No Soda Week! April 30- May 6. That's right! One week...No Soda!
(This will be easy for
some and extremely hard for others!)
Soft drink
From Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia
A soft drink
(also referred to as soda, pop, soda pop or fizzy drink)
is a drink that typically contains no alcohol, though may contain small amounts[1] (typically less than 0.5% by volume) and is
usually referred to as a sugary drink. Soft drinks are often carbonated and commonly consumed while chilled or at room
temperature. Some of the most common soft drinks include cola,
flavored water, sparkling water, iced tea,sweet tea, sparkling lemonade (or other lemon-lime soft drinks),squash, fruit punch, root beer, orange soda, grape soda, cream soda, and ginger ale.
The term
"soft" is employed in opposition to "hard", i.e. drinks with high alcoholic content
by volume. Generally it is also implied that the drink does not contain milk
or other dairy products. Hot chocolate, hot tea,
coffee,tap water, juice, schorle or spritzer and milkshakes also do not fall into this classification.
Many carbonated soft
drinks are optionally available in versions sweetened with sugars or with non-caloric sweeteners, such as diet soda
Say No to Soda, Yes to
Healthy Drinks
Learn five reasons why
soda is bad for you and five healthy drinks that are better for quenching your
thirst.
Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III,
MD, MPH
"If you're choosing
a soda, chances are you aren't choosing a healthy beverage," says Keri M.
Gans, a nutrition consultant in New York City and a spokeswoman for the
American Dietetic Association. There are a number of healthy drink choices you
can make instead.
Why Say No to Soda?
·
Soda
is truly worthless to your body. "In my opinion, there's really one major reason to not drink
soda," Gans says. "It has absolutely no nutritional value. Soda is
filled with sugar and calories and nothing else." Even diet sodas — low to
no calories and sugar — don’t have any redeeming virtues, nutritionally.
Healthy drinks, on the other hand, have vitamins and minerals the body can use.
Even plain water can rehydrate your body without adding extra calories to your diet.
·
Sugary
sodas contribute to obesity and diabetes. Soda is loaded with high-fructose corn syrup, a sweetener that
has been linked to obesity. Soda consumption also has been linked to the
development of type 2 diabetes,
both due to its sugar content and its effects on the body's hormones. And diet
soda? It may not be any better. At least one study has linked artificial
sweeteners, such as those used in diet sodas, to increased appetite, greater
difficulty losing weight, and a harder time maintaining weight loss.
·
Soda
damages your teeth. The sugar in soda coats
your teeth, combining with bacteria in your mouth to form acid. Both regular
and diet soda also contain carbolic acid through carbonation. These acids work
to weaken tooth enamel, causing cavities and tooth decay.
·
Drinking
soda can weaken your bones.
Most sodas contain phosphorous and caffeine, agents that are believed to
contribute to osteoporosis. Experts also worry that people consume soda in
place of milk or other healthy drinks, depriving the bones of calcium.
·
Soda
can harm your major organs.
Research has demonstrated that increased soft drink consumption may be linked
to chronic kidney disease, development of metabolic syndrome (a group of
symptoms that add up to increased heart risk), and fatty liver, a chronic liver
disease.
Healthy Drink Alternatives
Luckily, there are limitless options when choosing a healthy drink
over a soda pop. Some soda
alternatives include:
- Water. It is the ultimate healthy drink. "It's free in every sense of the word," Gans says. "It has no calories and it comes straight from your tap."
- Fruit juice. Gans urges you not to drink straight fruit juice, which contains a lot of sugar. "Drink some seltzer with a splash of juice for a little flavoring," she says. "Rather than drinking juice, eat a piece of whole fruit. You're also getting the fiber in the fruit."
- Milk. This is another essential healthy drink, particularly for kids. "An 8-ounce glass of nonfat milk has 80 calories and nine essential nutrients," Gans says. "You get a lot of bang for your buck."
- Tea.
Whatever teas you prefer — green, black, herbal — they all have been shown
to contain high levels of antioxidants, which are believed to protect the
body from damage.
- Powdered drink mixes.
They contain no tooth-rotting carbonation, and come in sugar-free
varieties. They give your sweet tooth a fix without harming your overall
nutrition.
