What Are Your Insides Telling You?

Have you ever considered what ingredients are in the food you are eating? What if you were allergic to one of these ingredients and you did not know it? What if your goal is to lose weight; you read nutrition labels and calorie content but your weight or you the way you feel after eating is not for the best.

An ingredient group known as a sugar substitutes or artificial sweeteners has been replacing sugar itself in many foods on your shelf since 1907, when it was accidentally discovered. Since then, many different types and forms of sugar substitutes have been making their way into our foods and drinks in place of sugar to give it the selling appeal with “sugar free” staring us in the face. Although it may help make it easier to control or limit the amount of calories or sugar you are consuming throughout the day, some of these sugar substitutes are foreign to our body causing our body to not digest them properly. In some cases, some may be allergic to these artificial sweeteners and you may not know it.

Stevia, Xylitol, Truvia, Splenda, Erythritol, Equal, Sweet ‘N Low, Nectresse, Sorbitol, Maltitol, etc. are a few names you may have heard of or may have stored near your spices or coffee sweeteners. These artificial sweeteners are hidden in many foods and could be causing havoc in your body. Based on your genetics, metabolism, microbiome, and sensitivity to artificial sweeteners; these ingredients could cause bloating, nausea, headaches, migraines, dizziness, diarrhea, eczema, etc.

How do you know if you are allergic to these substitutes? How do you feel after you eat them? Side effects can be anywhere from directly following or up to hours later. The best approach to find out how they affect you is to completely eliminate these ingredients; not only from your shelves but from your diet as well. At this point, slowly introduce one ingredient at a time and trial for a week or two before introducing another form of sugar substitute. Keep in mind, that some reactions or side effects may not be seen or felt as well. If you have a genetic history of cancer, lung, kidney, or liver issues, thyroid , problems; you may want to eliminate these ingredients infinitely. Natural sugar is a familiar ingredient to the body; if portioned or controlled properly, it should still help you to stick to a healthy diet. Daily exercise in addition to a healthy diet will help you feel healthy and reach your goals.