Traveling Fitness

Should I drink diet soda or should I drink regular soda? This is a good question:) With endless studies showing the harmful chemicals that are in diet soda scares me to think what the diet soda industry is doing to our long term health. The side effects and the withdrawls documented from consuming diet soda/regular soda is astonishing and many still struggling kicking the habit.

As a child I grew up in a house where I consumed a minimal of 6 regular Pepsi’s a day:) Honestly looking back, I wonder why I struggled in elementary school focusing and getting good grades…maybe this could be why I was sent to the principal’s office multiple times a week for not listening, being disruptive in class…hmm maybe a good excuse huh:) I definately would have been a medicated child for attention deficit:)

Diet/regular soda are considered a major element in todays growing obesity epidemic. The University Of Texas Health Science Center showed that 57% of people who drank two or more cans of soda a day became overweight over an 8 year period. Regular sodas are produced with high fructose corn syrup which is a cheaper sweetner and is also linked to causing Type 2 diabetes. Many people that return to drinking diet soda notice a chemical taste and many who stop consuming diet soda notice their taste buds reactivating slowly much like a smoker notices their sense of smell returning.

Personally my view is not to consume either products. I believe that anything produced with wood grain alchol and other harmful chemicals should not be consumed for long term health. After watching the documentary Sweet Misery I was totally scared from the documentation of the harmful effects of consuming diet soda. Here is the link to view the video http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6551291488524526735#

Working with clients here are a few side effects that many talk about with soda consumption.

1. Bloated or distended abdomens.
2. Bloated lower abdominal
3. Cravings for sweet immediatley following soda consumption
4. Lack of energy
5. Weight gain
6. Gas
7. Gingivitis or tooth decay

These are just a few of the common symptoms. If your #1 goal is to see changes in your stomach and weight loss then i would KICK THE HABIT:)

So how do we kick this habit? Do we completely stop at once? Well many find this very challenging. Many go through withdrawls like headaches, lack of sleep, cravings for sweets, but a good side effect is WEIGHT LOSS:) Listed below is a great way to slowly convert one day at a time away from soda altogether. Another good idea is to change your habits. If you always consume soda after a meal try consuming water instead. Try to break the habit of buying it for your house. Also when ordering out do not get soda as a part of your meal deal..only water. Another good idea is if you drink 3 soda cut to one soda…take it one day at a time:)

KICK THE HABIT TEA BLEND:))

-5-6 bags of any non-caffeine herbal tea of your choice (green
tea, peach tea, berry tea, orange zinger, lemon, etc.)

-3 quarts water

-Stevia powder or liquid to taste

Boil tea bags in a large pot. Add 1-2 full teaspoons of
stevia while still hot (You may add more or less, based on
desired sweetness) Let tea cool and then transfer to the
refrigerator in Ice Tea pitchers or individual size bottles.”

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