SODA

A lot of people that I have talked to, mentioned that part of their weight-loss plan includes eliminating Soda from their diets. I thought I would post a few thoughts to enforce that idea and to emphasize how much taking that step could help you.

Lots of Sugar in a Small Package!! Most regular, non-diet sodas, contains high amounts of high-fructose corn syrup, a man-made substitute for sugar. Basically, corn syrup undergoes some different processes to turn it into a sweetener. It is used in many foods because it is cheaper that other sweeteners and acts as a preservative. Some people argue that it is much worse for our health than pure sugar because of the chemical processes it undergoes (*corn growers and some researchers disagree*), and that it adds high amounts of calories with no nutrition. This is generally believed to be true with most foods. It's not the corn that is the main problem, but the more refined something is- the less healthy it is for you! Either way, high amounts of sugar in any form are not good for our body and play a big role in weight-gain. The typical 8 oz. can of regular coke contains 97 calories, 27 carbs, and 33 mg of sodium... all big players. Now how many pop-drinkers only drink one 8 oz. can a day? That is where the problem lies. Many people are probably drinking hundreds of calories a day, taking their totals way over the amount that they need.

No Sugar, So What's the Problem? Diet Soda... Heaven Sent? Maybe, Maybe Not. An initial glance at the back of a diet soda container makes it seem as if it is a much more satisfying version of water. 1 Calorie or less, and 0 carbs. Sweet right? Well, that's one of the big concerns, how does it still get it's taste? The answer is high amounts of an alternative sweetner, aspartame (which some people argue is very bad for you), along with other addatives. You'll find that while the calories and carbs are low, the numbers are usually high in other categories to make up for it. There have been many studies recently about the effects of diet soda. On study found that adults drink regular or diet soda have a 50% higher risk of metabolic syndrome (high blood sugar, high blood pressure, high triglyderides and obesity). Another study found that drinking even one diet soda a day, increased the risk of being overweight by 41%. (info from: http://health.discovery.com/national-body-challenge/articles/whats-so-bad-about-diet-soda.html and http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20050613/drink-more-diet-soda-gain-more-weight). Possible reasons? Some nutritional experts believe that these low calorie drinks may be messing with our minds and bodies. The sweet taste may confuse us, and there is a chance that our body will still produce insulin with the presence of that taste even if there are no calories. Also, we may overeat as a result of thinking we have those 'free' calories in the soda to make up for.

With all of those facts and controversies laid out, here are a few more personal notes. After the first week of the "Biggest Loser" challenge that I participated in, during our nutrition class, one of the women reported that she had lost 6 pounds the first week, and the only major thing that she had changed was that she stopped drinking soda. I'm sure this result was unique to her, and not typical of everyone who drinks soda on a regular basis, but I think it is a good example of what an impact drinking soda has on our weight.

When I do go through phases of drinking of lot of Diet Dr. Pepper, I feel much more bloated, which I think is probably a result of the high sodium content. Sodium helps your body retain water. Too much of it can lead to problems like high blood pressure. I've heard that lot of marathon runners and triathletes will eat a lot of sodium-rich foods prior to a race to help them retain water and prevent dehydration. On the other hand, most of us aren't looking to retain more water than we need, so cutting down our sodium intake should help that a lot.

I'm not trying to demonize soda, I looooove Dr. Pepper, but now that I know more about it, I try to treat it as a very occasional treat, and not a staple of my diet. Like many other sweets, it is something that we generally know is bad for us, but we eat it anyway because it tastes good and is addictive! So I challenge all of you, at least for the next 6 weeks, to stay away from soda and see what kind of a difference it makes for you!