Artificial Sweeteners. Discovered as leftover crud that won't wash off laboratory beakers. Tested on rodents, approved for human consumption when less than 50% mortality is observed. It's big bucks in the time of low carb, low fat, low nutrition foods. Everyone wants to eat like Chunk in Goonies, but look like Heidi Klum or that guy with no personality from the fitness commercials (you know him). No responsibility for their actions. That's what it boils down to. "I don't care how bad it is for me, so long as I feel satisfied (and look like Antonio Banderas)."

I never realized how bad that shit is for you...until I stopped eating it all together. About 7 years ago, I was a bit overweight and out of shape. So I hit the gym and the trails, at the same time giving up all refined sugar, white flour, and hydrogenated oils. What's left to eat, you ask? Well, there wasn't much. Things have gotten better lately, with supermarkets offering large natural foods sections and smaller, local (yea!) stores catering to the health concious. But the big push still seems to be "low guilt marketing" rather than high quality foods. Within 5 months of my aforementioned lifestyle changes, I went from 190 lbs and 26% body fat to 175 lbs and 12% body fat. You put good fuel in and burn it, good results come out.

So now the point of this ramble. For Valentine's Day, my girlfriend's mom gave us some 'sugar free' chocolate bars. The gourmet kind, where little elves in small European countries mix each batch by hand and beautiful billionares' wives in skimpy lingere and surrounded by strawberries nibble decadently with sultry eyes... Anywho, the stuff is expensive. I have developed a chocolate craving of late, not sure why. But tonight, I damn near ate a whole bar. I should be in bed right now, but instead I'm up writing this with a massive case of stomach disorder. About ten minutes after scarfing the chocolate, my stomach began to object. Shortly thereafter the brain buzz came on. It's kind of like the feeling you get just before you get the spins from drinking too much - light headed, can't concentrate, stomach is floating, the purple Smurf flips you off from across the room... Three hours later, I still can't sleep. My leg tingles. My stomach has noticable lumps moving around inside it. My head feels like I have a hangover. That shit really f'ed me up.

I've never felt better since I went au natural with what I put into my body. But the real proof to me is what happens on the rare occasion I eat a typical American foodstuff. Diet Coke sends me to the moon with dizziness. Sugary cakes make me see double. White bread binds me up and makes me tired.

I guess here in the good ol' US of A, we're free to put just about anything in our bodies we want (unless the government doesn't want us to, of course). Of course that assumes you know what you're putting into your body. I, for one, haven't the slightest clue what Malitol is. Do you? The FDA (F'ed Digestion Administration) says it's ok for me. My body does not. I'm thinking the only reason I know this is because I ingest that kind of stuff so infrequently. I never used to feel this way when I ate a typical American diet, and you probably don't either.

It's like living downwind of a powerplant. If you never breath the smog, you know it's bad for you when you get a whiff. If you live and breath it everyday...you're surprised and confused when you wake up one morning with the Black Lung and Torso Cancer. Give yourself a chance to know the difference. Take three months off from all things refined and artificial, and see what happens. It takes a while for your system to readapt to good food, so you might not notice the change right away. But after that three months, go and get yourself a 20 oz Coke and pound it. Just make sure you have a place to sit down.

It's your body and your life. You owe yourself the chance to make it work to its potential. And besides, wouldn't it be nice to know the difference between feeling good and feeling like crap?

May peace be always in your heart.

- J