Ditch Soda Altogether, Diet or Not

Ditch the soda

Although the label on a diet soda may indicate that it is a healthier version of its full sugar counterpart, when you look at the studies on how diet soda impacts your health, you’ll be thinking twice before indulging again.

First things first…this post is not a debate as to which soda product to consume.

Regardless of the type of soda that you may be consuming, I want to be clear that consuming this product raises very significant health concerns.

Soda of any kind is highly acidic and can contribute to tooth decay as well as affect the pH of the body. Consuming a diet that is high in processed foods and beverages creates an acidic environment in the body, which creates imbalances in the body. To counteract the acidity of the body, calcium can be leached from bones and teeth to raise the pH closer to neutral. 

Living in a state of acidity also allows for diseases to form in the body including cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, just to name a few.

This message is directed at those people that drink diet pop and truly believe that they are doing their body a service by not indulging in the more sugar-laden stuff. So, let’s get down to the nitty gritty on how drinking diet soda can specifically negatively effect your health and future wellbeing.

Tooth Decay

If you are concerned with keeping your pearly whites in good condition, then ditching your soda habits is imperative. The acidity from the pop eats away at the enamel and can cause tooth decay. Imagine how your teeth would hold up if submerged in battery acid. Well, the acidity of pop (pH of 2.5) isn’t far off from that of battery acid (pH of 1). Remember back to high school chemistry class that water is neutral with a pH of 7. With a pH of 2.5, there is no wonder that pop can wreak havoc on our body so quickly.

Cardiovascular Disease

As if there aren’t enough, lifestyle factors that can trigger the development of cardiovascular disease without a beverage that is marketed as “diet” and “sugar-free” to confuse consumers. Do yourself a favour and remove all sodas from your diet. The consumption of diet pop has been linked to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

Weight issues

Like many “diet” products that don’t help you to lose weight magically, the same is true of diet soda. The artificial sugars in soda also trigger insulin to be released, much like regular pop does, and initiates fat storage in the body. The best options are to replace pop with water and herbal teas.

Kidney Damage

Think of your kidneys as a filter responsible for cleaning out unwanted substances and excess fluid in your body and releasing it as urine. Now imagine what happens to a filter when it is full of “junk.”

It is believed that the sweeteners (“junk”) used in diet pop cause kidney function to decline with regular consumption of diet pop.

Now that you have the lowdown on diet pop, steer clear of it and any other beverage masking itself as “diet” or “sugar-free.”

Are You Still Consuming Dairy Products? Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Be!

dairy milk

Are you a big fan of dairy milk?  Did you know that humans are the only species that drink milk past infancy?  Also, we are the only species to drink the milk of another animal – that grows to be 1500 pounds!!

If you are still drinking cow’s milk, it’s time to ask yourself two question.  Firstly, are you a calf?  Secondly, are you aiming to grow to 1500 pounds?

Dairy milk is specifically designed to nourish a baby cow.  It contains all of the nutrients necessary to grow a calf into a healthy, 1500 pound adult cow.  The same is true for human breast milk.  It is perfectly designed to nourish a developing infant.

Dairy milk contains proteins that are much larger than those in human breast milk.  As such, it is very difficult for humans to break it down effectively.  Because of this, our body identifies dairy milk as an invader in our system.  So in response, our bodies go into defensive mode.  Dairy sensitivities and allergies can then develop which can wreak havoc on your immune system long term.

Common Dairy Misconception: But If I Don’t Drink Milk, Where Will I Get My Calcium?

The dairy industry has done an excellent job marketing milk to “protect your bones”.  Assigning it as the go-to substance to fulfill your daily requirements for calcium.  Studies have reported higher contents of calcium circulating in the blood stream after drinking milk.  However, what these studies fail to illustrate is the source of where the calcium came from.

Milk creates a very acidic residue inside the body.  In order to maintain a healthy pH internally, it must be buffered immediately by an alkaline balance.  Your body’s response to this acidic effect (caused by ingesting milk) is to release calcium stored inside your bones.  This will buffer the acidic levels and bring them back to a safe reading.

So, yes.  After drinking milk, there is more calcium in your bloodstream.  However, this is only because your body had to release it from its own storage inside your bones.  For more information on bone health,  click here to read, “Calcium without Vitamin K2 is a Heart Breaker”.

So Where Will I Get My Calcium?

Where do cows get their calcium?  Greens!  It is much easier for your body to break down and assimilate nutrients from fruit and vegetables.  Especially compared to breaking down dense, heavy foods like meat and dairy products.  Include the following in your diet for great sources of calcium that your body can easily use.

broccoli
Broccoli
Bok Choy
Bok Choy
kale
Kale
lettuce
Lettuce
almonds
Almonds
hazelnuts
Hazelnuts
Figs
Figs

For some great ‘green’ recipes, click here to read, “Happy St. Patrick’s Day Recipes”.

Important Tip:

Focus on magnesium if you are worried about your bone health and calcium levels.  The majority of adults are deficient in magnesium.  As a result, serious health issues may develop.  Having excessive amounts of calcium in the body, while having a deficiency in magnesium, can lead to the following according to Dr. Mercola:

  • Heart disease
  • Problems with your heart muscle spasming
  • Sudden heart attack

Be sure you are getting enough magnesium.  Eat your green leafy veggies, beans, nuts, seeds, and avocados.

Further Reading

According to Harvard Medical School;

“You need magnesium for many tasks. It’s involved in more than 300 chemical reactions in the body. Muscles need this mineral to contract; nerves need it to send and receive messages. It keeps your heart beating steadily and your immune system strong.”

For the full article, click here to read, “What you should know about magnesium”.

References:

http://www.dairymoos.com/how-much-do-cows-weight/
https://www.iofbonehealth.org/osteoporosis-musculoskeletal-disorders/osteoporosis/prevention/calcium/calcium-content-common-foods
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/03/03/magnesium-drinking-water.aspx
https://draxe.com/is-milk-hurting-or-helping-your-bones/