Why "diet" foods are making you fat!
By Elizabeth Yarnell
www.GloriousOnePotMeals.com
Whenever I see labels that read "low-fat," "sugar-free" or "diet," I steer as far away as possible because I know that not only are these products unhealthy they're also misleading.
Why?
Think about it: if the goal is to make the diet version of the product sugar-free yet still retain the expected sweet taste, that is achieved by substituting an artificial sweetener in place of the sugar in the original formula.
A recent University of Texas study tracking 9,000 people for more than 8 years found that those who drank diet sodas gained more weight than those who didn't.
Two theories to explain this emerged: 1) the body reacts to the sweetness and secretes hormones that instruct the digestive system to store the molecules as fat, and 2) believing that they saved calories with the diet soda, dieters allow themselves to eat larger quantities than they would have otherwise.
Either way, you're not doing yourself any favors when you see "diet" on the label.
Artificial sweeteners are just that: artificial. Synthetic. Man-made. Unnatural. Unhealthy.
Aspartame. Splenda. Saccharin. Sucrolose. High fructose corn syrup. The body doesn't know how to efficiently digest, absorb, and eliminate these foreign substances from itself. They gum up the system. Then things start to go wrong.
In my early 30s I crossed my body's "tolerance threshold," or the amount of allergens, toxins, and irritants my body could handle comfortably. Everyone has a tolerance threshold - it's the kind of thing you don't think about until you accidentally cross the line and your body rebels.
For some, it appears as asthma. Others have eczema, still others black out. For me it was hives. Daily, for three years, covering my entire body. It was miserable.
The only thing that finally worked was to remove everything manmade, processed or artificial and clear the way for my body to cleanse itself to the point where my tolerance threshold could rise back up to normal levels.
I am guilty of a voracious sweet tooth, but now I assuage it with raw, unbleached sugar, real maple syrup, locally-collected honey, and of course, chocolate!
Removing artificial sweeteners from your diet will benefit your overall health over the long term. It's just one small, daily choice you can make in favor of better health.
About the author: Elizabeth Yarnell is a Certified Nutritional Consultant and the author of Glorious One-Pot Meals. Visit Elizabeth online at www.GloriousOnePotMeals.com.
www.GloriousOnePotMeals.com
Whenever I see labels that read "low-fat," "sugar-free" or "diet," I steer as far away as possible because I know that not only are these products unhealthy they're also misleading.
Why?
Think about it: if the goal is to make the diet version of the product sugar-free yet still retain the expected sweet taste, that is achieved by substituting an artificial sweetener in place of the sugar in the original formula.
A recent University of Texas study tracking 9,000 people for more than 8 years found that those who drank diet sodas gained more weight than those who didn't.
Two theories to explain this emerged: 1) the body reacts to the sweetness and secretes hormones that instruct the digestive system to store the molecules as fat, and 2) believing that they saved calories with the diet soda, dieters allow themselves to eat larger quantities than they would have otherwise.
Either way, you're not doing yourself any favors when you see "diet" on the label.
Artificial sweeteners are just that: artificial. Synthetic. Man-made. Unnatural. Unhealthy.
Aspartame. Splenda. Saccharin. Sucrolose. High fructose corn syrup. The body doesn't know how to efficiently digest, absorb, and eliminate these foreign substances from itself. They gum up the system. Then things start to go wrong.
In my early 30s I crossed my body's "tolerance threshold," or the amount of allergens, toxins, and irritants my body could handle comfortably. Everyone has a tolerance threshold - it's the kind of thing you don't think about until you accidentally cross the line and your body rebels.
For some, it appears as asthma. Others have eczema, still others black out. For me it was hives. Daily, for three years, covering my entire body. It was miserable.
The only thing that finally worked was to remove everything manmade, processed or artificial and clear the way for my body to cleanse itself to the point where my tolerance threshold could rise back up to normal levels.
I am guilty of a voracious sweet tooth, but now I assuage it with raw, unbleached sugar, real maple syrup, locally-collected honey, and of course, chocolate!
Removing artificial sweeteners from your diet will benefit your overall health over the long term. It's just one small, daily choice you can make in favor of better health.
About the author: Elizabeth Yarnell is a Certified Nutritional Consultant and the author of Glorious One-Pot Meals. Visit Elizabeth online at www.GloriousOnePotMeals.com.
5/11/2007 10:45:15 PM
Comments
http://testing.wellness.com/blog/20043/why-diet-foods-are-making-you-fat/elizabeth-yarnell
I know this is simplistic advice, but I've found that IF our family's shopping habits/policy simply don't include those items that we're all best avoiding, it really limits my access to junk accept when traveling or eating out. That has been more easily managable for me.
Posted by John Valenty
http://testing.wellness.com/blog/20043/why-diet-foods-are-making-you-fat/elizabeth-yarnell
Isn't it crazy how choosing a diet soda seems to give us a license to eat crap? How many times have you seen someone eat a Big Mac, for example, and wash it down with a diet drink? Too often, I'm sure. Honestly, I think our soda habit in general is at a cost to our health, diet or not.\n\nI find it even more interesting that the mainstream medical community rarely seems to mention the connection between what we eat and how we feel. As if there was no link between the quality of the fuel and how the engine works!\n\nI also love to eat fruits to get my sweet fix, particularly now that summer is arriving and locally-grown organic fruits will be available again. Have you tried freeze-dried pineapple? It melts in your mouth! The best I've found is at Trader Joe's.\n- Elizabeth
Posted by Elizabeth Yarnell
http://testing.wellness.com/blog/20043/why-diet-foods-are-making-you-fat/elizabeth-yarnell
Here's an interesting post from the discussion board about sweetners: http://www.wellness.com/forum/<url removed>. \n
\nFor me, I love to eat strawberries, oranges, and other fruits to get my sweets. To me they taste just like candy, but without the guilt! :-)
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