A Dietitian's rant.

No joke, a nurse I used to work with - overweight smoker - called me out in a crowded hospital office for drinking a diet coke. Saying "You should know better, that aspartame will give you a tumor." Yes, well, I pray my hypothetical and supposed tumor doesn't take me before your eminent lung cancer and complications from obesity do. Being overweight and smoking are two things that have never been proven beneficial to your health in moderation. I hear this kind of craziness all the time. I get into more uncomfortable situations with friends and family alike over artificial sweeteners, unpasteurized milk, to organic or not to organic, hormones, soy milk, wild vs. farm raised, honey vs. sugar vs. brown sugar vs. stevia blah blah blah. Nutrition is HUGE - I could go on and on. You don't really want to know the facts I may have to offer - you want to prove a point and validate a life-choice you've made typically based on unfounded information or opinion. If all there was to nutrition was "googling" your questions and swallowing the first reasonable answer that's spewed at you, then I'd be out of a job. Yes, nutrition is always changing based on new research. But first thing's first. If you're weight and calorie consumption is not under control, I don't care how granola, whole grain, natural, fortified or organic you may be - there is no "healthy obesity" no matter how you slice it.

Don't try to take on the nutrition world all at once - one bite at a time - truly. Get those calories under control and learn to deal with life stressors in ways that don't involve cramming food in your face. THEN from there you can make minor adjustments little by little. After you have a handle on your calories, you can tweak your food choices for more nutritional "bang for your buck". I choose not to get calories from my drinks in a continued effort to keep my calories in check. My hatred for bland beverages (i.e. water) coupled with my love for sweets leaves me consuming diet beverages and constantly looking for ways to reduce sugar and calories in baked goods on an everyday basis. This is simply one of my methods. Artificial sweeteners aren't for everyone and not all artificial sweeteners are for me, and thats okay. What works for you?