I noticed that many products boast “low sugar” and I’m all about reducing sugar  but we need to be aware of the cost in health dollars.  So I want to start with three ingredients that commonly appear in sport drinks and shakes.  They are artificial sweeteners known as sucralose, acesulfame potassium or acesulfame K and aspartame.

Sucralose also known as Splenda was discovered accidentally when an Indian grad student in London was doing research for insecticides by adding chlorine to sucrose. His advisor asked him to test these new compounds and he misunderstood and accidentally tasted it and realized it was sweet.  It was then sold to Tate & Lyle to bring to market.  It’s 600 times sweeter than sugar so it is often mixed with a bulking agent, usually maltodextrin or dextrose. Since these bulking agents contain calories it’s actually not a calorie free sweetener as advertised since maltodextrin has approximately 4 calories per gram. Still less than sugar’s 18 but the trade off isn’t worth it.

There have been no long term human toxicity studies published until after the FDA approved sucralose for human consumption.  After FDA approval a human toxicity trial was conducted but lasted only three months, hardly the length of time most Splenda users plan to consume the product. And if you are consuming sport drinks on a daily basis you are getting more than the average consumer.

Some of the side effects from long term use include shrunken thymus, enlarged liver and kidneys and may also contribute to chronic immunological or neurological disorders.

Another additive to be looking for is acesulfame potassium also known as Sunett or SweetOne. It is often paired with aspartame or sucralose because of it’s bitter after taste. Critics say it has not be adequately tested and may be a carcinogenic causing lung tumors, breast tumors as well as other organ tumors. It has also been linked to leukemia and respiratory diseases.  It is known to stimulate an insulin reaction rapidly reducing blood sugar which can lead to a hypoglycemic state.

And finally, aspartame also known as Nutrasweet.  This sweetener was accidentally discovered by a researcher developing a drug for stomach ulcers.  It was originally denied approval by the FDA and Searle the company that held the patent was facing bankruptcy.  Then they hired Donald Rumsfeld who had just left the Ford administration and he used his political clout to get aspartame approved.  Some of the side effects include headaches, panic attacks, mood swings, dizziness, seizures, brain tumors and autoimmune disorders.

So proceed with caution and start reading labels.  The key with ingesting these products is to take them in moderation.  My concern is over use.

Next article will tackle protein shakes.  So be on the look out, Ive got some interesting facts to share.

Here’s a great article from our friends at US Wellness Meats.

During the month of December and before the end of the year, let’s take this opportunity to appreciate the wonderful things we have in our life and consider modifying certain personal behaviors that may have adverse affects on our health. I am presenting you today with ten practical health-improving strategies for you to consider incorporating into your home and family life in 2012. Consider using this list as a home health inventory. Some of these suggestions are items to remove from your pantry, some are items to add to your home, and some are to debunk nutrition myths. I hope that you find these strategies useful, helpful and above all, promoting health and wellness for you and your family.

Items to Remove from Your Kitchen/Home:

- Plastic Bottles and plastic containers: Plastics are known endocrine disruptors, which means they interact with hormone receptors, possibly making a person more susceptible to precocious puberty or hormone related cancers. Food and liquid stored in plastic can absorb plastics during the heating process, which can occur when they are heated in a microwave oven or if they become hot in a car or storage container. Instead, store food and liquids in glass or ceramic containers. If you must use plastic, choose the ones with recycle numbers – 1, 2, 4 and 5
- Aluminum or Teflon Cookware: Aluminum is a metal that can leach into food during cooking. Aluminum has been associated with neurodegenerative conditions. Also, Teflon cookware is made from a Fluoride containing toxic chemical called polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) that can leach into food when the surface is scratched. Consider cooking with cast iron, pyrex or stainless steel instead.
- Canned Tuna: Tuna is a large predatory fish that is known to bio-accumulate mercury in its fat. Mercury is a known neurotoxin and causes autoimmune reactions. Replace tuna or canned tuna with canned Alaskan salmon. (Or try our Wild Albacore Tuna – we get only the young, small Tuna for optimal purity and less mercury accumulation)
- Antibacterial Soap: The main ingredient in antibacterial soap is triclosan, an endocrine disruptor and pesticide. Prolonged use of these soaps has been implicated in causing drug resistant bacteria and adding to hormone related health problems. Use glycerin or castile soap, both of which clean our skin very well.
- Cool Mist Humidifier: During the winter, ambient air humidity is low leading to a variety of irritating health conditions such as dry skin, dry sinuses and increased susceptibility to colds. Adding humidity to the air can be very helpful to prevent these conditions. Rather than using a cool mist humidifier, which is susceptible to mold, and bacterial growth, instead boil water or use a warm mist humidifier.
Items to Add to Your Home:

- Broad Leaf Plants: Plants are natural air purifiers and make attractive home decorations. Choose plants with the best air filtering affects, such as: peace lily, rubber plant, Boston fern, and weeping fig.
- Water Filter: It is well known that New York City has very clean water at its source. By the time that water gets to your tap it has picked up sediment and heavy metals from pipes, as well as bacteria and parasites. Chlorine is added to the city water to kill the bacteria and parasites. An under sink or counter top water charcoal filter can help to remove a great deal of this unwanted contaminants.
Debunking Nutrition Myths:

Beef is bad for you? It is well known in nutritional science that when cows eat grains, which are not natural in their diet, the beef has very high levels of the inflammatory chemicals called arachidonic acid, which can contribute to heart disease. When cows are raised eating only grass, which is their natural diet, the beef has very low levels of arachidonic acid and levels of Omega-3 fatty acids that rivals Alaskan salmon. Grass fed beef can be a healthy part of your diet.

Egg Yolks are unhealthy? Chickens that are raised on grains, which are not in their natural diet, produce egg yolks high in arachidonic acid, which causes inflammation in our bodies. When chickens eat a diet that consists of seeds, bugs and even green plants, their eggs yolks are high in DHA, which is an omega-3 fatty acid and anti-inflammatory. You can tell a healthy egg yolk by its deep orange color and creamy taste.

Milk is essential for strong bones? While it is true that milk contains a good amount of calcium, about 250mg per cup, some adults and children are on a milk free diet due to dairy allergy. There are many other options to get calcium for people looking for non-dairy options. Some examples include: almonds, about 400mg per cup; salmon, 360mg per 6 oz; dried figs, about 270mg per 10; and broccoli, about 178 mg per cup. Milk has been implicated in causing food allergies and rashes in children, so they do have non-dairy options to get their calcium.

I hope you have found this information useful. Please visit visit my website for more nutrition information and to follow my blog.

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Jeffrey A. Morrison, M.D. is a practicing physician, founder of The Morrison Center and The Daily Benefit Program, an award-winning author of Cleanse Your Body, Clear Your Mind, and a leader in the field of Integrative Medicine. Visit, www.morrisonhealth.com to follow him on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook, and watch his videos on YouTube.

So proud of our awesome mountain bike team.  This pic was taken after the Coconut Cup Series race at Amelia Park in Hialeah.  Yeah, who would of thought that they have mountains in Hialeah.  (Ha Ha)  It’s a beautiful well kept mountain bike trail so check it out.

In today’s ever changing world we are constantly making new discoveries.  One week X is good for you and the next week it’s Y.  Fortunately you have me to sort through all the studies.  So I have spent countless hours reading the research and sorting out the good, the bad, the ugly.

Recently Yahoo published an article, “The 4 Best and 3 Worst Sweeteners to Have in Your Kitchen”, by Leah Zerbe. In the article she slams the obvious.  Number one offender, aspartame.  Ok no brainer there, we all know the fake stuff in no good.  The number three offender, no surprise, was sucralose which is marketed as Splenda.  Once again, more fake stuff. The shocker for me was the number two offender my all time favorite AGAVE!!! What???  The beautifully golden deliciousness that I put in my coffee and quinoa.  I was crushed so I had to dig deeper. Turns out that most commercially made agave use the same process that is used to make high fructose corn syrup.  That means it’s heated and chemically treated, and it’s made up of 49-97% fructose. So why is fructose so bad??

Fructose is metabolized in the liver and when we get too much of it the liver can’t keep up so it starts turning it into fat that is sent into the blood stream in the form of triglycerides and high triglycerides can lead to heart disease.  The excess fructose can also lead to metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance. Well, isn’t that what we are trying to avoid??

So here is the bitter truth: NO MORE AGAVE. My sincerest apologies to those who are now addicted to the stuff thanks to me but fear not, I have a wonderful substitute, (until the newest studies reveal that it makes you turn into a werewolf when consumed during a full moon).  So here it is….COCONUT SUGAR!   So move over agave, the newest sugar craze is coconut.

Just a side note.  When consuming fructose during intense exercise the body burns through it quickly before it can be sent to the liver.  So moderate amounts while training is fine.

If you haven’t been by Z’s Bike Shop lately then you are missing out on 29ER mania.  Everyone in the shop is going bonkers for these incredible rides and it’s contagious.  People are leaving their 26” bikes in the garage and switching to these incredibly light and maneuverable machines.  So don’t be left on the trails, come by and see what the  29ER is all about.

SPEED SAVE Rolls Faster

The SPEED SAVE rear stays form a ride-tuned micro suspension system that is engineered not simply to add comfort but to help the bike roll faster.  SPEED SAVE delivers improved rolling speed, better acceleration and dramatically faster cornering. The SAVE seatpost adds over 20mm of comfort enhancing flex to the system.

System Integration

29’ers love Lefty. It’s true. The Lefty’s incredible stiffness, light weight and smoothness are even more apparent with the big 29” wheels. When combined with the superlight Si OPI stem/steerer, and the Hollowgram SL BB30 Cannondale’s System Integration saves hundreds of grams over competitors’ offerings.