Reasons to Kick that Soda Habit

 
 As a former soda addict, I know how difficult it can be to stop drinking soda.  Coke, Sprite and (my personal favorite) Dr. Pepper can taste so good when paired with a meal, or just by itself on ice.  However, soda can be very harmful to your health for many reasons which is why I have stopped drinking it for the past 5 years.

Check out this article by Healthier Atlanta magazine (for which I am a contributing writer) about the top 10 reasons to put down that soda can!

1. Dehydration: Drinking soda with caffeine and sugar causes your body to become dehydrated. Caffeine is a diuretic and causes an increase in urine volume. When you drink a caffeinated soda to quench your thirst, you will actually become thirstier.
2.  High Calories:  A can of Coke contains 10 teaspoons of sugar, which is 100% of the daily recommended value for adults. An 8 ounce can of soda has around 100-200 calories. Not only are the calories from soda pop empty of any nutritional value, they also deplete your body of vital minerals.
3. Caffeine Addiction:  “Caffeine is the world’s most commonly used stimulant.” says Roland Griffiths, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry and neuroscience at Johns Hopkins. “The latest research demonstrates, however, that when people don’t get their usual dose they can suffer a range of withdrawal symptoms, including headache, fatigue, difficulty concentrating.
4.  Acid:  In tests done on the acidity levels of soda, soda was found to have a pH of 2.5. To put that into perspective, consider that battery acid has a pH of 1 and pure water has a pH level of 7.
5.  Save Money:  You can purchase 12, 8 ounce cans for around $4. However, a person who drinks just 2 cans of soda a day, will pay $206 over the course of a year to keep her soda habit going.
6.  Lose Weight:  Researches at the University of Texas Health Science Center found that diet sodas put a person at a higher risk of becoming overweight. According to their research, “artificial sweeteners can interfere with the body’s natural ability to regulate calorie intake.
7.  Artificial Sweetener Issues:  Consumption of artificial sweeteners may make some people crave more sweet things which will in turn create more cravings for people who are trying to avoid sweet foods for health reasons.
8.  Mineral Depletion:  Because caffeine is a diuretic and increases urine volume, more minerals are leaving the body before having a chance to be absorbed and put to use.
9.  Higher Risk for Diabetes:  While no research has definitively shown that soda pop causes diabetes, the daily consumption of soda pop does create other problems that could lead to diabetes: specifically weight gain.
10.  Soda Replaces Healthier Drinks:  One of the biggest problems with soda is it acts as a replacement drink for healthier options. In the 1950’s, children drank 3 cups of milk for every cup of sweet drink. Today that statistic is flipped.

Are you a soda addict? What is your drug soda of choice?