Artificial Sweeteners

I have had so many friends over the years who have shared that they are addicted to diet soda drinks and artificial sweeteners.  Personally, before I realized the dangers of consuming them, I tried to like them, but the taste was always very repulsive to me.  So while I can't fully understand how strong this addiction is, I totally believe the struggle is real friends.  Maybe you've always thought they are better for you because real sugar is evil?  But for many people, they have heard the reports that avoiding artificial sweeteners is beneficial to our body and still struggle to stop consuming them.

The most popular artificial sweeteners are:

• Aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet). It's mostly used to sweeten diet soft drinks.
• Saccharin (Sweet'N Low, Sugar Twin). It's used in many diet foods and drinks.
• Sucralose (Splenda). It's in many diet foods and drinks.
• Acesulfame K (Sunett). It's often combined with saccharin in diet soft drinks.

There are so many articles citing research concerning how artificial sweeteners affect the body, but I would like to share this video by Dr. Josh Axe.  He explains how the body processes these chemicals and how they are neurotoxic to our body.

Here are some tips for diet soda replacements:

Try Stevia! 

• Stevia can be bought in any store these days. One of my favorite store bought brands is Skinny Girl Liquid Stevia. 
• My very favorite brand of stevia is from Trim Healthy Mama.  You do have to order this one online, but it's worth the wait!  These girls have gone above and beyond to provide a pure, non-bitter stevia, and it's the best I've found!
• If you prefer a stevia blend the THM Sweet Blend is a great substitute for sugar in recipes and good ol' southern sweet tea.

Make the switch to sparkling water. 

• Yes, this is not always easy at first, I will not give you false hope that it is!  However, I used to have a big love for Dr. Pepper, and honestly I still do like it and have it on occasion, like when we go out for a movie.  But I know drinking Dr. Pepper has ZERO health benefits, so to get my fizzy fix, I started drinking naturally flavored sparkling water.
• My very favorite brand of sparkling water is La Croix.  You can find this at most any grocery store.  It's usually near the bottled water section on the very bottom shelf.  My favorite flavor is lime, but I haven't had one I haven't liked yet!
• After my sparkling water habit became fierce, I bought a Soda Stream for my house and make my own.  I sometimes add my own lemon essential oil and/or pure orange extracts.
• You can even make your own sugar-free Orange Cream Soda by mixing sparkling water with a splash of pure vanilla and orange extracts and a little bit of stevia!

Use honey, maple syrup, or coconut sugar in moderation to replace artificial sweeteners.  These natural products still raise blood sugar levels in the body, so MODERATION IS KEY!

I encourage you right now to make a goal to take one step this week to transition to an artificial sweetener free lifestyle!

And just remember, if you are truly addicted, don't give up!  One day at a time, one choice at a time.