Smith Mountain Lake News » Health

Aspartame Disguised As New Sweetener

Paul Moore — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:14:11 +0000

I came across some news that is relevant to all at Smith Mountain Lake who are concerned about their health. The following is from Dr. Mercola’s Website.

Aspartame producer Ajinomoto is launching a new initiative that will re-brand the sweetener as “AminoSweet”.

Aspartame is used in many foods and beverages marketed as low calorie or sugar-free. However, its reputation has been clouded somewhat by studies that have investigated reports of ill effects.

Just to remind you, the side effects of aspartame can include:

Headache
Change in vision
Convulsions and seizures
Hallucination
Nausea and vomiting
Joint pain
It can cause many, many other problems as well.

Aspartame is the most controversial food additive in history, and its approval for use in food was the most contested in FDA history. In the end, the artificial sweetener was approved, not on scientific grounds, but rather because of strong political and financial pressure. After all, aspartame was previously listed by the Pentagon as a biochemical warfare agent!

It’s hard to believe such a chemical would be allowed into the food supply, but it was, and it has been wreaking silent havoc with people’s health for the past 30 years.

The truth is, it should never have been released onto the market, and allowing it to remain in the food chain is seriously hurting people – no matter how many times you re-brand it under fancy new names.

The Deceptive Marketing of Aspartame

Sold commercially under names like NutraSweet, Canderel, and now AminoSweet, aspartame can be found in more than 6,000 foods, including soft drinks, chewing gum, table-top sweeteners, diet and diabetic foods, breakfast cereals, jams, sweets, vitamins, prescription and over-the-counter drugs.

Aspartame producer Ajinomoto chose to re-brand it under the name AminoSweet, to “remind the industry that aspartame tastes just like sugar, and that it’s made from amino acids – the building blocks of protein that are abundant in our diet.”

This is deception at its finest: Begin with a shred of truth, and then spin it to fit your own agenda.

In this case, the agenda is to make you believe that aspartame is somehow a harmless, natural sweetener made with two amino acids that are essential for health and present in your diet already.

They want you to believe aspartame delivers all the benefits of sugar and none of its drawbacks. But nothing could be further from the truth.

How Aspartame Wreaks Havoc on Your Health

Did you know there have been more reports to the FDA for aspartame reactions than for all other food additives combined?

In fact, there are over 10,000 official complaints, but by the FDA’s own admission, less than 1 percent of those who experience a reaction to a product ever report it. So in all likelihood, the toxic effects of aspartame may have affected roughly a million people already.

While a variety of symptoms have been reported, almost two-thirds of them fall into the neurological and behavioral category consisting mostly of headaches, mood alterations, and hallucinations. The remaining third is mostly gastrointestinal symptoms.

Unfortunately, aspartame toxicity is not well-known by doctors, despite its frequency. Diagnosis is also hampered by the fact that it mimics several other common health conditions, such as:

Multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Fibromyalgia, Arthritis, Multiple chemical sensitivity, Chronic fatigue syndrome, Attention deficit disorder, Panic disorder, Depression and other psychological disorders, Lupus, Diabetes and diabetic complications, Birth defects, Lymphoma, Lyme disease, Hypothyroidism

How Diet Foods and Drinks CAUSE Weight Problems

In recent years, food manufacturers have increasingly focused on developing low-calorie foods and drinks to help you maintain a healthy weight and avoid obesity. Unfortunately, the science behind these products is so flawed, most of these products can actually lead to increased weight gain!

For example, researchers have discovered that drinking diet soda increases your risk of metabolic syndrome, and may double your risk of obesity – the complete opposite of the stated intention behind these “zero calorie” drinks.

The sad truth is that diet foods and drinks ruin your body’s ability to count calories, and in fact stimulate your appetite, thus boosting your inclination to overindulge.

Unfortunately, most public health agencies and nutritionists in the United States recommend these toxic artificial sweeteners as an acceptable alternative to sugar, which is at best confusing and at worst harming the health of those who take their misguided advice.

Even More Toxic Dangers of Aspartame

Truly, there is enough evidence showing the dangers of consuming artificial sweeteners to fill an entire book — which is exactly why I wrote Sweet Deception. If you or your loved ones drink diet beverages or eat diet foods, this book will explain how you’ve been deceived about the truth behind artificial sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose — for greed, for profits, and at the expense of your health.

As mentioned earlier, almost two-thirds of all documented side effects of aspartame consumption are neurological.

One of the reasons for this side effect, researchers have discovered, is because the phenylalanine in aspartame dissociates from the ester bond. While these amino acids are indeed completely natural and safe, they were never designed to be ingested as isolated amino acids in massive quantities, which in and of itself will cause complications.

Additionally this will also increase dopamine levels in your brain. This can lead to symptoms of depression because it distorts your serotonin/dopamine balance. It can also lead to migraine headaches and brain tumors through a similar mechanism.

The aspartic acid in aspartame is a well-documented excitotoxin. Excitotoxins are usually amino acids, such as glutamate and aspartate. These special amino acids cause particular brain cells to become excessively excited, to the point that they die.

Excitotoxins can also cause a loss of brain synapses and connecting fibers. A review conducted in 2008 by scientists from the University of Pretoria and the University of Limpopo found that consuming a lot of aspartame may inhibit the ability of enzymes in your brain to function normally, and may lead to neurodegeneration.

According to the researchers, consuming a lot of aspartame can disturb:

The metabolism of amino acids
Protein structure and metabolism
The integrity of nucleic acids
Neuronal function
Endocrine balances
Furthermore, the ester bond in aspartame breaks down to formaldehyde and methanol, which are also toxic in their own right. So it is not surprising that this popular artificial sweetener has also been found to cause cancer.

One truly compelling case study that shows this all too well was done by a private citizen named Victoria Inness-Brown. She decided to perform her own aspartame experiment on 108 rats over a period of 2 years and 8 months.

Daily, she fed some of the rats the equivalent (for their body weight) of two-thirds the aspartame contained in 8-oz of diet soda. Thirty-seven percent of the females fed aspartame developed tumors, some of massive size.

To read the complete article or sign up for Dr. Mercola’s free newsletter, visit his website.

Building Your Immune System

Paul Moore — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 16:28:12 +0000

Our family shops at several different health food stores near Smith Mountain Lake for a variety of supplements. During the winter in particular we stock up on immune builders, which have been very effective at keeping our family from getting colds and flus that we’re exposed to.

If you ask the folks at your favorite health food store what herbs and vitamins sell the best this time of year as I did, they will give you a list something like this:

Garlic, ginger and Oregano – These herbs fly off the store shelves for sinus infections, flu and virus, as well as stomach flu, arthritis and inflammation, just to name a few.

Vitamin C with bioflavonoids – One lady told me she uses Vitamin C for allergies, colds, arthritis, viral infections and even a mouthwash. Apparently she isn’t the only one, since the cashier sold 2 more bottles of it while I was standing there.

Elderberry – Customers swear by this berry (in syrup and pills) for keeping both viruses and bacteria at bay, as well as for treating sickness they may already have.

Echinacea & Goldenseal – Many say that they use Echinacea at the first sign of any kind of upper respiratory problem with effectiveness. The goldenseal they add to the combo because they believe it has antibiotic effects.

Beta Carotene, zinc, and Vitamin D – These 3 vitamins are touted by those who seem to know, as covering a multitude of immune issues that can arise during the winter.

I know these types of supplements have helped our family to avoid any sickness going around during the past 6 months (of which there have been many). If you need further info. I am sure the people at Nature’s Outlet or Vitazen would be happy to give you reading material or other educational materials to help boost your bodies ability to protect itself.

Avoid These Foods If You’re in Pain

Paul Moore — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 16:54:58 +0000

There are many people at Smith Mountain Lake who could benefit from the knowledge found in this article by Dr. Mercola on how to avoid aggravating painful conditions such as Fibromyalgia.

The food we eat can make an amazing difference in how we feel, but far to many people don’t realize that. Somehow our culture has lost the connection between diet and health. Dr. Mercola reminds us that we have far more control over our health than we have been led to believe.

FOODS THAT CHRONIC PAIN SUFFERERS NEED TO AVOID

By Dr. Mercola

Chronic pain is a pervasive issue and fibromyalgia is a very common form. It is a chronic condition whose symptoms include muscle and tissue pain, fatigue, depression, and sleep disturbances.

Recent data suggests that central sensitization, in which neurons in your spinal cord become sensitized by inflammation or cell damage, may be involved in the way fibromyalgia sufferers process pain.

Certain chemicals in the foods you eat may trigger the release of neurotransmitters that heighten this sensitivity.

Although there have been only a handful of studies on diet and fibromyalgia, the following eating rules can’t hurt, and may help, when dealing with chronic pain.

Limit Sugar as Much as Possible. Increased insulin levels will typically dramatically worsen pain. So you will want to limit all sugars and this would typically include fresh fruit juices. Whole fresh fruit is the preferred method for consuming fruit products.

If you are overweight, have high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes, you will also want to limit grains as much as possible as they are metabolized very similarly to sugars. This would also include organic unprocessed grains. Wheat and gluten grains are the top ones to avoid.

Eat fresh foods. Eating a diet of fresh foods, devoid of preservatives and additives, may ease symptoms triggered by coexisting conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

It’s also a good idea to buy organic food when possible, as it’s best to avoid pesticides and chemicals. However, fresh is best. So if you have to choose between local, fresh, non-organic and organic but wilting – go with fresh, and clean properly.

Avoid caffeine.Fibromyalgia is believed to be linked to an imbalance of brain chemicals that control mood, and it is often linked with inadequate sleep and fatigue. The temptation is to artificially and temporarily eliminate feelings of fatigue with stimulants like caffeine, but this approach does more harm than good in the long run. Though caffeine provides an initial boost of energy, it is no substitute for sleep, and is likely to keep you awake.

Try avoiding nightshade vegetables. Nightshade vegetables like tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplant may trigger arthritis and pain conditions in some people.

Be Careful with Your Fats. Animal based omega-3 fats like DHA and EPA have been touted as a heart-healthy food, and they may help with pain, as well. They can help reduce inflammation and improve brain function. At the same time, you want to eliminate all trans fat and fried foods, as these will promote inflammation.

Use yeast sparingly. Consuming yeast may also contribute to the growth of yeast fungus, which can contribute to pain.

Avoid pasteurized dairy. Many fibromyalgia sufferers have trouble digesting milk and dairy products. However, many find that raw dairy products, especially from grass fed organic sources, are well tolerated.

Cut down on carbs.About 90 percent of fibromyalgia patients have low adrenal functioning, which affects metabolism of carbohydrates and may lead to hypoglycemia.

Avoid aspartame.The artificial sweetener found in some diet sodas and many sugar-free sweets is part of a chemical group called excitotoxins, which activate neurons that can increase your sensitivity to pain.

Avoid additives.Food additives such as monosodium glutamate (MSG) often cause trouble for pain patients. MSG is an excitatory neurotransmitter that may stimulate pain receptors; glutamate levels in spinal fluid have been shown to correlate with pain levels in fibromyalgia patients.

Stay away from junk food. Limit or eliminate fast food, candy, and vending-machine products. In addition to contributing to weight gain and the development of unhealthy eating habits, these diet-wreckers may also irritate your muscles, disrupt your sleep, and compromise your immune system.

Visit Dr. Mercola’s website for a free newsletter and more great articles.

Muesli in the Raw

Paul Moore — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 16:58:35 +0000

Perhaps you have heard of the raw food craze that is catching the attention of many famous persons and even some of your neighbors at Smith Mountain Lake.

Raw foods are termed “living food” because they contains some of the most important building blocks of life, enzymes. Enzymes perform a myriad of different functions in the body, such as breaking down food, preventing gas and bloating, tissue repair and alleviating inflammation, just to name a few.

There are many actors, actresses, artists and other famous folks who have given up dead food (as all cooked food is called) to adopt a raw, living diet. Many of these people claim their cancers, arthritis, tendonitis, eczema, intestinal diseases and hundreds of other ailments have gradually gone away as they converted their intake of food from cooked/baked/fried etc. to a raw, fresh way of life and eating.

I said all that just to preface one of my personal favorite raw recipes that is great as a breakfast food.

You take the following ingredients and mix them in a bowl and keep them in the frig until you are ready to use them for a meal:

3/4 cup organic raw almonds, sliced or shredded (and soaked overnight if desired)
1/2 cup organic raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup organic raw cashews
1/2 cup organic raisins
1/4 cup chopped dried figs
1/2 cup organic, unsweetened, shredded coconut (if desired)

When ready to serve:

Put 1/3 cup ground flax seeds (flax seed meal) into a medium sized bowl. Warm 1/2 cup water (but not above 100 degrees) and one tablespoon raw honey or raw agave syrup, and mix this with the flax. Stir and allow to sit for a minute or two. Take 1/2 cup of your muesli mix from the frig and add to the flax meal. Then top with fresh fruit (such as raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, bananas, blueberries, etc.).

You can serve this as is, with fresh raw milk from a cow or goat, or if you prefer, raw almond milk, rice milk etc. Enjoy!

Your Local Vitamin/Herb Shop

Paul Moore — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 15:40:33 +0000

Did you know you can get high quality vitamins and herbs right here at Smith Mountain Lake? I know many people who order online or travel to Roanoke and don’t realize that Vitazen, an alternative medicine store is just down the road.

Vitazen is at The Westlake Towne Center! With over 4,500 different items in stock, they try to provide what you need. If it’s not in stock ask them if they can order it for you. Customer service is important to the folks at Vitazen. Everyone is different and they will work with you to achieve your health & wellness goals. No matter what it is, you can find something to improve your health that fits your budget.

VitaZenhas moved to 12787 Booker T Washington Hwy Suite 103 (between Grand Home Furnishings and BB&T) at Westlake in Hardy. They can be reached at 540-721-9365 or www.VitaZen.net.

Store hours are:Monday- Thursday: 10:00am- 7:00pm
Friday- Saturday: 10:00-6:00pm
Closed on Sundays

Urgent Health Care at the Lake

Paul Moore — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 16:33:10 +0000

When you have a minor emergency at Smith Mountain Lake, where do you turn? We never expect the unexpected, but we should always know what to do when the need arises.

I remember when my nephew was little and got a leather tack stuck up his nose. Kids can amaze you with the trouble they can create in only seconds. There was also my friend Ken, who went out to feed the cows, had to run from an aggressive bull and broke his toe jumping over the fence.

Then there is the sudden illness, where everyone in the house seems to be throwing up. When you’re sick or injured, it often feels urgent. At times like that perhaps the best place to get a check-up is an urgent care facility. Carilion Urgent Care in the Westlake Towne Center is open Monday – Friday, 1 – 8 p.m., Weekends, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Holidays, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. For more information, call 540-719-1815, or visit www.CarilionClinic.org/Westlake.

Reverse Disease with C.H.I.P

Paul Moore — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 22:13:31 +0000

A close friend of ours who lives near Smith Mountain Lake went for a doctors appointment earlier this year and found out the worst. His cholesterol and blood sugar levels were so high that the doctors wanted to admit him to the hospital on the spot. They said the fact that he was alive at all was a miracle.

We all have stories about neighbors and relatives with these types of health problems. If they are not all quite as bad as my friend it may be because they are on prescription medications (a problem in itself for many) or perhaps they have made a radical lifestyle change.

That last is what happened to my friend. In only one month he went from dangerously unhealthy – to a new man with a future. How did he do it? With a program called C.H.I.P. or Coronary Health Improvement Project. C.H.I.P can help with diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, heart disease, high cholesterol and more.

C.H.I.P is an affordable, 30 day lifestyle education program with thousands of graduates worldwide. It is sponsored by certified leadership from your community, (such as a local MD), and it has a strong support system for those who choose to use it.

If you or someone you love has a serious health condition, you might want to check out the C.H.I.P Program offered in Rocky Mount Sept. 14th-15th, 2009. For program prices (very affordable) and registration call 540-483-7775. You can also visit www.lifestylehealthcenter.org for more info.

Stop by the Rocky Mount Lifestyle Health Center and receive friendly service and shop their small store which is loaded with healthy alternatives. They are physician-led health service center located at 350 Tanyard Road (down near Pizza Hut and the Eagle Cinema, and across from the National Guard Armory).

Eco-Friendly Foods in Moneta, Va.

Paul Moore — Sun, 31 May 2009 16:18:15 +0000

There is a wonderful business right here in our Smith Mountain Lake community that many of us are unaware of. Everyone is aware however, of the growing health concern involving pesticides, hormones and anti-biotics used in the meat and poultry industries, and many of us are diligently trying to avoid these elements where we are able.

EcoFriendly Foods can help with this health concern. They procure, process and distribute quality meats and poultry which are raised on small environmentally responsible farms. Their sustainable farming model is good for the farmer, the animal, the consumer, and the environment. They hope to bring the conscientious farmer and consumer together with hopes of creating real and sustainable change for the future.

For more information call 540.297.9582 or contact them at 3397 Stony Fork Road Moneta, Virginia 24121. FAX: 540.297.9583 or call Toll-free: 1-866-EcoFriend (866.326.3743)

Email: letsmeat@ecofriendly.com or online at www.ecofriendly.com.

Medical Mystery Theater

Paul Moore — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 01:54:49 +0000

Here is a unique opportunity for those of you at Smith Mountain Lake who have an interest in medical issues, or who wish to learn more about how to identify common diseases.

On Wednesday, April 15, 2009 at Noon you can listen as a real patient presents their medical journey, providing ‘clues’ to their illness. You will be the medical detective and see if you can you diagnosis the disease? This is a FREE event and could be a tremendous learning experience. Call 540-266-6000 or 1-800-422-4000 to register. Or for more information call Gail Nordhaus 540-484-8569 or 540-797-4965

Healthy Weight Loss

Paul Moore — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 16:30:24 +0000

I noticed recently that my daffodils are several inches above ground. It is early for them considering the extremely cold weather we have had at Smith Mountain Lake this winter. I guess sometimes nature feels as eager for spring as we do.

We humans start to feel new energy flow through us as the days slowly grow longer and the weather less harsh. At the same time however we may notice that our body response may not be quite as energetic as our spirits. Perhaps we feel a little more fatigued than we should. Or our feet and back may ache and we begin to realize we are carrying more extra weight than is comfortable.

When the feeling of the coming spring makes your heart light and your body more eager to move, it is a great time to re-evaluate your eating habits and find healthy ways to lose the extra weight.

The best ways to lose weight are those that consider the long term effects of whatever method you choose to drop the pounds. Your weight loss plan should give you healthy ideas for weeks, months or even years to come. At the same time, they should give you at least a few pounds of quick results within the first couple of weeks.

Most people will tell you that the best is to lose weight slowly. In the big picture this is true, but in the beginning it is important to see good results fast. This is one reason why most diets begin with a very restricted program for the first few weeks.

They also do this to capitalize on the current motivation which propelled you toward dieting in the first place. Whatever motivation that made you take the first steps toward losing weight will probably carry you through at least the first few days of your diet without temptation overcoming you. Use your strong motivation of the moment to completely change your diet and be very restrictive for a time.

Consult with your doctor before starting any diet plan, but assuming you are relatively healthy, you can consider a few radical changes for the first 2-4 weeks.

Most diets focus on restricting what you eat. But in fact one of the best ways to lose weight is to add even more foods into your diet. The plan below, which is based around Dr Joel Fuhrman’s Eat To Live Diet, may help you to lose weight in a way you would not have thought possible. Your daily food intake can be greater than ever before and enable your metabolism to work more effectively.

Here is a possible diet suggestion for the first 2-4 weeks:

- At least one pound of fresh raw vegetables a day (half of them green). Have more if you want. Try raw broccoli chopped up in your food, eat lettuce with your fruit, add a couple of celery sticks to every meal. Raw carrots are great too.

- At least one pound of cooked vegetables every day (half of them green). Have more if you want. Make lots of soup! But do not include any starchy vegetables like potatoes, corn, cooked carrots or rutabaga.

- At least one pound of whole fresh raw fruit a day. Have more if you want, but do not eat fruit at the same meal with any of the foods recommended below. Do not drink fruit juice – eat the whole fruit.

- At least 8 oz of peas, beans or lentils a day (cooked weight).

- Not more than 8 oz of potatoes, corn, rice or other grains, cooked carrots etc in a day.

- Not more than 4 oz of meat or fish (that’s 4 oz total – not 4 oz of each!).

- Not more than 1 oz unsalted nuts or seeds.

- Not more than a quarter teaspoon of salt (except Celtic).

- No sugar or artificial sweeteners (try Stevia or Agave for a change).

- No oils, butter, mayonnaise etc (except Olive Oil).

- No dairy products or eggs (unless organic and unpasteurized).

- No alcoholic drinks.

- No dried fruits or fruit juice.

Reminder: this is only for 2-4 weeks. Later if you wish, you can adjust and add more flexibility into the diet so that it will fit with your lifestyle. You will need to be able to handle events like weddings, restaurant meals or family reunions.

However, you will find it is best never to add back sugar or sweeteners even in very small quantities. If you never have them, you will automatically re-educate your taste buds so that you do not need these things. This will make it much easier to stick your diet because you will no longer crave sugar and the processed and unhealthy fats that so often come in the same package.

You will also enjoy your vegetables more than you imagined you could.. You will find that nearly every natural food begins to taste flavorful and delicious when you do not spoil your taste buds with sugar.

This means you will need to avoid most packaged foods, mayonnaise, sauces etc. that almost always include sugar. Always read the labels.

This method of losing weight can bring you quick results as well as helping you to reach your target weight in the longer term. Give it a try. You may be amazed at not only the weight loss but the increase in overall well-being.