Reap What You So-da: InShapeMD Fayetteville Dishes About Diet Drinks

You are hot and thirsty, and if you are like most Americans, the first drink you will reach for will be a carbonated beverage. 

If you are worried about your caloric intake however, you will likely pick a diet soda. 

For many years soft drink companies have spent billions of dollars convincing all of us that the diet soda is the healthier and lighter choice... and yet there are still so many of us who are struggling with weight gain. 

With the advertisements that are played out by a very in-shape model, however, who can blame us if diet soda seems like a dream come true? Many who have experienced this will say that diet sodas are “wolves in sheep's clothing,” fooling the population (mostly women) into thinking that they are doing something beneficial for their bodies when in reality, they are sabotaging their own best efforts of losing weight.

Sure, everyone knows by now that diet soda may not have all of the sugar or calories of a regular soda, but in place of those elements, there are several other health-draining chemicals, like for instance: caffeine, artificial sweeteners, sodium and phosphoric acid. Studies have shown that these elements are chemically venerable to the younger generations.

Many more recent studies about the goodness of diet sodas have been flying around lately, but the majority are actually setting you up to gain even more weight. Some experts are now even exploring the possibility that artificial sweeteners are responsible for confusing our taste buds and all those brain measures of satiety that are based upon what we eat.

Recent statistics on America’s Love for Soda (Sugar and Diet) from the Beverage Digest show the overall average sales of soda was 10.2 billion cases in 2005. That's about 828 eight-ounce servings for every man, woman and child in the US alone!

So if you really want to do something good for your body and your BMI (Body Mass Index), exchange that can of diet or sugar soda for a cool glass of filtered water-- no other drinks are close to it. You can even infuse it with some fresh fruit to add a little zing without the extra calories!

For more nutritional support or information about healthier choices this summer, contact InShapeMD Fayetteville for a FREE consultation TODAY at: (678)817-0181.

Here's to staying cool and staying healthy!

--The InShapeMD Fayetteville Wellness Team