Time for another food related rant. Stick around to the end for my suggested solution (see I’m not just spouting off problems everyone should already be aware of… I can tell y’all how to fix it!)
What’s in soda pop?
(Regular) High fructose corn syrup. Effects of high fructose corn syrup are fairly simple and devious… it blocks the chemicals in your brain that signal that you are full, medically speaking: “it inhibits leptin secretion and it never shuts off gherin.” says Dr. Oz. Since your brain is convinced there is room for more, you keep drinking. If you are not careful, there will be more unnoticed calories entering than you keep track of, which leads to over eating/drinking. It’s a cheap sugar substitute to keep those Dr. Peppers flowing into your glass on a warm summer day.
(Diet) Artificial sweeteners replace natural sugars with modified substances that resemble sugar in their taste but the molecules are different. And they are different enough that the digestive system cannot break them down to burn like sugar (this is why diabetics can consume them without adverse affects to blood sugar levels). Some studies have indicated aspartame, one of the most common soda sweeteners, has caused increased migraines, depression in patience with mood disorders, increased hunger is a possibility but further research is needed. The new player on this team is sucralose, aka Splenda, nearly zero calories and is not fully absorbed by the digestive system. This is not a cousin of sugar (sucrose) as many believe, this was a precipitate found while developing an insecticide. It’s pure chemical, not pure sugar. Did you know chlorine is found in sucralose? One cup of Splenda contains 96 calories and 32 grams of carbohydrates, this is due to the other artificial sweeteners added to sucralose to make Splenda. Sucralose is not free from side-effects either, there are reports of digestive problems, skin irritation, mood swings, chest pains and anxiety. No wonder I feel wired after a can of Coke Zero.
Fizzy phosphorus carries away calcium. Less calcium means weaker bones and possibly osteoporosis later on in life.
The acidity eats away on your tooth enamel, causing cavities.
What to do if you are hooked on soda?
I won’t tell you to drop it, you will have to steadily decrease your consumption. This is especially important if you like caffeinated pop. Your system will go into caffeine withdrawal and you will most likely end up with a migraine. While I’m not a health professional, I’ve learned from experience. I was drinking Pepsi daily at work before I got pregnant with Big Brother. As soon as I found out I was expecting, I stopped eating all the bad things (at least I thought were bad, not like wine or beer – caffeine!). I had such terrible head aches! Instead of a full stop I weaned myself and drank plenty of water. Surprisingly, water makes you feel full faster than soda. Well, duh it doesn’t have HFC in it! The sad thing is, soda remains dirt cheap. Not only in the supermarkets but on menus too. And most restaurants refill soda for free. Water from the tap is free, but might not taste a fresh as say the Columbia Icefield run-off. You don’t need to buy bottles of water either, keep reading.
Help a pop-crazy friend with a cool gift!
Water is the best thing for your body, we’re made up of a lot of it. Stay fresh and hydrated with a cool earth-friendly water.org bottle. I already have a Brita water bottle with filter like this one.
I bought it for Big Brother who started school in the nasty hot weather we had this summer. In Texas, the water can quickly take on “earthy” properties that are not appealing to my nordic taste buds. This bottle solved that problem and I knew my little one had clean water while away at school.
And just because Matt Damon is awesome, here is a video:
Matt Damon as Clause for a Cause
Sources: Medicinenet.com Cleaner Plate Club Health Regeneration
Wow, really interesting. Thanks for the info!
Excellent post. I haven’t had a soda in decades. I didn’t grow up drinking it much. I also didn’t grow up eating fast food either. I can honestly say I’ve had very few health issues in my life. You are what you eat, and your body runs efficiently if you put good fuel in it. It’s a choice.
If more people were like us there wouldn’t be an obesity problem in this country! The only pop in our house growing up was home made root beer, otherwise we had milk or orange juice. I’m always helping my kids make a good choice and make note of it to them when they do. I don’t want them going off to college (far off, I know, but you gotta start young) thinking McD’s is suitable food for everyday consumption – that’s just wrong!
What are your favorite dishes to prepare?
Thanks for a clear and compelling reminder to stay away from soda! I’ve also found if I simply add lemon slices to my water I can break the temptation for sweet drinks.
I like tea (hot or cold, black or green), so this will suffice as a pop-replacement.
Thanks for the reminder on the evils of soda. Fortunately I don’t drink it very often. I loved the Matt Damon video, but I’m glad those kids don’t know who he is. At their age they shouldn’t be watching any of his movies.
They should have some clue who he is… he was one of the voice actors in Titan A.E. and his next film is about rebuilding a zoo, geared towards families 🙂
I love bubbly water, hate sweet drinks, cannot drink pepsi or coke to save myself but i love bubbly water so i have a soda stream! It is a great little bubble making machine.. and the gas lasts for ages! good rant though. i give this rant frequently but you have given me more facts to rant with !! thank you.. c
My father is a chemist so I’ve been told all about chemicals and what they do since I was little. He doesn’t stress it as much these days. I have cousins who, while in their younger years drank liters upon liters of Coke everyday. Pop has always been a treat in my mind, it can easily be overindulged. I’ve seen those soda stream machines here, have you tried many flavors? That might be the way to get Hubby on board!
Very important information. It amazes me how our culture embraces these terrible products. I gave up my afternoon Coke Zero a couple of years ago. I sometimes mix sparking water with a little juice when craving a sweet fizz.
I also like fizzy orange juice (virgin mimosa?!) It’s a great way to feel like you’re drinking something special 😛
I never liked soda, and now I know why 😉 Thanks for posting!!!