The Truth about Soda – Finally!

Yahoo had a story today about the detrimental affects of soda on the body, particularly the immune system.  I know, it’s sad that Yahoo is my news source at times, but I turned on my PC and ‘whoop there it was.’  So anyway, they did a good job explaining the many problems with drinking too much soda.  And here, ladies and gentleman, are a few truths about soda:

• Soda leads to an increase in insulin, which in turn weakens the immune system.  This is a great point for those that have chronic health challenges.  If you’re drinking soda, chances are it’s interfering with whatever you’re doing to try and get better.

• Soda has tons of sugar, which leads to obesity.  Drink too much soda and you gain weight.  Enough said.

• The sugar in soda leads to stored fat and increases risks for heart disease, diabetes,and cancer just to name a few.  So, not only do you get a few extra pounds, but you could get sick as well.

• That nice bubbly texture is actually carbonation which can deplete calcium from the body and increase risks of osteoporosis.

Bottom line:  sugar isn’t good for you folks. No matter how you slice it, whether it’s regular or diet soda, it’s all the same.

What should you do instead?  Drink water, of course.  I have friends that complain that water is just too bland.   So here are a few tips to make it a bit more exciting:

• Buy mineral water and add a touch of lemon, tangerine, basil, mint leaves or agave nectar to sweeten it (not too much)

• If you’re addicted to the sweet taste of soda, you may want to try and wean yourself off slowly by mixing water with something like Crystal Lite until you can just move to 100% water.  This can be done with juice as well.  Be careful not to substitute the sugar in soda with the sugar or artificial sweeteners in other beverages out there.

Giving up soda may sound like a monumental task, but it’s easier than you think.  When I was a child, we bought two 12 packs of soda and sometimes a few liters that we would drink during the week.  I don’t know what  was worse, the sugar in the koolaid or the soda.  Anyways, once I got braces when I was 13 and I had to give up soda.  At first, I was a bit nervous, but I found it was easier than I thought.

Give it a shot and let me know how it goes.