I briefly mentioned a few posts back that during my eating disorder, blood tests revealed elevated liver enzymes indicative of chemical toxins in my body; hence the reason for my constant headaches, dizziness, and, ahem, digestion issues. But where were the toxins coming from?! I never drank alcohol, didn’t overdo it on the herbal supplements, nor was I taking any pain medication.

My dad, a physician, was suspicious of one substance to which I was practically addicted: Splenda. Oh, Splenda, what a whimsical name with such fanciful, care-free commercials to match. Too bad that beneath your sweet façade of figure friendliness lies pure poison!

Since Splenda arrived in America in ’99, countless products have used it in their diet varieties: Diet Coke, Propel Fitness Water, Yoplait Light yogurt, to name a scant few. In fact, it would probably take less time to tell you what diet and “light” foods Splenda is not in.

Part of Splenda’s hyped up appeal is that it’s basically natural. I mean it comes from sugar, right? Please allow me to tell you just how far Splenda is from being a magical calorie-free version of sugar. Splenda is a cholorcarbon, which is simply a fancy name for chlorinated sugar. To chlorinate sugar, you have to chemically alter the structure of the sugar molecule by substituting three chlorine atoms for three hydroxyl groups in the overall sucrose (sugar) molecule. Chlorine, as it turns out, is quite an excitable element. It’s used as a biocide in bleach, insecticide, disinfectants, even WWI poison gas!

Chlorocarbons are neither nutritionally nor metabolically compatible in our bodies. Because we’re not made to excrete the poison, the body shunts it into our livers (ding ding ding!) which is our detoxification organ. There, the cholorcarbons damage and destroy the liver’s metabolic cells. Not so sweet anymore, huh?

Five years ago, I was blissfully on board the Splenda bandwagon. At any given time, I probably had enough toxins attacking my liver to wipe out an ant colony or remove a mustard stain. I used it on my oatmeal, cereal, my coffee, tea, and of course, I bought the Splenda products –yogurt, water, energy bars, protein powder, you name it!

Part II of the sugar saga to come! In the meantime, no Splenda allowed in the Christmas cookies! 😀

Stay fit, stay faithful ~<3 Di