Joel,
I try to avoid the sugar in soda & drink 1-2 cans of diet soda per week. We use splenda a couple of times a month for cooking. Would appreciate a rational discussion on artificial use.
Time: 7:12 AM.
Location: a little “fitness” event I attended a few weeks back in Austin, TX.
State: tired.
So what did I do? What 99% of the rest of the world does in that type of situation – I got myself a cup of coffee.
And THEN—believe it or not—I proceeded to pour the contents of two little blue packets to my morning cup of joe.
You should have seen the stares from the fitness crowd.
I immediately checked my zipper, but surprisingly, I was already all-systems-go on that front.
Hmmm.
Why then the stares?
Well, it wasn’t but a couple seconds later when a friend of mine blurted out “you use that stuff??” as if I had committed some moral sin.
My reply?
“Yes… and mostly because I haven’t seen a bit of research to convince me otherwise.”
To which that person said NOTHING.
Frankly, I’m tired of people—be it fitness professionals or just the everyday lay person—making claims, recommendations, and statements based on “what they heard” rather than looking into the actual research themselves.
LAZY.
Now, I’m not saying that there isn’t research out there proving that artificial sweetener use poses substantial risks, I’m just saying that I haven’t seen it, and in fact, the research that I HAVE seen doesn’t seem to even partially validate the whole “use artificial sweeteners and you will surely die tomorrow” phobia that is so apparent amongst much of the world today.
And tomorrow, I’d like to come back and share with you my take on artificial sweeteners, they’re use, and the research I actually use to BACK UP my position.
If you’re interested in that information, drop a comment below. Also, let me know if you use artificial sweeteners, drink diet beverages, or the like – or if you don’t (and why).
At least 100 comments and I’ll be back tomorrow with the information I just promised you, including 8 studies that reveal the TRUTH about artificial sweeteners (or at least something substantially more concrete than simple hearsay).
Talk to you in the comments section!
Joel
P.S. My friend Isabel kind of bashes artificial sweeteners in the below video, and while I do NOT agree with that stance, I do agree with just about everything else she shares for losing up to 10% of your unwanted body fat in the next 30 days. You can check it out here:
How to lose up to 10% of your unwanted body fat in the next 30 days <——- Click here
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I’ve been using artificial sweetners for 28 year
Phew!!! I would be very interested to hear what Mike Geary has to say about your beliefs on artificial sweeteners, especially as it was he who was promoting your name on his site!!
I don’t use artificial sweeteners because a) aspartame is a migraine trigger for me b) I don’t drink soda anyway, much prefer the taste of water c) don’t like that “artificial” taste and d) my body knows what to do with sugar.
Yes, I would like to know once and for all if it’s okay to use. I haven’t had anything carbonated for about 8 years, no diet soda or regular for that matter. I typically drink water, every once in awhile it’s green tea, but water is my drink of choice.
Well I’ve been a big campaigner against unnecessary sugar in one’s diet and I generally drink my coffee *just black*, with aspartame or half a tsp of sugar. My Mum was diagnosed with diabetes a year ago, and she panicked. She thought her life was going to end and I had to assure her that with small adjustments to her diet and her outlook on food she could surely put it under control. Granted it has taken me years to wean myself off sweet foods ( I don’t crave nor enjoy them now) but I believe it starts with just chucking the jar of processed sugar down the toilet – I know a few friends who are diabetic and are on aspartame and its not done them any harm thus far.
The other thing I hear about is MSG – the Japanese have MSG in their diets for the longest time, and yet they are one of the healthiest ppl on earth. So where’s the logic in avoiding it like a disease?
I use Splenda in my iced tea (four packets to a half gallon) and a packet per cup of coffee. I don’t like the taste of Equal or Sweet n Low. What about Truvia?
I have heard – yes heard, no studies – that even though they don’t have the calories of sugar, artificial sweeteners still cause the body to have the insulin (fat storing) reaction, and therefore are not valid for the diet. I try to minimize my use of artificial sweeteners, but still use them occasionally.
Not ANOTHER contradiciotion in information! I officially cut out all artificial sweetners last year because, “I did not want to die from them!” Now what is the research showing? I thought our bodies responded to them the same as sugar so to avoid the insuling spike not to mention the other “harmful” side effects they were best to avoid…
Check out this website be;pw. They did an article not too long ago about “studies”. It has been shown that a lot of “studies” for products (real and fake) have been done and then approved. Results have been falsified in order to get things on the market. I disagree 100% with you that chemical products such as these are safe to use. It is a shame that you are using your “place of power” to promote these harmful items. Many people do have allergies and reactions to these things on a daily basis but just use other drugs to fix their symptoms. Why would our government approve things that will make us less healthy, just look to the company Monsanto and all of the things that they come up with that the FDA has approved that have been shown by others to be dangerous to our health. Why do we need genetically altered veggies and such? Because it makes corrupt companies money and that is the bottom line. They don’t care about the health of their consumers just that it makes them money.
If you wish to use these products that is your choice. Please do not try to persuade others that these things are healthy for their bodies based on “studies”.
You are in a position to really help people. Thank goodness there are a lot of people out there who still can make up their own minds and will not be swayed by any studies that you can bring up. I believe that people have the responsibility to make up their own minds, no matter what they choose to ingest. I know that my thoughts on a subject will neither persuade or dissuade anyone from following their path. All that needs to be said by you is that you choose to use these things.
You do good things for people and encourage them to do their best. Just can’t agree with this thought today.
Hi there:
I personally think that the key word for everything is MODERATION.
One diet drink would not harm you, but the abuse of it may do…and same rule is valid for everything. If you have one or two beers is OK, but if you feel you need to have more, you should start worrying about. And the list goes on and on…
In any case the post is very interesting, and I’m curious about the results of the researches.
Kind Regards from Spain.
Susana
Hey love your work!!! In Australia we also have countless artificial sweeteners which scare the bee-jabbers out of me. I personally used to use 2-3 real sugars [teaspoons] in my coffee but after I joined your little gang I have cut it back to 1 teaspoon [tastes yukky] but I’ve gotta have it. So lets get down to it, yes or no to ANY sweeteners.
@dimitra anderson – Can you cite a source on this? I too have read the internet hoaxes.
I have heard a lot of claims and quite frankly don’t have the time or inclination to investigate them all. It is man made using a chemical process I would assume so that makes it a little sketchy. I have had people smarter than me that have looked into it and researched it tell me what they have found and while it is not the same as researching it myself it is no different than listening to you. If someone I respect has put the time into researching something then I will put more stock in that than some random stuff I read that is more heresay. In all honesty what I was told personally by a respected coach was regarding aspartame and it’s effects on the brain. Along the lines of aspartame creating “holes” in one’s memory. What has your research shown on that?
I use Splenda in everything! I’ve read a lot on how it actually causes people to overeat, but I really feel that weight loss in general is all about self-control. If you are really hungry, stop and assess your hunger, go drink a glass of water, then come back and ask yourself if you’re still really hungry. Chances are, the answer will be no. Also, the key here is to use everything in moderation, which means don’t dump tons of sweetener on every thing you eat just because it’s “calorie-free” Everything in moderation and use self-control, ANYONE can do it!! :0)
Originally Posted By Don BellJoel,
I’m a fan of your information, but I think you are wrong in this regards.
Please note the following link to an M.D. citing 92 different negative effects attributed to Aspartame alone.
Holy crap on a stick. You’re actually going to use a quacks personal snake oil website as ‘evidence’??
Interesting topic- I wonder if we’ll ever know the truth! I always used sweet ad low, equal and then moved on to Splenda. Recently I’m using stevia but the taste is not as good. So many different theories- I won’t drink anmy thing with sugar in it. Sugar is the Devil! :D Lots of people bash the artificial sweeteners but sugar is bleached,stripped and processed- what’s natural about that? Looking forward to learning more!!
Originally Posted By MisschiffI will explain why Aspartame is so dangerous:
blah blah blah
Funny thing is, I just read this entire post on snopes.com saying it is a HOAX.
Joel,
Enough stalling, get with the goods! Please don’t give the misinformed any more reason to produce ‘evidence’ that is not scientific.
I would like to hear your take on it. I’m addicted to diet pop. I try and try to quit but never manage to win for more than a few days before I cave. I know, I’m weak. Seems like there are a million reports out there saying aspartame and saccharine are bad for us. I haven’t seen very many that say it’s okay. I use it even though I believe it’s bad for me. I’d love to know it’s not so bad, but I’m skeptical.
I believe in a diet of 100% natural foods, if it did not grow like it I don’t eat it period,
You only have to take a quick look at the state of most westerners health to realize that there is something seriously wrong, compare them to other more basic countries where processed junk food is not available, and the answears are just obvious.
The human race has evolved on 100% whole natural foods for 100’s of thousand years? and now all of a sudden for some reason it is not good enough for us!!! and the big business food manufactures feel that they need to alter and manipulate what nature created for us for millions of years, all for profit , not your health.
If you take a 100 meter long tape measure and snip off about one millimeter you proberbly would not even notice the tiny piece missing , well this is the length of time that we have been subjected to altered crap foods compared to eating natural, the other long piece represents our DNA evolving for eons to utilize natures foods, and now people are obese , ill and dieing of it (in the West) not so in basic countries.
We evolved on only what nature gave us and it has kept us alive untill now, why on earth would anyone want to consume altered and untested products when you do not need to, why risk it? when you become ill or develop cancer in 10 years time you will know the likely causes (your chemical diet).
You are of coarse free to choose 100% tried and tested natural, tested on humans for approximately 1 million years with no adverse effects , or modern man made chemical products tested for no more than 30 years but with too many adverse side effects to name and more being discovered daily.
Check out the site below to be educated and shocked.
Not only are artificial sweeteners neurotoxins, they are also linked to weight gain. Try reading “Sweet Deception” by Dr. JosephMercola. Check these web sites and search for “artificial sweeteners”:
http://www.naturalnews.com
http://www.mercola.com
In my opinion, you can’t be “fit” if you are putting poison into your body. Here’s one article about their dangers, I could send many:
I gotta go with the research I’ve read. It’s bad news, especially for sodaholics like myself. Diet sodas in particular have a nasty effect on me. I start out casually with one every few days. Then it steam rolls: 1 a day, 2 a day, 2cans back to back and one later on… sometimes I’m eyeballing a 4th can! I’m craving sweets and thinking sweets all day long. I’m dehydrated but I don’t want water, I want another soda. Yes, I’m a diet sodaholic! So I give it up. Now I’m drinking tea for my caffine needs and koolaid sweetened with stevia for my local-drink-that’s not-water-or-soda fix. I hope it works this time. I know that I feel better physically without it. For those of you who can truely drink it once ot twice a week, or even once a day… more power to you!
I don’t drink coffee at all, when i drink tea i just use good old sugar, and when drinking milk (and that i do most of the time) i use honey.
honey is the best sweetener you can use, it is sweet, tasety and healthy.
Hmmm… I use Stevia, end of story. Partly because of all the stuff I’ve read in various books and training websites about the nasty stuff in artificial sweetners, partly because for me Splenda produces not very nice side effects. I’d definitely be interested in seeing what you’ve got!
I had recently started using Equal in my coffee. Is there something better to lighten it with? Are there any good low/no fat/calorie creamers out there that people recommend?
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Hey, it’s Joel! So you want to know a little more about me, huh? Well, I’d be happy to oblige :-)
I guess it all started back in 2001 (my freshman year of college) when I was just a “skinny fat” 19-year old kid. At the time, I was spending close to 2 hours a day in the gym (now my workouts last about 30 minutes), and despite my efforts, you’d probably never guess I worked out a day in my life by looking at me...