I
haven't blogged in forever, and would love to get back to it at least weekly.
While getting ready for the day I was wondering what should I write
about? Probably the most significant change in our family's life lately
has been the way we have changed what we are eating.
As a
family we have switched from eating your typical American diet of highly
processed foods and sodas, to a mostly organic and whole foods diet. If you are
confused by what a "whole food" diet is, don't fret, I was too at
first. The easiest way to describe it is, foods that either don't need a label,
because they only contain one thing, or things that are made up of ingredients
that are one food items. In other words, I would buy something that had
wheat, eggs, water, and salt. But not something that had a bunch of names
on the label I can't even pronounce. FOOD, like eggs or an apple don't
need labeling. PRODUCTS do. Do we occasionally have a bag of
Doritos or a candy bar? Of course, but it is truly a rare occasion now.
The
most difficult thing for me to give up was Aspartame. That may sound
strange to some, but it has pretty much been a staple in my diet since
childhood. By the time I was a teenager I was an everyday diet soda drinker.
I always used aspartame in my coffee, and things like gum (even ones that
don't say sugar free) were routinely being consumed by our entire family.
If you
know me well, you know that coffee and diet soda were a main staple in my diet.
I still drink coffee, but I haven't quite figured out how to enjoy it
yet. It's a work in progress... After years of using Aspartame (the little blue
packets that are in every coffee shop in America) and cream, I am currently
trying to figure out how to enjoy it black.
At first
I tried sugar (raw with the cane juice still in it) and cream. It was
alright but it didn't satisfy me the way Aspartame did. Not to mention
the extra calories I am now consuming isn't doing a whole lot for my waist
line. I haven't had a Diet Coke since January, and it bothered me at
first, but not the same way not having my favorite sweetener in my coffee
bothers me.
Let me
explain what my old habits were like. I would wake up, make a pot of
coffee, and during the morning I would finish the entire pot myself. Each
cup would have a little blue packet in it. By noon I would switch to
peach iced tea (the one that comes in a little tub of powder that you mix with
water). I am not going to mention brand names here, but you know the ones
I am talking about. They are also LOADED with Aspartame. If I got
tired of that and I wanted something fizzy to drink I would pour myself a glass
of diet soda. I rarely ever drank water.
I was
drinking the stuff all day long. From the time I woke up in the morning
to the time I went to bed at night. I didn't even give it a second
thought until the last four years or so.
In the
last four years I have been diagnosed with Grave's disease, I had a stroke, I
am in constant and persistent pain, and the doctors know there is some other
autoimmune disorder plaguing me but they are unsure if it is Lupus or RA, more
follow up and testing is needed. I have a hard time concentrating and have what
I like to call "brain fog".
My
friend Melody kept telling me that Aspartame causes inflammation, and it's not
that I didn't believe her, it's just that I didn't realize just how BAD the
stuff truly is. Then I watched a few documentaries that changed my life,
and I did a lot of research of my own on the internet. I was blown away
at how many of the symptoms that I had been dealing with were commonly
associated with Aspartame consumption.
Since
giving up Aspartame altogether I feel a lot better than I had. I still
have some issues, but I am sure that is to be expected from someone who already
had their thyroid destroyed and had a previous stroke. :) I can't help but
wonder how many of the symptoms I was experiencing leading up to my diagnosis
were Aspartame related? But what's done is done.
There
is a lot of controversy surrounding Aspartame and it's safety for consumption.
But lets go over some simple FACTS about Aspartame and it's origins and
how it was deemed safe for humans to consume.
Wikipedia
states that Aspartame's original intent was as an anti-ulcer drug, that the
inventor accidentally licked his finger and then realized it was sweet. Others
say it was created as a pesticide and when it clearly didn't work as that, it
was then marketed as a sweetener. Either way it is not being marketed for
it's original intent. Not that this is an issue in and of it's self, but
it was created by big pharma company, G.D. Searle. They are now owned by none
other than Monsanto. This should be enough to make you question it's
safety. Since Monsanto and our Federal Government are KNOWN for their
revolving door politics.
If
you don't already know, Monsanto is the creator of DDT: AKA Agent Orange. They
currently lead the market on GMO's Genetically Modified Oraganisms (round up
ready seed), creator of Round up, rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone), and
were the largest manufactures of PCB's until 1977.
In the
end I was convinced that Aspartame shouldn't be part of my or my family's diet.
This sounds easy enough, but you would be shocked at how many products
contain Aspartame without even realizing it. I mentioned previously
chewing gum, but did you know that brands like Big League Chew have Aspartame
in them? In actuality there is virtually NO aspartame free gum on the
market. Yogurt, Candy, Cereal, Condiments, Soda, drink powders, anything
labeled Sugar Free, are all common foods that contain Aspartame. Reading
labels is a MUST if you want to avoid Aspertame.
It has
been almost 6 months since I have had a "diet" coke, or aspartame in
my coffee. I now drink a lot more water than I ever used to. Unsweetened
Tea (particularly green tea) are a staple in my diet, and I am currently
working on drinking my coffee black. I feel much better. The brain fog
has been lifting, and I have way fewer days of joint pain and inflammation,
most notably in my hands. If you are a diet and sugar free consumer, I
urge you to do some research and learn more about Aspartame, and anything else
artificial you are consuming.
Here
are some of the most common symptoms of aspartame consumption:
headaches,
nausea, vertigo, insomnia, numbness, blurred vision, blindness and other eye
problems, memory loss, slurred speech, depression, personality changes,
hyperactivity, stomach disorders, seizures, skin lesions, rashes, anxiety
attacks, muscle cramping and joint pain, loss of energy, symptoms mimicking
heart attacks, hearing loss and ear ringing, and loss or change of taste.
There
is a complete list of 92 symptoms and disease associated with aspartame.here.
Also you might want to read what Dr. Mercola has to say about aspartame
here.
