Advice I Give Myself

Back Away from Those Pink and Yellow Packets!

“Do you want a pop?” “YES!” I would excitedly reply. Being from the North-East “pop” to me meant an ice-pop or a lollipop so I always ended up disappointed when I visited my cousins in the Mid-West and they would come back with a soda…I loved any treat but to a seven year old a coke was a far cry from the candy I was anticipating. I gave up soda a long time ago but many people are still indulging and they aren’t even going for the good stuff. They grab a diet version thinking it is the healthier choice.

When my friends and family open a Splenda packet for their coffee or down a diet soda as an afternoon pick me up I have an immediate cringe reaction. I try not to say anything or impose my views on them but inside my head I am screaming “WHAT ARE YOU DOING???!!!!!! BACK AWAY! DON’T DO IT! HAVE YOU HEARD OF CANCER? NEUROLOGICAL PROBLEMS? BONE LOSS? MIGRAINES?” Sometimes I can’t control myself and things leak out of my mouth…so here I go again…

If nature didn’t make it your body does not recognize it.  It has a difficult time breaking down all the chemicals and genetically modified, hormone filled substances we choose to introduce into our bodies.   Sucralose, also known as Splenda, is no better than the rest of them. Recent research suggests that Splenda can enlarge both the liver and kidneys and shrink the thymus glands. Sucralose breaks down into small amounts of dichlorofructose, which has not been adequately tested in humans. Splenda reportedly can cause skin rashes, panic, diarrhea, headaches, bladder issues, stomach pain, and more.

There are over 92 side effects associated with the consumption of aspartame. I am speaking to you, my diet beverage consuming friend. The effects range and can effect anything from vision, digestion, neurological, endocrine, immune and hormonal function, and skin and psychological conditions.   An article published in the Huffington Post found that diet soda increases the risk of stroke, heart attack, and diabetes. Not to mention that diet soda is linked to weight gain, not loss, and a research study found that diet soda consumers had waist increases of 70 percent greater than the non consumers.

I have just mentioned two of the artificial sweeteners and I ‘ve left out many of the details. The research is out there for you to explore yourself and I promise it just gets worse. So is it still worth it? IS IT?!?!?!

Improve your quality of life today. Give up the fake stuff for yourself and for those that care about you. Your brain will thank you and so will I.