Whole Life Times: Find Your Truth

August 2005 | Letters from Readers

Find Your Truth

Love the One You Are
This is in response to Layne Redmond’s “As Others See Me” (July ‘05). I am a 45 year-old woman who still looks good in a bikini. While I have noticed a decline in the overwhelming abundance of male attention I used to get, I still attract a lot of men of all ages. I choose to believe I’m beautiful and will always be attractive. Beauty is a state of mind, spirit and self-esteem. Midlife has taught me to love and respect myself—something I did not do when I was younger. I stay fit, take good care of myself emotionally and physically. Naturally I see more wrinkles, more flesh, more gray hairs; but when I look in the mirror I think to myself, “What I fine woman you are.” While it is always nice to receive a compliment, I don’t need to wait for someone else to validate my beauty.

LA seems to be the worst place for those who don’t feel good about themselves. LA is all about celebrity, youth, diets, plastic surgery and perfection. On my recent trip to Northern California, I felt a wonderful sense of normality. It was so refreshing.
—Arlene Nicoletti, Sherman Oaks

Read Between the Calories

I am writing in regards to Rebecca Ephraim’s June 2005 column, “Sugarcoating Splenda.” Ephraim’s column misinforms readers with unsubstantiated claims and damaging distortions about the safety of SPLENDA® Brand Sweetener.

Ephraim is correct when stating that health and safety have little or nothing to do with the Sugar Association’s elaborate public relations campaign and lawsuit against the SPLENDA® Brand. She is right—“they’re worried about their livelihoods.” It is a great disservice to the millions of consumers who use and enjoy SPLENDA® Brand products every day and it is important that your readers know the facts.

The truth is, since its introduction over a decade ago, millions of people have safely enjoyed products made with sucralose, the sweetening ingredient in SPLENDA® Brand products. It is one of the most tested food ingredients ever introduced and its safety has been confirmed by regulatory authorities in more than 80 countries worldwide. An extensive database of scientific research of over 100 studies conducted over a period of 20 years demonstrates that sucralose has no harmful effects and is safe for everyone, including people with diabetes, children and pregnant women.

We stand confidently behind our product and its exemplary safety record. We recommend that consumers look to qualified sources of information about our brand, starting with splenda.com and splendatruth.com.
—Monica Neufang, Director of Communications, McNeil Nutritionals, LLC

Grateful Sun Worshipers

I just read Kelly Hearns article on safe sunning (“Loving the Sun, June ’05) ... and want to send a big “mahalo” (thank you) for publishing this article. It affirms what I have long believed to be true: that smothering our skin with a chemical cocktail every time we go outside can’t possibly be a good idea.

As a Caucasian resident of Hawaii, I am concerned about the potential for sun damage to my skin. My policy is to limit my time in the sun to what I know my skin will tolerate, and, especially in summer, avoid being out much in the mid-day hours. I use sunscreen if I know exposure is going to exceed my tolerance, but if I don’t think I’ll need it, I prefer to do without. I also use an anti-oxidant rich (natural) lotion after sun exposure, and now I’ll start using it before I go out, too.

As you can imagine, well-meaning friends and relatives have been known to hassle me about not using more sun protection, to which I reply: “I bet that sometime in the next 10 years we’re going to find out that sunscreens cause as much or more damage to the skin than the sun does.” So glad to know I’m not the only one who thinks this way.
—S.R.S., Maui

Last year I read a suggestion to use Vitamin C powder as a sunscreen. Mix it with water, and apply the paste to your skin. I haven’t figured out how to make the powder completely dissolve, so it feels a little gritty, but it works far better than any commercial sunscreen I’ve tried. The first day I tried it, my son and I were at a festival for four hours and didn’t get even a slight tan line. The benefit of vitamin C rather than chemicals is obvious!
—Karen Smith, La Canada

More Chemo Alternatives

I loved your piece on Ann Fonfa and the others (“Beating Breast Cancer” July ’05). Please take a look at this website: breastcanceralternatives.org.
—Lynne, via email

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