Soda demonization
So, it's been a while. I've been meaning to come back and rant about capitalism and analyze what 'value' really means. But that's not for today.
Today I want to talk about drinks
So, I drink WAY too much soda. I would not consider myself addicted (I'll come back to this), but soda is what I will grab when offered drinks. And soda, in excess, is very bad for you. But let me be clear - ANYTHING in excess is bad for you. This includes water, sunlight, and even oxygen. But let me also be clear, soda has some very real concerns including links to serious diseases including Cancer and Type II Diabetes.
However, I think soda gets a bum wrap. People demonize it and treat it like a drug and anyone who drinks it, therefore, a junkie. They aren't entirely wrong. But they are wrong a little bit and I'd like to discuss the reasons why.
Reason 1: Serious health concerns. There is no refuting this one, some of the chemicals in soda have been linked to CANCER, as well as other diseases. I do feel the diabetes link might be overblown and related more to the lifestyle of those who drink soda (diet or otherwise), but even a small link is cause for concern. The two worst culprits I've seen mentioned in articles are Aspartame and Caramel coloring. If this concerns you enough to change, you must at least find a clear soda with no aspartame if it's diet, or full sugar.
Reason 2: The sugar. So much sugar. Like, a ridiculous amount of sugar that translates directly into carbs and calories. So if you're dieting, all non-diet sodas should be avoided.
Reason 3: And then there's the caffeine. Caffeine is an addictive stimulant - it's a legal drug. There are some groups that despouse its use altogether and they aren't really wrong. They aren't necessarily right either, I think that, like all drug use, should be a personal decision made by an informed individual. Most Americans don't fit that description, but whatever.
Reason 4: The salt. There's quite a bit of sodium in soda. I haven't really seen it mentioned anywhere, but there are conditions that would require you to limit salt intake, or other reasons you may want to reduce it.
There's more, but first an aside:
So, what are your alternatives to soda? There are several, but they're not as pervasive as you might think. The first and the one everyone will push on you is plain (filtered) water. But is water really the best choice for you? (prepare for a sub rant) First of all, I have already specified filtered water because tap water is not readily available and safe to everyone. And that means you have to pay for a filter, or buy bottled water. But be careful about bottle water, some of it is just tap water run through unknown filtration if any at all! So you're going to pay for the nicer waters, but those are expensive, and create waste. At least they taste better than tap right? That's because most of them have minerals added to the water. Not a lot, but enough. And this is generally a good thing, it happens naturally, but is it happening naturally in your bottled water? I'm not so sure about that and I'm not as okay with artificially added minerals. Not to mention the environmental impact of mass production plants and tapping natural springs . . . water isn't the saint people think it is. I also want to point to history. Obviously, water has always been around and has always been the base drink of our species. But we have been altering that water for longer than anyone can recall, possibly longer than our species has really been around. There are some theories that Alcohol played a significant role in the development of our early brains. This is not all alcohol can do - plain water is dangerous! I've already mentioned this, so what did people do before water filters? They got sick! But you know who didn't get sick? The monks and working men who *didn't* drink the water but instead drank Beer, which killed the bacteria causing the epidemic. And on top of all that, if the reason you need fluids is because of dehydration, from exercise or other reasons, water lacks the salts and electrolytes that your body needs. So, all in all, water honestly isn't that great for you, and on top of that, unflavored water just doesn't satisfy me on a personal level, so I'll pass. Unless I'm camping and filtering my water straight from the stream, I have other choices.
But Juice isn't that alternative for me. Unless you are squeezing your own (which is prohibitively expensive at least for me) you are still buying containers full of sugar water. Hopefully with real juice, but that means there is no 'diet' only 'less sugar' if you're trying to watch your waistline. Juice has most of the same problems as soda.
And as I mentioned above, there are a few more of said problems.
Reason 5: The cost. Buying drinks of any sort costs money and creates waste in the form of bottles or cups. Both of these things are bad and should count against all drinks, including soda.
Reason 6: "Empty calories". I'm including this separate from the sugar because I personally have no problem with the sugar. What bothers me is that each bottle I drink is 200 calories with ZERO vitamins. I could have milk or OJ or another real fruit juice. It'll be similar calories but I'll actually get substance, something *good* for my body.
Is that it? I think that's it.
So, what IS the answer? It's going to be different for everyone. First you must identify your reasons for wanting to quit soda. If it's sugar and you can tolerate aspartame, switching to diet might be okay, if it's caffeine, try caffeine-free. There are several alternatives that are at least *better* than soda. There's water and juice, neither of which I approve of. There's also sports drinks like gatorade which are *very* good if you're working out, but otherwise fall under the 'juice' category. There's milks be they from animals, almonds, or soy beans but these should be limited to avoid an overdose of calcium and other nutrients. Coffee is not an option, it is literally just soda, with all the same problems excepts the caramel coloring, and energy drinks are even worse.
There are also some options I would consider good. If you have access to clean water or can afford a refillable one, water infusions are really fantastic. They require some work, and fresh ingredients are best, but these are a really nice option. There's also things like coconut water and aloe water. These are usually cheaper than other choices (if you know where to shop) and have *less* problems than juice.
And what's the drink I have not mentioned yet? Tea. Tea is the answer, and with so many varieties, you can take your pick to fit your mood. See, alcohol isn't the only way early man altered water, the other way was tea. Boiling the water kills dangerous bacteria, the leaves provide flavor and sometimes other benefits. There's caffeine and caffeine free varieties depending if that's a draw to you. Depending on the type, and if you brew your own, you can control how much sugar you consume, there's no salt on its own. And if you're brewing, both aspects of cost are down too!
So why don't I drink tea? That's a very good question. I should, I like teas. There are two reasons and neither of them are good. Reason 1-I'm lazy. The convenience of just being able to grab a pre-canned portion of drink appeals on a number of levels, especially compared to a drink I must actively prepare ahead of time, even if it's just heating water. But that's the other problem, reason 2-I don't like hot drinks. I like tea *with* a meal, but I want a cold drink to actually quench my thirst. Even as I write this, I realize that at least at restaurants, I should be ordering hot tea and ice water.
So what's my plan? It's still a plan because I haven't succeeded in starting it yet. But I do have this plan: diversity! Instead of 4 cans of soda in a day, I'll have a glass of orange juice, one of almond milk, and only 1 can of soda. Variety, variety is the key. I wish me luck.
Today I want to talk about drinks
So, I drink WAY too much soda. I would not consider myself addicted (I'll come back to this), but soda is what I will grab when offered drinks. And soda, in excess, is very bad for you. But let me be clear - ANYTHING in excess is bad for you. This includes water, sunlight, and even oxygen. But let me also be clear, soda has some very real concerns including links to serious diseases including Cancer and Type II Diabetes.
However, I think soda gets a bum wrap. People demonize it and treat it like a drug and anyone who drinks it, therefore, a junkie. They aren't entirely wrong. But they are wrong a little bit and I'd like to discuss the reasons why.
Reason 1: Serious health concerns. There is no refuting this one, some of the chemicals in soda have been linked to CANCER, as well as other diseases. I do feel the diabetes link might be overblown and related more to the lifestyle of those who drink soda (diet or otherwise), but even a small link is cause for concern. The two worst culprits I've seen mentioned in articles are Aspartame and Caramel coloring. If this concerns you enough to change, you must at least find a clear soda with no aspartame if it's diet, or full sugar.
Reason 2: The sugar. So much sugar. Like, a ridiculous amount of sugar that translates directly into carbs and calories. So if you're dieting, all non-diet sodas should be avoided.
Reason 3: And then there's the caffeine. Caffeine is an addictive stimulant - it's a legal drug. There are some groups that despouse its use altogether and they aren't really wrong. They aren't necessarily right either, I think that, like all drug use, should be a personal decision made by an informed individual. Most Americans don't fit that description, but whatever.
Reason 4: The salt. There's quite a bit of sodium in soda. I haven't really seen it mentioned anywhere, but there are conditions that would require you to limit salt intake, or other reasons you may want to reduce it.
There's more, but first an aside:
So, what are your alternatives to soda? There are several, but they're not as pervasive as you might think. The first and the one everyone will push on you is plain (filtered) water. But is water really the best choice for you? (prepare for a sub rant) First of all, I have already specified filtered water because tap water is not readily available and safe to everyone. And that means you have to pay for a filter, or buy bottled water. But be careful about bottle water, some of it is just tap water run through unknown filtration if any at all! So you're going to pay for the nicer waters, but those are expensive, and create waste. At least they taste better than tap right? That's because most of them have minerals added to the water. Not a lot, but enough. And this is generally a good thing, it happens naturally, but is it happening naturally in your bottled water? I'm not so sure about that and I'm not as okay with artificially added minerals. Not to mention the environmental impact of mass production plants and tapping natural springs . . . water isn't the saint people think it is. I also want to point to history. Obviously, water has always been around and has always been the base drink of our species. But we have been altering that water for longer than anyone can recall, possibly longer than our species has really been around. There are some theories that Alcohol played a significant role in the development of our early brains. This is not all alcohol can do - plain water is dangerous! I've already mentioned this, so what did people do before water filters? They got sick! But you know who didn't get sick? The monks and working men who *didn't* drink the water but instead drank Beer, which killed the bacteria causing the epidemic. And on top of all that, if the reason you need fluids is because of dehydration, from exercise or other reasons, water lacks the salts and electrolytes that your body needs. So, all in all, water honestly isn't that great for you, and on top of that, unflavored water just doesn't satisfy me on a personal level, so I'll pass. Unless I'm camping and filtering my water straight from the stream, I have other choices.
But Juice isn't that alternative for me. Unless you are squeezing your own (which is prohibitively expensive at least for me) you are still buying containers full of sugar water. Hopefully with real juice, but that means there is no 'diet' only 'less sugar' if you're trying to watch your waistline. Juice has most of the same problems as soda.
And as I mentioned above, there are a few more of said problems.
Reason 5: The cost. Buying drinks of any sort costs money and creates waste in the form of bottles or cups. Both of these things are bad and should count against all drinks, including soda.
Reason 6: "Empty calories". I'm including this separate from the sugar because I personally have no problem with the sugar. What bothers me is that each bottle I drink is 200 calories with ZERO vitamins. I could have milk or OJ or another real fruit juice. It'll be similar calories but I'll actually get substance, something *good* for my body.
Is that it? I think that's it.
So, what IS the answer? It's going to be different for everyone. First you must identify your reasons for wanting to quit soda. If it's sugar and you can tolerate aspartame, switching to diet might be okay, if it's caffeine, try caffeine-free. There are several alternatives that are at least *better* than soda. There's water and juice, neither of which I approve of. There's also sports drinks like gatorade which are *very* good if you're working out, but otherwise fall under the 'juice' category. There's milks be they from animals, almonds, or soy beans but these should be limited to avoid an overdose of calcium and other nutrients. Coffee is not an option, it is literally just soda, with all the same problems excepts the caramel coloring, and energy drinks are even worse.
There are also some options I would consider good. If you have access to clean water or can afford a refillable one, water infusions are really fantastic. They require some work, and fresh ingredients are best, but these are a really nice option. There's also things like coconut water and aloe water. These are usually cheaper than other choices (if you know where to shop) and have *less* problems than juice.
And what's the drink I have not mentioned yet? Tea. Tea is the answer, and with so many varieties, you can take your pick to fit your mood. See, alcohol isn't the only way early man altered water, the other way was tea. Boiling the water kills dangerous bacteria, the leaves provide flavor and sometimes other benefits. There's caffeine and caffeine free varieties depending if that's a draw to you. Depending on the type, and if you brew your own, you can control how much sugar you consume, there's no salt on its own. And if you're brewing, both aspects of cost are down too!
So why don't I drink tea? That's a very good question. I should, I like teas. There are two reasons and neither of them are good. Reason 1-I'm lazy. The convenience of just being able to grab a pre-canned portion of drink appeals on a number of levels, especially compared to a drink I must actively prepare ahead of time, even if it's just heating water. But that's the other problem, reason 2-I don't like hot drinks. I like tea *with* a meal, but I want a cold drink to actually quench my thirst. Even as I write this, I realize that at least at restaurants, I should be ordering hot tea and ice water.
So what's my plan? It's still a plan because I haven't succeeded in starting it yet. But I do have this plan: diversity! Instead of 4 cans of soda in a day, I'll have a glass of orange juice, one of almond milk, and only 1 can of soda. Variety, variety is the key. I wish me luck.