Can I preface this post by saying…this is painful for me to write. One of my all time favorite things to consume is a 44 oz, ice cold, mixed to perfection, aspartame laden, Super Big Gulp. Insanely large fountain drinks, pretty much always of the diet variety, but topped off with a splash of the fully loaded stuff (for flavor) has been one of my life’s simple pleasures. But it’s time to face the reality…
Soda is not good for you.
So here are 5 reasons why I’m dong my best to limit my Super Big Gulp/fountain drink/soda intake to once a week.
1: Stress Fractures and Osteoperosis – According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) high levels of Phosphates in diet sodas totally sucks calcium out of your bones. Daily consumption makes you three to four times more likely to suffer from a stress fracture and at an increased risk for osteoporosis. Ouch.
2: Extremely acidic – To put it in perspective, water’s PH level is 7 and vinegar is 2.5. Sodas? Well they range from 2.3 – 3.7. So most soda is as acidic as vinegar. Yum! Check the chart here.
3: Tooth Enamel Damage – I once watched my husband clear rust off his golf clubs by soaking them in Diet Coke. Imagine what it does to your tooth enamel. Dentists are expensive. Even with insurance. Veneers practically need a mortgage. This is why I prefer straws.
4: There is absolutely no nutritional benefit. Zilch. Nada. Nonewhatsoever.
5: Calories and weight gain. Now this is interesting. So, regular soda is loaded with sugar…we get that (drinking 1 33ml can a day can lead to gaining 1lb a month). But diet soda, is a sneaky beverage too. It tricks your body to thinking you just ate a bunch of sugar, so after you drink it, you then crave lots of carbs and sugar. So either way, you are consuming or wanting to consume more calories when you drink some bubbly.
Yup. Definitely need to cut back on those bubbles.
…but I’m keeping my empty Super Big Gulp cup around, just filled up with water, green tea, or something healthy.