The Safety of Artificial Sweeteners

Translation: It's possible that use of non-caloric sweeteners may actually promote weight gain, or at least make it harder for you to lose weight.

How to get by without them?

If you decide that artificial sweeteners may not be the best addition to your personal diet and fitness plan, here are some tips for "the sweet life", without 'em:

• Drink decaffeinated herbal tea, iced or hot, or flavored seltzer water instead of diet soda.

• Start to cut back on the sugar you add to foods. You can actually retrain your sweet tooth to cool it a bit.

• Read food labels and compare grams of sugar. Pick the brands with less sugar as often as you can.

Fruits can be a wonderful way to satisfy a sweet tooth, naturally. Check out some new selections, to spice up your old routine.

Bottom Line

It's OK to use artificial sweeteners sensibly. It's also an excellent idea to work on reducing the amount of sugar you consume. Drink a diet soda now and again; just make sure that the majority of your diet consists of more nutritious selections.