I know you've heard the phrase "everything in moderation." People use this to convince themselves that they can eat whatever they want, in moderation. There are some things that we should never be putting in our bodies. Would you tell a drug addict that what he is putting in his body is ok...in moderation? You might say, well drugs are illegal, the government has said those are bad for us, so of course it's not ok to be doing drugs. What about someone who smokes cigarettes? Would you tell them that's fine, in moderation? Cigarettes are legal. The government has said they are terrible for us, they are proven to cause cancer, and yet they are legal. Hopefully you aren't encouraging your friends to have a couple cigarettes a day. The same goes for all artificial sweeteners. All of them! My short list of things that should never be consumed, even in moderation includes artificial sweetener, high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils. There are many more, but this is where to start. Look at labels and throw out anything with these on the ingredients list. These are not food.
And don't think that Splenda is any better for you because "it's made from sugar." It is so processed, the only reason it has zero calories is because the body cannot actually metabolize it. So it is either eliminated or stored, your body can't use it for energy. Look for aspartame, saccharin and sucralose on labels and avoid these. You might be wondering why the FDA would approve these if they are known to cause cancer, memory loss, nerve cell damage, migraines, brain lesions, joint pain, Alzheimer's, bloating, nervous system disorders, hair loss, food cravings, weight gain (not weight loss, so don't drink diet soda to lose weight) and reproductive disorders. Do any of those sound fun? Each artificial sweetener that is on the market underwent minimal studies, was deemed unsafe for human consumption and rejected (some multiple times). Again, they were deemed unsafe for human consumption! Eventually, after some shady dealings, they were passed. I am not going to go into the legal issues surrounding these sweeteners being FDA approved but I do encourage you to do your own research. You don't have to take my word for it, look into it yourself and make your own decision.
The bottom line is that something that is chemically created is not food and should not be ingested. How many of the above side effects do you want, in moderation? I am in no way insinuating that anyone who has been affected with cancer or other disease has brought it upon themselves. But why not avoid those things that are known to cause cancer. Eating chemicals is going to cause digestive problems. If your body is trying to metabolize these artificial elements (which it cannot do) it is not properly digesting the good food you are eating, therefore you aren't absorbing all the nutrients you need. Your body gets caught up trying to figure out what to do with these processed ingredients. There are some things that not good for the body, even in moderation. So give up your one diet coke a day!
High fructose corn syrup is made by changing the sugar (glucose) in cornstarch to fructose - another form of sugar. It is super cheap and preserves foods and beverages. It is also terrible for you. When you eat or drink sugar from fruit or whole grains (natural sugars) your body signals that it is full and satisfied, and you don't need to eat any more. With high fructose corn syrup, your body doesn't do this, which is why it is linked with obesity, type II diabetes and heart disease. Those are clearly things we want to avoid. It will make you fat and unhealthy.
This is especially true for pregnant and nursing mothers. It's one thing to knowingly put these things in your body when you are the one to suffer, but whatever you eat and drink will go to your baby. We obsess over everything our baby gets, every mother wants the best for her baby, so make the decision to give them the best. We skip coloring our hair, stay away from chemical cleaners, avoid painting, etc., etc. So don't put these terrible artificial ingredients directly into your body.
So now you are avoiding all artificial sweetener and high fructose corn syrup. Wondering what to bake with? Now, I have a sweet tooth as much as anyone (which I inherited from my father) and I love to bake (which I inherited from my mother). Here are a few alternatives...evaporated cane juice, Sucanat, dates (I stick these in the blender with my wet ingredients), maple syrup, molasses, honey, raw sugar and agave nectar. Just be sure that you are still limiting the amount of sugar you add to your foods. If you feel a sugar craving coming on, eat a piece of fruit or drink a cup of tea (peppermint has been shown to reduce sweet cravings). And enjoy the flavor of real food!
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