Bad Girl Gone Good Gone Bad Again! My Diet Soda Relapse

I write this with a scowl at the knowledge that you all now know the truth! I have had a diet soda relapse. I had been so good for the last 3-4 months and did not even miss that #$@ Diet Pepsi, and Coke Zero and then all of a sudden there it was again tantalizing me. Oh I tried and tried to resist the lure of that delicious ice cold diet soda, but sometimes even the most evil temptations come calling and like that one person that you just knew (and so did everyone else-especially your mother) was bad for you, no good, and would eventually break your heart, you just dove in head first leaving caution to the wind (generally a BIG mistake that I apparently never learn from).

The first few sips of that soda were delicious and innocent and then a couple more sips turned into a couple more and then to me covertly running in the gas station to grab a Diet Pepsi and run out before being noticed (by who I have not quite figured out). Then I started telling my friends that I was only having an occasional diet soda (lies, all lies) as they looked at me suspiciously. Oh no, what has happened to Health Nut Wannabe Mom? Don't worry, I still eat my fruits and vegetables, have chocolate in moderation (unless under extreme duress which is a given I think), drink my 8 glasses of water and am a vegetarian (trying to be vegan). Well, I have given my confession and now I am on the rocky road to diet soda recovery once again.

Just in case you missed my post on why I gave up the ever delicious yet dangerous diet soda habit, I am posting the dangers of diet sodas and artificial sweeteners.

Diet Soda Dangers

*** Aspartame has been associated with a variety of UNPLEASANT SIDE EFFECTS such as gastrointestinal discomfort, headaches, and mood swings (hmm, that could cover the mood swings my husband complains about).

***TOXICITY FEARS-Aspartame has been approved by health and regulatory authorities in 100 countries throughout the world. Despite this, many reputable scientists still have concerns that aspartame may cause a range of health problems. Most relate to the way it is broken down inside the body.When we eat aspartame, it is converted into methanol, formaldehyde and formic acid. Methanol can be toxic at very low levels, and there has been no extensive testing of the effects of chronic, long term exposure.The amount of methanol needed to cause acute toxicity varies widely from person to person.Chronic formaldehyde exposure, at very low doses, has been shown to cause immune system and neurological damage, as well as headaches, poor general health, permanent genetic damage, and a number of other serious problems. High levels of formic acid in the body can damage the retina, leading to blindness. More here.

***A LINK TO SEIZURES-Among others, The Lancet medical journal has published reports of nine[ actually 3 ] cases of seizures linked to aspartame use. In an independent study of aspartame in children with epilepsy, it was shown that a single dose could provoke the sort of brain waves that cause seizures. One theory is that the epileptic seizures may be triggered by the effects of formaldehyde (yes formaldehyde from aspartame in the diet soda). More here.

***PARKINSON'S DISEASE, MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS, ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER, AND LUPUS have all been rumored to be associated with Aspartame intake. Here is a really interesting article to support and back up these claims. I really recommend this piece if you want to delve deeper. It pretty much did it for me and I am a tough sell on this. I can rationalize anything if I really want to but this kind of made me say okay, that's it for me!

***Being the odd and suspicious sort I think there is some kind of CONSPIRACY THEORY/payoffs in the FDA for saying it is okay to have Aspartame (this is only my neurotic opinion).

So, hopefully after having reread this post I will give it up for good. Are you addicted to diet soda, chocolate, anything?