I am new to altering my diet for my healths sake. I have been sick a very long time. I have two kids, 11 and 6 (quite a handful). I have fibro and lupus amoung other things.

Most days the must do's in a day are all I can do, get the kids to school and fed ect. As I grow and adjust in and to my illness' I am now trying to implement more healthy choices (as I can) like a better diet.

I chose to start by eliminating coke from my diet. It was my best friend. I have told all my doctors I think it is the only med for me that actually has helped in anyway. The calories however are too high and I drank way too much of it. Years ago I was on many diets many times and failed so this time I am starting slowly and careful and making small adjustments at a time. The dive in headfirst has never worked for me.

Because I grew up drinking soda, and never really drank any water, I find drinking water to be a very nauseating experience. So I have begun to include more water in my diet but also needed a beverage to help transition me from cokeaholic to water drinker. So I have been drinking a variety of things.

There are fibro boards very much like these boards on the web to help fbromites and over the years I have heard many people talk about how bad aspartame made them feel. I now 100% agree. I had some equel packets here had used a few, not felt well and stoped. Felt better. Restarted them and feeling horrible. In my mind I have no doubt the aspartame has sent me flaring again. Never again will I use aspartame.

I mainly wanted to post here today for other fibromites who may not have heard of the connection between fibro and aspartame. I do realize many low carbers are against artificial sweetening of any kind. I am also already using many of the tricks to help me increase my water amount while easing the nausea. But for me slow and steady wins the race.

I hope this helps someone.

Suzi