How to stop using splenda
How I did it: The promise of guilt-free "sweets" to satisfy a sweet tooth was too tempting when I decided to substitute Splenda for sugar in every dessert I'd previously enjoyed and new ones I'd allowed room for thanks to the acquired Splenda-creativity.
Sometime after I adopted a healthier, lower-carb diet, I began experience what I can now term depression. I didn't know it then, because it came so gradually. I ascribed the bad mood I was often feeling to the stress of my school work (in reality no more stressful than what I'd experienced before); to the oncoming change of schools and, with it, friends; to everything but my eating habits.
It was two years before I wondered whether I should really be using Splenda. I can't express how much I wish this epiphany had come sooner.
I couldn't find, in studies of sucralose (the main component of Splenda), mention of any specific carcinogenic properties like those in aspartame. The strongest science-related arguments were not at all convincing: close in molecular structure to chlorine, slightly enlarged structures in rats, not enough scientific evidence to prove its safety... etc., etc.
But then I turned to what people said about Splenda in regard to how it made them FEEL. Suffice it to say, on my part, that I found their experiences relatable enough to resolve on never consuming Splenda again.
I've abstained from using Splenda and Splenda-containing products for several months now and haven't looked back. I've begun feeling better. As for my sweet tooth, I've found increasing insulin sensitivity to be the best answer, along with using natural, low-GI sweeteners like agave. Dessert is most satisfying as a small treat rather than a regular over-indulgence.
Lessons & tips: the FDA doesn't care about your health, do your own research, what doesn't hurt you on the outside may be hurting you on the inside
