The Effects Of Soda In The Body
I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but soda is absolutely poison to your body! If there is one thing you can do this year in 2017, just kick your soda habit to the curb. Soda wreaks havoc on your body and has been linked to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease (just to name a few). You will REAP the benefits ten fold, and you will feel so much better when you avoid this sugary drink. I believe that what you put into your body dictates your health, and your quality of life.
I watched a documentary on Sugar called "Fed Up" on Netflix with my husband, and we were almost left speechless. I am a lover of sweets, so it was hard to watch! One thing that stood out to me the most was Soda Pop, and the amount of sugar it contains. If you can cut down on anything let it be this! To be clear, diet soda is just as bad or WORSE for you than regular soda.
What Happens When Soda Passes Your Lips
The burn from the carbonation has passed your lips, and your brain has been alerted of the sugar rush! The moment that soda is swallowed, your pancreas is notified and begins to quickly create insulin in response to the sugar rush coming into your body. Insulin is a hormone that the body will use to move sugar from the food or drink you consumed right into the bloodstream. The cells in your body use that sugar for energy. About 20 minutes later, your blood sugar levels will have completely spiked forcing your liver to respond to the insulin spike by turning that sugar into FAT for storage.
Overtime, if this process continues to happen at such an elevated rate (the body consuming way too much sugar) your body will lose its ability to create insulin on its own. You will then be diagnosed with Diabetes. This is a more common diagnosis in today's society than ever before. That is just plain scary.
Facts About Soda
1 teaspoon of sugar equals 4 grams of sugar
A 20 oz. bottle of soda contains the equivalent of 16 teaspoons of sugar like the one shown below. The American Heart Association recommends that both kids and adults consume no more than 5-9 teaspoons PER DAY.
1 can of soda is equivalent to 10 teaspoons per day, as illustrated below.
Diet soda contains artificial sweeteners like aspartame, saccharine, and Sucralose have the SAME effect on your insulin levels as white sugar. When your insulin levels are triggered, so is your fat storage thus causing weight gain.
When you drink diet soda, or regular soda on a daily basis you set yourself up for Type 2 diabetes. There is just no way to "sugar coat" this to make it sound better.
Soda contains ZERO nutritional value, and is FULL of empty calories. It also does a number on your teeth.
Finally, it hurts your heart in the long run and sets you up for Osteoporosis. Soda has been proven to decrease your bone density overtime.
Okay... I feel like I have driven a point to how bad Soda is for you, but how can you cut back?
Tips On Cutting Back
1. Set Goals
I don't know about you, but I do love myself some cookies and milk at night! I have never ever been a soda drinker thank goodness, but I do love sweets in other forms. Set realistic goals for yourself, and try to stick with them. Don't eat sweets every single night, instead try for 2 nights a week and really make it a "treat." It is hard to just go cut out SODA all together, so set goals and try to stick with them! Overtime you will be able to let go of your daily soda routine.
2. Be Mindful
There are so many different avenues that sugar can hide in our seemingly healthy foods. Low fat items are LOADED with extra sugar, so be careful and check the labels of yogurts, bars, juices, and crackers. These are prime suspects for sugar. alongside of the obvious soda. Cereals are loaded with extra sugar too! I like to stay under 8 grams of sugar on the labels of any cereal I buy.
3. Watch Your Drinks
As noted above, soda and other juice drinks can leave you triple over your daily sugar limit in the blink of an eye. Why not just hydrate your body with water, and then drink your favorite soda or juice every once and awhile. This will help you gain control when trying not to go over your sugar allotment for the day.
There are too many people suffering from many different health issues, and it can be solved with a simple fix. Stop Drinking Soda Pop, and Cut Down On Sugar! Of course the Soda companies are going to market their drinks as an enhancement to your life with smiling women and men popping the tab of a nice fizzy drink in effort to make you crave one. Don't believe this lie, and remember that it contains NOTHING good for you, and completely wreaks havoc on your insides.
LIFE HACK: Use your Coca Cola (that you won't be drinking) to take oil stains off of your driveway, or clean car batteries that have become corroded!
Cheers to a healthier 2017!
xoxo Lauren Nicole
