Say
No to Soda, Yes to Healthy Drinks
Sodas are sweet,
sparkling and tasty — but don't confuse them with a healthy drink. Doctors have
discovered a ton of health risks connected with drinking soda pop. Worse, you're robbing yourself of a
healthy drink alternative brimming
with needed vitamins and minerals every time you chug down a soft drink.
"If you're
choosing a soda, chances are you aren't choosing
a healthy beverage," says Keri M. Gans, a nutrition consultant in New York
City and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. There are a
number of healthy drink choices you can make instead.
Why Say No to Soda?
Soda is truly worthless
to your body. "In my opinion, there's really one major reason to not drink
soda," Gans says. "It has absolutely no nutritional value. Soda is
filled with sugar and calories and nothing else." Even diet sodas — low to
no calories and sugar — don’t have any redeeming virtues, nutritionally.
Healthy drinks, on the other hand, have vitamins and minerals the body can use.
Even plain water can rehydrate your body without adding extra calories to your diet.
Sugary sodas contribute
to obesity and diabetes. Soda is loaded with high-fructose corn syrup, a
sweetener that has been linked to obesity. Soda consumption also has been
linked to the development of type 2 diabetes, both due to its sugar content and
its effects on the body's hormones. And diet soda? It may not be any better. At
least one study has linked artificial sweeteners, such as those used in diet
sodas, to increased appetite, greater difficulty losing weight, and a harder
time maintaining weight loss.
Soda damages your
teeth. The sugar in soda coats your teeth, combining
with bacteria in your mouth to form acid. Both regular and diet soda also
contain carbolic acid through carbonation. These acids work to weaken tooth
enamel, causing cavities and tooth decay.
Drinking
soda can weaken your bones. Most sodas contain phosphorous and caffeine, agents
that are believed to contribute to osteoporosis. Experts also worry that people
consume soda in place of milk or other healthy drinks, depriving the bones of calcium.
Soda can harm your
major organs. Research has demonstrated that increased soft drink consumption
may be linked to chronic kidney disease, development of metabolic syndrome (a
group of symptoms that add up to increased heart risk), and fatty liver, a
chronic liver disease.
Healthy Drink Alternatives
Luckily, there are
limitless options when choosing a healthy drink over a soda pop. Some soda
alternatives include:
Water. It is the
ultimate healthy drink. "It's free in every sense of the word," Gans
says. "It has no calories and it comes straight from your tap."
Fruit juice. Gans urges
you not to drink straight fruit juice, which contains a lot of sugar.
"Drink some seltzer with a splash of juice for a little flavoring," she says. "Rather
than drinking juice, eat a piece of whole fruit. You're also getting the fiber in the
fruit."
Milk. This is another
essential healthy drink, particularly for kids. "An 8-ounce glass of
nonfat milk has 80 calories and nine essential nutrients," Gans says.
"You get a lot of bang for your buck."
Tea. Whatever teas you
prefer — green, black, herbal — they all have been shown to contain high levels
of antioxidants, which are believed to protect the body from damage.
Powdered drink mixes.
They contain no tooth-rotting carbonation, and come in sugar-free varieties.
They give your sweet tooth a fix without harming
your overall nutrition.
And remember that you
can always cut up some fresh fruit and pop a little into a tall glass of water
for an extra flavor kick. Choosing healthy drinks over soda: Give it a try.
Your body will thank you.
Kalimat
Gerunds
1. Doctors
have discovered a ton of health risks connected with drinking soda pop.
2. Worse,
you're robbing yourself of a healthy drink alternative brimming with needed. vitamins and minerals every time you
chug down a soft drink.
3. If
you're choosing a soda, chances are you aren't choosing a healthy beverage.
4. Soda
damages your teeth. The sugar in soda coats your teeth, combining with bacteria in your mouth to form acid.
5. Drinking
soda can weaken your bones.
6. You're
also getting the fiber in the
fruit.
7. They
give your sweet tooth a fix without harming
your overall nutrition.
