11 Nov Not quite sweet enough?

It is believed that artificial sweeteners found in ‘low calorie,’ ‘sugar free’ and ‘diet’ products can actually make you put weight on! There has been so much research into the effects of artificial sweeteners especially aspartame, that they now believe it can increase your appetite and intensify your cravings for sweets and other carbohydrates. Hence the weight gain. I guess it’s not quite the ‘diet’ product people think it is after all.

Aspartame is a chemical sweetener and comes with a big black cloud hanging over it, of course the producers will never admit to anything but it is claimed by many to cause a myriad of different, and very unpleasant,  symptoms including dizziness, recurring headaches/migraines and even seizures. If you consume products laced (a well chosen word!) with aspartame you may seriously want to think again! Funnily enough, and admitting nothing, Coca Cola have introduced into their range Coca Cola Life which is sweetened with Stevia, the new sweetener on the block!

Stevia is a natural, no calorie sweetener that makes a great alternative to both aspartame and regular sugar, and is believed to be much better for diabetics too. It is extracted from the leaves of the Stevia plant and has been used for over 1,500 years in South America. We took a little while to cotton on over here!

But the absolute ideal sweeteners are brown rice or barley malt syrup, these syrups are digested slowly therefore release their energy slowly. This is a much healthier option as you avoid the highs and lows of sugar or artificial sweetener consumption which play havoc with your insulin production and blood sugar levels all of which hugely affect your energy.

It’s time to switch!