That’s
right. Just making that one simple diet change---removing
chemically created soda and other sugar-sweetened drinks such
as sports drinks and juice drinks—could enable you to
peel off the pounds – possibly to the tune of 15 pounds
in one year.
In fact, a recent scientific review published in the American
Journal of Clinical Nutrition pointed out that a mere 12 ounces
of sugar-laced soda a day could pile on 15 pounds in a year.
Just do the math. The most popular soft drink sold nowadays
is a 20-ounce bottle or can, which comes to 250 unnecessary
calories and about 16.87 teaspoons of sugar. (Usually, you’ll
be getting high fructose corn syrup, which some researchers
now finger as a leading cause of obesity and other health
woes.)
Bear in mind that I’m not even talking about those popular
42-ounce soft drinks promoted at some fast food restaurants
and many convenience stores. If you order one of these gargantuan
drinks, you’ll get about 410 calories and around 35.28
tsp. of sugar.
It’s also well known that if you drink soft drinks,
you just don’t get full or satisfied the way you would
from regular food so you may end up overeating and packing
in more extra calories. (Incidentally, diet drinks aren’t
any better. Some studies even suggest that the sweet taste
in an artificially sweetened soft drink could trigger sugar
cravings and lead to weight gain, too.)
If you’re a soda drinker, I urge you to tackle your
habit right now, whether it’s to lose weight or improve
your health. Here are 7 tips to curtail your soda guzzling
when you hanker for this empty-calorie beverage:
1. Have
a glass of sparkling water, with lemon, lime, or even a piece
of orange tossed in for flavor.
2. Drink a glass of good old water instead. It’ll quench
your thirst like a soft drink never can.
3. Steep a couple of bags of tasty herbal tea (from Yogi Tea,
Celestial Seasonings or Good Earth) in hot water for a couple
of minutes. Then add a bunch of ice cubes. This is much more
flavorful and satisfying than a soda.
4. Make your own lemonade or orangeade. Just squeeze a lemon
or two into a glass of water. You don’t even need to
add a sweetener. Or take an orange and hand squeeze half of
it into water. (Eat the other half.)
5. If you’re really adventurous and really want to get
out from under your soda habit, drink a glass of green vegetable
juice instead. (As you’ll notice, I’m not recommending
fruit juice, but that can be quite high in sugar, too.)
6. Be daring and concoct your own blended goat’s milk
yogurt beverage with cinnamon or nutmeg. Then, if you like,
add a few strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries. (Don’t
add too many berries, because even though you’re getting
natural sugar from fruit, you don’t want to get too
much.)
7. When you’re absolutely desperate and insist on having
a soda, then share it with a friend so you get half the calories,
half the sugar, and half the caffeine that you’d otherwise
get.
8. If you’re just not ready to say no to soda just yet,
then make yourself “earn” that empty-calorie,
nutrient-lacking beverage. First take a walk for a half hour.
Then jump rope for 5 minutes. Then play with a hoola hoop
for another 5 minutes. Then drink a glass of water. Next,
before downing that soda, chew on an apple, pear, or some
strawberries, with a handful of almonds. Hey, by the time
you’ve done all of this, you may find that you’re
not in the mood anymore for that soft drink...
While initially it may seem a bit overwhelming to give up
a long-standing habit of drinking soft drinks, sweetened teas,
or sports drinks, rest assured that your life will be so much
better just from saying no. Indeed, the benefits could be
many just by following these simple steps. You may lose weight
more readily, get more sustained energy, concentrate better,
feel more even-keeled mood-wise, and even get a boost in your
libido. So go get ‘em! Kicking soda and other sweetened
drinks is a great first step in the right direction.
Former
sugar addict Connie Bennett, M.S.J., C.H.H.C. is the author
of SUGAR SHOCK! (Berkley, Dec. 26, 2006). Connie—who
now jokingly calls herself a “Sugar Shrew No More ”—also
is an acclaimed kick-sugar coach, certified holistic health
counselor, creator of The 21-Day, Kick-Sugar Countdown Diet™
and experienced journalist, who has been widely published
in such outlets as The New York Times, Los Angeles Times,
The Chicago Tribune, and eDiets.com. Visit Connie’s
lively, provocative www.SugarShockBlog.com.
Also, make sure to get your free report, “Sly Hidden
Sugars,” at www.SugarShock.com.
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