My Aspartame Story.

I'm fat. Yeah, that's right. I'm fat. I've been on a diet since I was born, even when I WASN'T fat, because I thought I was. I'm also middle-aged.

Oh, and I am allergic to excercise, too.

Is it any wonder I felt like crap? I mean, I felt really, really bad. All the time. I kept telling the doctor I feel so tired all the time, more than I think I should for my age. The doctors always just told me to eat less, excercise more. And frankly, that seemed reasonable. So I felt like crap, and hated myself for feeling like crap because I put myself in this position, and then felt like crap even more.

But, still...I just kept wondering if it wasn't more than just middle-aged fatness. I mean, why did I wake up with a headache, EVERY SINGLE MORNING. My right hip hurt sooo much, that some days I had to lean on my husband to walk because it hurt so much! Arthritis-like. I remember thinking to myself, I'm going to be in a wheelchair before I hit 50. My body just seemed to be deteriorating so fast. My neck was always stiff, and sore. When I'd stand up from a chair, or from the bed, I'd have to stand still for a few moments before I could get moving because my muscles were so stiff. I drank caffeine like crazy to clear the cobwebs, because some days I just couldn't focus.

And then my "insides" hurt, too. Not exactly pain, but just uncomfortable. You know when you've been running or riding a bike, and you stop suddenly, how your leg muscles feel? That special kind of tired in your muscles? My ORGANS felt like that. I can't explain it, but I couldn't take a truly deep breath, and it just seemed as if the tissues in my organs were as stiff as my muscles. That's the best I can explain it. Not pain, exactly, but an AWARENESS of my innards, like something's not right.

I've been looking for an explanation for a long, long time. And I was very afraid. If I'm only 43, and I'm this stiff and sore from being out-of-shape, how much worse will I feel when I'm 50? 60? I genuinely envisioned being wheel-chair bound.

Now, the next part of the story is, just like eveyone else, I get those emails that have been passed around the internet a million times, screaming a warning about whatever the latest fear is. I'm sure you've seen them. I probably saw an email about the "DANGERS OF ASPARTAME!!!!" 15 times and deleted it along with all the other spam emails without giving it a second glance.

But then the 16th one I read. And after I read it, I thought, "oh whatEVER!!!!" And promptly deleted it. But I kept thinking about it. And I KEPT thinking about it. And then a few weeks later, I dug that email out of my deleted folder and read it again...

I really READ it. I looked at the list of side effects of Aspartame poisoning, and I began to wonder if there might not be some merit to the whole thing.

Being perpetually on a diet, I drank diet soft drinks, and ate light yogurt and sugar-free jello. And because I'm a fan of my own teeth, I chose sugar-free gum, mints and lozenges. I ingested Aspartame every day. I drank 1 to 4 Diet Cokes a day, and then had other sugar-free snacks. So I thought, there's only one way to tell, why don't I just try it for 14 days. Just switch back to regular soda, regular yogurt and jello and just see for myself? I have nothing to lose, and if it works, GREAT!

So, I had my last Diet Coke at 9am on a Monday morning. 24 hours later, the very next morning, I woke up without a headache. That evening, at 36 hours, I stood up out of bed real quick to go to the bathroom, and I saw that I could immediately begin walking instead of having to "steady myself" first. Within the week, all the arthritis-like joint pains, including the really bad one in my hip were VASTLY improved. The muscle weakness and stiffness were improving.

Oh, and did mention the incontinence? That slight little dribble-dribble that comes with middle age for most women? Yeah, it ain't fun to talk about, especially to the whole world! But you should know, the toxins from Asparatame permeate every single cell in your body, and that includes the bladder AND it's gasket. They weren't functioning as they were meant too, either, and THAT problem went away! There are women out there who take MEDICINE to stop bladder leaks, when all it might take is to give up artificial sweeteners!

I also regained mental clarity, lost the ringing in my ears, my vision even seemed just a little sharper. And the list goes on and on. All of this transpired a year ago.

But I really, genuinely, came to believe in my heart of hearts after today's realization. Here's the rest of the story.

Last week, my symptoms started coming back. I noticed the hip pain first, and then the daily headache, and then arthritis-like joint pain...I was VERY upset, VERY disheartened. Could I have been wrong? Is it all really related to old-age and fat? I even suspected someone might have been secretly slipping Equal into my regular sodas just to see if I noticed (because I talk about this all the time). Well I did notice. And I spent last Sunday poring over every thing in my fridge, maybe I accidently picked up a "light" yogurt along with the regular ones? I searched and searched, and then BAM! I realized what was happening. One week ago, I began to diet in earnest again. I even excercised if you can believe it!! And it occurred to me that because I'm dieting, my body is beginning to use the energy stored in my fat cells, AND RELEASING THE TOXINS STORED THERE TOO!!! So, of course my body is reacting the same way to that surge of toxins being re-introduced to my bloodstream! What a relief, but then again, not. Because I am determined to stick to the diet, and that means a lot of toxins being released from a lot of fat cells, and a long duration of dealing with it. But oddly, it makes me more determined to stay on my diet to rid myself not just from my fat, but also the toxins stored IN that fat. It's really pissing me off, and I'm determined not to let ASPARTAME win!

I am not a doctor, I am not a scientist, I am not a dietician. All I can do is relate my own personal experience, and hope it helps someone else. Here's the simple basics of the whole thing. Aspartame is not a food, it is a chemical. And when it enters your body, it breaks down into formaldehyde and formic acid. And THAT is what's making you feel like crap. And those toxins are stored in every single cell your body. Affecting every function of your organs, your glands, your endocrine system. Every THING and every FUNCTION in your body is affected. Again, all I can do is try my best to convince you that what I experienced is real. After today's revelation about why my symptoms were returning, I am 100%, beyond a shadow of a doubt, convinced that Aspartame was my problem. And that it is bad, bad news.

There are LOADS of websties about Aspartame Poisoning. Here are a few:

For symptoms: http://www.sweetpoison.com/aspartame-side-effects.html

How Aspartame Poisoning mimics other diseases and is often mis-diagnosed: http://www.healthy-holistic-living.com/aspartame-poison.html

How Aspartame got pushed through the FDA: http://proliberty.com/observer/20040604.htm

If you have symptoms you just can't explain, please just give it a try. Just one week, read every label on everything you eat, and if it contains aspartame OR sucralose, just choose something else that is made with regular sugar. I understand if you're a healthy skeptic who doesn't believe everything you read, I am too. So don't take my word for it, just try it to see for yourself. You have nothing to lose if it doesn't work, and if it does work, you'll feel great!

Good luck.