Thursday, April 23, 2009

We are what we DRINK


Something that took me by surprise that my nutritionist had me change was drinking soda. I knew drinking soda of course wasn't the best thing in the world for my body, but being Diabetic, my Kidney's are already poor from the imbalance of my sugars. Drinking soda would just damper their use even more. This definitely doesn't just apply to the Diabetics. The average American drinks 192 gallons of liquid a year-which is about 2 liters a day. We all know the sugary damage regular soda's can do for you, but what about those diet sodas? I'm sure your asking yourself "What's wrong with zero calorie drinks?". Well, I have 3 good reasons why drinking any kind of soda, whether it be diet or regular are probably not the best choice of liquid for your body.


Reason #1- Just because diet soda is low in calories, doesn't mean it can't lead to weight gain. It may only have 5 or fewer calories per serving, but some studies suggest that drinking sugary-tasting beverages, even if they're artificially sweetened, may lead to a high preference for sweetness overall. That means sweeter cereal, bread, dessert-everything. Considering there are 15 calories in every teaspoon of sugar, that's not the best news if you're watching your weight.


Reason #2- So not only are you drinking absolutely zero nutrition when you have a diet soda, but you're also using up that empty space in your stomach that could be used for something better in value when it comes to nutrition. Water of course it always the perfect option, but also switch it up with some natural V8 Juice or even a cup of Low-Fat Milk is better because your at least getting the nutrients and antioxidants. One diet soda a day of course isn't going to do much damage, but if your downing 4-6 cans a day....it might be something you should take into consideration of working on to change.


Reason #3-There is always that Aspartame controversy that has everyone a little scared of eating sugar-alternatives. Me and Brad researched Splenda, because I still wanted to taste sweetness on a daily basis but also heard the negative about it. All of the sugar alternatives such as Splenda, Aspartame, etc. passed the FDA and after hearing all the controversy they actually tested them again, and still passed. So they seem to be safe, but they found some side effects such as dizziness, headaches, diarrhea, memory loss, and mood changes that were linked to sugar-alternatives.


Over all, it's just better for your health and energy to replace those non-nutritional drinks for something that would better benefit you and your health. They say it takes 32 cups of water to compensate for 1 soda. Little changes like this in your diet will be a smarter and over all more beneficial way of life.

3 comments:

Kenna said...

This does not go with this post, but it kind of goes with a previous post. I have a question about salad dressings. You said none are the greatest for you, but if you did have one which would be the best?

The Diabetic Diet said...

Hey Kenna-good question:). Always go with anything Vinegrette or Balsamic. I always get Light Italian Dressing from the grocery store. It has the least amount of fat grams and carbs. The thinner the dressing, the better off you are because it's mostly oils which is better for you. Hope that helps you out!

us said...

Hey.. have you ever tried the natural sweetener "Stevia?" Its made from some type of plant.. You can get it at your health food store. Good stuff and good for you! Try it out.