So many people make the mistake of drinking diet beverages thinking that they are cutting back on calories to help loose weight. But what they don't realize is that, really, they are doing FAR more harm & no good at all. The chemicals makeup & side effects of artificial sweeteners are scary! Some of you guys out there may be sipping on a diet soda right now as you read this.... but I hope by the time you get to the bottom of my blogpost- you throw the rest of that drink away & change your beverage selection for good. I just want you to be aware of what your really doing to your body!!!
First off-What's so bad about a diet soda? Well, ALOT! Instead of using cane sugar as the sweetener, they use an artificial sweetener called Aspartame. All artificial sweeteners are made from chemicals. Aspartame is calorie free, thus cutting out all those extra calories, and if you drink a few sodas a day, those calories can add up fast. Just when someone thinks they are doing good and grab a diet soda.....think again! Aspartame's chemical makeup is comprised of approximately
50% phenylalanine, 40% aspartic acid, and 10% methanol. Each of these chemical have significant side effects. Here is a small rundown:
Phenylalanine: Excessive levels of phenylalanine in the brain cause serotonin levels to decrease, leading to emotional disorders like depression. High blood phenylalanine can be concentrated in parts of the brain and is especially dangerous for infants and fetuses. Even a single use of Aspartame raises the blood phenylalanine levels.
Aspartic Acid: Aspartic acid is considered an
excito-toxin, which means it over stimulates certain neurons in the body until they die. Much like nitrates and MSG, aspartic acid can cause amino acid imbalances in the body and result in the interruption of normal neurotransmitter metabolism of the brain.
Methanol: Methanol is a dangerous neurotoxin and a
known carcinogen, which causes retinal damage in the eye, interferes with DNA processes, and can cause birth defects. When ingested, the methanol (wood alcohol) is distributed throughout the body, including the brain, muscle, fat and nervous tissues, and is then metabolized to form formaldehyde (Embalming fluid) which then enters cells and binds to proteins and genetic material (DNA).
Over a billion people consume aspartame in their foods and beverages across the world, believing it to be a safe ingredient, but what they probably don't know is that aspartame currently accounts for over
75% of all side effects complaints received by the FDA's Adverse Reaction Monitoring System (ARMS) for the past 4 years. Aspartame's long list includes:
dizziness, unsteadiness headaches, migraines, behavioral changes, aggression, anxiety, personality changes, hallucinations, epileptic seizures, drowsiness, sleepiness, insomnia, depression, nausea, diarrhea, loss of control of diabetes, aspartame addiction and increased craving for sweets, fluid retention, leg swelling, and bloating, peptic ulcers, increased susceptibility to infection , menstrual changes, marked thinning or loss of hair, muscle spasms, severe hyperactivity and restless legs, weight gain, rashes, itching, fatigue, irritability, vision problems such as blurring, bright flashes, squiggly lines, tunnel vision, decreased night vision, pain in one or both eyes, decreased tears, trouble with contact lenses, bulging eyes hearing loss, heart palpitations, tachycardia (high heart rate), high blood pressure, breathing difficulties, asthma, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, loss of taste, tinnitus - ringing or buzzing sound, severe intolerance of noise, marked hearing impairment, vertigo, memory loss, confusion, paresthesia or numbness of the limbs, tremors, and joint pain. Also, many illnesses can be worsened by ingesting Aspartame. Diseases that can be worsened or mimicked are Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Epstein-Barr, Post-Polio Syndrome, Lyme Disease, Grave’s Disease, Meniere’s Disease, ALS, Epilepsy, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), EMS, Hypothyroidism, brain tumors, epilepsy, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Lupus, non-Hodgkins, Lymphoma, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), mental retardation, and especially diabetes. According to Dr. Louis Elsas, Pediatrician Professor of Genetics at Emory University, Phenylalanine can concentrate in the placenta, causing mental retardation of a fetus. Also, formaldehyde in the blood stream of a pregnant woman can cause her immune system to target the fetal tissue as a foreign substance and destroy it, the result being a miscarriage. This can happen before she even knows she is pregnant.
An average person's daily intake of methyl alcohol from natural sources averages less than 10 mg. The Environmental Protection Agency has stated that a safe level of consumption of wood alcohol (methyl alcohol) is 7.8 milligrams per day, but a one liter bottle of an Aspartame-sweetened beverage contains over 50 mg of methanol, this is 8 times the EPA limit!!!! This amount is nearly double as much in some carbonated orange sodas. Heavy users of Aspartame-containing products consume as much as 250 mg of methanol daily, which is over 30 times the EPA limit. Products labeled Diet, Light or Zero most likely contain at least one of the major synthetic sweeteners, and Aspartame is used more widely than the three carcinogenic S's: Sucralose, Sorbitol and Saccharin. Nearly all diet sodas, gum and most candy (not chocolate - yet) are loaded with Aspartame. This poison is in over 9000 items including most Children's Vitamins, Children's Tylenol, Alka Seltzer, Toothpastes.
Aspartame has other names. Please read the ingredient section and be aware of these names as well:
Acesulfame Potassium, Sucralose, NutraSweet, Equal, Sweet One, Spoonful, Benevia, NutraTaste
So, PLEASE, do yourself a HUGE favor and stop eating/drinking all products with this deadly ingredient in them!!! If you are looking for safe alternatives to using sugar, Xylitol and the Brazilian Stevia leaf (Not Truvia) are natural and do not cause side effects or nerve damage.
(Makes 2 servings)
My lashes before treatment were sparse, thin, & moderate length. 1 week into treatment you can definitely see a difference. And by 1 month of use, these babies are long & dark :) I'm loving this stuff!! 
A few hours of digging up some grass and 11 bags of soil later, hard work paid off and we now have a little garden! (I would have helped with all that but of course I was inside doing school work- besides, I think he wants all this to be his idea now, lol.) I went to Manna Grocery and bought some organic Botanical Interests brand seeds. I chose summer quash, zucchini, yellow onions, pepperoncinis, sweet bell peppers, and broccoli. We are also going to get 4 tomato plants this weekend. In approximately 60 days I should see some results!! 
I just love Dr. Oz! His show is always packed full of useful information. A friend of mine shared a recipe with me and I just had to share on. He talks about his "Swimsuit Slimdown" detox drink being pretty tasty. And most of you guys probably have the ingredients in your home already. Here is his Slimdown Sipper:
