Why sugar-free doesn’t equal problem-free!

It occurred to me the other day when I stopped to fill up with petrol how much cola dominated the drink shelves there. I know, I’m a bit slow on the uptake, but really, when you look at it, there is a ton of the stuff in there. There is admittedly a lot of water there too but, and it’s a big but, there is a sneaky rise in the number of flavoured, sugar-free waters now too. So, I thought it’d be a good time to have a quick review of the dangers of artificial sweeteners.

Why is it that most of the people who are overweight drink diet drinks? Why doesn’t sugar-free work?

There is evidence that sugar substitutes make you fat. It seems that if you have these chemicals instead of sugar it dupes your body into thinking it’s had something sweet BUT a little while later its as though your body realises and says “Hang on a minute I haven’t had sugar after all!” and then proceeds to give you carbohydrate cravings. As a result of that you can put on more weight.

The whole area is full of controversy as animal studies are one of the primary sources of research into this. Rats, it’s been discovered, break down Aspartame (the most common artificial sweetener) in exactly the same way we do and they suffer from a number of toxic effects even at low levels! It’s claimed that some of the worst effects are neurological and it has been found to inhibit neural growth – it messes up your brain. Reported and documented side effects in humans include:

Headaches

Dizziness

Seizures

Mood disorders

Memory loss

and vomiting and many many more

Sounds like fun doesn’t it? Why would anyone drink something that has the potential to do that to them? Now, some of these side-effects affect a small proportion of individuals but would you want to take that risk? I should add that there are only a few studies that have rigorously tested these findings and it would appear that they show up more on the longer term trials. It’s with remembering that Aspartame started life as an ulcer drug NOT as a food additive – so every diet drink is a “dose of medicine” that you don’t need!

So my message here (which is as easy to see coming as the big red lorry when they play the “holidays are coming” advert) is drink the fluid your body actually needs. The one it’s meant to have, water. I know, I know, I’m very boring but fizzy drinks have been shown to interfere with your bone density and, through these toxic sweeteners, your nervous system. So, if you really must have some cola stuff at least go for small amounts of the sugar stuff.

Sugar, bad though it is, is at least slightly more natural and you have a better chance of coping with it. In small quantities!

Remember the artificial sweeteners come in many forms – there’s Aspartame, Acesulphame K, Sorbitol, Saccharin (now banned in the US), Sucralose: so you have to be vigilant on those food and drink labels. They are even hidden away in things like vitamin C tablets (esp. those fizzy ones) and, I noticed the other day, chewing gum – it’s full of the stuff!

If you’d like to find out more here’s a good place to start

http://www.aspartamedangers.com/

All in all the basic message is a simple one, drink as natural a drink as you can…. preferably water. That way you are much more likely to stay healthy, hydrated and be your best.

Until next time

Yours in health

Neil Folker

Chiropractor

So how much DO you need everyday? In fact, you need to drink around one and a half to 2 litres of water a day. This is especially important as you go through your care because your body will need to flush out the waste products that come from tight muscles ‘relaxing” as you recover. Without sufficient water, you could feel more sore as your body struggles to rid itself of the breakdown products of the lactic acid from your muscles.

Here are some tips to help remind you to drink:

1. Carry a 500ml bottle of water around with you. This will not only remind you to drink more but it’s also an easy way of keeping track of how much you’re drinking. If you fill it up from the tap you can reuse it as well – brilliant for the environment! Try to get a glass or “healthy” plastic bottle.

2. Add some flavour. If you really can’t stand the taste of water on it’s own try adding a small amount of fruit juice or a squeeze of lemon or lime. The sour taste of lemon can even help with weight loss, as it helps your liver get rid of toxins. Your liver plays a really important role in helping you lose weight and if it’s full of toxins it doesn’t do its job properly. The other thing you can do is filter your tap water either with a jug filter (like a Brita) or with an inline tap one installed on your sink.

3. Water is refreshing from the fridge or with ice. Or try it hot with a piece of ginger, a drop of honey and slices of lemon – really refreshing in the morning or at any time of day.

4. Set an alarm. If you’ve got a watch that beeps on the hour it can be a good reminder. Every hour fill up a glass of water, or drink from your bottle, and make sure you finish the glass before the next hour. You could even set a reminder on your computer at work, or on your phone.

5. Eat water-rich foods. Here are some foods, which have the highest level of water in them. This can also help you get your five-a-day.

Food % water

Lettuce                  96%             Cucumber           94%

Tomatoes              93%             Broccoli                92%

Carrots                  90%             Watermelon           90%

Grapefruit              88%

Remember almost nothing is more important to your health than drinking water. If you’re worried about feeling bloated or having to go to the bathroom too often, let me share this with you; if you’re not going to the bathroom at least 4 times a day, you’re probably not drinking enough. So there you are. Drink more…”go” more. How’s that – you’re even getting a bit more exercise too!

A great book to read, available from our library, is “Your Body’s Many Cries for Water” by Dr. F. Batmanghelid.

To sum up (and shamelessly use someone elses advertising slogan)  – “Are you getting enough?”

Any questions email me at drneil@norwichchiropractic.co.uk or call me at the centre on 01603 216430 and I will call you back.

Yours in health,

Dr Neil Folker

Welcome to my blog.

I know there are millions upon millions of blogs out there and I’m honoured that you’ve decided to look at mine! If you want to find out more about me and my history in chiropractic, look at the about Dr Neil page at the top.

For this, my first entry as such, I’m going to outline what we’re about. This blog is designed to be a forum to bring you cutting-edge information about health and wellness in the 21st century. There’s a revolution starting in health care and this resource is here to help you find out the truth about how to be healthy. We’ll be covering such diverse topics as nutrition, exercise, the power of the mind in terms of your health and bringing news and comments about the big (and little ) stories that relate to your health. Clearly it’ll have a chiropractic slant, but it’s about much more than just that. It’s really not going to be all dry and boring either, there’ll be fun stuff too.

Welcome on board.

Yours in health

Dr Neil