Aspartame (often called Nutrasweet) is a controversial food additive used to sweeten "diet" products artificially. The product has a long history of causing severe health problems. Along with MSG (monosodium glutamate) and MSG-like food additives, aspartame is in a class of compounds known as "excitotoxins". These excitotoxins basically excite brain cells until they die. In other words, each serving of MSG or aspartame has the potential to cause a little bit of brain damage, which becomes cumulative and could eventually lead to Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's, or other neurological diseases.

Aspartame is especially controversial, as laboratory tests BEFORE it was approved showed that it caused brain lesions, cancer, death, and a number of other serious health problems. The substance was originally rejected by the FDA, but later Donald Rumsfeld (the current Secretary of Defense) went to work for Searle with the goal of having aspartame approved. Since its approval, brain cancer rates have risen, although a portion of those cases may be due to the explosion of cell phone usage at around the same time. Aspartame is the substance the FDA receives most complaints about, with a range of known side effects including birth defects, cancer, and death. I was appalled one day while listening to an NPR radio talk show host, an MD, tell a pregnant woman that it was OK to drink aspartame. This was after her family doctor had told her to avoid aspartame/Nutrasweet while pregnant. He mentioned that a lot of internet web sites claimed aspartame was bad, but that he didn't "think" there were any problems.

For those who think that aspartame, MSG, and other excitotoxins are only exposed on the internet by conspiracy theorists, I recommend a book by a respected neurosurgeon: Excitotoxins; The Taste that Kills by Russell Blaylock, MD. Blaylock's book is excellent, not only explaining basic brain physiology and how excitotoxins destroy brain cells, but also how one can protect oneself from some of the damage by excitotoxins. He also informs the reader of "code words" manufacturers use on food labels that really mean MSG or MSG-like compounds.

Traditional Scottish Recipes
- Gluten Free Scones
A number of chefs and restaurants are catering these days for the specific dietary requirements of the the growing number of people who are diagnosed as suffering from coeliac disease. The only effective treatment is a lifelong diet from which gluten is absent. Craig McAlpine, who is a coeliac, is the former winner of Channel 4's "Come Dine With Me" and now runs Edinburgh based company Home Cuisine. Craig takes every opportunity to promote coeliac recipes; he runs cookery courses and does cookery demonstrations on TV channel, Ideal World and is also passionate about Slow Food and using locally sourced produce. This is one of his recipes

Ingredients:

Gluten-free Flour - 8 ounces (250g or 2 US cups) Gluten-free flour. (Glutafin Pastry works well as it has less raising agents)

Baking Powder - one teaspoon

One Egg, beaten.

Melted Butter - 1 ounce (25g, quarter US stick

Yogurt or butter milk - 8 ounces (250ml or one US cup).

Method:
Mix the egg, melted butter and yogurt/buttermilk together well. Place the dry ingredients into a bowl and slowly add the wet infredients. Beat well until the mixture is smooth and is of dropping consistency.
Allow to stand for ten minutes. Using a spoon, drop dollopes of the mixture into a hot, well-greased, non-stick pan. Cook until bubbles begin appearing on the top and the underside is golden. Flip and cook until the second side is golden also.
Serve with fresh fruit or berries, Greek yogurt, maple syrup - or just simply with butter.