As we go about our busy day—running this way and that, juggling kids, work, errands, etc.—it seems to make life a little easier, and makes the day go smoother, for us to stop and grab a quick pick-me-up drink while we are out. For many of us, soda seems to be the go-to source from which we get that extra energy needed for our busy days. Lately, many have shared the New Year’s resolution to lose weight and watch the calories consumed to live a healthier lifestyle. So we say, “Make it a diet Coke, please,” and then we think we are doing our part of staying fit and healthy, right? But is making it “diet” really helping our dieting? Sure, cutting the calories helps, but is the possibility of neurological disorders, cancers, and ingestion of formaldehyde-like substances worth the calorie cut?

The discovery of aspartame was made by mistake when Jim Schlatter was trying to a chemical to make a drug used to treat ulcers. He accidentally licked his fingers and realized it had a sweet taste. It was later taken to the FDA to be used as a sweetener in 1974 but neuroscience researcher Dr. John W. Olney filed objections, which caused the FDA to withdraw their approval and put it on hold. It wasn’t until 1981, 7 years later, that the FDA re-approved the artificial sweetener for dry goods. In 1983 it was approved for use in carbonated beverages.

While diet sodas are not the only source of the diet sugars, it seems to be the most popular one. Aspartame–the leading sugar alternative–is, what seems like a great way to enjoy something sweet without raising our daily calories. But have we ever stopped to wonder what this sugar alternative really is? Fifty percent aspartic acid, forty percent phenylalanine, and ten percent methyl alcohol (wood poison) combined together make aspartame. When left at 70°F or hotter, the chemical breakdown turns itself into formaldehyde and DKP (diketopiperazine), two chemicals known to cause serious neurological disorders and even cancers in rats. How does this help our diets?!

The truth is that moderation in all things really is the way to go. Sugar alternatives offer a great way to enjoy something sweet now and then, especially for diabetics. But did you know that there is a plant called Agave, which is a type of cactus that has a nectar sweeter than sugar, has no harmful chemical breakdown, and is completely safe for diabetics? We could even feed it to rats and no cancers would grow. So why aren’t we spiking more things with this?!

Jenn Aston, Utah Valley Wellness Center.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/11/06/aspartame-most-dangerous-substance-added-to-food.aspx

http://suewidemark.freeservers.com/aspartame-formaldhyde.htm

Does the sight of a needle make you queasy? Are you less than excited about the thought of being poked even though your Vitamin B12 levels are low? We have a perfect solution!

Nascobal Nasal Spray is a self-administered nasal spray that can be used anywhere to help maintain health Vitamin B12 levels. Just one spray in one nostril, one time weekly, is all it takes. And better yet, you wouldn't even have to rely on your own memory to do it. You can sign up for a reminder service that will notify you by email or text message when it's time for your next dose, and it will alert you when you're due for a refill. How nifty is that!

Brochures are available in our office. Stop by and pick one up or get one on your next visit to see Catherine. She can write your prescription for Nascobal Nasal Spray and you'll be on your way to a needle-free, self-administered method for maintaining healthy levels of Vitamin B12.