Kicking soda is one of the best actions you can take to drop fat and feel better, but it’s also one of the hardest actions for many people. Americans are often addicted to the caffeine or sweet pick-me-up of an afternoon soda. In Texas, they even drink warm Dr. Pepper instead of coffee.
Mmm, yeah?
Regular soda is an obvious culprit of weight gain. Whether the soda is sweetened with sugar, as in Europe, or high fructose corn syrup, as is common in most American sodas, it contains unnaturally high concentrations of liquid calories and throws the body’s hormone system out of balance. Research is inconclusive about whether high fructose corn syrup makes people fatter than sugar does – numerous studies exist that support both hypotheses – but no one can argue that drinking sugar is bad for your health.
Sugarstacks.com illustrates just what you are drinking from that can, as well as the sugar content of many other foods.
One can of 12 oz Coke contains 39g of sugar, and a 20 oz bottle has 65g of sugar. (Unfortunately, apple juice and orange juice have similar amounts of sugar, and while you may argue that fruit sugars are natural, they never exist in nature in such high concentrations. If you want something sweet, it’s best to eat the fruit!) Add the fact that the corn syrup is probably made of genetically modified corn, which has never been proven to be safe, and who knows what that soda is doing to you?
Diet soda is bad for you in different ways. Humans are hardwired to enjoy sweetness, and sweet cravings can only be quelled by staying away from sweet tastes for a long enough period of time to reset your perception of sweetness. Eating sweets makes you want more sweets, so a diet soda makes it harder for you to resist that chocolate chip cookie that your officemate baked and brought in. Nutritionally, studies exist that link diet soda to obesity, but the body of research is again inconclusive. In any case, artificial sweeteners are chemicals made in a lab, and while the FDA has certified them as safe for human consumption, the long-term effects could be much worse than thought at the time of the approval. Need evidence? Rising cancer rates can be attributed to many things, but the presence of unnatural ingredients in our food supply is certainly correlated with decreases in the nation’s health.
If you are still drinking soda, do yourself a favor and join our FIZZ OUT! challenge. Starting on November 12, your challenge is to go for 21 days without drinking soda, juice, or any artificially sweetened beverage. You may see a big improvement in how you feel, and what do you have to lose?
Sign up in the gym to commit, and join the Facebook Group for mutual support.
Q&A
Q: If I’m not supposed to drink soda or juice, what can I drink?
A: Water, water with lemon or lime, water with cucumber…it’s not very exciting but you will get used to it, and your body will thank you. Technically seltzer water is okay if you make it yourself and don’t add salt, but for the purposes of the Fizz Out, you’re best off omitting it entirely.
Q: What about tea and coffee?
A: Only unsweetened. Be careful with cream as well – most “creamers” are corn syrup or corn solids, so if you usually put cream in your coffee, your best bet is a splash of whipping cream (not skim, which has proportionally more sugar and none of the fats that help with satiety).
Q: Can I drink protein shakes?
A: Protein shakes: most of these contain sweeteners, so no, except for the plain unflavored whey variety (which is not terribly appetizing).
Q: Why 21 days?
A: One week is not enough time to get the effects, and quitting cold turkey forever is hard to do. Three weeks is more manageable and will give your system time to become more sensitive to sweetness (assuming you’re not eating a lot of other sweets…toss the rest of the Halloween candy!)
Q: Beer? Mixers?
A: Not during Fizz Out. The NorCal Margarita is an option after your 21 days.
Q: Are you seriously telling me not to drink wine on Thanksgiving?
A: No, that’s taking it too far. However, you should stick to red wine – a medium-bodied pinot noir or beaujolais go well with turkey – and avoid riesling or other sweet wines. No port or cream sherry, sorry.
Q. Tell me again why I should do this…
A: If you are drinking sugared sodas, you should see some weight loss. By retraining your body to be sensitive to sweet tastes, you will be able to appreciate your food more, and you will feel better without the extra chemicals!
