soda, final verdict
from reading lots of forums it seems that the whole of calorie count is against diet sodas.. but why?! the pepsi max I had today has 1 calorie, and a measly 10 mg of sodium.. obviously there's debate about the healthiness of fake sugar, but really aside from that and potential caffeine addiction where's the problem in one a day?
In one a day? Probably nothing. If you drink how I used to drink (at least 48 oz of soda a day), that's alot of artificial sweetener, though. Maybe too much.
There's yet to be any proof that diet sodas and artificial sweetners really are bad for you, but they aren't natural and for that reason, alot of people feel they may still be suspect.
I drink about 10 oz of diet soda a day. I'm not giving it up. I see the posts and read most of them, but I like diet soda, don't like water and will never give it up.
I'll take my sprite/coke/cherry coke ZERO any day :-)
The most I'll have in a day is probably 2 cans but thats rare.
Look, there are times when NOTHING will taste better to me than a cold, carbonated soda. But, I just keep thinking about all the chemicals and putting that stuff through my intestines just starts to gross me out.
Say what you will about water, but our bodies crave it. "In some organisms, up to 90 percent of their body weight comes from water. Up to 60 percent of the human body is water, the brain is composed of 70 percent water, and the lungs are nearly 90 percent water. About 83 percent of our blood is water, which helps digest our food, transport waste, and control body temperature. Each day humans must replace 2.4 litres of water, some through drinking and the rest taken by the body from the foods eaten." --source
So, hydration is important. Do you have to like it? Nope. I think the whole "soda" thing is like "Sweetest Day" and "Grandparents Awareness Week" -- an artificial need created and marketed like hell. I choose not to drink soda because of the chemicals, not because of the calories, etc. And I'd be lying if I said I don't drink it once in a very great while, but I'm 99.76% soda free.
I really like the bubbly tingly sensation, so I've switched to carbonated water -- NOT tonic water EWW! (my grocery store has liter bottles of natural lemon or lime flavored carbonated water -- VERY good).
And, I've found that once you start making the switch to water, the addiction (and it's a type of addiction) to diet or sugared soda goes away. Believe it or not, you'll actually start to WANT and DEMAND water. Even now, if I take a drink of soda I taste the "fakeness" of it, if that makes sense.
To each his or her own, though. That's my 2 cents' worth -- less than the refund on a recylced Diet Coke can!
=Dnd
Personally, I find the taste of diet anything completely repulsive. The taste of the artificial sweeteners pretty much makes me want to vomit, I can't take it. Not to mention I'm against putting that kind of thing into my body.
Even when I was unhealthy I would only drink cane sugar sodas because they taste better. If I'm really, really craving a soda I just allot calories for it and by myself a yummy cane sugar sweetened root beer.
I don't have a philosophical problem with diet pop. I don't care for the taste of most of them, so I'll generally wait until I can splurge on a real Mountain Dew, but there are some that are okay - diet Vernors is awesome, Sprite Zero isn't bad.
I avoid them for two non-calorie related reasons these days, myself: acid stomach issues, and because my teeth are bad enough already. (And those reasons apply to the full sugar versions, too)
Some people say that artificial sweeteners give them the same glycemic reaction as sugar (makes them hungry), so clearly they are correct to avoid them for the most part.
The non-natural thing doesn't wash with me. There are a lot of natural things that aren't good for you. Arsenic for example. :) But people are allowed to make the choices they want.
I experienced a host of positive changes in my health when I stopped consuming artificial sweeteners. So that's why diet soda is out for me: I think there really is something to the medical discussions about sugar substitutes.
Plus, water is a healthier choice all around, so that is pretty much all I drink anymore. I avoid processed foods, refined sweeteners and the like for the same reason.
I don't drink diet soda because it is not real food and I only consume real food. Michael Pollan calls disgustingly processed things like diet soda, enriched flour, and American "cheese" "edible foodlike substances." Why would you want to put those things in your body? A sort of mantra for which Pollan has become famous is: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly Plants. It's that simple. If you're interested, you can check out an article he wrote for the New York Times here.
P.S. r4eboxer: You said "I like diet soda, don't like water." Unfortunately, what you expressed here as a matter of opinion is biologically false. Your brain may not like water, but your body loves it and needs it. I am so repulsed by these kinds of matter-of-fact statements I keep reading on here like "I don't like water" or "I hate vegetables." You people must feel like total crap all the time and not even realize it. Sad really.
Original Post by todeinotaton:
P.S. r4eboxer: You said "I like diet soda, don't like water." Unfortunately, what you expressed here as a matter of opinion is biologically false. Your brain may not like water, but your body loves it and needs it. I am so repulsed by these kinds of matter-of-fact statements I keep reading on here like "I don't like water" or "I hate vegetables." You people must feel like total crap all the time and not even realize it. Sad really.
Actually I FEEL and LOOK great. I didn't say I don't drink water. I said I have about 10 oz of diet soda a day I like it and I'm going to drink it. PERIOD. I don't like drinking water for reasons that I need not explain to you, but I do have water every day and lots of it. What you have expressed here is a matter of assumption.
I lost over 120 lb on 2 2L bottles of Diet coke and 2000-2400 calories a day + walking. It made zero impact on my rate of loss.
ew.
I think the key here is moderation. I LOVE soda. Diet Pepsi Max and I formed a deep meaningful relationship once I started dieting. I allow myself one 16oz. DPM a day.
I have found that once you really start downing the water though, your need for soda diminishes. I'm drinking about half of that 16oz soda a day now.
Original Post by todeinotaton:
ew.
Do you grow all your own food in a natural unpolluted atmosphere, get your water from a well that you dug and is from ground that has not been polluted in any way from the beginning of time? The way food was originally meant for the human body. I'd like to know so I don't assume you are completely chemical free and your body is perfect from the natural state.
Michael Pollan is ridiculous. My boyfriend and I actually laughed when we saw him on the news. In theory, shopping at co-ops or better yet- growing all of your own food is wonderful, but it's also wonderfully expensive. He admitted that it's damn near impossible to eat the way he thinks people "should" eat. American society does not allow people to make everything from scratch anymore. Maybe in the 40s and 50s it was easier when one spouse was constantly in the home. Now, two-income households are the norm, not the exception.
A lot of things are "bad" for you. I'm sick of people on this site with holier-than-thou attitudes about food.
If you like diet soda, drink it. It's not the best for you, but the odds of it killing you are pretty much non-existant. Make the best choices for you, and don't let someone else tell you that you feel terrible or should feel terrible for doing so.
I stopped drinking diet soda because carbonation makes me bloat but if you don't see that it's doing anything to you then one a day or so certainly can't hurt you.
Original Post by r4eboxer:
Original Post by todeinotaton:
ew.
Do you grow all your own food in a natural unpolluted atmosphere, get your water from a well that you dug and is from ground that has not been polluted in any way from the beginning of time? The way food was originally meant for the human body. I'd like to know so I don't assume you are completely chemical free and your body is perfect from the natural state.
I do what I can.
Original Post by lalalexi:
Michael Pollan is ridiculous. My boyfriend and I actually laughed when we saw him on the news. In theory, shopping at co-ops or better yet- growing all of your own food is wonderful, but it's also wonderfully expensive. He admitted that it's damn near impossible to eat the way he thinks people "should" eat. American society does not allow people to make everything from scratch anymore. Maybe in the 40s and 50s it was easier when one spouse was constantly in the home. Now, two-income households are the norm, not the exception.
You are right to point out that economic class is certainly a factor. It makes me really sad that not everyone has the time or money to eat the way they should. As a graduate student who lives off of student loans I am far from wealthy, but I do the best I can. If that means not watching TV so I can cook all of my meals from scratch then that's what I do. I realize that I am lucky to be able to prioritize my health in this way. And I think it really sucks that many others simply cannot. My partner and I both volunteer at a local community garden organization that teaches underpiveleged urban youth how to grow organic vegetables and how to cook with whole ingredients from the garden. At any rate, the fact that not everyone has the luxury of living this way this does not make the lifestyle that Pollan envisions ridiculous. What's ridiculous is the fact that we live in a country that has in large part forgotten how to eat the right way and that has made it a helluva lot easier and cheaper to be unhealthy. For my part I will do everything I can to make it so that everyone in my community has access to the same SLOW food and community supported agricultural resources I do.
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