As you will be aware, there are many different types of artificial sweeteners, that can be found in many different types of products these days. We have Aspartame marketed as NutraSweet and Equal – which is contained in a lot of low calorie products, and also Sucralose which is marketed as Splenda. Aspartame and Sucralose are the two main artificial sweeteners around these days and there is so much controversy about these.

If we start with aspartame I have personally had first hand experience with the effects of this and my customers. For example, I had a lady who came to see me suffering from anxiety problems, couldn’t sleep, stressed out all the time and she had bad headaches. I went through her whole diet and really couldn’t find anything at all of concern but then she divulged to me that all of the food she was eating was low calorie. I got her to check the ingredient section and we noted that most of the food she was eating, containing Aspartame. As soon as we cut it out of her diet, low and behold all of her previous symptoms cleared up! It was like she was suddenly a different women. It was as simple as that.

Aspartame has been linked to many neurological disorders and I have a big issue with it and the fact that it is sneaked into our food, and made out to be ok to consume on a regular basis.

I have an issue that it’s in virtually all chewing gum; particularly because I feel I can’t chew chewing gum anymore. I think one of the main problems with aspartame is the effect it has on your nervous system; which as I mentioned above has been linked with many neurological disorders and I think it is definitely something that you should be avoiding. Luckily I have found this chewing gum that is free of artificial sweeteners. It contains Xylitol. My favourite is the Cinnamon Gum, but it also comes in Green tea, Spearmint & Peppermint .

Sucralose or Splenda are both marketed to us as products that are meant to be healthier or safer to use, but really, I believe that these are little or no better an alternative than aspartame. Read my document on Aspartame here.

The people marketing Splenda tell us it is derived from sugar, to try and make us feel like we are choosing a better alternative. You really have to ask yourself the question though, Why would you want to consume artificial sweeteners? I would recommend that you have a look on the internet and conduct your own research about these products. Make sure you read what real people are saying about it, not what the manufacturers or marketers are saying.

Something I read about Splenda recently, was about a study done on Splenda at the Duke University, where they found that using Splenda effects your gut flora by up to 50%. Now we need ever bit of that good bacteria so we can absorb all of the good nutrients from the food that where eating and all the supplements that we are taking. It is also important because 70% of your immune system is situated in your intestinal wall. If you alter the balance of good bacteria in here, or worse still, kill off some of it, this could directly affect your immune system, as well as interfere with nutrient absorption ability. The other thing that Duke University found is that Splenda makes the pH level in our intestinal tract a lot more acidic.

Now if you do any research on acid and alkaline you will know that an acid environment is not ideal and those people who have diseases like cancer have a very high acid environment in there body. It is well known that trying to correct an imbalance between acid and alkaline is important for good health. We have these pH test strips so you can do this.

The other thing that Duke University found about Splenda is that it affected the way that some drugs work as well. You’ll notice that none of these things are written on the label of Splenda. There is nothing to warn us about these effects. What about all the people out there who are taking some sort of medication while using something like Splenda without realising that they aren’t getting the full effect from there medication.

Now of course if you’ve got diabetes, you cant have sugary foods or drinks, so alternative sweeteners are a consideration for you, but for the rest of us, Think of your our great ancestors; they were able to use normal sugar without any problems. I think one of the main problems is we consume too much of it, rather than having it for occasional use. If you really have to use some sort of substitute rather then good old cane sugar then why not consider Stevia? We stock these different forms: Tablets for your drinks, or this liquid, or these convenient sachets . We also have this 100% extract powder. This is the one Sandra Cabot talks about, as it is a little less bitter Stevita Spoonable Stevia. We also have this cookbook, that takes the guess work out of how to cook with stevia.

Stevia comes from a plant. I have actually had the opportunity to try a Stevia leaf when one of my clients bought one up for me to try. When I popped in my mouth it was incredible to taste how so intensely sweet it was.

Stevia is a fantastic natural sweetener derived specifically from this plant and again it has the effect that it doesn’t raise your blood sugar levels.

Another great thing about Stevia is for all of those women and men out there who have a Candida overgrowth (which can cause thrush, urinary tract infections, athletes foot, digestive problems, fatigue and skin problems to name a few), Stevia is a fantastic alternative because it doesn’t feed all of that yeast in your intestinal tract. Read my document on Stevia here.