Carbonated DISASTER! Many Reasons to Give Up "POP"

I am going to give you a few reasons you might want to give up soda, or as Western New Yorker's say, "pop". It would be one of the best decisions you can make in regards to your health.

Drinking one 20-ounce bottle of soda is equivalent to pouring 17 teaspoons of sugar down your throat: 250 empty calories that contribute to obesity, osteoporosis, Type II diabetes, reflux, and more.

Even one soda (pop) per day increases your risk for obesity by 60%... and don't think you are off the hook by drinking diet soda either. Drinking diet soda is strongly correlated with being obese. Diet soda has 5 calories or fewer per serving, but emerging research seems to suggest that drinking sugary-tasting beverages, even artificially sweetened ones, appears to increase "sweet" cravings in humans. When we consume sweeter cereals, snacks, breads, and desserts, we tend to consume more calories, and eventually put on pounds.

A 2005 study, by Sharon P. Fowler and colleagues at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, showed that people who drink diet soda gain weight - lots of it. In fact, the research found, "There was a 41 percent increase in risk of being overweight for every can or bottle of diet soft drink a person consumes each day."

The sugar and acid bath you give your teeth when drinking soda causes weakening and breakdown of tooth enamel. This can happen in as little as 20 minutes. Remember the third grade science experiment of putting a tooth in a cola beverage? It dissolved in what seemed like a few short days.

Some of my clients have had a surprisingly difficult time giving up their carbonated beverages, with withdrawal symptoms similar to those of other addictions. Headache, irritability, muscle aches, and a spike in blood pressure are all commonly seen. Hang in there, this won't last long. Drinking lots of water and magnesium supplementation may help minimize headaches, muscle pain, and spikes in blood pressure.

In 1994 a Harvard Study of bone fractures in teen athletes found a strong association between cola beverage consumption and bone fractures. It is believed that soda leeches calcium from the bones in an attempt to buffer the body's acidity level from the phosphoric acid intake. Calcium won't ever buffer your risk for osteoporosis if carbonated beverages and excess sugar consumption are in your diet.

People who consume soda are at high risk for dehydration as they have a tendency not to drink enough water. This contributes to obesity and excess strain on the kidneys as well as other organs. Remember, half your body weight in ounces of water per day. Carbonated beverages and juice with high fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners do not count. Herbal tea does.

Consider this healthy resolution a permanent one. Give up one daily 20-ounce soda, and at the end of the year you'll save: 91,000 calories, 7,280 teaspoons of sugar and potentially lose up to 26 pounds of fat. Give up three daily 20-ounce bottles of soda, and at the end of the year you'll save: 273,000 calories, 21,840 teaspoons of sugar, and potentially lose up to 78 pounds of fat.

By replacing soda with water or herbal tea, you'll feel more energetic, satiated, lighter on your feet, less bloated, and less moody. What are you waiting for!

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