Does this look like your shopping cart?

I was standing in line at the local grocery store after working out at my local YMCA and taking a nice steam bath. I noticed the woman in front of me in the check-out line was also a member at the Y – I had seen her around the stationary bikes before. She was still in her workout clothes and we both smiled and nodded in recognition. Blonde, athletic and slim, this woman seems to be the picture of a healthy American. She just came from the gym!But when I looked at the food she was buying, my mouth dropped open:Equal, a plastic lemon, low-fat, non-organic milk, bacon, Pam Cooking Spray and Gatorade.Does this look like your shopping cart?The groceries this woman was buying might be shortening her life span and taking her quality of life down a notch. Here’s what I mean:Equal: AKA AspartameIn 1996, the FDA approved its use as a "general purpose sweetener," and it can now be found in more than 6,000 foods. Serious complaints associated with this artificial sweetener:Depression: In a study of the effect of aspartame on 40 patients with depression, the study was cut short due to the severity of reactions within the first 13 patients tested. The outcome showed that individuals with mood disorders were particularly sensitive to aspartame and recommended that it be avoided by them. Headaches: Three randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled studies with more than 200 adult migraine sufferers showed that headaches were more frequent and more severe in the aspartame-treated group.Instead: Try Stevia or Brown Rice SyrupPAM: Cooking SprayThe oil isn’t organic, meaning chemical solvents could be found in trace amounts in the fatty liquid. PAM also uses propellants, including isobutane and propane, for the spraying action.Instead: Use your own high-quality cooking oils and buy a refillable pump sprayerLow-Fat, Non-Organic Milk:Non-organic dairy cows are given constant doses of antibiotics to ward off infection in their cramped, unclean living conditions, and growth hormones to increase their milk supply. Both antibiotics and growth hormones can be found in trace amounts in non-organic dairy products.Dairy consumption has been linked with higher rates of prostate and breast cancers, heart disease and Type 2 Diabetes. Symptoms of milk-protein allergy include asthma, cough, runny nose, sinus infections and recurring ear infections.Instead: Use any other plant milk like almond, hemp, rice or soyPLASTIC LEMONS: pasteurized lemon juiceThe Vitamin C or ascorbic acid levels are greatly reduced in this “convenience food,” so you'll get more flavor and health benefits from a real lemon. Acidic foods like lemon juice can also degrade the plastic and leach chemicals into the juice.Instead: Try real lemons and juice them.GATORADE: electrolyte replacement sports drinkHigh fructose corn syrup, numerous other sugars, and food colorings added to enhance “flavor perception” are just a few of the ingredients in this drink. Skip the mind-bending excito-toxins and added sweeteners.Instead: Try young coconut water or those little Emercen-C packets and water.