My name is Traci and I am an addict. I spent the better part of my 20's and 30's drinking 6+ diet sodas daily with Diet Pepsi and Diet Mountain Dew being my drugs of choice.
I never considered my diet soda habit an addiction until a friend of mine essentially dared me to quit cold turkey. Within two days of quitting, I was ready to check myself into rehab. I was shaky. I was crabby. I was nauseous. I started to develop migraine headaches and was exhausted despite replacing my caffeine intake with coffee, teas, etc...
While I had never really believed the hype about the dangers of aspertame prior to quitting (again...it was a dare), I became a believer when I started to experience the severe withdrawal symptoms that I can only imagine alcoholics & drug addicts experience when they quit. I quickly became a believer. If aspertame was really a "healthy" alternative, why would my body have reacted so severely to detox?
Within two weeks, the symptoms subsided and I started to feel like a new woman. I replaced diet sodas with regular ones. I started to drink club soda (with a little juice) for flavor and loved it. I probably doubled my daily sugar intake, yet oddly enough...I dropped 10 pounds (almost instantly and without any effort).
I wish I could offer my readers some sort of scientific evidence that aspertame is toxic, but I can't. I can only offer my personal experience along with the experiences of other recovering diet-soda addicts (linked below). Allow me to put on my tin-foil hat for a moment and suggest that perhaps (just perhaps) the "big soda" industry is a little like the "big tobacco" industry. Consider how long "big tobacco" has fooled the public into thinking that nicotine isn't addictive and isn't deadly. Could the same be true for aspertame and the "big soda" industry?
Based upon my personal experience, I would strongly encourage you to quit using diet soda (and other products) that contain aspertame. In fact, I dare you. Give it a week. See how your body responds. Will the withdrawal symptoms stink? Um, yes. ;) But the benefits (including weight loss) will be worth it. Trust me.
In the meantime, if you've quit (or if you want to take my challenge) tell us about it in the comments section.
Below are some links about the dangers of aspertame and some wonderful resources for products that will make "rehab" a little easier.
- Sweet Poison - Symptoms of Aspartame poisoning
- Fox News Investigative Report - You Tube Video
- Aspartame and Weight Loss Article
Alternatives to NutraSweet / Aspartame
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