About Nutra Sweet -
It was a non-issue to me ....
Up till yesterday!
I noticed the constant tingling on the backs of my wrists had returned...
Well, just extra working out - I presumed.
Years ago, I had been diagnosed with Carpel Tunnel Syndrome -
But it magically "went away"!
I noticed there is a low pitched hum.... like wind passing thought wires...
Must be a Zombie Phenomenon.. It comes and goes.
What's a Zombie to do?
But then, I got kinda choked on some food.
Right here - yesterday - in my apartment.
An egg. A freaking scrambled egg.
Can you even do that? Is that possible?
I mean, maybe a whole turkey - yes!
But a bite of scrambled eggs? Come on!
This had happened once before. Couple of years ago.
I was eating some chicken, and I got choked on it.
I was trying to imagine what would cause such a thing.
Things like: "I'm getting older, and my esophagus is shrinking up... intermittently."
"I need to chew my food better. I'm a old fat slob who needs to chew better."
"It's a neurological thing - I have a rare form of an obscure disease
that first shows up as weakened swallowing muscles" ...oh dear!
I was at work when it happened the first time.
I thought I was going to die - right there!
And I bargained with the Universe to not let me die like
Mama Cass - choking to death on a ham sandwich.....
I would have come closer to dying, by being heavy -
But, I digress. Back to yesterday.
So I remembered - as I was leaning over the sink
trying to swallow and relax - doing everything right -
I had vowed to chew everything a million times
so as to never get choked again - I've been pretty true to that!
I also remembered that the time I got choked before, I was also drinking Diet DP -
I went through a phase of Diet Cherry Dr. Peppers... And when I quit drinking them,
Hmmm.... any correlation?
Maybe - maybe not.
But logically - I don't need aspartame, so why use it, anyways?
There are different - better alternatives!
I wouldn't go out and eat spoons full of MSG.... Why keep
something in your diet that sucks?
So. Now I'm in the camp that doesn't like Nutra Sweet.
I have the tingling, etc when I drink it.
Nothing else really changes in my diet -
And I don't have the tingling when I don't drink it.
YouTube video
Cass Eliot
Dream A Little Dream Of Me
I like fizzy drinks and especially ones with no calories, but I've been trying, mostly successfully, to give them up because I read that they will cause me bone loss. Wow, I surely do not need that! So, the caffeine free, diet Dr. Pepper is no longer in my house. :(
ReplyDeleteLove the video. I don't think I've had problems with aspartame. At least, not that I've noticed. I don't drink any carbonated drinks but I do believe there is aspartame in the water mixes I use for my water. I just can't handle plan water. I use Kroger or Walmart Peach Tea water mix usually.
ReplyDeleteI use splenda, but not a whole lot lately. I used to use it a lot when I would drink a half gallon of peach tea a day. Splenda doesn't have aspartame, I think? The diet drinks just nasty for me and just don't fit that once pepsi addict puzzle piece for me. I remember that in my my generation and in the 80's living a half block from the 7-11 in a small N. Cali town the first Big Gulps and thinking how can anybody drink such mass amounts of soda? Man...was I wrong! I was like a carb/caffeine Cadillac guzzling big boat of a BeOtch soon enough. Miss the video games they always had there starting with Donkey Kong and just getting better, though. Simple tech days..but mostly my carefree youth.
ReplyDeleteI have not kicked my habit of drinking DP. I know that we will find out some time that there is a bunch of stuff in aspartame that causes a bunch of disorders. Good for you getting yourself off it all together.
ReplyDeleteWhen I stopped drinking Pepsi almost 60 days ago, I still wanted some carbonated fizziness. I have started drinking La Croix Pamplemousse (that's French for grapefruit). Anyway, it has just enough flavor to not make me feel like I am missing anything. It has no calories, no artificial sweeteners, flavors, etc. I have heard NOTHING good about nutrisweet.
ReplyDeleteSoda Stream should keep you away from aspartame. Having some Diet Root Beer right now.
ReplyDeleteScary about the choling though! Be careful. 8-/
Yeah, thanks! I'm careful!
ReplyDeleteMy only other "eating injury"
was when I actually bit my own finger -
Now THAT's good food!
Uh, Anne? Sounds like you're allergic to it.
ReplyDeleteMe too. Found out when I was a teen. Hives. Itching. Swelling. I drink my decaf coffee black, my decaf tea unsweet. Who would want to eat artificial anything when there is plenty of tasty real food available in the world?
I experienced what seemed like a low-pitch electrical buzzing. It happened that once and never again (but scared me enough that I gave up aspartame that day). Hope you have seen your last problem with this too!
ReplyDeleteI have been abstaining from aspartame too! Initially I did for a while after doing induction and then got lax and began to drink all sorts of diet drinks. Not good!!! Lately I dont drink anything with aspartame if I can help it (and I can help it 99% of the time!), I am loving Mio flavor drops which are sweetened w/sucralose and Acesulfame potassium. I like it dilluted so 4 bucks for the little bottle really isnt so bad! Watermelon/Strawberry is my fave flavor.
ReplyDeleteI once almost choked on a Devil Dog. Not sure if you guys have em in TX or you know what it is--a horrible little chocolate and cream filled cake by Drakes Cakes. I had been crash-dieting as a young lady and literally hadnt eaten a real meal in days--went in to pick up my friend before we went out to the club--she worked in a convenience store--when I snatched up a free Devil Dog and scarfed it. I really had my life flash before my eyes AND had that "Im gonna die like Mama Cass" feeling going on too! I never knew how she really died. Anyhoo thats my choking story! Hope you dont have those symptoms anymore, and steer clear of the aspartame :-D
I've had countless choking episodes.
ReplyDeleteMany of the same things you mention
go through my mind each time it happens,
vowing, as you, to eat more slowly
to chew each bite until it's like mush.
Never gave thought to aspartame
as the culprit... until now
I only drink one DP a day...
I use Splenda in my coffee and some teas
If it's as easy as that, YES
I will give them both up
I'll start today and see what happens.
THANK YOU!
I miss Mama Cass.
Loved her big time when I was in college.
Ooh interesting. I ingest entirely too much fake sweetener of various kinds.
ReplyDeleteI still do sucralose, cause sugar is not my friend and I like me tea and coffee sweet. But I gave up aspartame a couple years ago and even avoid the sweetened bottled stuff with it. I'll buy stuff with erythritol, xylitol and sucralose.
ReplyDeleteI still realize that even with these, I WANT to scale back. I just can't break that sweet coffee and tea thing yet.
I'm glad you have the fortitude to say, "This is not good for me, buy-bye!" Be even healthier, A!!!
Oh, and PS: I have choking issues--scary as crap--when my asthma acts up and I have to increase my inhalers dosages. I assume it's got something to do with all that inhaler stuff hitting the back of the throat and messing up the routing (esophagus/trachea) and affecting the muscles (peristalsis affected). I'm not sure. I just hate it....
Oh, wow! I just had a lightbulb moment!! I was having problems with tingling and numbness in my hands at night, but it stopped when I started losing weight. Well, I woke up last night in the middle of the night with numb hands and thought it was odd that it had started again. Then I read you blog. I have been drinking lots of coffee for the last 2 months using equal, 2 packs per cup, 2 cups a day, plus sugar free creamer which probably contains it as well!! Great, it's the only that I like in anything hot.
ReplyDeleteI avoid aspartame and Splenda...I use non-name sweetener, no idea what is in it.
ReplyDeleteBoo to choking!!! You are going to have to stick to shakes...whatever you make, blend it up! Gross...keep on chewing in the free world!
I vote "No choking!" too!
ReplyDeleteIt really only happened these few times.
It might be one of those things that "our group"
(weight-loss bloggers) don't like to talk about....
Like stress incontinence and, uh, other "delicate" subjects!
Or IN*delicate, as the case may be!
Today part of my lip felt like it was buzzing. ? Nurse here thinks the worst..MS? probably was just something I ate?
ReplyDeleteI get you.. I think Truvia or Stevia products are supposed to be healthier. Whatever. I'm trying to reduce all that stuff. But certain foods require diet coke.
I didnt watch the video but i am an artificial sweetner junkie
ReplyDeleteI am not sure how choking on food and artifical sweetners go hand in hand??
Be safe sweetie, chew more. We love ya and want ya around <3
I'm with you. I too avoid anything with Aspartame because I have a friend who have MS due to Aspartame. Scary stuff - see no need to have Aspartame in one's diet.
ReplyDeleteIs nutri sweet the same as splenda??
ReplyDeleteI'm happy for you that you aren't ingesting aspartame any more. You've probably already read this, but it's a great link to aspartame info. I liked her approach. In case anyone needs more info, here it is:
ReplyDeletehttp://blog.yourlighterside.com/2008/05/no-more-aspartame-for-me.html