increased incidence of migraine headaches and allergic reactions,
another fact has been ignored: The use of artificial sweeteners is most
often accompanied by increased consumption of food. In other
words, if you use artificial sweeteners, studies show you often end up
eating more food, usually sweets. What’s worse is that you may store
more fat as well. Researchers are unclear why this happens, but cer-
tain factors seem to be implicated. It may be a learned process by the
body. The tasting of sweet substances may cause the body to store,
rather than burn, fat. Or, it may be related to the dehydration that
accompanies consumption of artificial sweeteners. This may trigger
the brain to increase the appetite and food intake as a means of restor-
ing water balance. Eating low-calorie substances will lower the
body’s metabolism. This will not only cause the body to store more fat
but also activate the need to eat more food.
Some people argue that artificial sweeteners reduce calories. You
may be fooled into believing that you are buying a more-healthful,
low-calorie food when you choose a product made with fake sugar.
But you’re avoiding only 15 calories per teaspoon when using an arti-
ficial sweetener. This is not a significant caloric factor. Not only that,
counting calories, as discussed elsewhere, is unhealthy.
Clearly if you want to be healthy and continually improve human
performance, you need to understand how carbohydrates can affect
overall health, especially in relation to your particular needs. In gen-
eral, refined carbohydrates are best eliminated. The best choices are
fruits, legumes and whole grains if tolerated, with small amounts of
honey as a sweetener. As you begin to choose your carbohydrate
foods more wisely, you will notice that you feel better. This is part of
becoming more intuitive about your diet and individual needs. In
addition to making wise choices about carbohydrate foods, you need
to do the same when it comes to eating fat, which is discussed in the
following chapters.
58 • IN FITNESS AND IN HEALTH