Although many of us drink soda regularly and know that it is unhealthy, most probably don’t know the extent of it.  Soft drinks contain little or no vitamins or essential nutrients.  Instead, they contain items that we should avoid or limit such as caffeine, carbonation, simple sugars, and food additives.  Consumption of soft drinks can lead to tooth decay, obesity, nutrition depletion, and heart disease.

The normal daily USDA recommendation of sugar in a 2,000 calorie diet is 10 teaspoons.  Most soft drinks fill this quota with one serving!  Overconsumption leads to raised insulin levels, leading to depression of the immune system and decrease ability to fight disease.  Besides this, excess consumption also leads to increased body fat stores which, in turn, leads to a whole host of health problems.

Many people have determined that by drinking sugar free or diet soda they are making a better choice.  One study shows that regardless of diet, sugar free, or regular consumption, individuals displayed a 30% incrase in belly fat.  In a recent blog post, I discussed the unknowns about artificial sweeteners.  Some of these could possibly pose a risk to your health.  

In addition to helping my personal training clients in St. Louis, I want to share this information to everyone and also give some tips to ingest more adequate fluids.

- Drink fresh water.  Water is vital and contains vitamins and nutrients essential to life.  Try enhancing your water with honey or mint leaves

- Drink Fruit Juice.  Although sometimes loaded with sugar, you can water down.

- Drink Tea.  Has numerous benefits including antioxidant properties and calming effects