I haven’t posted anything on soft drinks for a while, yet they remain popular. If you need more, check out my Page – What’s wrong with soft drinks?
Tony
Category Archives: diet soda
How soda impacts your body – Infographic
Filed under damaging soft drinks, diet soda, soda, soft drinks, sugary soda
Soda Sales Continue Nearly Twenty-Year Freefall
Per Capita Consumption Drops More Than 26% From 1998 Peak
Regular readers know that I feel strongly about the dangers of soda, both diet and sugared. You can check out my Page: What’s Wrong with Soft Drinks? to learn more about it.
I was pleased to read the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) report that sales are declining.
Americans, eager to reduce their risk of diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and tooth decay are continuing to cut down on their consumption of full-calorie soda, according to new data released by the trade publication Beverage Digest. Based on those data, the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest says that Americans are drinking more than one-fourth less soda than in 1998, when consumption peaked. In fact, Americans are now back to drinking about as much as they did in 1985. CSPI is urging health officials at the local, state, and federal levels of government to enact policies to drive down soda consumption even further, perhaps to levels observed in the 1960s, when soda was an occasional treat served in reasonable portions.
“Drinking nine or 10 teaspoons of sugar makes no sense, and most Americans have wised up to what’s really in a single soda,” said CSPI president Michael F. Jacobson. “The soda industry, which for years has lectured the public about energy balance and moderation, has been marketing excessive consumption, both in terms of frequency and volume. A comprehensive government strategy to drive down consumption further could be a boon to Americans’ health and lower the healthcare costs paid by taxpayers.”
Lawmakers in California are proposing a two-cent-per-ounce health impact fee on sugar-sweetened beverages in that state. In Philadelphia, Mayor Jim Kenney (D) is proposing a three-cent-per-ounce excise tax on sugary drinks to help raise $400 million over five years for universal Pre-K, parks, and other programs. In Congress, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) has offered legislation that would institute a tax of one-cent per teaspoon of caloric sweetener. CSPI has estimated that a federal excise tax could raise $10 billion a year for prevention programs.
I don’t share the CSPI’s notion of getting the government more involved in affecting what private citizens eat and drink through raising taxes or any other way. This is still a free country. Let’s keep it that way. It seems like we are off to a good start judging from the fall off in sales in the past 20 years.
Tony
Filed under diet soda, soda, soft drinks, sugary soda
Diet Soda Linked to Larger Waistlines of Older Adults – Study
In a study of people over age 65 for a nine year period, individuals who drank diet sodas had a noticeably larger waistline than those who didn’t.
Lead author, Dr. Sharon P.G. Fowler of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, said that research in other age groups has directly linked drinking diet sodas with higher risk of diabetes, metabolic syndrome and preterm birth.
The article was published online in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Those people who did not drink diet soda gained an average of 0.8 inches in waist circumference over the nine-year period compared to 1.83 inches for occasional diet soda drinkers and more than three inches for people who drank diet soda every day, according to the results.
Reuters reported that ““It cannot be explained by the calories,” said Dr. Francisco Lopez-Jimenez of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, who was not involved in the study.
People who drink diet soda may be more likely to overeat in other areas, he told Reuters Health.
“The main point is for those who drink a lot of soda, diet or not, there may be a relationship with obesity,” Lopez-Jimenez said.”
As regular readers know, I feel strongly that diet and sugary sodas should be consumed very sparingly. I, personally, don’t drink more than one a month if I can help it. There are chemicals in the diet drink that suppress the satiety response in humans which results in overeating and weight gain.
Please check out my Page What’s Wrong with Soft Drinks
for more details.
Tony
Filed under big waistline, diet soda, soft drinks
A Pair of Healthy Eating Infographics
Consider these each as an amuse-bouche. (I just learned the term.)
To read more on the dangers of diet sodas, check out:
Is Diet Soda Bad For You?
Does Diet Coke Make You Fat?
A Guest Post: Why I’m Kicking the Diet Soda Habit
Tony
Tweaks to Clean up Your Diet in 5 Weeks – Infographic
Practicing the ‘one step at a time’ method can help you start eating right and getting healthy.
Tony
Soda Sabotages Your Diet
Regular readers know that I feel strongly about the damage sodas do to our bodies. So, I was pleased to see the item By Jennifer Gruenemay, ACE-Certified on Lifescript, a website for women’s healthy living.
“Fifteen pounds in one year. That’s how much weight you could gain by drinking just one regular soda every day. Sodas have around 150 calories each and no nutritional value whatsoever. So they should definitely be classified in your book as a “once in awhile” treat, not an everyday indulgence. Not only is your waistline at risk if you have a soda obsession, but your health is too.”
That is a fact worth noting. Many folks indulge in ‘just one’ soda under the illusion it is harmless. It ain’t.
The item continued, “According to a Nurse’s Health Study of more than 50,000 women, those who had one or more sodas every day not only gained extra weight, they also raised their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 83%.”
Those are some compelling reasons to avoid soda. Strangely, the Lifescript piece concludes with the recommendation – “If you must indulge in a daily soda, try diluting your regular soda with diet soda and then moving over completely to the diet soda side. Or, fill up on water flavored with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. It’s the best drink available for your body, and it’s free.”
I am totally behind the water and/or fruit juice suggestion, but diet soda?! No way, Jose. There is a good chance that diet soda is more damaging than the sugary kind. I had a friend who drank a lot of diet soda every day. One of his complaints was that he was “always hungry.” That is just one of the reasons to avoid these chemical concoctions. The ingredients in diet soda depress your satiety response and you can feel always hungry no matter how much you eat.
Please check out my Page – What’s Wrong with Soft Drinks? which gives chapter and verse on why you are well advised to avoid both.
Tony
Filed under calories, diabetes, diet soda, fruit drinks, Lifescript, soda, soft drinks, Weight, weight control, weight loss
What are the Best and Worst Super Bowl Snacks?
Okay, the Big Day has finally arrived. It’s Super Bowl Sunday. Yay! The Broncos and Seahawks square off late this afternoon for what many consider the grandest prize in all sports, the Lombardi Trophy. Unlike most other football games, we will all be staying on our couches and watching the numerous commercials that interrupt the action. And, while watching this afternoon we will be snacking, whether we are home, at a friend’s place for a party or out at a bar with a giant flatscreen. Therein lies the rub. I love watching the game and have struggled through the ups and downs of the past season to get here, but, like you, I love to snack while watching the game.
Boiled Edamame with a dusting of coarse salt. Yum.
One of the best snacks that I will be munching on today, and I was surprised to learn that WebMD agrees with me, is Edamame, or soybeans in the pod. Costco sells them by the bag and it takes only five minutes to boil them up. Sushi places serve them with a dusting of giant salt crystals. You can match those by picking up some Coarse Kosher Salt at your supermarket. A four ounce serving of Edamame amounts to around 120 calories. There is also four grams of fat, no saturate fat or cholesterol, eight grams of sodium, 12 grams of carbohydrates, four grams of healthy vegetable fiber and 12 grams of body-building protein. The fact that the beans are still in the pod helps to make them a great finger food as you have to crack them out before you can eat the beans inside. For my money, this extra step adds to their appeal and it slows down my consumption to some extent.
On the negative side, one of the worst snacks according to WebMD, are Mozzarella Sticks. WebMD says, “There’s something about a stick of warm, gooey cheese that is irresistible — until you take a look at the nutritional facts. A typical order has 930 calories, 48 g of fat, and 2,640 mg of sodium. That puts mozzarella sticks pretty much on par with chicken wings.
For a slideshow of WebMD’s Best and Worst Appetizers click the link. The slideshow also gives the skinny on Onion Blossoms vs. Vegetable Kabobs, Spinach Artichoke Dip vs. Spinach Salad, Cheese Fries vs. Crab Cakes. Check out their entire spectrum at the link above to read them all.
Instead of beer or diet soda, do yourself a favor by drinking something healthy like coconut water or just plain ice water for something clean and healthy without any dangerous chemicals. Check out my Page – What’s wrong with Soft Drinks? also Snacking – the good, the bad, and the ugly for more on this topic.
Enjoy the game with a clean conscience.
Buon Appetito!
Tony
Are you pulling for the Broncos or Seahawks? I confess I am torn. As a long time NFL fan, I want to see Peyton Manning get his second ring. On the other hand on a personal basis, my former brother in law, Dan Quinn, who I have known since he was a teenager, is the mastermind of the Seahawk’s defense, their defensive coordinator. I would love to see Dan get his first Super Bowl ring.
Que sera, sera.
Filed under calories, diet soda, sodium, Super Bowl, vegetables, Weight
The Dark Side of Laws Banning Soft Drinks
Everyone knows that Mayor Bloomberg’s proposal to cap soda servings at restaurants at 16 ounces was halted by the New York Supreme Court last week.
I have written numerous posts on the evils of soft drinks, both sugary and diet (chemical-laden). But, I think that people have to right to make up their own minds and if they want to drink these concoctions they should be able to despite the fact that the drinks are a major cause of the obesity problem plaguing this country.
This blog back in June came out against the ban. I have an entire page of posts on What’s Wrong With Soft Drinks?.
So, clearly I have mixed feelings about it, I oppose the drinks but support the rights of individuals to drink them.
I was very disappointed to learn that other opposition to the ban resulted not from concern about individual rights, but from generous gifts by the soft drink industry, Coca-Cola.
The NAACP joined the opposition to the ban, despite the fact the the obesity rate for African-Americans in New York City is higher than the city average. The New York Times said that “minority neighborhoods would be among the key beneficiaries of a rule that would limit the sale of super-size, calorie-laden beverages.”
Coca-Cola donated $100,000 to the NAACP as recently as December. Ironically, it was for Project H.E.L.P., (Healthy Eating, Lifestyle Change and Physical Activity), a program dedicated to promoting active and healthy living.
The Hispanic Federation also lists Coke as a donor. In February 2012, its president, Lillian Rodriguez Lopez, left the nonprofit group to become director of Latin Affairs at Coke.
It seems really disappointing to see these minority groups taking gifts from the soft drink industry and then supporting the industry in a situation that is clearly harmful to their members.
According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest CSPI, the soda industry’s generosity includes groups representing doctors, dentists, dieticians, anti-hunger advocates and others.
Sad to see this money possibly standing in the way of the war on obesity.
Tony
How Does Sugar Affect My Body? CSPI
Because most nutrition labels give the sugar content in grams, here is the translation:
Grams to teaspoons: There are 4.2 grams of sugar in one teaspoon.
In case it isn’t obvious to you in the section – 385 Calories consumed daily from added sugars…. It is the combination of the four exercises mentioned: walking, basketball, biking and jogging to burn off those 385 calories, not any single one of them.
You can take a very cool quiz on sugar right now. I posted it earlier this week.
Tony
February 28, 2013 · 8:24 am
Anti-Sugary Drinks Video Winners Announced
As regular readers know, I don’t drink sugary or diet soft drinks and consider them some of the most damaging junk foods available.
A Nashville family’s rap video is the winner of a contest aimed aimed at raising awareness of the harmful health effects of overconsumption of sugary drinks. The winning video “Just Pour One Out” features an original rap song from the Sullivan family, inspired by 41-year-old stay-at-home dad Peter Sullivan’s personal struggle with soda consumption.
“I was surprised by how much the process changed my drinking habits,” Sullivan said of making the film.
Announced by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest in October 2012, the Pour One Out video contest invited the public to produce short videos demonstrating the pouring out of sugary drinks in a creative way. Advertising pioneer Alex Bogusky joined CSPI staff in judging contest entries based on creativity, originality, and effectiveness of the health message. CSPI offered a $1,000 prize for the winning film, and $500 and $250 prizes for the second- and third-place films.
The runner up video
Diet Soda: Cause for Concern?
Please check out my Page – What’s Wrong With Soft Drinks? – to read further on this subject.
I love the cartoon at the bottom …
Tony
Too much sugar’s bad for us, but sugar-free soda could be even worse. It’s not proof positive, but new research raises concern about diet soda. Studies find higher risks for stroke and heart attack among people who drink sugar-free soda every day versus those who drink no soda at all.
The findings should be “a wakeup call to pay attention to diet sodas,”
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Oleda Baker on What’s Wrong With Drinking Soda – Guest Post
As you can see from her photo, Senior Supermodel Oleda Baker doesn’t age. I interviewed Oleda last month. She is a treasure trove of information on everything this blog stands for, so I asked her if she would share some of her ideas with us. She has written 10 books on beauty and health. Her latest, Breaking the Age Barrier – Great Looks and Health at Every Age – was released in November 2010 and is available from Amazon or from her website www.oleda.com
Oleda chose soft drinks, a subject in which I am extremely interested. I will put in links at the end of Oleda’s item to previous blog posts.
Some people drink soda as if it were water, some even drink it instead of water. This is a bad mistake. Granted, the primary ingredient is water, but, with all the other “stuff” it contains it can have a seriously harmful effect on your entire body. Drinking several cans of soda a day is a sure-fire way to damage your health.
The Mayo Clinic said, “Soda was once considered an occasional treat, but consumption has steadily increased over the last three decades. Many Americans drink soda every day. Demand is so great that manufacturers produce enough soda to supply the average man, woman and child in America with more than 52 gallons each year.”
Continue reading
Filed under cancer, diet soda, fast food, health, healthy eating, junk food, obesity, Oleda Baker, portion size, soft drinks, sugar, Weight
Some Declines Seen in Childhood Obesity
Several cities and states throughout the country have recently reported declines in their childhood obesity rates, according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Declines occurred in locales where comprehensive action took place to address the problem. Nonetheless, obesity rates persist in various socionomic and geographic areas. Racial and ethnic disparities also persist.
The percentage of children aged 6–11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 20% in 2008. Similarly, the percentage of adolescents aged 12–19 years who were obese increased from 5% to 18% over the same period, according to The Centers for Disease Control.
The long term health risks are ominous. The New York Times reports that “Obese children are more likely to be obese as adults, creating a higher risk of heart disease and stroke. The American Cancer Society says that being overweight or obese is the culprit in one of seven cancer deaths. Diabetes in children is up by a fifth since 2000, according to federal data.”
Healthy Snacking as an Act of Kindness
I have suggested practicing random acts of kindness as one of the techniques of being a happy person. To the extent a person is eating to assuage feelings of unhappiness, this can also help with weight control. Here is a non-random act pointed specifically at yourself.
The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation suggested that the next time you feel hungry from a snack to skip the soda, chips or candy and eat a healthy snack like a piece of fruit, granola bar or some veggies which, not incidentally, also have fewer calories than junk foods. This is a simple way to be kind to your body. It’s also a great way to get the energy you need to pay full attention at school and work or enjoy yourself in other activities outside. Be kind to your body and eat healthy snacks.
Some of the benefits of healthy snacking include keeping your energy levels even. The refined sugar in junk foods leads to a false feeling of more energy, or sugar rush. The downside of this is a crash when it wears off. Instead, eating healthy snacks keeps you productive and happy all day and more available to help others.
Continue reading
Filed under calories, diet soda, general well-being, happiness, healthy eating, sugar, Weight
McDonald’s Posts Calorie Counts on its Menu Boards
I went t McDonald’s yesterday for a salad and was surprised to see new menu boards that included calorie counts. A federal requirement for chain restaurants to post such counts doesn’t go into effect until late this year or next year but apparently McDonald’s is getting a jump on the needed changes.
None of the numbers I saw up there surprised me, but I’ve been a student of calorie counts for some time and regularly visit the McDonald’s website to search for such information. The lunchtime crowd, which included three long lines, didn’t seem to be paying much attention to the information. I heard no one discussing or asking about it. It will be interesting to see what changes in purchasing patterns such signage creates.
On another food front, New York City today may decide on its mayor’s proposal to ban the sale of soft drinks larger than 16 ounces, which I still think is absurd.
Since my recent angioplasty, I have cut my diet soda consumption from roughly 100 ounces a day to about 40 ounces a week and miss it every day. That change is one of many I’m making to my diet post-surgery, I’ll be writing more about it all in coming days but suffice it to say that my daily calorie intake has gone from 2,000-3,000 calories to about 1,600 and I’ve dropped 11 pounds in a month.
John
Filed under calories, diet soda, McDonald's
Wellness Secrets of a SuperAger 