2012 Resolution - #1 Give up soft drinks (soda)

2012 RESOLUTION

#1 - Give up soft drinks (soda)

The first 2012 resolution is to give up soft drinks. You can replace soft drinks with water, tea, milk or 100% juice. Read interesting facts about soda and harmful effects on our body. You lose weight simply by giving up drinking soda.

Most of us drink soda and probably many regular soda drinkers are aware that soft drinks are bad for the health. At the same time, United States ranks first among countries in soft drink consumption.

Reasons why we drink soda:

1. it is very tasty

2. it is everywhere

3. convenience - "crab and go"

4. promotion and advertising

5. soda habit

6. it is cheap

7. thirst

8. caffeine addiction

Powerful reasons to give up soda drinking:

Do you know the extent to which drinking carbonated, caffeinated, sugared, or artificially sweetened beverages harms your body? Giving up soft drinks can be one of the best things you can do to improve your health.

1. Soda is uselessThere are no nutritionally beneficial components in soft drinks. Soft drinks mostly consist of filtered water and refined sugars.

2. Weight gain and obesity

Did you realize how many extra calories you consume in soft drin? Drinking a single 330 ml can a day of sugary drinks translates to more than 1lb of weight gain every month. Soft drinks are directly related to weight gain. 

3. Diabetes

Anything that promotes weight gain increases the risk of diabetes. Drinking soda not only contributes to making people fat, but it also stresses the body's ability to process sugar.

4. Weakened bones and risk of osteoporosis

Frequent consumption of soft drinks may also increase the risk of osteoporosis, especially in people who drink soft drinks instead of calcium-rich milk. High soda consumption (particularly cola) in children poses a significant risk factor for impaired calcification of growing bones.

5. Dental caries and erosion

Soda eats up and dissolves the tooth enamel. The acidity can dissolve the mineral content of the enamel, making the teeth weaker, more sensitive, and more susceptible to decay. Soda's acidity makes it even worse for teeth than the solid sugar found in candy.

6. Kidney damage

People who down sugary drinks don't feel as full as those who consume the same amount of calories in solid food.

There is good evidence that cola beverages can increase the risk of kidney problems, more so than non-cola sodas.

7. Increased blood pressure

Experts have reasons to believe that overconsumption of fructose, particularly in the form of soft drinks, leads to an increase in blood pressure.

8. Likely to cause heartburn
Soft drink consumption is a strong predictor of heartburn.

9. Metabolic syndrome risk factor

Soft drink consumption is a significant risk factor for developing of metabolic syndrome, a combination of the symptoms such as high blood pressure, obesity, high cholesterol, and insulin resistance.

10. Harmful effects on liver

There is evidence that consumption of too many soft drinks puts you under increased risk for liver cirrhosis similar to what chronic alcoholics have.

11. Impaired digestive system

Soda, no matter who makes it, is the most acidic beverage you can buy, with a pH of about 2.5, about the same as vinegar, but the sugar content disguises the acidity. To put that into perspective, consider that battery acid has a pH of 1 and pure water has a pH level of 7.

Interesting fact: A pH below 4 or above 10 will kill most fish and very few animals can tolerate waters with a pH below 3 or above 11.

The phosphoric acid present in soft drink competes with the hydrochloric acid of the stomach and affects its functions. When the stomach becomes ineffective, food remains undigested causing indigestion, gassiness or bloating (swelling of stomach).

12. Dehydration

Another problem with sodas is that they act as dehydrating diuretics. Both caffeine and sugar cause dehydration.

13. High caffeine content
Soda drinks are a major source of caffeine in the American diet.

High doses of caffeine can cause irritability, restlessness, tension, insomnia, high blood pressure, gastrointestinal disturbance, excessive urination, irregular heartbeat and other side effects.

14. Toxins - aspartame

If you think diet soda is better think again. The poison in diet soda is an artificial sweetener aspartame. Aspartame is made up of three chemicals: aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and methanol. It is used because it's about 200 times sweeter than table sugar.

Despite US FDA approval as a "safe" food additive, aspartame is one of the most dangerous substances added to foods. After you drink an aspartame-sweetened product, aspartame breaks down into its starting components: phenylalanine, aspartic acid, and methanol (that further converts to formaldehyde and formic acid, which are known carcinogens.). There are over 92 different health side effects associated with aspartame consumption.

15. Possible cell damage ability

A new health scare erupted over soft drinks recently amid evidence that they may cause serious cell damage. Research from a British university suggests a common preservative E211, known as sodium benzoate, found in drinks such as Fanta and Pepsi Max has the ability to switch off vital parts of DNA.

HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES

By drinking soda, you cut the intake of fresh juices, milk, and even water and deprive yourself from essential vitamins and minerals.

1. water is the best drink in the world
2. tea, any kind of tea - herbal, green or black. Is rich in antioxidants, which were shown to protects the body from many health problems.
3. 100% juice, fruit juice can be also useful for flavoring your water and teas.-

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