Yet Another Reason to Skip the Soda

MARCH 14, 2011 BY JJ VIRGIN

I’ve long urged clients to stop drinking soda, and a new study offers even more reason to make this switch.

Research published in the American Heart Association’s Hypertension publication found that for every extra sugar-sweetened beverage drunk per day, study participants had significantly higher systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure. That’s not just because of the extra sugar and calories from soda, but because these people had less healthy eating habits overall.

See, you might shrug off the 140 calories from a can of Coke, but by drinking that Coke, you’re more likely to over-indulge throughout the day because you’re used to that sticky sweet artificial taste.

Frankly, diet sodas aren’t any better, because they trick your taste buds into craving sweet things instead of feeling satisfied with the natural sweetness of raspberries or other fruit. And diet sodas don’t really fill you up anyway.

That’s why I urge people to skip the soda and drink water (or sparkling water) instead. Even if you’re one of those people who thinks they can’t get through the day without a diet Coke (or three), believe me, you can. And you will, if you commit yourself to this goal.

Instead of reaching for a Coke or Mountain Dew, wean yourself off that unhealthy habit by drinking sparkling water instead. Add a packet of Emergen-C (the Pink Lemonade flavor is my personal favorite) to create a cool, thirst-quenching drink without the extra sugar and empty calories.