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The artificial sweetener Splenda is all over the place. It’s in soft drinks, foods, and in small paper packets for you to add to whatever doesn’t already have it. It’s become so popular that its annual sales are now more than Equal and Sweet N’Low combined. But is Splenda really that splendid?

While Splenda (also known as sucralose) is made from sugar cane, it’s not even close to a natural product. It’s a synthetic chemical that takes a five-step laboratory process to develop.

During the process, three chlorine molecules are added to it. And the final product, chemically called a fructo-galactose molecule, is so foreign to your body that you can’t properly metabolize it. That’s why its manufacturer can advertise the product as “zero calorie” — if you can’t metabolize or digest it, then it can’t have any caloric value.

However, research is now showing that most people actually digest about 15% of the sucralose, which means there is some caloric value to the product after all. For most people, that’s probably not a big deal. God made your liver and kidneys to handle many of these kinds of by-products and expel them from your body. But we’re all made differently — and some people may not be able to handle this chemical.

In fact, many people are very sensitive to Splenda and have had reactions to it that range from mild to life threatening. That’s definitely not splendid!

Some people have simply broken out in a rash. Others have had stroke-like symptoms. And still others have had severe asthma-type attacks that almost shut down their airways. These reactions can be very dangerous.

If you use Splenda and want to continue using it, you may never have trouble with it. Just know that the jury is still out on this product. Researchers haven’t done any long-term safety studies, so it’s possible you could develop a reaction over time. If you start to have any health problems, immediately stop using it for a few weeks and see if the trouble disappears. If it does, definitely avoid Splenda.

Instead consider using honey or Stevia, which is a natural herbal sweetener that does not affect your blood sugar (it’s available in most health food stores). While you won’t find many affordable bottled drinks with these products in them, they’re great to add to fresh-squeezed lemonade, iced or hot tea, and coffee. And you won’t have to worry about dangerous reactions!

Steve Kroening writes for Success magazine and also publishes Wisdom’s Edge. You can get Biblical tips on health, finance, relationships, parenting, and success, delivered to your email inbox every week. Simply visit http://www.wisdomsedge.com and sign up for this free e-zine.

Ever look at pictures of people that were taken before 1970? You will probably be able to notice something different about them if you compare them with pictures of people today. They are not fat, and almost all of them look healthy. How many people do you see on a daily basis today that look really healthy?

Were our parents or grandparents exercising more than us? Did they have better exercise science? Did they work harder than we do? Were they taking special weight loss products we don’t have today? Why in the world do they all look so healthy and skinny?

It all has to do with the type of fat they were consuming in their diet. Food was not altered then and everybody ate natural and organic foods, that is all there was. I don’t know when or why it happened, but gradually food companies started looking for and began using cheaper ways of manufacturing food to increase their profit.

Thanks to the food companies, we get to eat all kinds of preservatives and unnatural fats they put in the food to give it a longer shelf life, this saves us a little money, makes the food companies a lot of money, and makes us fat and unhealthy. Then the food companies even figured out to somehow trick us into believing that things like margarine are better for us than actual butter.

When did we start believing major, publicly traded corporations could outsmart nature? I guess television advertisements and marketing can really mess with people’s perceptions.

What is natural fat? There are three kinds of naturally occurring, “good” fats, to be aware of. They are saturated fats (butter, animal fats), poly-unsaturated fats (fish oils, vegetable oil, canola oil, corn oil), and mono-unsaturated fats (olive oil, nut oils,).

These “good” fats help give us energy, keep us warm by cushioning organs, keep our brain, nerves, skin and hair healthy. They also aid in cell division, growth and repair.

Obviously if you eat too much “good fats” you can gain weight, and raise your cholesterol, but overall they are very good for you. Use your common sense and follow a healthy diet. Also get your blood pressure and cholesterol levels checked once a year by a certified health care provider.

NOTE: As you read this next section please keep in mind that poly-unsaturated fats (oils) are very reactive and literally “go bad” or turn “toxic” very quickly when exposed to heat, oxygen or light.

As we process our food, unfortunately we extract natural oils that are found in fruits, nuts and seeds. How are those oils extracted? (Remember to keep the above note in mind).

The seeds are crushed and heated to extremely high temperatures. They use pressure to squeeze the oil out, this generates even more heat. The oil is then exposed to oxygen and light and treated with solvents (vitamin E is destroyed during this process).

Often two toxic substances are added to the oils as a preservative. So the result of all of this; rotten, or toxic oil is extracted out for further processing.

However, there are a couple of safe alternatives that are being used to extract natural oils. They are expeller-pressed or cold pressed processing, which extracts the natural oils under low temperature and with minimal light and oxygen exposure. Most of the oils in packaged food available at your local health food store use the expeller pressing method.

Back to the toxic processing. After the (bad) oils are extracted they are often put through a hydrogenation process, this is usually done, once again, to extend a product’s shelf life. Liquid oils go through this process to turn them into fats that are solid at room temperature (margarine).

During this process the oils are subject to starch, hydrogen gas, steam cleaning (to remove the ‘bad’ odor ), and are usually bleached for color. Yes I said bleached!

I bet you did not know that margarine’s natural color is grey, not a creamy yellow like butter. That is why they bleach it, so it looks like butter.

What type of fat we are left with for consumption after all that processing? Trans fats.

Another negative side effect of the hydrogenation process is that the natural fat’s molecular formation is altered. The altered formation, which is rarely found in nature is called a trans-formation, hence the name trans fats. I was never the best science student so I am not going to explain all of this in detail, it would get too confusing.

I’ll tell you what you need to know. The potential health dangers of hydrogenated products and trans fats. They have been shown to increase your bad cholesterol and lower your good cholesterol levels, have been suspected to cause cancer and heart disease, and cause an increase in body weight.

What foods contain hydrogenated vegetable oil and trans fats? Most of the food in the aisles at your grocery store (prepared, packaged, instant foods). All margarines, most salad dressings, bread, cereal, cookies, baked foods, donuts, pies etc. are also loaded with hydrogenated oils and trans fats.

Please check the labels and ingredients of the food you buy. This will help you recognize what products are made with hydrogenated oils and trans fats. Do your best to eliminate as much of them from your diet as possible.

Think of your body like a Porsche; would you put cheap gas in a Porsche? What if you put “bad” oil into it? How would it drive?

How much money would it cost you later on when many mechanical problems start to go wrong because of it running on cheap gas its whole life? How much money would you be paying to mechanics to see your maltreated Porsche again and again every year?

If you would not treat your car this way, then why in the world would you put toxic food into your body?

Brue M. Baker, is an expert on natural health and fitness who has helped people from all across the country sky-rocket their health and well-being. Rather than hitting your head against a wall trying every natural nutrition product out there, let Brue introduce you to what he has found to be the best natural health products on the planet.
Visit DynamicHealthTips.com for all the details.

Here are ten steps that you can follow to lose weight, keep it off, and explode your energy levels.

1. Eat in a calm and relaxed atmosphere. Be very thankful for the food you are given to eat. In most cases something that was living was sacrificed so you could eat. Taste and enjoy every bite you take.

2. Don’t over-eat. Only eat until you are 80% full. You will notice that about ten minutes later you will feel full.

There is a slight time delay between eating the food and your body registering itself as full. That is usually why you feel tired weighted down after eating everything on your plate at a restaurant.

Your brain and taste buds are satisfied, but your body has to pay the price. Once you get used to this you should also see an increase in energy levels because the body is getting the right amount of food.

3. Chew all of your food thoroughly. You also should limit how much you chew gum, it stimulates your digestive juices unnecessarily.

4. Drink at least 8 cups of purified water every day. You should drink water between meals only. I know it may seem crazy that I have to mention this, but: soda, juice, and coffee are not water.

I have had many of my clients tell me that they don’t need water because the drinks I just listed usually have water within the ingredients. Every time I respond, “are you kidding me!”

5. Do not consume large amounts of liquid right before, during, or after any meal. This diluted your digestive juices. That also goes for frozen drinks with meals because they freeze digestive enzyme cells, which interrupts the digestive process.

6. Do not eat fruit and meat together. This can give you an upset stomach.

7. Allow your digestive system some rest time. This means that you should try not to eat within at least two hours of your bedtime. Your body requires a fasting period (not eating) of usually ten to twelve hours in order to cleanse and rejuvenate itself properly. Try it, you will wake up with more energy.

8. Include raw(uncooked) vegetables with each meal, that way you provide your body with enzymes that break down the food particles you eat.

9. Please choose healthy food choices. The above recommendations will do little to no good if you eat a lot of fast food, and other junk food. Remember you are as healthy as what you put into your body.

10. Eat spicy! It helps cleanse the body and it increases your metabolism. Pay attention next time you eat something spicy, as long as you don’t eat too much food, you should feel a lot of energy afterward.

I am not asking you to burn your tongue off or go into convulsions, but you should eat as much spicy food as you can tolerate. If it does get to hot, drink milk or something creamy, not water. Water makes the burn worse.

I have followed these healthy eating habits for the past two years and have been able to lose weight, keep it off, my energy levels have sky-rocketed (now I want to exercise every day instead of forcing myself), and my mind is clearer. Follow these same rules and you should see the same results!

Brue M. Baker, is an expert on natural health and fitness who has helped people from all across the country sky-rocket their health and well-being. Rather than hitting your head against a wall trying every natural nutrition product out there, let Brue introduce you to what he has found to be the best natural health products on the planet.
Visit DynamicHealthTips.com for all the details.

How can you function properly and be productive in society if your brain is not healthy? Please follow these recommendations on how to get and keep your brain in top condition. This information can also be very helpful for those with any mental disorders.

First of all, you need to avoid any and all toxic exposures. They can kill and harm brain cells and their function.

This toxic exposure can come from poor air quality, toxic materials, and toxins we ingest into our body. I will tell you how to look out for these toxins that we ingest later in the article.

You need to pay close attention to your brain’s reaction after eating or drinking certain things. Ingest something and wait about twenty minutes. See if you feel anxious, depressed, or fatigued.

These could be signs that those types of food do not agree with your brain chemistry, and you should avoid them. Food or drink that is right for you should give you sustained energy and should allow you to think clearly.

You also need to be careful if you work on or around a construction site because of all of the toxins and exposure to heavy metals. Make sure your hobbies and recreational activities don’t involve toxic materials.

Stay away from sugar, white flour products, dairy, wheat products(gluten), chemical additives, and preservatives. Don’t eat junk food, they have similar effect on your brain as recreational drugs, they rev you up for a short time, which is then followed by a longer period of crashing. They can also become addictive and cause massive weight gain.

Stay away from Aspartame, the chemical ingredient in most diet sodas and many diet products. This was developed in a lab to have no calories and be able replace sugar as a sweetener in most drinks. Well that is great except for the fact that aspartame is addicting.

Why? Because aspartame is 180 times sweeter than sugar! It has also been shown to lead to weight gain and, in lab experiments, it put holes in the brains of mice and rats. Yes, holes in the brains of mice and rats.

Since they can make so much money fooling people into thinking they are dieting from drinking soda, then I guess they figured the aspartame wouldn’t put holes in our brains and is perfectly fine for us to consume. Oh yeah, I forgot one thing, although it is not proven yet, aspartame is being considered as a possible cause of many types of cancer.

How do I know this stuff? I used to be addicted to a particular diet soda, which I won’t name. I had to have at least four or five a day, everyday, if I did not have it I was depressed and very tired.

The problem got worse and worse. Finally I kicked the habit and did my research to find out why diet soda was so addicting. The results are stated above. Now I mostly drink only purified water. Boy do I feel better.

I just gave you the results of what I have found. I am not trying to be a conspiracy theorist or anything, but if you really do your research on what most of these major food and beverage companies are feeding us because it is scary. If you want to avoid ingesting the toxins I was talking about in the second paragraph, you need to be reading the ingredients of each product you buy before you buy them.

You will be surprised, most of them sound like a tenth grade chemistry experiment. Now you need to seriously ask yourself, is food meant to have tons of chemicals and preservatives in it? What are they doing to my brain and to my body when I ingest them?

Why aren’t people more educated about this? Because they believe everything they hear and say on television and in advertisements.

Here are some pro-active things you can try to implement into your daily lifestyle to help the health of your brain. You should drink plenty of purified water everyday, at least eight cups. 90% of our body is made up of water, so you need a lot of it to be healthy.

Strive to increase your consumption of essential fats, such as olive oil and omega 3 oils. Try to eat as many raw fruits and vegetables as possible.

Quite simply put this stuff is “brain food.” This is where you get most of your vitamins and minerals. If you can’t eat at least twelve servings of raw fruits and vegetables everyday, you should consider taking high quality natural vitamin supplements.

Maintain a healthy exercise regimen. If you need help figuring out what and how much exercise is right for you, just go see your local certified medical provider. They will be able to assist you.

Increase your pure oxygen intake by taking deeper breaths, meditation classes, Yoga, or Tai Chi. Engage in mental activities to keep your brain sharp. This can come from activities like puzzles, card games, reading, sports, and good conversation.

If you can follow this advice I believe that your brain will be much healthier for it. You only have one brain in this lifetime so you better treat it properly to ensure it is functioning at its best. A healthy brain will also lead to a healthy body.

Good luck on your journey towards health and wellness!

Brue M. Baker, is an expert on natural health and fitness who has helped people from all across the country sky-rocket their health and well-being. Rather than hitting your head against a wall trying every natural nutrition product out there, let Brue introduce you to what he has found to be the best natural health products on the planet.
Visit DynamicHealthTips.com for all the details.

If you are trying to maintain a healthy heart here are some choices that you may want to implement into your lifestyle. I know that some of these may be very difficult for some people to do, but you have to ask yourself, Do I want to be healthy?

The following are all things you can do that are beneficial to the overall health of your heart. First, you should drink at least eight cups of water per day and exercise as much as possible.

I know this one might sound weird, but try to take deeper breaths when you breathe. This allows your body to get the maximum amount of oxygen in each breath, this is simply healthier for you and your heart. You also should consider getting a HEPA certified air purifier for your home and work place.

The most importane thing you can do to maintain a healthy heart is to eat as many fresh organic, fruits and vegetables as possible. It is also best to eat them uncooked, cooking can reduce the nutrient content within the vegetable.

You will want to go buy some mouthwash for your breath because you need to eat a lot of onions and garlic, and if you don’t like them you should take a natural garlic supplement. Garlic and onions help reduce cholesterol and blood pressure, as well as help support your immune system.

You need to increase your fiber intake. Fiber helps maintain the proper functioning of the large intestine, and it binds to harmful materials and makes sure they are eliminated from the body. Fiber also aids in weight loss and in the absorption of critical nutrients your body needs daily.

You can increase your fiber intake by eating more raw organic fruits and vegetables or taking a natural fiber supplement.

You also should try to eat wild, not farm raised, fish twice a week, and if you do not like to eat fish that much you should get your omega-3’s from a fish oil supplement.

The following are what you should avoid or watch our for if you want to maintain a healthy heart. You want to keep your stress level to a minimum. We all live pretty hectic lives, but the only way you will effectively get anything done is if you are healthy.

Is all that running around worth a heart attack later in life? I don’t think so. Take time for yourself everyday to exercise, you will notice that your stress levels will dramatically decrease just with regular exercise. Don’t have time? Make time. Your heart will thank you.

Try to avoid any toxic exposures of any kind, this means avoid processed food as much as possible and also avoid poor air quality. If you want a healthy heart you need to stay away from any trans fats and hydrogenated oils, deep fried foods, margarine etc.

To have a healhy heart you should also avoid tobacco, too much alcohol, too much caffeine, soda, and most juice drinks, they are just like soda. If you don’t believe me read the ingredients. Usually the only difference between most juice, sports drinks and soda is the carbonated water and the flavor.

If you are on medication for a heart condition always follow your medical provider’s advice and you should also try to educate yourself on the medication you are taking and any possible side effects you may need to look out for. If you are experiencing a lot of side effects, ask you doctor if they know of any natural remedies for your condition.

You should also get to know your family history of any heart conditions and address any possible concerns that may exist. If you are concerned see your local certified medical provider.

Good luck on your journey towards health and wellness!

Brue M. Baker, is an expert on natural health and fitness who has helped people from all across the country sky-rocket their health and well-being. Rather than hitting your head against a wall trying every natural nutrition product out there, let Brue introduce you to what he has found to be the best natural health products on the planet.
Visit DynamicHealthTips.com for all the details.

You can start on a detox diet plan pretty easily by including foods that help in cleansing. A detox diet is one that simply helps in the removal of toxins and waste products. Although your body should be capable of removing toxins on its own, it may need some help especially if you have been consuming unhealthy and processed foods over the years.

For a detox diet plan, you can adjust your food intake and add or subtract items that may benefit your overall wellbeing. One food that aids in fighting infections and helps in the elimination of toxins is garlic. This easily available food source is easy to prepare and has also many useful heath benefits.

Garlic contains sulphur, which gives it more medical value. It is a powerful antibiotic; hence with the ability to treat many types of infections. However, because it cannot target specific infections, you may think about limiting your intake as you do not want your body to risk building up a tolerance to this antibiotic. You need not worry, though. This should not pose a concern. On the contrary, including garlic regularly into your detox diet does not cause your body to acquire any resistance to its effectiveness; so there is no issue about the tolerance.

Garlic increases phagocytosis, a substance that boosts the ability of white blood cells to fight off bacterial infection (toxins). It also increases cells of the immune system, so much so that garlic is now the subject of many research studies aimed at looking into cures for HIV/AIDS.

Additionally, garlic can reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels. It has the ability to control free radicals and to counter blood clotting. Garlic is not only useful in blood disease, but can help prevent cancer. If this is not enough, garlic has also been studied as a proposed treatment for conditions such as athletes foot, asthma, vaginal infections, diabetes, colds, and candida.

There is no need to swallow whole garlic in order to derive its benefits. In fact, the healing abilities in garlic are stimulated only when sliced, cooked, or chewed. These actions purportedly kick the necessary enzymes into gear.

If you find it hard to live with the strong flavor of garlic, then you can always choose to consume garlic capsules. These are odorless and can be found at any health food store. Garlic capsules are just as effective. They have already been compounded in ways that release the productive enzyme allicin, great for the stimulation of cellular activity. Consider getting started on garlic in your detox diet plan and reap the many benefits that this food can bring!

Having difficulty in clearing your bowels everyday? Go on a detox diet and reap the benefits with improved health. Sign up to free tips and special reports by Sandra Kim Leong here at http://www.detox-cleansing-diet.com

Reducing carbohydrate intake to a minimum is one of the key factors in achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. This is precisely what the Atkins diet teaches you to do. Although the concept of using low carbs to lose weight is not a new approach, the Atkins way is a very specific method. It will teach you how to stick to a plan that is proven effective, and easy to use. You will still be able to eat tasty foods, and satisfy your craving for carbohydrates. The best thing about the Atkins way is this: once you have reached your target weight, you are not left wondering what to do next. The Atkins program is tailored in such a way that you can use it for your entire lifetime.

There are two phases to the Atkins program. The first phase is especially important if you have a lot of weight to lose. It is the jump start or introductory phase. For approximately two weeks, you will be limited to an intake of about 20 grams of carbohydrates per day. During this phase your diet should include protein rich foods such as chicken, whole eggs, cooked beef, and a variety of fish. You also need foods that are high in the ‘good’ fats such as dairy products and olive oil. For your carb meal you may have a green salad with a low carb dressing. You may also have foods such as green beans and broccoli.

Phase two of the Atkins program is what they call the ongoing weight loss phase, or the OWL. During this phase, you must keep on eating the foods that are high in protein and fat. The primary difference in phase two is that you begin to re-add carbohydrates to your diet in 5 gram intervals. The objective is to add 5 grams of carbohydrates per week until you stop loosing weight.

If you are satisfied with your current weight, then you stay with the current amount of carbohydrates. If you want to lose more weight, you need to drop 5 grams per week until you are back down to 20 grams, or you reach your desired weight.

Although this yo-yo effect may at first seem confusing, it makes perfect sense. During the first two weeks of a diet, you aren’t getting rid of fat tissue. Instead, you are getting rid of water. After that, your effort to burn fat becomes complicated by your body’s tendency to want to hold onto the fat stores. It will seek to accomplish this by lowering your metabolism. Therefore, when you alter the amount of carbohydrates, your body cannot adapt as quickly, and will utilize the fat stores instead of changing the metabolism.

The Atkins way is one of the best forms of low carb diet. Not only does it allow you to see immediate results, it takes into account the homeostatic tendencies of your body. Finally, once you have reached your target weight, you will be able to continue on the regimen in order to maintain healthy nutrition habits. If you want to adjust your weight again later on, the Atkins way will help you achieve it safely and reliably.

Scott Meyers is a staff writer for Its Entirely Natural, a resource for helping you achieve a naturally healthy body, mind, and spirit. You may contact our writers through the web site. Follow this link for more information on Nutrition.