Soda, also called a soft drink, is the name for any beverage that contains carbonated water, added sugar, or another sweetener like high-fructose corn syrup, as well as either natural or artificial flavorings.
Soda is one of the most, if not the most, non-nutritious beverages made and sold throughout the world. The sugar and artificial flavors are bad for your teeth and the caffeine is a diuretic. Plus, all those chemicals and preservatives probably aren’t doing your body any favors.
A study by al Health found that drinking beverages sweetened with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) or sucrose — better known as table sugar — could lead to overeating and weight gain. The researchers found that people who were given artificially sweetened beverages didn’t compensate by eating more calories at their next meal, as those who consumed sugary drinks did.
It’s not hard to see why soda is a culprit for weight gain: A 20-ounce bottle of Coca-Cola contains 65 grams of sugar — more than your recommended daily intake of added sugars (the American Heart Association recommends no more than 36 grams for men and 25 grams for women).
Here are a few tips to help you break your soda pop habit:
Reduce how much soda pop you drink gradually. If you drink two cans of pop a day, then reduce it to one can for a week, then half a can for another week, and so on.
- Manage Your Stress Level
Numerous studies have shown that people under stress tend to consume more calories and have more cravings than non-stressed individuals. There are many ways to help relieve stress, including regular exercise, meditating, practicing yoga, deep breathing, and mindfulness.
- Consider Green Tea
Green tea is a more healthy alternative to water for people who prefer flavored beverages. Tea is calorie free and contains powerful phytochemicals like the antioxidant in green tea, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). If you’re cutting back on caffeine, look for caffeine-free teas.
- Go Natural by taking fresh fruit
the strong urge to drink soda can be simply curbed by replacing the soda with a healthier sweet alternative. Some healthy sweet treats you could choose in place of soda include fruits like apples, berries, pineapple, mangoes, and grapes. However, avoid replacing soda with fruit juices. Though fruit juices contain more nutrients than soda, they’re very high in sugar.
Soda pop is a big business—a big business that’s doing real harm to your body and your health. The occasional soda won’t kill you, but regularly consuming carbonated drinks certainly can.
