Click here to read Rapid Health Improvements with a Paleolithic diet from the Blog of Michael R. Eades, M.D...It might leave you questioning if the "person" who made an "oops" when they said it was dangerous to squat below parallel was the same "person" that said saturated fat is evil...hummm. A small excerpt is below:

...The Paleolithic diet data indicates that early man ate more saturated fat than he did carbohydrates. And he was molded by the processes of natural selection to thrive on such a diet. When he bolted from that meat-based diet, as he did when he settled in to life as an agriculturalist, he paid dearly for it with a devolution in health. Since the evidence is so obvious that a diet higher in saturated fat worked wonders for Paleolithic man, it seems like some academicians somewhere would ranger up and test such a diet. But it appears that the pox on saturated fat is so virulent that no one wants to risk it.

If such a study were done and the results tally with what I’m positive the results would be, the authors would find themselves in the untenable position of having to at least tacitly imply that saturated fats aren’t harmful. And that could ruin an academic career. No more invitations to present at meetings. Expulsion from the club. People tsk tsking behind their hands. It just couldn’t be done.

Your Genes Remember a Sugar Hit


Human genes remember a sugar hit for two weeks. What’s more, prolonged poor eating habits could be capable of permanently altering your DNA.

A team studying the impact of diet on heart tissue found that cells showed the effects of a single sugar hit for 14 days. The cells switched off genetic controls designed to protect the body against diabetes and heart disease.

Regular poor eating could amplify the effect, with genetic damage lasting months or years, and potentially passing through bloodlines.




Sources:

Journal of Experimental Medicine September 2008, 29;205(10):2409-17

Tehran Times January 18, 2009





Dr. Mercola's Comments:


This finding lends even more credence to the phrase “you are what you eat.” When you eat sugar, not only do your genes turn off controls designed to protect you from heart disease and diabetes, but the impact lasts for two weeks!

Even more concerning, if you eat poorly for a long time, your DNA may become permanently altered, and the effects could be passed on to your children and grandchildren.

While you may not feel the effects of a poor diet immediately, in time health problems like diabetes, heart disease and others begin to surface.

What this all points to is even more support for the emerging field of epigenetics, which is the study of how environmental factors like diet, stress and maternal nutrition can change gene function without altering the DNA sequence in any way.

In other words, you are born with a set of genes, but the expression of those genes is not set in stone. Your genes can be either activated or silenced by various factors including your diet and even your mind. It is not your genes that dictate your future health, but rather the expression of those genes that matter.

So in the case of eating sugar, it’s now known that this switches off good genes that protect your body from disease. This is just one of many reasons why you may want to seriously limit or eliminate sugar from your diet.

Is There a Good Diet for Your Genes?

Your genes are merely storage facilities; they have no intelligence. As I said earlier, what’s important is the expression of your genes, and your diet can certainly influence that.

Scientists are now uncovering that the reason why certain foods fight cancer or other disease is because of their impact on gene expression.

For instance, a substance called isothiocyanate in broccoli sparks hundreds of genetic changes, activating some genes that fight cancer and switching off others that fuel tumors.

Freeze-dried black raspberries also show promise. In an animal study, researchers used a carcinogen to alter the activity of 2,200 genes. However, 460 of those genes were restored to normal activity in animals that consumed freeze-dried black raspberry powder.

So it is very clear that just as a bad diet can lead to negative changes in your genes, a good diet can lead to positive ones. As Associate Professor Assam El-Osta, from the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute team who led the above study on sugar, said in the Herald Sun:


"This is not all doom and gloom . . . we think there is good epigenetic memory as well for individuals who have a good diet, not only for themselves but potentially for future generations.

If you have had five years of bad control, where good genes are switched off and bad genes switched on, changing that for a couple of months to a good diet may not have a tremendous impact.

But going back to a good diet would have some effect 10 years later. Dieting doesn't work because what you ate two months or two years ago is going to be reflected now."


The bottom line?

Eating healthy should not be just a fad or a phase in your life -- it should be an essential part of your lifestyle. And by eating well, you are helping your genes to express themselves in a positive, disease-fighting way.

For those of you who aren’t “perfect” eaters, there’s good news too. If you switch to a healthy diet now, it can have a positive impact on your health down the road.

Sugar Shockers: Foods Surprisingly High in Sugar
WebMD takes a look at the sugar content in some popular packaged foods -- and the results may surprise you.

By Elaine Magee, MPH, RD
WebMD Expert Column
When you read the labels on foods in your supermarket, it's no surprise that you find plenty of sugar in products like cake mix, ice cream, jelly, cookies, and soda. But it can be downright shocking to see 12 grams of sugar in bottled pasta sauce or barbecue sauce -- and even more so to find 50 grams of sugar in a healthy-sounding bottled tea!

To help you ferret out which products are surprisingly high in sugar, I embarked on a mission in the aisles of my local market. Over the course of several days, with my reading glasses close at hand, I examined hundreds of nutrition information labels to check out the sugar content in foods.

One thing’s for sure: Just because there’s a nutrition-oriented statement on the package (like "contains whole grain," "excellent source of calcium," "fat-free," "100% juice" or "25% less sugar") doesn’t mean it doesn’t contain a shocking amount of sugar. And just because the brand name or product name sounds like it’s good for weight loss (Weight Watchers, Skinny Cow, etc.), don’t assume the food is lower in sugar.

So how much exactly is a gram of sugar? One teaspoon of granulated sugar equals 4 grams of sugar. To put it another way, 16 grams of sugar in a product is equal to about 4 teaspoons of granulated sugar.

Keep in mind, though, that the grams of sugar listed on the nutrition information label includes natural sugars from fruit (fructose) and milk (lactose) as well as added sweeteners like refined sugar or high-fructose corn syrup. That’s why the label on a carton of regular low-fat milk says there's 13 grams of sugar per cup. And that’s why the grams of sugar per serving in Raisin Bran (or any cereal with raisins or other dried fruit) seem unexpectedly high.
Further, many beverages that boast of being 100% juice use juice concentrate to achieve their sweet flavor. This is also reflected in the grams of sugar listed on the label.

Touring the supermarket, I found sugar shockers in 14 food categories. Here are some of the foods I found to be surprisingly high in sugar.

1. Canned or Packaged Fruit
You don’t really expect to find lots of sugar in individual packages of fruit, even if the package says "in light syrup," like the diced peaches or pears, or "made with real fruit" like the Fruit Chillers Sorbet.
· DelMonte Fruit Chillers Frozen Fruit Sorbet: 1 small individual cup = 26 grams sugar, 190 calories
· Motts Apple Sauce (cinnamon or original): 1 small serving cup (113 g) = 22-23 grams sugar, 100 calories
· Dole diced peaches in light syrup: 1 small serving cup = 18 grams sugar, 80 calories
· DelMonte diced pears or mandarin oranges in light syrup: 1 small serving cup = 17 grams sugar, 70 calories

2. Pudding & Pudding Cups
This line of products is designed with kids in mind. Yet, a snack pack of pudding can add 20 grams or more of sugar to your child’s meal or snack. You'll find some sugar-free pudding options on the supermarket shelf as well.
· Jell-O Instant Vanilla, Chocolate Chip, or Cookies and Creme Pudding: 1 serving as packaged (not including milk) = 21 grams sugar, 110 – 120 calories
· Hunt’s Snack Pack Pudding, Chocolate Mud Pie: 1 snack pack = 20 grams sugar, 130 calories
· Jell-O Fat Free Pudding Snacks, Chocolate Vanilla Swirls 100-Calorie Packs: 1 small cup = 17 grams sugar, 100 calories
· Kraft Handi-Snacks Fat Free Vanilla Pudding: 1 snack pack = 15 grams sugar, 90 calories

3. Snack Cakes & Pies
Obviously, the traditional snack cakes, the Twinkie or the Hostess cupcake, are going to be foods high in sugar (19 and 22 grams, respectively). But would you guess that snack pies, or a serving of Ho Hos or Ding Dongs, actually score much higher in sugar content?
· Store-brand chocolate crème pie or coconut crème pie: 1 snack pie (4.5 ounces) = 46 grams sugar, 500 calories
· Hostess Ho Hos: 3 cakes = 42 grams sugar, 370 calories
· Store-brand fruit pies (apple, cherry): 1 snack pie (4.5 ounces) = 36 grams sugar, 480 calories
· Hostess Ding Dongs: 2 cakes = 36 grams sugar, 360 calories
· Little Debbie Swiss Rolls: 2 cakes (61 g) = 27 grams sugar, 270 calories
· Pop Tart, Chocolate Fudge: 1 pastry = 20 grams sugar, 200 calories
· Pop Tart, Frosted Blueberry: 1 pastry = 18 grams, 200 calories

4. Muffin Mixes
Sugar is the first ingredient listed in Fiber One’s muffin mix. A muffin’s worth of mix contains 15 grams of sugar.
· Fiber One Muffin Mix, Apple Cinnamon: 1/4 cup mix (as packaged) = 15 grams sugar, 130 calories

5. Prepared Muffins
Serving sizes of packaged muffins vary quite a bit, but even the smallest ones may contain more than 15 grams of sugar.
· Otis Spunkmeyer Chocolate Chip Muffins: 1 muffin (4 ounces) = 32 grams sugar, 420 calories
· Otis Spunkmeyer Wild Blueberry or Banana Nut: 1 muffin (4 ounces) = 30 grams sugar, 360-420 calories
· Weight Watchers Blueberry Muffins or Double Chocolate Muffins: 1 muffin (2.2 ounces) = 18-21 grams sugar, 180-190 calories
· Little Debbie Chocolate Chip Muffins or Cranberry & Orange: 1 muffin (1.9 ounces) = 17 grams sugar, 210 calories
· Little Debbie Blueberry: 1 muffin (1.9 ounces) =16 grams sugar, 190 calories

6. Cereal Bars & Healthy-Sounding Cookies
· Quaker Oatmeal to Go, Brown Sugar Cinnamon: 1 bar = 19 grams sugar, 220 calories
· Newton’s Minis, strawberry "baked with 100% whole grain": 1 package = 15 grams sugar, 130 calories
· Back to Nature Mini Classic Crème Cookies: (1 pouch = 14 grams sugar, 170 calories
· Nature Valley Strawberry (or Vanilla) Yogurt Granola Bars: 1 bar = 13 grams sugar, 140 calories
· Quaker Chewy Dipps Chocolate Chip Granola Bars: 1 bar = 13 grams sugar, 140 calories
· Nutri-Grain Cereal Bars (all flavors): 1 bar = 12 grams sugar, 130 calories

7. Instant Hot Cereal
· Instant Cream of Wheat, Apples ‘n Cinnamon: 1 envelope = 16 grams sugar, 130 calories
· Instant Cream of Wheat, Cinnamon Swirl: 14 grams sugar, 130 calories
· Quaker Instant Oatmeal Dinosaur Eggs (made with whole-grain oats): 1 envelope = 14 grams sugar, 190 calories
· Quaker Instant Oatmeal, Cinnamon Roll: 1 envelope = 13 grams sugar, 160 calories:
· Quaker Instant Oatmeal, Strawberries & Cream or Peaches & Cream: 1 envelope = 12 grams sugar, 130 calories

8. Breakfast Cereal
No shock that the typical "high-sugar" cereals Americans know and love -- like Froot Loops or Reese’s Puffs, Trix or Cap’n Crunch -- contain around 12 grams of sugar. So here, I've just listed healthier-sounding cereals that turned out to be as high in sugar as the notoriously sweet ones.

· Kellogg’s Smart Start Strong Heart, Toasted Oat: 1 1/4 cup = 17 grams sugar, 220 calories
· Kellogg’s Cracklin’ Oat Bran: 3/4 cup = 15 grams sugar, 200 calories
· Kellogg’s Smart Start Strong Heart, Original Antioxidant: 1 cup = 14 grams sugar, 190 calories
· Quaker Oatmeal Squares: 1 cup = 13 grams sugar, 210 calories
· Frosted Mini-Wheats (all the different flavors are pretty much the same): 1.8 ounces = 12 grams sugar, 180 calories
· Special K Fruit & Yogurt: 3/4 cup = 11 grams sugar, 120 calories

9. Bottled Spaghetti Sauce
Some types of bottled spaghetti sauce have double or triple the grams of sugar as other types. Here are a few of the products that I found had almost as much sugar as a granola bar or Pop-Tart.
· Newman’s Own Tomato & Basil: 1/2 cup = 12 grams sugar, 90 calories
· Bertolli Vineyard Marinara: 1/2 cup = 12 grams sugar, 80 calories
· Prego Fresh Mushroom Italian Sauce: 1/2 cup = 11 grams sugar, 90 calories
· Prego 3-Cheese: 1/2 cup = 11 grams sugar, 80 calories

10. Barbecue Sauce
· Sweet Baby Ray’s Honey Barbecue Sauce: 2 tablespoons = 15 grams sugar, 70 calories
· Bull’s Eye Brown Sugar & Hickory: 2 tablespoons = 14 grams sugar, 70 calories
· KC Masterpiece: 2 tablespoons = 12-13 grams sugar, 60 calories
· Cattlemen’s Honey or Smokehouse: 2 tablespoons = 12 grams sugar, 60-70 calories

11. Beverages
Just 8 ounces of Langers Grape Juice Plus adds 36 grams of sugar to your daily total. Granted, the sugar comes from juice concentrate. But that is still quite a shock when you're reading the label. What would a juice lower in sugar contain? Welch’s Light Grape Juice Beverage brings it down to 12 grams of sugar and 50 calories per 8-ounce serving by using Splenda and acesulfame potassium.
Flavored Milk
· Nesquick Fat Free Chocolate Milk: 16 ounces = 54 grams sugar, 300 calories
· Nesquick Strawberry Milk Shake: 13.5 ounce bottle = 46 grams sugar, 340 calories
Juice and Fruit Drinks
· Langers Grape Juice Plus (contains grape seed extract) 100% juice: 8 ounces = 36 grams sugar, 160 calories
· Minute Maid Lemonade, 12% Lemon Juice All Natural: 8 ounces = 29 grams sugar, 110 calories
· Simply Lemonade (or Limeade): 8 ounces = 29 grams sugar, 120 calories
· V8 Fusion Vegetable Fruit 100% juice, Peach Mango or Acai Mixed Berry: 8 ounces = 26 grams sugar, 110-120 calories
· An "organics" store brand of fruit punch with no sugar added (100% juice): 1 pouch = 25 grams sugar, 100 calories
· Capri Sun 25% Less Sugar, Wild Cherry: 1 pouch = 18 grams sugar, 70 calories

11. Beverages continued...
Bottled Tea and Similar Drinks
· SoBe Energy or Elixir: 16 ounces = 52-54 grams sugar, 200-220 calories
· SoBe Green Tea: 16 ounces = 50 grams sugar, 200 calories
· Snapple Iced Tea, Peach, Lemon, or Raspberry: 16 ounces = 46-50 grams sugar, 200 calories
· Arizona Iced Tea: 16 ounces = 48 grams sugar, 180 calories
Vitamin and Energy Drinks
· Snapple Antioxidant Water, Agave Melon: 20 ounce bottle = 32 grams sugar, 140 calories
· Glaceau Vitamin Water: 20 ounce bottle = 32 grams sugar, 125 calories
· Gatorade Bring It, Shine On, or Be Tough: 16 ounces = 28 grams sugar, 100 calories
Instant Cocoa
You'd probably expect hot cocoa mix to have cocoa, or maybe powdered milk, highest on its list of ingredients. But for Swiss Miss Mocha Cappuccino and Marshmallow flavors, the first and second ingredients are sugar and corn syrup, with cocoa listed as the fourth ingredient.
· Swiss Miss Mocha Cappuccino or Marshmallow flavors: 1 envelope made with 6 ounces water = 19 grams sugar, 120 calories

12. Yogurt
To enjoy yogurt without the added sugar, make your own flavored yogurt starting with plain yogurt. Or, buy the light yogurts that use alternative sweeteners.
· Yoplait Original 99% fat free, Lemon Burst: 6 ounces = 31 grams sugar, 180 calories
· Yoplait Thick & Creamy Yogurt, Strawberry: 6 ounces = 28 grams sugar, 180 calories
· Yoplait Original 99% fat free, Boysenberry: 6 ounces = 27 grams sugar, 170 calories

13. Frozen Breakfast Foods
You wouldn’t expect to find frozen breakfast products that feature savory items like sausage and cheese to be foods that are particularly high in sugar. And yet the new Jimmy Dean breakfast entrees contain 16 and 21 grams of sugar per serving.
· Jimmy Dean Breakfast Entrees, Sausage & Cheese Croissant with diced apples and hash browns: 1 entrée = 21 grams sugar, 560 calories (the sugar seems to mainly be from the sweetened diced apples)
· Eggo Cinnamon Toast Waffles: 3 waffles (each with 4 mini waffle pieces) = 17 grams sugar, 300 calories
· Jimmy Dean Breakfast Entrees, Scrambled Eggs with Sausage & Cheese with diced apples and hash browns: 1 entrée = 16 grams sugar, 390 calories
· Eggo French Toaster Sticks Cinnamon: 2 pieces = 15 grams sugar, 230 calories

14. Frozen Desserts
· Weight Watchers Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Cups (and other flavors): 1 small cup = 22 grams sugar, 140 calories
· Weight Watchers English Toffee Crunch: 2 bars = 20 grams sugar, 220 calories
· Skinny Cow Low-fat Ice Cream Cone (different flavors): 1 cone = 19 grams sugar, 150 calories
· Weight Watchers Giant Chocolate Fudge Bar: 1 bar = 16 grams sugar, 110 calories
· Weight Watchers Giant Cookies & Cream Bar: 1 bar = 15 grams sugar, 140 calories
· Skinny Cow Low-fat Fudge Bar: 13 grams sugar, 100 calories

New Study of Splenda Reveals Shocking Information About Potential Harmful Effects

James Turner, the chairman of the national consumer education group Citizens for Health, has expressed shock and outrage after reading a new report from scientists outlining the dangers of the artificial sweetener Splenda (sucralose).

In animals examined for the study, Splenda reduced the amount of good bacteria in the intestines by 50 percent, increased the pH level in the intestines, contributed to increases in body weight and affected P-glycoprotein (P-gp) levels in such a way that crucial health-related drugs could be rejected.

The P-gp effect could result in medications used in chemotherapy, AIDS treatment and treatments for heart conditions being shunted back into the intestines, rather than being absorbed by the body.

According to Turner, "The report makes it clear that the artificial sweetener Splenda and its key component sucralose pose a threat to the people who consume the product. Hundreds of consumers have complained to us about side effects from using Splenda and this study ... confirms that the chemicals in the little yellow package should carry a big red warning label."

Sources:

Globe Newswire September 28, 2008
Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health Part A 2008;71(21):1415-29

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

It’s very important to realize that Splenda (sucralose) is actually NOT sugar, despite its marketing slogan “Made from sugar, so it tastes like sugar”. Rather it’s a chlorinated artificial sweetener in line with aspartame and saccharin, and with detrimental health effects to match.

Splenda was approved by the FDA in 1998 as a tabletop sweetener and for use in products such as baked goods, nonalcoholic beverages, chewing gum, frozen dairy desserts, fruit juices, and gelatins. Sucralose is also permitted as a general-purpose sweetener for all processed foods.

The approval was given after the FDA supposedly reviewed more than 110 animal and human safety studies, but as you’ll soon find out, out of these 110 studies, only two were human studies, and the longest one was conducted for four days!

There’s overwhelming evidence that consuming artificial sweeteners will likely wreak havoc on your body. Previous news has centered mainly around artificial sweeteners’ ability to impair your appetite regulation and leading to weight gain.

For example, it’s been discovered that diet soda increases your risk of metabolic syndrome and, ultimately, heart disease.

However, the study mentioned above, published in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, found even further disturbing news besides weight gain. Splenda:

reduces the amount of good bacteria in your intestines by 50 percent
increases the pH level in your intestines, and
affects a glycoprotein in your body that can have crucial health effects, particularly if you’re on certain medications
They also found unmistakable evidence that Splenda is absorbed by fat, contrary to previous claims.

It’s truly disturbing that Splenda can destroy up to 50 percent of your healthy intestinal bacteria, as these bacteria help maintain your body's overall balance of friendly versus unfriendly micro-organisms, and support your general health. Many people are already deficient in healthy bacteria due to choosing highly processed foods. This is why a high quality probiotic is one of the very few supplements I highly recommend for nearly everyone.

The Diet Fallacy

The belief that consuming artificially sweetened foods and drinks will help you to lose or maintain weight is a carefully orchestrated deception. So if you are still opting for diet choices for this reason, please understand that you have been sorely misled.

In reality, these diet foods and drinks can cause serious distortions in your biochemistry and ruin your body's ability to control calories. As a matter of fact, it’s been shown that diet soft drinks can double your risk of obesity!

Nearly a decade ago, studies were already revealing that artificial sweeteners can:

Stimulate your appetite
Increase carbohydrate cravings
Stimulate fat storage and weight gain
Unfortunately, most public health agencies and nutritionists in the United States still recommend these toxic artificial sweeteners as an acceptable alternative to sugar.

Now, I am definitely not a fan of sugar, but if I had to choose between sugar and any artificial sweetener, I would choose sugar, hands down, without question. I strongly believe artificial sweeteners are even more dangerous to your health than an excess of sugar.

The Health Dangers of Splenda

According to James Turner, the chairman of the national consumer education group Citizens for Health:

"This report followed accepted policies and procedures and the results make clear the potential for disturbing side effects from the ingestion of Splenda.

It is like putting a pesticide in your body. And this is at levels of intake erroneously approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

A person eating two slices of cake and drinking two cups of coffee containing Splenda would ingest enough sucralose to affect the P-glycoprotein, while consuming just seven little Splenda packages reduces good bacteria."

The web site www.truthaboutsplenda.com lists a variety of consumer complaints from Splenda consumption, such as:

Gastrointestinal problems
Migraines
Seizures
Dizziness
Blurred vision
Allergic reactions
Blood sugar increases
Weight gain
My site also contains a long list of personal testimonials from readers who have suffered side effects from Splenda. In fact, we have more people on our site that have reported adverse reactions to Splenda than were formally studied in the research submitted for FDA approval!

The symptoms are so numerous I can’t include them all here, but the following are common symptoms, usually noticed within a 24-hour period following consumption of Splenda products:

Skin -- Redness, itching, swelling, blistering, weeping, crusting, rash, eruptions, or hives (itchy bumps or welts). These are the most common allergic symptoms that people have.
Lungs -- Wheezing, tightness, cough, or shortness of breath.
Head -- Swelling of the face, eyelids, lips, tongue, or throat; headaches and migraines (severe headaches).
Nose -- Stuffy nose, runny nose (clear, thin discharge), sneezing.
Eyes -- Red (bloodshot), itchy, swollen, or watery.
Stomach -- Bloating, gas, pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or bloody diarrhea.
Heart -- Palpitations or fluttering.
Joints -- Joint pains or aches.
Neurological -- Anxiety, dizziness, spaced-out sensation, depression.
Beware – You Could be Consuming Splenda Without Your Knowledge

You also need to be aware of the fact that although the bulk of Splenda is sold to processed food manufacturers and soft drink bottlers, it could turn up in your medicine as well, as nearly 10 percent of all sucralose is sold to drug companies.

Many times sucralose (Splenda) will not be listed in the drug information, so there simply is no way you would know you are consuming a potentially dangerous artificial sweetener. However, if you experience any of the symptoms above even though you’re avoiding Splenda and other artificial sweeteners, then it may be worth investigating the ingredients of any medications you’re taking as well.

Splenda Has NEVER Been Proven Safe for Human Consumption

As of 2006, only six human trials have been published on Splenda. Of these six trials, only two of the trials were completed and published before the FDA approved sucralose for human consumption, and the two published trials had a grand total of 36 total human subjects.

36 people sure doesn't sound like many, but wait, it gets worse: only 23 total were actually given sucralose for testing, and here is the real kicker -- The longest trial at this time had lasted only four days, and looked at sucralose in relation to tooth decay, not human tolerance.

Even more shocking, the absorption of Splenda into the human body was studied on a grand total of six men! Based on that one human study, the FDA allowed the findings to be generalized as being representative of the entire human population. Including women, children, the elderly, and those with any chronic illness -- none of whom were ever examined.

The FDA claims they reviewed over 100 studies conducted on Splenda. What they don't tell you is that most of the studies were on animals. And, those animal studies reveal plenty of problems, such as:

Decreased red blood cells -- sign of anemia -- at levels above 1,500 mg/kg/day
Increased male infertility by interfering with sperm production and vitality, as well as brain lesions at higher doses
Enlarged and calcified kidneys (McNeil stated this is often seen with poorly absorbed substances and was of no toxicological significance. The FDA Final Rule agreed that these are findings that are common in aged female rats and are not significant.)
Spontaneous abortions in nearly half the rabbit population given sucralose, compared to zero aborted pregnancies in the control group
A 23 percent death rate in rabbits, compared to a 6 percent death rate in the control group
Chemically, Splenda is More Similar to DDT Than Sugar

Yes. Splenda bears more chemical similarity to DDT than it does to sugar.

Sucralose is in fact a synthetic chemical that was originally cooked up in a laboratory. It does start off as a sugar molecule. Then, in a five-step patented process of making sucralose, three chlorine molecules are added to a sucrose (sugar) molecule. The chemical process to make sucralose alters the chemical composition of the sugar so much that it is somehow converted to a fructo-galactose molecule.

This type of sugar molecule does not occur in nature, and therefore your body does not possess the ability to properly metabolize it. As a result of this "unique" biochemical make-up, McNeil Nutritionals makes its claim that Splenda is not digested or metabolized by the body, hence it has zero calories.

But, if you look at the research (which is primarily extrapolated form animal studies) you will see that in fact an average of 15 percent of sucralose IS absorbed into your digestive system, and according to this latest study, it is also absorbed into your fat cells.

Unfortunately, if you are healthy and your digestive system works well, you may be at HIGHER risk for breaking down this product in your stomach and intestines!

Your Healthiest Alternatives

If you have a craving for sweets, rather than trying to find "healthier" ways to continue indulging in them, it is in your best interest to learn ways to relieve your cravings.

The obvious one would be to stop eating any of the products to begin with. But sweets are powerfully addictive – sugar has even been shown to be more addictive than cocaine. Stevia is a preferable natural substitute, which can be used in making most dishes and drinks.

However, complete avoidance of sweets is often necessary to break your addictive cycle, as your hormones insulin and leptin likely play an important role in your cravings.

If you are unable to achieve abstinence from sweets, your emotional connection to cravings might be an important factor for you. One of the most profound methods I know of for diminishing the effects of food cravings is the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). EFT is the psychological acupressure technique routinely used in my practice to help people reduce their cravings.

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 own health.

Drop Sugar, Get Smarter and Better Behaved.

From Modern Forager:

For all you parents looking to give your child an edge, check this out: Principal Says Banning Sugar Made Students Smarter.
For the past ten years, the now-trim principal has required students at Browns Mill Elementary in Lithonia to participate in daily physical exercise and eat healthy foods. Her school enforces a strict ban on sugar.
…
According to Butler, standardized test scores increased 15 percent at the school within the first year of the program. She said discipline problems decreased by 23 percent. Student health has improved and obesity at the school has been virtually eliminated.
It makes sense to me. We all know how hard it is to concentrate after a hefty dose of sugar and the resultant blood sugar crash. Kids become restless and hyperactive, followed soon after by an inability to concentrate.
“For me, it was not just about educating children about reading, writing and arithmetic,” Butler said. “If these people were going to be successful, I had to ensure that they were going to be healthy.
Unfortunately, most schools seem to focus solely on standardized test scores.
Other Stuff You'll Enjoy:
Getting Kids to Eat Produce at School
Is Sugar More Addictive Than Cocaine?
Digest - Organic Crop Yields, Antioxidants, Little Timmy Needs Produce, And Don’t Believe Lipitor Ads
Let’s Talk Some More About Sleep! This Time It’s About Kids.
What I’m Reading: Last Child In The Woods

CrossFit KoP's Kick the Sugar Contest

Did you know that the average man, woman, and child in this country eats 150 lb. of sugar annually?

For ONE month - ONE MONTH ONLY -just try it. Make the effort, see what it does for you. See how you feel, look, perform. You can do ANYTHING for one month, especially knowing it's for your HEALTH and PERFORMANCE. If you choose not to do it, if you haven’t sincerely tried committing to good nutrition, maybe it’s time you looked at your reasons. What are your excuses? How valid are they, really? Are you so invested in them that you’re willing to sacrifice your potential and long term health?

1. All participants must commit by signing the sheet at the gym by January 30th. Challenge starts on February 1st and ends at midnight, on February 28th. I will keep a tracking spreadsheet at the gym and some progress posts will be made on the blog along with some ideas, websites and recipes.

2. The way to kick sugar is to not eat ANY sugar of ANY kind.

3. Only consume sugar that is found naturally in foods such as fruit - and limit the consumption of too much, choosing low glycemic index fruits primarily.
What is the significance of Glycemic Index? Not all carbohydrate foods are created equal, in fact they behave differently in our bodies. The glycemic index or GI describes the difference by ranking carbohydrates according to their effect on our blood glucose and insulin levels.

4. The best way to be successful with this is to eat clean. Create meals from meats and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch, and NO SUGAR. No processed and refined foods with high fructose corn syrup and high sugar content (i.e.: chips). Shop the perimeter of the grocery store; avoid the aisles where labels and long shelf-lives increase the sugar content. Limit bread.

5. If you drink adult beverages, only pure spirits (vodka, whiskey, rum, etc.) and wine are allowed in small quantities. No dessert wine, or any other alcoholic beverage made with added sugar, such as beer.

6. Keep a food log, writing down EVERYTHING you eat. At the end of each week, show it to either Aimee or Evan and have them help you with your choices of foods and staying on track. The winner will be the person with the most consecutive days completed successfully. The runner-up will be the person with the most overall days completed successfully. This may be the same person or persons.

7. Please feel free to email me or post to comments with your own input, comments, encouragement, articles, recipes, struggles and victories.

So far the participants are:

Jon, Nicole, Jason, Paul, Doreen, Miranda, Cindy, Hannah, Jen C. Lisa E., Mr. Dillon

Cottage Custard Recipe

This is basically an egg-and-cream custard with cottage cheese courtesy of Evan. When made with small curd cottage cheese, it has a texture much like rice pudding. But if you then whiz it up in a blender or food processor, it makes a smooth pudding as well.

NOTE: You can use different sweeteners such as agave, honey, evaporated cane juice, and xylitol. All work just fine. Each tastes different because of the flavors of the sweeteners.

NOTE: The recipe calls for 1/2 teaspoon Stevia powder, which is just right for Stevia. If you use another sweetener, use 4-8 teaspoons. I used 8 teaspoons for the test, and found that while it wasn't over-sweet, I could have used less. Play with it a bit until you find the right sweetener and the right amount for your taste.

ALSO NOTE: The recipe calls for cream, but you could substitute any mixture of cream and milk in whatever proportions you require for your intake of fat and carbs.

The recipe makes 5 servings.

Ingredients:
3 eggs

3/4 cup cream

1 cup small curd cottage cheese

1/2 teaspoon Stevia powder or less depending on taste

1 teaspoon vanilla extract Raisins (optional)

Nutmeg (optional)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit
Mix eggs, cream, cottage cheese, and Stevia powder with a whisk until blended.
Pour into 4 ramekins.

Sprinkle a few raisins in each ramekin (I used 10 raisins per) and sprinkle nutmeg on top. Place the ramekins in shallow pan with about 1/2" water in the pan.
Bake 30-40 minutes, until a knife comes out clean.

Do not over-bake.

Top with Stevia sweetened whipped cream or raspberries.

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