In Case You Missed It: Nutrition (What's Wrong with This Picture?)

Photo: wearechange.org/

Do you notice anything odd about this photo?

Aspartame.... ants, roaches, houseflies and other bugs won’t eat it, nor will cats or dogs. Yet the FDA approves Aspartame as a food additive. 

Did you know that there are nearly 7,000 complaints, including five deaths, attributed to the use of aspartame in food products since the FDA first permitted limited use in 1981? 

There are 90 documented symptoms of aspartame use including: headaches, migraine, muscle spasms, irritability, heart palpitations, loss of taste, joint pain, dizziness, weight gain, tachycardia (heart racing), breathing difficulty, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), blurred vision, seizures, rashes, insomnia, anxiety attacks, vertigo, hearing loss, nausea, depression, blindness, slurred speech, diarrhea, memory loss, fatigue & extremity numbness. I still wholeheartedly believe that my mother's MS symptoms (it took them quite a while to "officially" diagnose her with it)  were result of years of drinking diet soda and using artificial sweeteners in coffee & tea.

This substance is bad enough for adults but is even more toxic for children. I try to be educational and informative on this blog and refrain as much as possible from the "shoulds" and "should-nots" but I am going to give a BIG "should not" right here:

NO child nor teen should ever ingest this ingredient!

Here's why: (The short version) 

Aspartame releases aspartate during digestion.  Aspartate is a neurotransmitter used by the neurons in the brain.  It is a type of excitatory amino acid. 

The blood-brain barrier is designed to protect the brain from the invasion of harmful chemicals.  When normal neurotransmitters such as aspartate and glutamate cross this barrier in excess, they will cause poisoning just as toxic chemicals will, and lead to damage or death of the nerve cells within the brain and spinal cord. How this happens is that the brain does not know when to "shut off" the flow of these necessary neurotransmitters. They can build up undetected until a toxic level is reached and this accumulation seems to greatly affect the developing brains and nervous systems of children.

The protective enzymes in a baby or child's brain are still immature, and are unable to effectively detoxify the excess excitotoxins that enter the brain. In the case of a pregnant woman eating meals high in excitotoxins, the baby could be exposed to these high levels for many hours. 

Children should have as much natural food in as much variety as possible. I know there are many that will disagree with me, but I truly believe that children and growing teens also need some animal protein as well to help form the brain and nervous system properly and to help protect them from damage of food additives and other toxins. A child's nutritional needs are very different from an adult's.

Please be attentive and do your homework when  planning meals for your kids. Remove any and all artificial sweeteners from your child & teens diet-especially children with medical or cognitive challenges. If you have to use a sugar substitute use honey, molasses or Stevia, (a sweet herb.) Nutrition is so important not just to a child's health, but to the way they learn and interact with one another.

Since many of us are preparing for holiday travel and meals, this weeks' links focus on nutrition. I've added some information below with some studies & more information about aspartame and healthy meal planning in general.

Please feel free to add your own nutrition resources in the comments area, especially if it pertains to the holidays.

Have a fantastic weekend, and a Healthy, Happy Holiday!

~Barbara




The Kitchen Classroom

Jamie Oliver's Better Food Foundation

Holiday Cooking With Kids-Nourish Interactive

ChopChop: Nutrition & Coking Education Magazine for Kids

KidsGardening.org : Helping Young Minds Grow

Taste Disorders in Children Linked to Obesity

Nutrition Education & Counseling for Tweens & Teens

Aspartame Products as a Potential Danger

Aspartame Dangers

Nutritional Risks of Going Vegan 

Is Veganism Safe for Kids?

What's the Harm: Vegetarian Children



* Have you seen our new Quarterly Newsletter?
You can view a sample copy here.


Contact: Barbara@bodylogique.com



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