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An Easy Way to Cut Soda Consumption in Half
| June 2, 2010 | |
| Jo Wehage : Head Operations Ego |
You probably already know that sodas (diet included) are not helping you down the path of optimal health, right? I thought so. Over the holiday weekend I was reminiscing with my sister-in-law about a favorite past time we both share; root beer floats. Oh yeah… I’ll probably never say never to a root beer float on a hot summer day.
At any rate, it got me to thinking about all the sugar I used to consume. Some estimates put the sugar consumption for an adult in the U.S. at over 200 pounds per year. Sadly, estimates are significantly higher for kids.
Fortunately for me I have been able to break my hold on my standard soda routine (take that Coca Cola) but I’ve noticed that hasn’t been so easy for a lot of people around me. When I consulted with wellness clients I used to ask them to try and make just that one change to start and they’d see some amazing results.
Not such an easy habit to break it seems.
Good news; I’ve recently discovered another way that might help ease the hold of soft drinks in your home. It’s simple, will allow you to keep the number of beverages you consume the same, but cut the consumption of soda’s nasty health-detracting ingredients in half.
You’ll be amazed at how this trick tastes like your full tilt soda. All you do is water down your soda of choice with club soda (or sparkling mineral water or seltzer).
Give it a shot. What do you have to lose but some pounds, insulin spikes, damaged cell membranes and neurotoxins (in the case of artificial sweeteners)?
Step 1: Pour soda to the ½ point of your glass.
Step 2: Add sparkling water to the second ½
Step 3: Enjoy and listen to your body rejoice in your accomplishment
Let’s face it; with many sodas north of 40 grams of sugar you’re still getting a whopping dose of sweetness that should satisfy your cravings.
Give it a try and see if you can wean yourself bit by bit. For me I can no longer drink a can of Coca Cola without feeling as if I’ve just swallowed pure syrup. I can’t hack it anymore and my body thanks me every day.
And remember, artificial sweeteners are no miracle either. There are numerous side effects noted in just about all of them (yes, even sucralose/splenda). Avoid and limit where you can.
Just for fun – here’s the sugar content of my past soda choices. Where might yours rank?
45 grams – Barq’s Root Beer
50 grams – Arizona Green Tea Energy (I used to pretend this was healthy!)
40.5 grams – Coca Cola Classic
41 grams – Pepsi, Caffeine Free
Holy cow, no wonder I felt like I did then!
Give it a shot and let me know how it goes for you.
[31 Comments] [31 Comments]
For my son’s sake, what are the negative effects on the body from soda (sugar), including caffeine free. I’ve heard that caffeine leaches vitamin D from bone which weakens them. I get the arguement that there’s no caffeine in caffeine-free soda, which brings up the sugar content.
Hi Marjorie. In my opinion, negative impacts include the acidity of the beverage (leeches calcium from the bones to buffer the acid load), the mineral imbalance caused by the overload of phosphorus (also pulls calcium from bones to balance), and depending on the soft drink choice a surge of sugar (leading to insulin spikes, pre-diabetic conditions and more fat storage and less fat burning) or a hefty dose of artificial sweeteners (typically aspartame which converts to neurotoxins). Aspartame, by the way, receives by far the most food & beverage complaints at the FDA. Sucralose is now a more popular sweetener, but there’s a big debate about the chlorine atoms used in the process. Supposedly they don’t remain in the product or the body, but some researchers are claiming the opposite. When it comes to artificial sweeteners, better to be safe than sorry when at all possible.
Jo, I agree, this is not an easy task. I got off carbonated drinks 6 years ago. I remember one day during a meeting, all of the drinks offered were carbonated so I had one. I felt like a bloated blimp after that one drink. The body knows! Great suggestion.
I mix 7-up/Sprite w/ 1/2 OJ. You can probably mix any juice w/a clear soda.
>>>>”You probably already know that sodas (diet included) are not helping you down the path of optimal health, right?”<<<<
I don't believe I have ever seen any compelling scientific evidence for the claim that diet soda is a health detriment. When asked about this point most people vaguely refer to the 'chemicals' in them or the unsupported claim that they 'fool your body' in some way.
What, essentially, is the difference between a diet soda and the sparkling water you suggest as an additive to regular soda? There is very little, other than some artifical flavoring and (possible) sweetners.
I think this whole idea that diet sodas are not a perfectly reasonable substitute for regular soda (where the refined sugars and HFCS are the real health impacting culprits) is pop culture pseudo science.
Hi Jason. If you’re really interested in the topic take a look at the work by Russell Blaylock, M.D. He’s written two books that cover this topic; one is Excitotoxins, the other is called Health and Nutrition Secrets That Can Save Your Life. There are many other credible sources on the topic, but this is a good place to start and might help eliminate the pseudo science for you.
The majority of diet sodas using artificial sweeteners still use aspartame (aka NutraSweet). When aspartame is broken down in the body it results into harmful compounds including formaldehyde (a known toxin and carcinogen), formic acid (the same poison in ant stings), and methanol (a nervous system toxin also know as free methyl alcohol). High intake has been linked with a number of adverse effects including, headaches, dizziness, vision loss, memory loss, seizures, mood disorders and other nervous system problems. The U.S. consumes an enormous amount of aspartame. Some sources quote quantities that average out to 17 pounds per person per year.
According to Dr. H. J. Roberts, who has also done a lot of research on the topic, methyl alcohol and formaldehyde damage to brain cells and the optic nerve is irreversible.
The history of the FDA approval and aspartame’s arrival to the market place reads like a Hollywood-inspired conspiracy theory. It’s an insane story, but I won’t go into that here. I don’t have any desire to start an ethics debate (although it would be colorful). My goal is to bring to light concerns and reasons you may wish to avoid its use. You might find it interesting that aspartame alone is responsible for 75% of the food & beverage related health complaints with the FDA. One compound resulting in 3/4ths of the complaints of the agency! Even if you don’t find the time to investigate in detail, I’d say that’s worth considering an alternative beverage additive. Sugar is no friend to our body for sure, but I don’t think artificial sweeteners are the answer, especially this one.
I went cold turkey about 6 months ago on regular soda. I’ve had a few diet sodas and energy drinks here and there. I was probably drinking 3-4 Cokes a day on average. Don’t know how much weight I have lost, but pants that were snug are hanging on me and I will soon need to get a new belt or find a belt punch because there are no belt holes left. That’s all without any major change in exercise. I get whatever exercise I get from walking at lunch, playing with my kids, or working in the yard and around the house. It’s probably the first time in my life that I’ve lost significant weight without spending hours in the gym.
I think regular daily soda consumption like that is just about as bad for your health over the long haul as smoking cigarettes. Especially when for me I’ve been easily carrying at least an extra 30-40 lbs for years. I recommend getting more natural sugars from fruit to help limit the sugary desires. I eat a lot more natural and organic foods also.
Wow – that’s awesome Marty. Congrats to you!
But then it won’t taste the same. Fail.
I rarely drink sodas and juices because of their sugar content years ago. I do not puchase unless it is requested by a guest of mine. I am a visual learner and therefore would demonstrates pouring teaspoons of sugar ( gms) into water to make a poin of how many serving of sugar are being consumed.
A visual demo is the first that had me floored as well. Someone pulled out a stream of sugar packets taped together that demonstrated the amount of sugar contained in one soda. It was amazing and disturbing all at the same time.
An easy way to cut soda consumption in half: drink half the amout of soda that you have normally been drinking.
Some years ago I found myself gaining weight, so I stopped drinking sweetened beverages and eating desserts cold turkey, and I lost 15lbs in one month. To me it makes no sense to doctor up soda pop to make it somewhat healthier. If you do not get off highly sweetened things altogether you never stop craving them. I am still off of pop and most desserts and I do not miss them at all.
I’ve been struggling to kick the soft drink habit for maybe 10 years. I average four or five Pepsis (regular) a day. Not good. However, the chemical after-taste of diet / zero or one calorie made me sick to my stomach. I happened upon this post the other day and immediately ran to the Cork n Bottle and bought a 12-pack of sparkling water to mix with my Pepsis. I am down to one Pepsi a day – or two half-Pepsis and sparkling waters a day. It works great and I feel so much better. Thank you! Thank you!
Great news Brian! Thanks for giving it a try and reporting back.
I’m cheap. When the cost of a soda went north of $2.50 at the restaurants, I swiched to water. That was 6 years ago. Haven’t had more than a dozen sodas since. My waistline (and wallet) are thankful.
I can never give up pepsi or coke or any other kind.And water it down doesn’t taste good at all.
I have been a coke drinker for most of my life..I am 58..this past november I found out I am diabetic so colas are out THEY SAY but I will tell you, I still drink a few sips (sometimes more) occas but nothing like I did. I have tried the diet this and that and just is not the same….I need the sugar sooo with that saying I have been drinking alot of tea with splenda and that helps with sugar taste that I crave and I do now and then splurge with a classic coke but alot of the times, I will pour a diet in a glass and add some splenda..sounds dumb but it works for me…and then I drink lots and lots of water but once in awhile, I do treat myself with a regular coke..and if I do not do this, I find that I get a TERRIBLE HEADACHE from withdrawls of coke..so this is what I find works for me…diet and splenda..
You’re talking about “sugar” in soda like it was table sugar, sucrose. Most of the time it’s high-fructose corn syrup instead. You could write a whole column on the negative effects of HFC vs. sugar. I have been buying iced tea sweetened with real sugar and drinking that in place of soda on occasion. I find if I drink the tea late in the day it reduces my appetite at supper time, allowing me to eat less because I’m just hungry and not starving.
What are your thoughts on Truvia as a sugar alternative? It is derived from the Stevia plant.
Hi Michael. The jury is still out on Truvia. And let’s agree that the best solution is to stop our cravings for sweeteners altogether. But until we master that trick you have to pick your battles. My main concerns with Truvia are that it’s a patented process (or patent pending). Corporations cannot patent a natural substance, so in order to call it their own they have to tweak the molecular structure and perhaps add some man-made chemicals. Maybe it’s harmless, but man’s tweaking of nature hasn’t gone so well in the past. And in the words of Jack LaLanne, “If man made it, don’t eat it.” Truvia is owned by the agra giant Cargill and the only studies I’ve seen on its safety were sponsored by Cargill and lasted 4-16 weeks. Side effects reported by consumers include gas, bloating, headaches and enhanced carb cravings. In the interest of fairness however, I think I should mention those are the side effects of the standard American diet as well.
Stevia, while natural can be tricky to use. If you buy it in powder form the dose needs to be miniscule to impart a taste I can tolerate. I’ve had much better luck with the liquid version I found in Whole Foods (comes in a dropper). I used to carry it in my purse if I needed some sweetness. Of course that’s a natural product that’s gone through processing, so you can take issue with that too.
I say, the fact that you’re asking the question means you care about your health status more than most, so your informed choice should serve you well. I also have to think that if we’re looking at the issue on a health spectrum, a little Truvia use is far better for you than unmonitored use of high fructose corn syrup.
I transitioned over time from regular to diet, then diet to caffiene free, then diet lime, finally dropped it all together. The step down approach worked because I started at 4 liters per day a d that was a lot of sugar and caffiene to drop all at once. I went cold turkey and the headaches were horrible so I took excederine which has caffiene, starting the cycle again.
Headaches can creep up on those who stop cold turkey. The sparkling water trick and/or the stepped-down approach is probably best there. Also, try to drink plenty of water, check your magnesium levels and keep eating those healthy omega-3 fats, walnuts, chia, flax, clean salmon, clean fish oils, etc.
Another suggestion: drink a glass of water FIRST, wait a minute or two, and then drink the soda or fruit juice. You’ll find you drink a lot less.
I got off soda/diet soda years ago by switching from tap water to filtered water. It helps to drink water that tastes good (and, one hopes, is healthier)! Herbal tea, hot or iced, unsweetened, takes care of my occasional desire for a tasty drink. I feel much better now that I am off all sweeteners except an occasional bit of stevia (it helped to cut out wheat as well; a challenge, but worth it for me).
Unsweetened tea or unsweetened coffee will do the trick for eliminating the caffeine withdrawal headaches. Tea is better because it actually time releases the caffeine. I’d go with coffee at first though if you are cold turkeying caffeinated pop, and switch to tea after 2 weeks.
As a follow up to my 6/12 post, I’m still sticking with the 50/50 sparkling water to Pepsi regime and it’s working great. Tastes better to me than straight Pepsi now. Not sure how much weight I’ve lost, but I’ve already dropped at least one belt size and my wife mentioned to me that I was “looking good” when I had my shirt off the other day. Both good things. Thanks again for the suggestion. I hope more people give it a shot.
Love the follow-up, Brian. Thanks for keeping us in the loop and a virtual “looking good” from your friends at HAE!
Isn’t there a bigger picture? Don’t all overly processed foods through off metabolism, make us sick, etc? What’s the point of cutting down on soda when everything from ketchup to pre-prepared meat patties contain HFCS?! This country is in big trouble. I believe the entire food supply is a mess – and corporate run.
I agree, Susan. The largest portion of our food supply is fraught with dangerous health consequences. However, in my experience, one positive health change leads to two more, and those lead to two more. Baby steps are what most people need. If you give folks an “all or nothing” approach to better health, most will throw up their hands and do nothing, because it’s just too hard. For many, it takes a devastating illness to make large shifts, and sometimes even that’s not enough. I hope that’s not the case with you and yours though.
O.K. Josie,
You put this one out there for me to see, didn’t you? I can honestly tell you that pop has never been a problem for me as far as weight goes, but it is starting to have an effect on my cholesterol! I don’t drink alcohol or coffee and I don’t smoke. What will I do, if I have to give up my PEPSI???