… I think I am killing myself.

I drink and eat aspartame like it’s water. My sweet tooth just can’t get enough of this stuff and sugar has never cut it for me.

Aspartame is defined as “an artificial sweetener made from aspartic acid; used as a calorie-free sweetener.” In 1976 FDA approved aspartame in the use of foods, and later discovered that the researcher who submitted the work, “had cut out tumors in animals that had been fed aspartame and neglected to report all of them or check for cancer. Also, animals that were “reported as dead, were later reported alive again” In fact, I have discovered that people can get aspartame toxicity from this deadly chemical… not just from several cans of diet coke. Reports have shown that people have gotten aspartame toxicity through one single piece of sugar-free gum.

Symptoms include:

Eyes

- Blindness in one or both eyes decreases vision and other eye problems such as blurred vision, bright flashes, squiggly lines, tunnel vision, decreased night vision, pain in one or both eyes, decreased tears, trouble with contact lenses, and bulging eyes.

Ears

- Tinnitus: ringing or buzzing in ears, severe intolerance to noice, marked hearing impairment.

Neurological

- Epileptic seizures, headaches, migraines, dizziness, unsteadiness, confusion, memory loss, severe drowsiness, sleepiness paresthesia, numbness in limbs, severe slurring of speech, hyperactivity and restless leg syndrome, and severe tremors.

Psychological/Psychiatric

- Severe depression, irritability, aggression, anxiety, personality changes, chest palpitations, tachycardia, shortness of breath, high blood pressure.

Gastrointestinal

- Nausea, diarrhea, sometimes with blood in stools, abdominal pain

Endocrine and Metabolic

- Loss of control of diabetes, mentrual changes, marked thinning or loss of hair, marked weight loss, gradual weight gain, aggravated low blood sugar, severe PMS.

Ok, so now that I have scared you into never picking up a diet coke for the rest of your life, I am pleased to present to you stevia! Stevia is a natural sweetener found in a herbal plant in South America.

Having up to 300 times the sweetness of sugar, this sweetener is sure to meet your sweet tooth. Careful though, no one warned me about this and I poured in the same amount as that of Splenda. One small pinch of this stuff and you are good to go.

Now for you Diet Coke addicts like me, Zevia is a new calorie free coke made from stevia… Hints the name!

ZEVIA is all-natural, has zero calories, zero net carbs, zero fat, and little or no sodium. Flavors range from Zevia natura coke, Zevia ginger ale, Zevia root beer, Zevia natural twist, Zevia orange, and Zevia black cherry. I have had the pleasure of trying all of these flavors and I must say that I enjoyed all of them, but my favorite is black cherry and orange.

But don’t take my word for it… check out some of these stores to try a few out: Whole Foods Market, Henry’s, Albertsons, or Vitamin City. Check out HERE for a local store near you.

Question

Have you ever tried Stevia? What did you think about it?

What Zevia flavor would you like to try?