Feb 06 2005 at 10:54pm
Giving Up Aspartame
I gave up aspartame about two weeks ago now. I was hoping to find a solution to my burning feet problem (and the insomnia problem!) but no such luck. I did, however have a couple of unexpected pleasant side effects. The first is that my skin is much less dry than it was before. My face is actually oily now. No need for heavy moisturisers – which is a big deal in the winter when it’s so dry!. My hands haven’t done so well though.
The other big effect is that I no longer have the urge to snack. Before, when I was consuming a lot of aspartame, I was always running to the snack cupboard or the fridge looking for something to put in my mouth, usually chocolate! Now, nothing! Sometimes I even forget to eat when I should and I often don’t finish my supper. I’m going to have to start making smaller portions. Last week I had a fridge full of half eaten leftovers!
I am still consuming small amounts of Splenda, although ever since I heard it’s made with chlorine I’ve been trying to cut down on that (I know what you’re thinking… Stevia. Too expensive and I don’t like the aftertaste). I have sugar in my tea and coffee instead (it’s only 15 calories/teaspoon and all natural) and drink mostly water. Sometimes I have a glass of juice mixed with club soda. For the longest time I thought I had to have beverages that tasted like something but so far – I really don’t. For the past few days I’ve found that I can add a little bit of aspartame with no ill effects (1 serving/day not 5!).
