Trying to lose weight? Stop drinking soda
Did you know there are 450 different types of soda sold in the United States today? If you're like many Americans, chances are you've had one already today. In fact, the average American drinks 18 ounces -- 2 full glasses -- of soda a day. Two glasses, that's not so bad, right? Wrong. Recently, a That's Fit blogger wrote about what happens when you drink a coke, and another wrote about how quickly liquid calories add up. In fact, according to this article at AOL's 30-day Jumpstart, two glasses a day could help you pack on a whopping 24 pounds a year.
Not only do they pack on calories, sugary liquids in general add on pounds in a hurry. Because they pass through the stomach more quickly, they don't seem to register fullness like food does. The sweet in soda is high fructose corn syrup. Studies have found that, unlike other carbs, corn syrup doesn't trigger the hormones that tell us we're full. You could drink a day's worth of calories in soda and still feel hungry. And what is all the high fructose corn syrup doing to your internal organs? Your pancreas has to dump out increasingly larger loads of insulin to help the body process all that sugar. In the long run, this can put you at risk for Type II diabetes. As if that wasn't reason enough, soda also erodes the enamel on your teeth and may contribute to bone loss.
Don't worry, you say, I only drink sports drinks. Not so fast -- with nearly as many empty calories, sports drinks have ownership in this problem too. Unless you're vigorously working out, you don't need them. Diet sodas seem like a good alternative, but look at this recent study and you may rethink that Diet Coke as well. Not only that, it appears diet drinks are just as bad for your teeth as full-calorie soda.
Luckily, Americans seem to be waking up to this problem. We're taking soda machines out of our schools and sales have dipped ever so slightly. So, if you want to cut your soda habit, what are your options? There is a perfect diet beverage out there -- water. It's an excellent thirst quencher, calorie and sugar free, and has no unhealthy side effects. Not only that, your body needs and and it's virtually free.
I managed to give up soda several years ago, and now mostly just drink water. I had good incentive to give it up -- my first pregnancy -- so it wasn't difficult, but I can imagine a hard-core soda habit would be hard to break. Does anyone out there have any tips for those who want to quit? If you broke the habit, how did you do it?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-13-2007 @ 1:20PM
Christina said...
Sports drinks, if you're referring to the Gatorade/Powerade type, actually usually contain half the calories or less than a same-size soda serving. They're about 50 calories per 8 ounces, while soda is around 100.
While water is healthy, some people just don't like things so plain.
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1-26-2007 @ 2:47PM
Leah said...
I gave up soda about a month ago. I've been a "die-hard" coke/pepsi drinker for the past 15 years. In fact - I can't believe I'm saying this - it was the only thing I EVER drank. I used to hate the lack of taste in water. I'm actually a really healty eater and I exercise. Soda was my one "vice," so to speak. However, now in my mid-30s, I'm starting to see the pounds pack on. In the last 5 years, I've gone from a normal (for me) size 2 to a size 8 - and I know it is all soda. One day I just decided that enough was enough and stopped drinking soda cold turkey. (Mind you - I chose to do this during a week off from work because I knew it would be hard to function at my normal levels.) The first two or three days were pretty miserable. I was completely going through detox. Major headaches. Burning hot one second. Freezing cold the next. I've never taken any drugs, but I imagine this is similar to detoxing off of controlled-substances. Once the detoxing side effects calmed down, I almost immediately noticed how much better I felt in general. My mind was more alert, my skin was more 'tingly,' and I was sleeping better through the nights. (I used to get up at least once every night - and always woke up tired). I have had a few sodas over the past few weeks (maybe 5 total) and I have not been able to finish one of them. I now can strongly taste the sugar and I really don't enjoy them the same way I used to. In place of the sodas, I've been squeezing a fresh lemon wedge in a glass of seltzer. I do drink water, but I prefer the bubbles in the seltzer - and the lemon gives it a nice refreshing kick. In four weeks time, I have lost 11 pounds....just by not drinking soda. I haven't exercised any differently. I haven't changed my eating habits. The only thing that has changed is my soda intake. I'm really looking forward to losing even more weight. But, I am now a true believer in the damaging effects of sodas and the weight you gain drinking them. Try seltzer with lemon...it could change everything!
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