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Put Down That Soda!!

Posted By: Jeff Williams on 12/16/2011

This morning I found a couple of interesting articles relating to things we drink.  Two of the major beverages that we consume daily are coffee and soda.  Soda comes in many sizes, shapes, brands, and other varieties that can have you wondering what you are truly drinking.  Everyone has their opinion on soda as well.  If you bring up the topic, you will most likely hear such things like "Well, diet soda causes you to gain weight" as your great-aunt next to you is pounding down 44 ounces of Diet Coke.  The other instance would be "I need my caffeine fix" as your brother has three empty cans of regular Pepsi right in front of him that he consumed in the matter of 30 minutes.  Well, at least this is how it goes with the Williams family.

The interesting piece is that these thoughts are not uncommon.  Their are many people throughout the country who believe these two quotes and live by them.  There have been many studies to determine whether diet soda does have negative effects on putting the pounds on and for the most part, these studies have been pretty conclusive.  Does regular Pepsi have enough caffeine to get you jumpstarted?  The answer is yes, but is it the natural or best way to get the job done?  Say it with me, NO! 

Reading this article in the Wall Street Journal made me realize that not only are we drinking empty calories, but the amount of empty calories that you are drinking is about 10% of your daily intake.  This right here just goes to show how drinking three 20 ounce sodas a day can kill about one fourth of your daily caloric intake.  Sounds pretty bad huh?

Also in this article, I found it interesting that the people from the American Journal of Public Health did an intersting study at local convenience stores.  It gave the daily values for specific aspects (i.e. sugar, calories, caffeine, etc.) in an attempt to diminish the sales of these sugary, non-beneficial drinks.  According to the research, it dropped the sales by 40-50% in those specific markets.  Just think of what it could do to a local grocery store or 7-11.  They may not want them there, but it could make them buy other things and not diminish their sales. 

My thoughts are avoid soda at all costs.  One here and there is okay, but is it truly benficial?  There are better sources to get your thirst quenched, but let's be realistic here, it's not what you need. 

As we go into the last part of the holiday season, think about the choices you have and remember that it could show up on the scale and be a big adverse effect on your daily diet and calorie intake.  Tame the beast and avoid the fountain or shiny glass windows that shout to you "DRINK MOUNTAIN DEW!!!!"  I've done it, but it took me some time.  Just remember that slow and steady always wins the race!!!!

Enjoy your holiday,

Jeff Williams