When my husband lost almost 2 inches off his waist just from giving up soda, we couldn’t believe it! Almost 2 inches gone just by eliminating diet soda from him! I had to find out why soda is so bad for you.

Nutritional value:

Little or no nutrition! Known as soft drinks, sodas, fizzy drinks, caffeinated drinks, or liquid candy; there is little to no nutritional value or vitamins in these popular sugary drinks.

What’s in there?

Caffeine, sugars or sugar substitutes (diet), carbonation, usually artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives. Yuck! All the bad things!

Health effects of soft drinks:

– Obesity
– Type 2 diabetes
– Heart disease
– Bone density
– Dental caries
– Insomnia and/or restlessness
– Caffeine addiction

Some facts about carbonated drinks:

1. Studies have shown that soft drink consumption has been related to obesity. The sweetened drink is loaded with sugars that end up as fat. This can lead to obesity-related diseases such as heart disease or cancer.

2. It doesn’t matter if it’s diet or not. In fact, studies have shown that Diet soda drinkers are likely to gain more weight than regular soda drinkers.. Because? Artificial sweeteners cause a negative hormonal reaction that increases the body’s production of fat storage hormones.

3. Diet sodas can also play mind games with those who drink it. Due to the lack of calories, they think they are allowed more calories, which prompts them to eat more.

4. Also, because there are no calories consumed from diet soda, your body can still crave what it expected. This could lead to overeating or binge eating.

5. Carbonation depleted calcium increasing the chances of osteoporosis. The phosphoric acid that creates the bubbles depletes calcium levels in the blood.

6. Caffeine not only stimulates the central nervous system which contributes to stress, restless sleep, and insomnia, but also depletes calcium in the body.

7. Drinking soft drinks can also cause dental caries. The added 10 teaspoons of sugar per can plus calcium depletion = weak, rotten teeth.

8. Studies have shown that there is a 30% more chances of gaining weight around the belly. This is probably why my husband lost almost 2 inches around his abdomen in about 5 weeks!

Looking at the facts about soft drinks, is it really worth it for your health? Water would be the best drink option. Tea would be another good option. Try black, green, or white teas, as they have antioxidants. Loose tea is best, and there are many sweet teas to choose from. If the tea is still not sweet enough for you, try adding honey.

If you’re still craving sweet flavors, try organic juice. They have antioxidants and have a sweetness to them. However, I would highly recommend diluting the juice with water as there is also a lot of sugar in some juices; about 3 parts water to 1 part juice. If you think 3 parts is too drastic, start with a 50/50 water to juice ratio, then work your way up to 3 parts. Remember: read sugar labels!

To your health!