For what seems like forever, we have all pretty much heard the first part of this title yet not so much about the latter part. Stop reading this for a moment and look at what you are drinking (assuming you are.) Do you know offhand how many calories are in that drink? If it happens to be a regular 12 ounce can of Coke you are drinking, it has 140 calories. A Pepsi has 150 calories and Mountain Dew has 170 just to give you a general idea. There are people who easily consume up to six sodas a day and think nothing of it. Six cans of Mountain Dew have a total of 1,020 calories in them, which is close to a full day’s worth of calories just in liquids alone.
Many have lost weight by cutting out the sodas
People have lost quite a bit of weight just making this one change in their diets. If you know you just are not ready to cut out drinking sodas yet, at least consider cutting back. However, switching to diet sodas is not a healthy alternative. Basically, with diet pop, you are getting harmful chemicals and carbonated water. Aspartame is in most diet drinks these days and is reported as being one of the top contributors to brain tumors. Your best source for a healthy drink is purified water. There are many different recommended amounts to consume on a daily basis but one main one is eight 8-ounce glasses or 64 ounces. It sounds like a lot but if you spread it out through the day from when you first get up, it is really not too difficult to get that amount in.
Too much sugar can do more than pack a few pounds on you
Sugar in excess has many negative factors besides cavities and tooth decay. Too much sugar raises insulin levels, which depresses the immune system. Sugar causes a spiked increase in triglycerides, which is essentially a type of fat in the bloodstream. The weight that is gained from drinking sugary sodas increases the risks of cardiovascular disease. This is currently the number one cause of deaths in the United States alone with a few more women than men dying from this. Sugar can be part of increased blood pressure and can cause one to lose much needed calcium, which over time can increase risks of developing osteoporosis.
Too much sugar can cause or increase anxiety levels, concentration problems, depression, diabetes and increased irritability. It can also cause your energy levels to rise and fall, affect mood swings and can make it difficult to get a good night’s sleep. Sugar does not have many positives going for it. If you are trying to lose weight and lead a healthier lifestyle, take a good look at the amount of sugar you are eating and drinking on a daily basis. Start slowly with making small changes such as drinking two Cokes a day instead of your usual three or one bowl of ice cream instead of two or three and so on.
