s/o Detox and Aspartame Poisoning thread: Listen to your. . . .

[1bassoon]

body?

 

This may sound weird. But bear with me.

 

I've now gone 3 days - straight - with no aspartame in my body. I've been drinking at LEAST 3-4 diet cokes or diet pepsis (pepsii? What is the plural of that? Not pepsi's - that'd kill a kitten for sure) a day.

 

I did not realize how bad I felt. Literally.

 

Most days, I could not make it through without needing to crash on the sofa. For a large part of the day, I'd feel like I was squinting, or seeing through a tunnel - it's hard to describe. I feel incredible right now. It's kind of - idk - crazy.

 

Here's what gets me. WHY do I not listen to my body? I just ignore things and keep on going, you know? My husband is very good about listening to his body - he can say, "No, I'm not going to eat that, it will make me feel ___________ (insert some symptom)." He gets the direct relation b/w what he eats or his exercise and how he feels.

 

Me? Not so much. I eat whatever, don't think about it, and then - meh - deal with life. It doesn't ever cross my mind to think the way my dh does.

 

Why? Why not? Is it b/c I'm a momma, and don't have time to think that way? Personality? Training or lack there of?

 

Just pondering tonight. Anyone got any brilliant insights? :bigear:

[newlifemom]

Just pondering tonight. Anyone got any brilliant insights? :bigear:

 

Nope. If I did, I'd be 60 lbs lighter and a whole lot healthier, I'm sure.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Nope. If I did, I'd be 60 lbs lighter and a whole lot healthier, I'm sure.

 

Exactly. However, I am finding that I'm taking some baby steps to listening to my body. As I find (often by accident) something that makes me feel better, I'm finding that if I slip up and feel like absolute carp for enough times, that I will finally start to listen. . .

[1bassoon]

Exactly. However, I am finding that I'm taking some baby steps to listening to my body. As I find (often by accident) something that makes me feel better, I'm finding that if I slip up and feel like absolute carp for enough times, that I will finally start to listen. . .

 

OK, Jean and Pam -

 

That's just it.

 

Why do WE have such a hard time listening to our bodies, and other people don't? Is that the same as asking, "Why can some people lose weight and others can't?"

 

I'm with you on the baby steps. This week - I'm off aspartame. For good. And I'm walking a mile in the mornings. So far, so good.

[Jean in Newcastle]

OK - as to why I do certain things that are bad for me.

 

I have energy problems (related to adrenals). So when my energy starts to crater, I will eat sugar. It makes me feel good for a very short time until I crash and need more sugar. I'm learning (slowly) that I need to eat regularly and always include some protein. That will help to keep me from crashing and self medicating with the sugar.

[Peela]

I listen to my body a fair amount but that doesnt mean I dont grab for something innapropriate at times- especially when I am stressed, overwhelmed, actually hungry, or on a sugar rollercoaster, or when I am not organised enough to have my preferred foods at hand.

 

I think we are not taught to listen to our bodies- we are taught to listen to external authorities. It starts with our parents making us eat what is on our plates and not teaching us to stop when full, or avoid foods that we instinctively need to avoid. They meant well of course. Then we are bombarded by advertising and surely, surely they wouldnt advertise things that are actually toxic to us, would they? (Oh, yes they would! Aspartame is poison! )

 

Then there is the aspect where rather than an immediate reaction to something- whether that is hamburgers every second day, or aspartame filled drinks- we are being killed slowly. So that one drink, that one hamburger, that one processed package food item, doesn't kill us- but years of them can and do. It's easier if you get a stomach cramp from eating sugar, as my daughter does. I tend to react quickly too. The diseases that kill people nowadays- cancer, heart disease- are from years and years of bad diets and not listening to our bodies- so it is much harder, individually- to make the changes because they don't seem urgent enough, and even seem disconnected from the uncomfortable symptoms we get.

 

My dh has an amazing ability to consume that which he knows will upset him later, too. He has a sensitive stomach and is now quite gluten intolerant- but is taking an awfully long time to accept the fact! I think it must be different for different personalities, because for me, the discomfort of eating foods that make me feel bad so outweighs the pull to eat them again that I find it difficult to understand why anyone would! But, I have someone in my life who frequently does, so there must be personality factors going on.

 

The other thing is...is depends which way you are heading. If you have no interest in listening to your body...you wont, and you wont until something happens that makes you want to. Then, when you start listening- you get more and more sensitive to the signs, and things that never bothered you before, start bothering you. And then you wonder why you ever started listening because now so many things affect you and your diet has to change so much!

[Granny_Weatherwax]

Yeah for you. I am on day 20 of no artificial sweeteners and feeling not too bad. I am beginning to have some residual symptoms from the release of stored Aspartame but that is to be expected.

 

Why do we not pay attention? Because society tells us that diet soda is okay and many other women are drinking it and not having any symptoms. I also think the symptoms tend to follow a continuum. The initial symptoms might be a slight lack of energy in the afternoon. That's normal for a mom, right? So we have another soda and off we go. Over time the symptoms worsen but it is gradual and we don't pay attention. Remember all of our friends are drinking the same stuff and they are still feeling fine.

[momofkhm]

I think we are not taught to listen to our bodies- we are taught to listen to external authorities. It starts with our parents making us eat what is on our plates and not teaching us to stop when full, or avoid foods that we instinctively need to avoid. They meant well of course.

 

I'm trying so hard to teach my children right in regards to this! I was taught to clean your plate. That it's ok to be stuffed and yet eat more (dessert!). I'm trying to teach my kids better. It's hard when we go on vacation with my folks and they get upset with my kids for not finishing something. Let's see the specific instance was they paid for an ice cream social at 3 in the afternoon. My kids didn't finish their ice cream because they were full. But then at about 6/6:30 they were hungry for dinner. Let's see, I'd rather them (a) stop when they are full and (b) eat real food!

 

Sorry about the side note. I just had to get that out. We're vacationing with them again this summer.

[Jody]

I don't like soda! We drink water for the most part. The Aspartame is not good and glad that you know this.

[Disney Dreaming]

Thanks for this thread. I drink at least 3 diet cokes a day and feel crummy. I am going to try this and see if it makes a difference.

[1bassoon]

Thanks for this thread. I drink at least 3 diet cokes a day and feel crummy. I am going to try this and see if it makes a difference.

 

Angel, let me know how it goes. I am astounded at how much better I feel.

 

Why do we not pay attention? Because society tells us that diet soda is okay and many other women are drinking it and not having any symptoms. I also think the symptoms tend to follow a continuum. The initial symptoms might be a slight lack of energy in the afternoon. That's normal for a mom, right? So we have another soda and off we go. Over time the symptoms worsen but it is gradual and we don't pay attention. Remember all of our friends are drinking the same stuff and they are still feeling fine.

 

Dragon - that's it. That's it exactly. It's been that SAME slippery slope for me. I remember when I was pg with dd#4 - I'd have one diet Snapple a day, and justified it. By the time I was pg with dd#5, I was drinking a 64oz fountain diet Coke almost. every. day. :shudder: And I never stopped. She's almost 6.

 

It's evil stuff - why didn't I realize it sooner!