The dangers of artificial sweetner

We've all heard of aspartame, it's the worlds most notable artificial sweetner sold under the brand names of Equal and NutraSweet. Aspartame was actually an accidental discovery by James Schlatter in 1965. He was trying to produce an anti-ulcer drug and found aspartame instead. The company he worked for, G.D. Searle & Company was able to convince the FDA to approve aspartame for commercial use.

I say 'convince' because its unnerving that aspartame is still available despite its contribution to 75% of adverse reactions to food additives reported to the FDA. Aspartame also continues to gain approval for use in new types of food despite evidence showing that it causes neurological brain damage, cancerous tumors, and endocrine disruption, among other things. If you see what's in aspartame this might make these claims seem more reasonable. Aspartame is made up of the following three chemicals:

1) Aspartic acid - an excitatory amino acid that can be neurotoxic (a few of the many chronic illnesses linked with neurotoxins include: Multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Epilepsy & Hearing loss).
2) Phenylalanine - an amino acid which can build up in the brain and cause decreased serotonin, leading to emotional disorders.
3) METHANOL (aka wood alcohol/poison). This is broken down into formic acid and formaldehyde in the body, a deadly neurotoxin. The following is from the Material Safety Data Sheet on Methanol - Hazards Identification:
Ingestion: Swallowing even small amounts of methanol could potentially cause blindness or death. Effects of sub lethal doses may be nausea, headache, abdominal pain, vomiting and visual disturbances ranging from blurred vision to light sensitivity.
Effects of Long-Term (Chronic) Exposure: Repeated exposure by inhalation or absorption may cause systemic poisoning, brain disorders, impaired vision and blindness. Inhalation may worsen conditions such as emphysema or bronchitis. Repeated skin contact may cause dermal irritation, dryness and cracking.

I hope this opens some eyes and makes you avoid aspartame in the future. I thought I'd share this knowledge because I read an article saying the makers of aspartame are rebranding it under the name "AminoSweet" due to the growing awareness about the dangers of artificial sweetners.

If you need a sweetner, try honey or Stevia (a natural, zero-calorie sweetner). I personally would use unrefined sugar over aspartame (in modest amounts, of course ;) ). If you drink diet pop/soda, hopefully this encourages you choose healthier options such as water or green tea instead.

Yours in health,
Sarah

7 Simple Steps for a Healthy Heart

February is Heart Month! With Valentine's day around the corner there's no better time to check in with your heart. The American Heart Association has identified 7 simple steps you can take for a healthy heart. This list is a good place to start some simple number crunching. When looking at the list remember that maintaining a healthy lifestyle is the key to preventing heart disease. If your measures are higher than you'd like ask me for more information on how to change them now!

So, here is the list in which the AHA defines ideal cardiovascular health:
1) Never smoked or quit more than a year ago.
2) A healthy body mass index (BMI), which estimates your body fat by using weight and height. Calculate it with this online tool: http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/bmicalc.htm
3) Exercise! Really, the more the better. The new numbers say 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous activity is ideal.
4) Blood pressure below 120/80. If you don't know yours stop by your local drugstore and have it tested...or come by my office and I'll test it for you.
5) Fasting blood glucose less than 5.55 mmol/l
6) Total cholesterol of less than 5.17 mmol/l

7) Eating a healthy diet.

For more information from The American Heart Association's 'Life's Simple 7' visit the following: http://mylifecheck.heart.org/Multitab.aspx?NavID=3&CultureCode=en-US

And for a little Canadian content here is a simple online calculator to determine your 10 year risk for a cardiac event. http://bodyandhealth.canada.com/health_tools.asp?t=17&text_id=2704&channel_id=151&relation_id=20156

To do this, you need to know your blood pressure as well as your lipid (cholesterol) levels. If you have had them tested recently call your doctor's office and ask for a copy of your results. I always recommend my patients to maintain their own health records. If you haven't had your blood tested in the last 2 years there's no time like the present! Visit your MD or Naturopathic Doctor for a screening physical exam.

I hope this post motivates you to look deeper into your health. Have a great Valentine's Day!

The health benefits of QUINOA

I am a self professed quinoa lover. I'll admit it any day of the week. I just can't get enough of the stuff. It's so tasty, nutritious, and versatile! It's interesting to note that quinoa is often referred to as an ancient grain but it's actually the seed of a leafy plant related to spinach and swiss chard! It is therefore technically a pseudograin and is from the Andes mountains of Ecuador.

Here's why, nutritionally, quinoa is so wicked:
1) It has a balanced set of essential amino acids which make it a complete protein. It is a GREAT source of protein and especially perfect for vegetarians/vegans.
2) It is a whole 'grain' that is naturally gluten free - easily digestable.
3) It is very high in magnesium, a mineral with a ton of health benefits. Magnesium is great for migraines, atherosclerosis/heart disease, asthma, and relaxes your digestive system.
4) It is a great source of manganese and copper, two minerals that serve as cofactors for the superoxide dismutase enzyme. Superoxide dismutase is an antioxidant which protects your cells from free radicals.
5) It is also a fine source of iron

In terms of cooking, it takes about 1/4 the time it takes to cook rice - a mere 12 minutes!! All you need to do is rinse your quinoa, add a ratio of 1 1/2 cups of water to 1 cup of quinoa, bring to a boil, cover and reduce to medium heat for 12 minutes.

Then have fun with it!! I like to have it with every meal. It's great as a dish on it's own with red onions, cilantro, nuts (walnuts or pecans), some olive oil and lemon. If I don't finish that in a night I add it to my salad the next day!! It's great in salads and adds a nutty, creamy taste.

Give it a try...spread the love of quinoa ;)