Soda - Don't Even Think About It

Being that I haven't been a soda drinker for over 15 years, this is easy for me to say - PUT DOWN THE CAN. Hopefully I can provide enough reasons here to make it easy for you to do.

A can of soda has about 150 calories and roughly 40 grams of sugar - FORTY. One teaspoon contains about 4 grams of sugar and 16 calories. If my math is right (not my strong suit), that's about 10 teaspoons of sugar in a can of soda, and the majority of a soda's calories coming from sugar. The American Heart Association recommends that women limit their sugar intake to no more than 6 teaspoons of sugar, men no more than 9 teaspoons. One can of soda puts you over your daily limit, no to mention the sugar that is added to other foods you eat throughout the day.

It's important to recognize how much sugar you're consuming each day. Some foods have naturally-occurring sugars like fruits (fructose) and milk (lactose). Most other sugars come in the form of added sugar and can be found in a variety of foods:  cookies, cakes, ice creams, bread, cereal, the list goes on. In fact, I am often surprised by some of the foods that contain lots of added sugar. Read labels! Look for ingredients to avoid:  corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, glucose, maltose, sugar, syrup and honey. These all indicate added sugars, have no nutritional value, and add excessive calories to your diet, causing weight gain and health problems.

If you think I'm going to now tell you to drink diet soda instead, we obviously have never met. Diet soda is mostly comprised of carbonated water. Chemicals and artificial sweeteners are added to give diet soda flavor. Aspartame and sucralose are often used as artificial sweeteners in soda. While these are FDA approved, they have been known to cause frightening side effects, such as headaches, dizziness, mood swings, nausea, abdominal pain and seizures. New research states that diet sodas may even trigger hunger hormones, causing you to consume more calories. Not so "diet" anymore, eh?

Your dentist takes an interest in your soda consumption because soda contains phosphoric acid, an ingredient that leeches calcium from your teeth and bones. Have your dentist and I convinced you yet? If not, read on.

Potassium and sodium benzoate are preservatives that prevent your soda from growing mold and bacteria. These preservatives, when mixed with Vitamin C can react to form benzene, a chemical that has been attributed to causing leukemia and cancers, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

If you need a little bubbly, try some sparkling water with a lemon or lime. Banish soda from your house - don't forget to recycle the cans!