remind me that diabetics need a sweet treat from time to time too.
I know.
That's why I'd like to tell you about, or remind you of, sweeteners such as Xylitol and Agave nectar.
Both are sweet and comparable to sugar in flavor.
Both come from natural sources.
Both are low glycemic sweeteners.
Neither has a bitter aftertaste.
Although they are a bit more pricey then sugar, they are worth the extra money if blood sugar levels are a concern for you.
In our struggles with weight loss, adding artificial substances to our diets can't be good.
Let's all try to eradicate the artificial sweeteners from your diet.