Molokai Fitness: Why you should quit drinking soda

Community Contributed

By Ayda Ersoy

Do you drink soda? If the answer is no, that’s awesome, but if you drink fruit juice, energy drinks or smoothies, there’s actually not much difference between all these. They all have almost equal levels of sugar.

If the answer is yes, then do you drink normal or diet soda? Unfortunately both are pretty much the same when it comes to the damage they do to your body.

I know, sweet, cold drinks are hard to resist, especially with the weather on Molokai like it has been recently, and it’s difficult to quit drinking them. But maybe after reading this article you will think twice before you buy or give them to your kids.

Yes, canned drinks have excess sugar and calories, but it’s actually worse than that. They give your body sugar and carbs, but not the nutrients that you’d normally get because their base is artificial color and cheap, low quality sugar. So you are just getting “empty calories,” and your body is still craving the nutrients so you quickly want to eat or drink more.

Many studies have shown a direct link to tooth decay, diabetes and bone damage.

But what about diet soda? Yes, this may have zero calories but your body still does not get the nutrients it needs so you’re still craving more sugar and overeating. So actually, soda is formulated to make you fat! Recent studies have shown this, but you really don’t need science to prove it — just look around at the people who drink a lot of soda and you can see the health problems they’re suffering from.

If that’s still not enough, here’s a few more facts that may convince you. Regular soda contains high fructose corn syrup, which contains GMOs. More and more studies are proving the health risks associated with GMOs.

Sugary drinks also decrease your vitamin B levels, which plays a big role in your mood. Vitamin B deficiency can lead to a much higher risk of depression. Diet soda consumption has shown to increase your risk of stroke or heart attack by 61 percent. Sugary drinks also increase the risk of ADHD in our kids.

If you don’t stop drinking soda, sooner or later your doctor will tell you to! But why wait until it’s almost too late?

If you love the taste of soda then try blending some fresh fruit into sparking water. Or don’t stop drinking altogether, but try to drink less — dilute it with water, or if you normally have two cans then drink just one. Slowly decrease the amount you drink and see how your energy level changes.

Knowledge is power; try to start learning more about what you’re eating and drinking and you’ll understand how much your diet affects your health. When you learn what some things are really made of, you don’t want to touch them.