Contents
-	The Sweet and Low Down
-	Tip of the Week
-	2004 Hawaii Trip
-	Recipe: Grilled Veggie Pita
-	Submit Your Success Story on Video!
-	Do You Have a Good Post of the Month?

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"That which we are, we are...and if we are ever to be any better, now is the time to begin."

Alfred, Lord Tennyson

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Examining the quandary of artificial sweeteners
By Denis Faye

Sucralose, sorbitol, tagatose, stevia, saccharin. The list goes on forever. With so many artificial sweeteners on the market nowadays, it's a wonder they even bother producing real sugar anymore.

But then again, when you pass up that Oreo for a SnackWell, do you even know what you're eating? Sure, SnackWell's Sugar Free Chocolate Sandwich Cookie, featuring a time-honored recipe of sucralose, sugar alcohols, aspartame, and acesulfame, may have fewer calories than the sugar and high-fructose corn syrup-laden Oreo, but is it better for you?

Probably not. Sure, if you're trying to lose weight, artificially sweetened products are more beneficial in terms of fewer calories. However, many artificial sweeteners certainly have their share of potential health hazards. Furthermore, given you're on a calorie deficit, every calorie counts nutritionally, so why waste them on a cookie when you could be eating something nutritionally beneficial and just as sweet, such as an apple?

But we're not all saints. Sometimes we want to wander off the garden path, do something we shouldn't do, eat something we shouldn't eat, and not feel guilty about it later. So instead of stumbling blindly into the forest of artificial sweeteners, let's have a look at some of the more commonly available ones.

Sucralose (aka Splenda)
Take sugar, chemically combine it with chlorine and, voilá! You have a product the human body can't process, so it passes right through. Sucralose has been animal tested and FDA approved. However, there are a few, somewhat fringe researchers who claim sucralose shrinks the thymus gland and enlarges the liver and kidneys. They also point out that this sweetener was discovered in 1976 and therefore hasn't been around long enough to show any long-term effects.

Aspartame (aka NutraSweet and Equal)
This synthetic derivative of a combo of aspartic acid (an amino acid) and phenylalanine is a popular favorite for diet soda drinkers. The only people who absolutely shouldn't consume aspartame are people suffering from phenylketonuria, because excess levels of phenylalanine in their blood can cause neurological, behavioral, and dermatological problems. As for the rest of us, we're probably all right. Some research indicates people can be aspartame sensitive, receiving headaches from consuming it. Also, there are dozens of theories floating around pinning aspartame with brain tumors, chronic fatigue syndrome, Alzheimer's disease and so on. Although no study has ever proven any of this, whether or not this compound is truly safe remains to be seen. It is also FDA approved.

Sugar Alcohols (aka isomalt, hydrogenated starch hydrolysates, or anything on an ingredients list ending in "-itol")
It ain't sugar—but it ain't alcohol. What the heck is it? Well, it used to be sugar, until they fused it with hydrogen. The body has a hard time digesting this combination, usually doing so in the intestines, meaning fewer calories per gram than other carbohydrates, usually about one or two. So technically, you're still getting calories. Unfortunately, you might also get intestinal upset. Common side effects of sugar alcohol are gas, bloating, and diarrhea. FDA? Approved!

D-Tagatose (aka Naturlose)
A "natural," FDA-approved sweetener derived from dairy products, tagalose is similar to sugar alcohols in that it does have some caloric impact—1.5 calories per gram to be exact. The reason for this low number is that the enzymes in the intestines can't process the stuff, so most of it passes through undigested. The downsides of this can be bloating, nausea, as well as sounds and smells you don't want to make in polite company.

Acesulfame (aka Sunett)
A sumptuous blend of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, sulphur, and potassium whipped up by the Germans in the 1960s, acesulfame isn't metabolized by the human body. A number of studies suggest that acesulfame causes tumors in rats and mice, but the FDA has thrown out these studies for various reasons. Regardless, it's hard not to question the safety of this sweetener until more solid positive evidence is presented.

Stevia (aka Sweet Leaf or Honey Leaf)
A herbal sweetener from South America, stevia is the only sweetener on this list that hasn't received FDA approval. In fact, due to studies on rats and hamsters showing that large doses of stevioside, the active ingredient in stevia, caused low sperm counts and abnormally small offspring, you'll probably never see it approved, from the FDA or Health Canada, the EU, or the World Health Organization. However, if you're really pining for it, it is available as a health food supplement, over which the FDA has no jurisdiction.

Saccharin (aka Sweet'N Low)
In 1879, a Johns Hopkins University researcher accidentally spilled a synthetic chemical on his hand. For some insane reason, he took a lick, only to discover it was...sweet. Saccharin was born. The poor sap probably had no idea of the controversy his dog-like sampling habits would unleash on the diet world. Despite the fact that a body can't metabolize saccharin, in 1977 it was found that it could cause cancer in lab rats. The FDA immediately tried to ban it, only to meet with overwhelming opposition from dieters and, surprise, the diet food industry. Congress settled the matter by slapping a warning label on any products containing saccharin. Then, in the 1990s, it was discovered that rats and humans were actually physiologically different, so the mechanism that caused cancer in the rats didn't apply to us. The warning labels were scrapped, but then, in 2003, the National Cancer Institute released another study saying, "Oops, maybe it does cause bladder cancer after all." So far, no word on digging up those labels again.

Whatever they decide, the point is clear. Saccharin is over 120 years old and they still can't figure out if it's bad for you. How can we be so quick to approve products that aren't even of legal drinking age yet? We know exactly what sugar and high-fructose corn syrup are, a blend of glucose and fructose that aren't particularly bad for you, except that they make you fat.

But then again, whenever a study shows that an artificial sweetener could be unhealthy, that study inundates the poor test animal with vast quantities of the stuff. The occasional Diet Pepsi or No-Sugar-Added Eskimo Pie probably isn't going to hurt you. As usual, it's all about, say it with me people . . .

Moderation.

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By Steve Edwards

When Not to Work Through Pain
You're working hard, making progress, and then it hits. PANG! You pull something, you twist something, you strain something. Whatever you've done, it's not crippling, so push through it. Right?

Wrong.

If something doesn't feel right, your body's telling you to take care of it. If you don't fix yourself up, it could lead to a more serious injury—or to a chronic pain that might one day become arthritic.

Instead, take time off. Ice the sore area to reduce swelling and resume the activity when there is no more pain. Then take it easy and keep icing post-workout. If the pain doesn't get better within a week, it's time to see a doctor.

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If you've had incredible results with Power 90^®, you could be invited to Hawaii!

Submit your Power 90 Success Story and you could be off to a one-week all-expense-paid trip to the tropical paradise of Kauai! Click here to learn more about our annual Hawaii trip and how you can submit your story. Hurry, the deadline is September 1, 2004!

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This one comes from Shay S. of Warren, Michigan. It's a summertime sandwich with a distinct Mediterranean flair that would go great with a little tabouli salad. Thanks for the recipe, Shay! Be careful not to spill any tzatziki on your new Beachbody T-shirt!

Remember that you too can be the recipient of a beautiful Beachbody T-shirt. Just send your favorite healthy recipe to recipes@beachbody.com and if we choose it, you'll have a T-shirt on the way!

Ingredients:
Tzatziki (yogurt sauce)
1/4 cucumber
1/4 cup low-fat yogurt
1/2 clove garlic

Sandwich
1 whole grain pita (7-inch)
1 1/2 ounces feta cheese
1/3 bell pepper
1/3 carrot
1/4 medium onion
Olive oil
Seasoning of your choice

Chop the cucumber into small pieces, mince the garlic, and combine both with the yogurt to make tzatziki. Let that marinate for at least an hour (or better still, overnight). Slice the pepper, carrot, and onion in thin strips and place them on the grill. Spray lightly with olive oil and the seasoning. Shay suggests Mrs. Dash. Grill for 9 minutes, or to your liking. During the last minute or so of grilling, warm up your pita. Spread the tzatziki on the pita, then pile on the grilled veggies, and top with crumbled feta.

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