Molokai Fitness: Attention to Drinks

Community Contributed

By Ayda Ersoy

Are you really thinking about what you’re doing to improve your health?

This week I’d like to pull your attention to drinking. No, not alcohol – this would probably take quite a few articles… I want to talk about other canned drinks.

When you drink coke, soda or most other canned pop drinks, do you know how much sugar you’re taking? Without even realizing it you’re taking on average between 25 and 49 grams sugar (1 tablespoon is 12 grams!).

Within 20 minutes of drinking your blood sugar level shoots up, your liver responds and your insulin levels increase. Your body starts converting the sugar into fat. And the higher insulin levels also lead to high blood pressure, cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes and weight gain.

After about 40 minutes your body increases dopamine production which stimulates the pleasure centers of your brain. That’s the same physical response that you get from drugs. So you will start to feel a “sugar crash”, your body will be craving more sugary or high carbs foods.

And this is just the damage caused by the sugar content. Many canned drinks also have caffeine (30–80mg), artificial food colors and also high fructose modified corn syrup (remember GMO).

Now, maybe you’ll say that it’s ok because you like to drink the diet versions. But these are still sweetened by adding aspartame – this chemical is used as a sugar substitute in diet soda, coke, pop and pretty much all diet drinks. Aspartame has over 100 different known health side effects including diabetes and cancer.

So next time when you go to buy drinks for a barbecue, or to give your kids, really think about it. Is it worth it?

Here are some alternatives:

– you can make green tea or berry iced tea, you don’t need to buy the cans, just make it yourself, it’s so easy.

– try the turkish drink called “ayran”, you take plain yoghurt, cold iced water, add a little salt and some dry or fresh mint. It’s so delicious! Also if you like you can add some fresh fruit for a different variation.

– you can make your own lemonade (with lemons or limes), if you like you can add stevia or Molokai honey to sweeten the taste, maybe add a little fresh jalapeño pepper.

Give them a try!! They’re so delicious, healthy, fresh and much cheaper…

And if you have coke that you already bought and don’t want to use, then check the website www.wakeup-world.com (type coke into the search box on the right and you’ll find the article “20 domestic uses for coca cola”). You’ll see all the things around the house that you can do with coke. It’s really not meant to be put into your body!

Let’s keep Molokai healthy and happy!