It's Like Little House on the Prarie

Must clean the apartment, get the car washed, hide the large hole in the living room from the football game…sigh, the list goes on and on. Dum, dum, dum (cue scary music) – my parents are coming in town!

Actually I’m elated that my parents are coming in town and have been waiting anxiously for their arrival. There are some things that only a parent can fix. When I get stressed, mad, upset or just plain tuckered out, I call the ‘rents. They can always make things right – it’s like a gift bestowed upon you once you bring a child into the world.

I know everybody thinks they have the best parents in the world (okay, most people) but I’m gonna go ahead and say that actually MY parents are the best in the world. They are the most caring, good-humored, wonderful people I’ve ever met. Plus, they supported me up until about three years ago so that’s pretty great as well.

My parents’ visits are always filled with lots of food and new restaurants, shopping, laughter, cooking and wine. The weekend always flies by and when Sunday comes, I’m not ready to give them up.

The second my parents walk through the door I become the sniffling, crybaby little girl I used to be. I don’t think there’s been one visit yet where I haven’t cried when they left. This is embarrassing only due to the fact that I can fly home anytime I want and I act like they live in Antarctica rather than Houston. Hey, I know I’m a wimp.

So, I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend, especially now that the weather’s nice. Go outside, enjoy the weather and call your parents to tell them that you love them.

FDA Confirms Safety of Aspartame...Again

In light of my love for diet soda and all things low-calorie, I thought I might share a tidbit of good news for the diet soda world.

Last year a study came out indicating aspartame (the sweetener found in diet soda and tons of other light products) might cause cancer. Although the study was not conducted properly and there were numerous problems with its design and reporting, many consumers were unduly alarmed. After the study was published, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) came out with a review of the study and denounced it.

Well, I found out today that the FDA issued a statement on the study over the weekend and here’s what it had to say:

“Based on the available data, however, we have identified significant shortcomings in the design, conduct, reporting, and interpretation of this study. FDA finds that the reliability and interpretation of the study outcome is compromised by these shortcomings and uncontrolled variables, such as the presence of infection in the test animals.”

“Considering results from the large number of studies on aspartame's safety, including five previously conducted negative chronic carcinogenicity studies, a recently reported large epidemiology study with negative associations between the use of aspartame and the occurrence of tumors, and negative findings from a series of three transgenic mouse assays, FDA finds no reason to alter its previous conclusion that aspartame is safe as a general purpose sweetener in food.”

If you’re a science dork like I am, you can read the rest of the statement here.

If you’re not a science dork, take one thing away from this entry: aspartame is safe. I feel like I have to address this subject every once in a while because I frequently get emails asking me about the safety of diet soda. It’s safe and there are oodles of studies to support this statement.

Let’s move on to another subject tomorrow…how about my disdain for the city of Raleigh?

No Need to Panic!

If you’ve never visited Asheville, I strongly recommend that if you’re the mood for an eclectic, beautiful family town then you should definitely check it out.

I went to Asheville to see one of my favorite bands, Widespread Panic. The concert was awesome but what was even more awesome was the town! There are so many places to eat, with restaurants of every different ethnicity, great shopping and beautiful landscapes. I really think this is a town I could spend some serious time in. I would love to check out the Biltomore next time I get up there.

While I was hanging out with some friends, one of my friend’s who’s a chef commented on the fact that he often sees overweight people chugging diet sodas at restaurants. He said he believed that it’s the diet sodas that are making these people fat. He believed it was the phenylalanine that was causing the weight gain. I sat there for a moment, considering my line of defense. Do I laugh in his face and ask him how something with no calories could possible cause someone to gain weight? Do I ignore him and hope he eventually sees the light?

I chose neither and began to explain to him the components that make up diet soda, including aspartame. Phenylalanine is found in aspartame. People who have a rare disorder called phenylketonuria can’t consume aspartame because it contains phenylalanine but overall, it’s safe for the general population. Phenylalanine is a naturally occurring essential amino acid that is commonly found in many protein containing foods such as chicken, hamburger, milk and vegetables, and is a component of aspartame.

Stepping off my pedestal now, I’m going to go get some work done and then head home to take a nap. This weekend was a little too Widespread with a little too much Panic.

Me and My Diet Soda Are Heading to Hippy Town

Has this week been incredibly long for anyone else? I feel like the days have just dragged on by, slowly and painfully. But thankfully, it's Friday!

I'm working a half day today because I'm heading to Asheville, NC to see one of my favorite bands, Widespread Panic. I've never been to Asheville but I've been told it's a huge hippy town with great food, fun bookstores (I love quirky bookstores!) and beautiful scenery.

My eating habits haven't been the best lately despite the fact that summer is less than 2 months away. So, in preparation for the four-hour drive ,I packed a cooler of healthy and delicious snakcs to ensure I don't binge on Big Macs and fries along the way.

Here's what I packed:

• A six-pack of Diet Coke, a six-pack of Pepsi and a six-pack of Diet Dr. Pepper, which should keep me alert and quinch my thirst for zero calories. That's a LOT of diet soda but it will come in handy throughout the weekend.
• 100-calorie snack packs of Oreos, which are delicious and satisy my cravings for chocolate.
• 3 apples and 3 bananas, so I can be sure I'm getting some servings of fruit.
• Carrot sticks and light ranch dressing, because we all know I LOVE ranch dressing!
• And finally, a bag of pecans, which should stave off hunger cravings and fill my body with some heart-healthy fats.

Happy 2nd Birthday to "I Love Diet Soda"

I’m ashamed to admit it – I forgot my birthday. Well, not my real birthday but my blog birthday, which is just as important.

March 1, 2007 marked the second birthday of I Love Diet Soda. I’m a total lover of all things birthday-related so any chance I get to celebrate a birthday gives me reason for excitement.

Like I did last year, I’m going to note a couple of things that have changed in the past year. Of course, some things will never change, such as my devotion and love for all things diet soda. Here we go:

I’ve finally stopped “trying to figure out who I am.” For some time now, I’ve been on a quest to figure out exactly who Elaine is. I was constantly questioning my beliefs, motives and choices in life. And then suddenly, I stopped. I’m not saying I don’t reflect on things and have stopped trying to grow as a person, but I have stopped analyzing every stinking thing that I do like it has a deeper meaning. I’m happy and healthy and really, that’s all that matters. I know I’m growing as a person (I’m only 24 so I’ve got some growing to do), and as long as I’m content with my life and the people I surround myself with then that’s quite enough for me.

My amazement with diet soda has actually grown! Did you think was possible? I certainly didn’t. With all of the new products and flavors out there, even I’m having a hard time keeping up. This blog and my line of work are pretty good motivators for me to stay abreast on the latest diet soda news but it can be exhausting!

I’m venturing out more. Last year I was complaining about Atlanta traffic. While it certainly hasn’t gotten any better, I’m learning to explore the city and all it has to offer. Walks in Piedmont Park, happy hours at the Botanical Gardens sipping low-calorie drinks and fabulous Friday nights out at the Braves games are all a part of my regular routine.

Sure, I’ve still got a few flaws (ha!) and I’ve also still got people emailing me about the “dangers” of diet soda but I choose to ignore both. I’m okay with my flaws and I know there are no dangers to diet soda for the general population.

Happy birthday blog! Cheers to another year!

For All You Caffeine Lovers Out There

Thanks to Sandra for pointing out this really cool Web site/blog, Energy Fiend. The site has a caffeine database where you can find out just how much caffeine is in each of your favorite beverages. You can even find out how much caffeine is in certain foods.

The part of the site I really love is the “Caffeine News” section. You can find out everything from how a Starbuck’s barista really feels about his/her clients to an inhalable caffeine product (ended up being an April Fool’s joke).

I did notice that there were some comments made in the “Caffeine in Drinks” section that questioned the safety of low-calorie sweeteners and specifically aspartame.

Folks, as I’ve said before I’ve read the studies on these products, taste-tested (in depth) almost every diet soda out there and its safety has been reaffirmed over and over again by credible health organizations. Stop blaming these products for everything under the sun.

Anyways, this is a really interesting site and I’d encourage you to check it out if you’re as much of a caffeine fan as I am.