Sweet Deception: Why Splenda, Nutrasweet and the FDA May Be Hazardous to Your Health
Dr. Joseph Mercola and Dr. Kendra Degen Pearsall
Nelson Books, 2006
287 pages, $24.99 (US)
The Seven Pillars of Health
Don Colbert, MD
Siloam
295 pages, $21.50
The Body Sense Natural Diet: Six Weeks to a Slimmer, Healthier You
Lorna R. Vanderhaeghe
John Wiley and Sons Canada, Ltd.
280 pages, $24.99

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration not too long ago approved the abortifacient – and, many say, dangerous – “morning-after pill” for dispensation without a prescription south of the border (as did Health and Welfare Canada shortly before that for this country). So it’s no surprise that the agency gets duly raked over the coals in Sweet Deception, Dr. Joseph Mercola and Dr. Kendra Degen Pearsall’s expose of the dangers of artificial sweeteners and the FDA’s complicity in placing the American public at risk.

The two doctors capably take a look at the drawbacks, first, of natural sugar. They then move into a disturbing account of what artificial sweeteners do to one’s health. Despite the approval of these substances by the FDA, Mercola and Pearsall show that there are numerous studies and other indications that artificial sweeteners are welcomed as something akin to poison by the human body. Sprinkled throughout are jarring anecdotes from people who have suffered severe reactions to the sweeteners, but found their health improve drastically after they stopped using them.

The most compelling part of the book is the indictment of the FDA and an interview with the whistleblowing senior drug safety researcher at that agency, Dr. David Graham (this eye-opening interview is also available on the internet athttp://www.newstarget.com/011401.html). In summary, the noble Graham (a Roman Catholic) declares that the FDA is not able to adequately protect the American public from dangerous foods and medications: “It’s more interested in protecting the interests of industry,” he says.

The book concludes with an assessment of natural sugar alternatives. Of those, stevia – which advocates charge has been “blackballed” by the FDA in order to protect the commercial interests of the artificial sweetener companies – gets the nod as probably the best of the bunch.

Christian physician Don Colbert, meanwhile, has produced the best book on general health maintenance that I have read – and I’ve read a few. It is no small accomplishment that he has succeeded in getting me, for one, to increase my water intake and strive for a full seven to nine hours of sleep a night (in place of my usual six to seven), for example, where others have failed.

That’s the strength of The Seven Pillars of Health – Colbert crafts the book in such a way as to not preach at you about the necessity of taking basic health-oriented measures. Instead, he gives you the information, background and motivation to actually follow them.

Colbert’s Seven Pillars – water, sleep and rest, living food, exercise, detoxification, nutritional supplements and coping with stress – may, at first glance, seem obvious, until you consider how rarely we actually observe them. There’s tons of useful information here, including charts and references, that will get you on the path to better health. This book is highly recommended.

Lorna R. Vanderhaeghe, a medical journalist specializing in nutritional medicine, has, in The Body Sense Natural Diet, come out with a book that focuses on how each component of dieting influences hormones that affect thousands of bodily functions. These hormones can work to make your fat cells bigger, increase cravings, tell you to eat more, lower your fat-burning rate and disrupt blood sugar, among other negative consequences.

Vanderhaeghe uses foods, nutrients and other natural factors to correct hormonal imbalances, thus resetting the body’s “fat-burning furnace” and making weight-loss easier. She includes 42 days of meal plans, shopping lists, a fitness plan, recommended products and special sections on diabetes, cellulite and other topics.