Myth: Equal is better sugar for diabetics

Most of us, when we think of sugar, we tend to think of the white stuff we put in our coffee. When people are struggling with serious health conditions and excess weight, they reduce the sugar in their diets. They think they are doing the right thing by not adding sugar to their drinks, or by using artificial sweeteners, like Equal or Nutrasweet. Little do they know that they are actually doing more harm to their body than good.

You may reduce sugar by not adding sugar to your food, but do you realize that sugar comes in many different hidden forms? Food manufacturers are so good at disguising sugar in processed foods that you would not even realize that you're actually consuming spoonfuls of sugar without knowing!

Even when the label says "sugar free" or "0 calorie" and "no sugar added", don't be deceived! These are very misleading. "Sugar free" could mean that the product is sweetened with artificial sweeteners which are more harmful than sugar. "No sugar added" products may contain naturally occuring sugars, such as fructose. The packaging may appear/sound healthier than white sugar, but they are all just fancy names for refined sugars.

Learn to read the labels. Sugar in processed foods come in many different forms. These are empty calories and are just as bad:

Brown sugar, blond sugar, raw sugar, natural sugar, syrup, caramel, ethyl maltol, fructose/glucose, dextran/dextrose, lactose, maltodextrin/maltose, molasses, sorbitol, xylitol.


Aspartame

Let's look at the ingredient in this artificial sweetener: Aspartame. Aspartame is commonly found in most processed foods that say "sugar free". Read the labels!!! Check your breath mints, cereals, chewing gum, cocoa mixes, coffee beverages, gelatin desserts, laxatives, low quality multi-vitamins, milk drinks, soft drinks, tabletop sweeteners, instant tea and coffee, topping mixes, yogurt and even children's vitamins!!

Aspartame is the most dangerous substance added to our food on the shelves today. The three chemicals that make up aspartame (aspartic acid, phenylalanine and methanol) can lead to a wide variety of ailments. Some may occur so gradually that you don't realize it. Other symptoms are immediate, acute reactions. Many people are suffering from symptoms that are related to aspartame use, yet have no idea that it's causing immense health problems to their body.

This is just a short list of some of the documented symptoms listed as being caused by aspartame poisoning:

Headache/migraine, dizziness, seizure, nausea, numbness, muscle spasms, weight gain, rashes, depression, fatigue, irritability, insomnia, vision problems, hearing loss, heart palpitations, breathing difficulties, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, loss of taste, tinnitus, vertigo, memory loss, joints pain.

More serious health problems that result from long-term ingestion of aspartame:

Brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, mental retardation, lymphoma, birth defects, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia.

This is good enough reason why you should avoid processed foods and artificial sweeteners !! They're as bad as poison to your body! SD.