Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Don’t drink those calories
I think it appropriate that I share a story with you about my recent consumption before I launch into this entry: Today’s topic - SODA.
I still keep sodas in the house. I have kids and a husband. Several friends that drink them and umm helloo...you can not mix too many tasty drinks for the masses without the stuff. I just choose not to consume it. In any case, it has been a while since I have touched a Pepsi. October 2, 2007 at 11 am to be exact. I am not weird, it was just monumental for me. My actual addiction is listed in the entry that follows this.
So, the other day, my daughter cracked one open. When I came around the corner, she very sweetly tried to hide the can. This prompted a convo between us that went something like this:
Bug: Don’t look mommy.
Me: It’s ok punkin’ - I don’t freak out over that stuff any more.
Bug: You don’t? That is pretty good. You used to really like it.
Me: Yup. Not anymore. Wanna try an experiment?
Bug: A Whaaa?
Me: Experiment. I am gonna try a sip and see if it still hits the spot.
Bug: *dumbfounded look of shock*
Me: *snatching the can* Ready? I can’t believe I am doing this. Do ya think I am gonna die?
Bug: I hope not. You better not puke either.
Me: *swallow a gulp* Hmmmm
Bug: How do you feel?
Me: Well, it just burned the shit out of my gums and my throat feels like it’s being eaten by acid.
Bug: Are you gonna puke?
Me: I don’t think so. But man that tastes like crap.
Bug: I am totally not cleaning it up if you do.
Me: What if I pass out?
Bug: I would take care of you....as long as you don’t puke. That would be gross.
Me: So if I puke, what are you gonna do?
Bug: Throw a towel over it until Jeffrey gets home - or just let the dogs lick it up. They eat the trash. I bet they would lick your puke too.
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Now, Onto my entry -
It’s a common mistake among people who are trying to lose weight. You are careful. You are beyond cautious about anything that you chew up and swallow - BUT - you forget one thing. The liquids that you consume count too. Even that white tea that almost tastes like water. If it isn’t plain Jane water, it counts in your diet. Please note: I am not saying that water doesn’t count. We need it and it does great things for us. I am just telling you that it’s a freebie. You can drink all of it that you want.
When I first started on my health journey, one of the first things that I tossed out was soda. I didn’t make the switch over to diet and pretend that I was being good. The fact is: ALL soda = junk. Think about it: this stuff is listed by Heloise as drain cleaner, window sparkler and the stuff to clean your copper pots and pans and you are drinking it. FYI - Yes the diet stuff works as the household cleaner as well.
Lets look at what the FDA and USDA say about sodas:
Until the 1980s, soft drinks obtained nearly all of their food energy in the form of refined cane sugar or corn syrup. Today high-fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners are used nearly exclusively as a sweeteners because of their lower cost. However, many of the artificial sweeteners have been criticized as having a number of detrimental effects on human health, such as promoting diabetes, hyperactivity, hypertension, and a host of other problems.
While the USDA recommended daily allotment (RDA) of added sugars is 10 teaspoons for a 2,000-calorie diet, many soft drinks contain more than this amount. Unless fortified, they also contain little to no vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein, or other essential nutrients. Many soft drinks contain food additives such as food coloring, artificial flavoring, emulsifiers, preservatives and chemicals.
Soft drinks may also displace other healthier choices in people’s diets, such as water, milk, and fruit juice.
I am not going to lie to you all and say that ridding myself of soda was easy. I was a serious Pepsi addict. I went through 4-6 of those 24 ouncers PER DAY. I cracked my first one open right after I finished my cup of coffee in the am and I didn’t touch anything else all day long. Straight Pepsi all day long. I also sometimes slept with a bottle next to my bed. It’s really no wonder that I was fat. Right? I tried switching to Diet Pepsi for a while too. Still didn’t help me. I was consuming crap that I could clean my pipes with. I had to face the facts. It wasn’t good for me in any form.
The only thing that helped me fight this monster addiction was for me to arm myself with the knowledge of what it contained. Each time that I felt like I wanted one, I would think about the drain cleaner thing. That need went away faster than Draino claims to work. It also amazes me how many options I found that I actually like. Fast food places have non soda drinks and most even serve icy cold bottled waters. Wahhooo for the fast food places.
I know that many of you are still consuming. I challenge you to read the labels. Research the ingredients yourself. Find out for yourself what all of that really is. Then make your own choices. You may not have to fight yourself too much to kick the habit if you realize what you have been putting in that bod of yours.
Move over Jillian - I got a new best friend on Friday. It arrived via UPS. My cute little Bioset Sprouter. I saw this nifty gadget a few weeks ago on Martha Stewart and let me tell you, for a veg gal like me, it looked fabulous. You see, I love sprouts. LOVE them. I make tomato and sprout sandwiches. I put them in salads. Grilled cheese and sprout sandwiches. Yum. Now, I can grow my own. I purchased the organic sprouting seeds at Whole Foods a full two weeks before my sprouter arrived. Yep, THAT anxious folks.
