Prism on artificial sweeteners

In video #7, which we watched at the 1/3/08 meeting, happy hostess Shawna Marie spoke about artificial sweeteners. Being the lawless group leaders that we are, we have stolen the text and are presenting it here mostly for Phyllis' enjoyment. :)

....Now we need to address artificial sweeteners. Most of the low cal and diet foods we think will help us loose weight, contain artificial sweeteners. New studies show that foods and beverages containing artificial sweeteners may actually work against weight loss by increasing hunger and your cravings for sweets. These fake sweeteners can decrease your levels of serotonin, the brain chemical that hears the “I’m full, don’t eat anymore” message from your stomach. At the same time these sweeteners trigger the insulin response which reduces fat burning and increases fat making. According to Dr. Julian Whittaker….

“Artificial sweeteners play a significant role in our current weight problems. Far from helping us loose weight, aspartame has been proven to increase appetite, especially cravings for sweets. Imagine “diet” products that help you pack on extra pounds! And aspartame’s downside doesn’t end with weight gain: This sweetener is associated with multiple health problems. The most common adverse reactions attributed to aspartame are headaches, dizziness, attention difficulties, memory loss, slurred speech and vision problems. This cluster of symptoms has become so common that it is actually referred to as “aspartame disease.”
What about multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue, rheumatoid arthritis, depression and other mood disorders? I have reviewed scores of documented cases mistakenly diagnosed with one of these conditions, only to have all signs of disease completely vanish after getting off aspartame.
Aspartame is comprised of two amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine. Aspartic acid acts as an “excitatory neurotransmitter, or chemical messenger in the brain, stimulating neurons to fire. Problems can arise when aspartic acid is out of balance with inhibitory amino acids that calm things down. Phenylalanine also easily enters the brain, where it is transformed into neurotransmitters that can further interfere with normal brain function. This is likely the reason why aspartame lowers the threshold for seizures, mood disorders, and other nervous system problems. This altered brain chemistry may also be responsible for the addictive nature of aspartame. Some patients report that getting off diet soda takes more willpower than giving up cigarettes!”

Dr. Whittaker recommends that you don’t trade one bad habit for another by switching to sugar laden drinks and sweets. Avoid most bottles or canned sodas, teas and juices all together. If they don’t contain an artificial sweetener they’re loaded with some kind of sugar. Your beverage of choice should be water. Try perking it up with a slice of lemon, sparkling water, diluted fruit juice and homemade herbal ice tea flavored with the herbal sweetener Stevia are other options. If you haven’t already done so you must begin to wean yourself from any products containing artificial sweeteners.

No sugar is best in breakfast cereals

I needed clarification on cereal options this past week so I spoke with a PRISM consultant today and this is what I learned. Cheerios, which has sugar listed as a 3rd ingredient is ok to have on the PRISM diet. It's the 3rd ingredient but it is only a total of 1 gram of sugar per serving. PRISM considers 1-2 grams of sugar per serving in cereal not great, but ok. An example of a cereal not allowed is Kashi's Heart to Heart cereal. With this one, sugar cane is listed as the 3rd ingredient which is one of the allowed sweeteners, but it has 5 grams of it per serving. Too much. So, now on to a cereal I have found which has no sugar. General Mills, Fiber One. It's a sugar free option that's not as bad as it looks in the picture on the box. There are other sugar free options out there so look at the labels and do the best you can. Remember to only do one serving, measure that serving, and count the calories in your journal. -Monica