The Evils of Aspartame

I recently discovered that Aspartame gives me headaches. Let me rephrase--massive, skull splitting, eyesight blurring, speech slurring, thought impeding, crawl into a dark cave migraines. What I also discovered is that it is in SO MANY THINGS we put into our mouths.

The other day, I made myself a protein shake to help ward off the mid-day munchies. I took 2 sips--TWO--and immediately my head started to pound. I was not a happy camper. I should have read the ingredients of the protein powder before hand. Third ingredient listed: Aspartame.

The rest of the afternoon was pretty much shot after that. I took some Advil and laid down for a nap which helped take the edge off but not rid the headache completely. I opted for a glass of wine with dinner and that made things a bit more bearable.

Here is a list of things I used to eat/drink/chew that have this evil little ingredient:

• Sugarless gum--I haven't found a sugarless gum that doesn't seem to have it.
• Diet sodas--Diet Coke being my drug of choice.
• Some protein drinks--especially those specific to weight loss.
• Many weight loss supplements--these items use Aspartame to sweeten an otherwise nasty "wholesome" drink or snack.
• Yogurt--almost every "light" version I've come across.
• Some cereals--not all are "healthy"
• Condiments-- Read labels on jellies, BBQ sauces, ketchup, etc...

Aspartame is in so many things that are on the market and studies show that large amounts can be very harmful to the body. What I've found very disturbing is that when Aspartame is heated, it's chemical make-up changes. Get this--it changes into Free Methanol. Read this article on Aspartame, it is very detailed and also lists many of the side effects and diseases caused by this artificial sweetener. This one by the Mayo Clinic is pretty eye-opening as well.

Honestly, I must admit that I've heard many of these concerns about Aspartame before but chose to ignore them because I didn't exhibit any noticeable symptoms... yet. Key word: NOTICEABLE. 

Many of you know that in 2004 I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis. Wait now, I am not saying that Aspartame caused the UC but I am saying, it didn't do me any favors. Hind sight is always 20/20 and looking back, I see a significant change in my health when I switched to Diet Coke from regular Coke.

Why did I switch? Well, like many people, I was concerned about my weight. I love Coke. There are just certain foods that require a soda in my opinion. I believed that Diet Coke would allow me the luxury of enjoying a soda guilt free. And, because it was guilt free, I upped my intake considerably. NOT GOOD. When I drank regular Coke, I allowed myself one a day (of course it might be a 32oz cup but it was still once a day in my mind). I knew the sugar contained in regular soda was the source of my agony when shopping for jeans. All sugar seems to hang out below the waist on me and since I'm not a big candy/dessert eater, the Cokes had to be the problem. My mind reasoned that Diet Coke would solve all my problems, not to mention,  I would become skinny and super model-like... Yeah, in my dreams. 

A few months ago I began having headaches almost everyday. I blamed everything and everyone else until I could no longer ignore the fact that it was something I was ingesting. It became glaringly obvious what the culprit was when a headache set in after or even while sipping on a Diet Coke. Just to be fair here--I now know the difference between a headache brought on by Aspartame and one brought on by allergies, kids, the husband, or the brutal, crazy wind we have here. 

I immediately stopped drinking Diet Cokes and subbed one addiction for another--Starbucks iced green tea. I stopped chewing sugarless gum and began reading the labels of everything I put in my mouth for the secret agent Aspartame. I was terribly disappointed when I read this ingredient in so many of my favorite foods. I was also shocked at the levels I must be absorbing! 

When I was first diagnosed with UC, I read everything I could on managing this disease as holistically as possible. I changed many, many foods in my diet and at one point did not drink any soda at all. (The carbonation in sodas seemed to really irritate my bowels.) But then I became lazy. Slowly some of the "no-no" foods and beverages worked their way back in. I justified a few as "special treats" because I was doing so well or how could just a small amount hurt? Most of the "no-no's" stayed that way with exception of Diet Coke. I had so few options left in my diet and I just wanted something I could enjoy so I justified it with regularity.

Sometimes I think our own minds can be our greatest downfall. If you tell yourself something enough you will begin to accept it as truth. I convinced myself that Diet Coke was the least of my worries.

When I had to have my colon and entire large intestine removed due to UC, I stopped sodas all together. I did it because the carbonation, which causes gas, would blow up my ostomy bag like a balloon. This didn't last long though and soon I was back to enjoying my beloved Diet Coke. I did, however, try to limit it to one a day in order to keep the "air bag" at a minimum. 

I guess I have to learn some lessons the hard way. Don't tell my hubby I admitted to this but, I can be quite stubborn at times. (Repeat this and I will call you a liar--consider yourself warned.) Anyway, this is one of the lessons learned the hard way: Aspartame is Evil like the fruits of the Devil.