Answers (10)
3
I am a certified nutritional therapy practitioner & CPT.
Artificial Sweeteners are 200% sweeter to the human taste buds than sugar. Diet sodas while they may not have calories and therefore do not contribute excess calories to fat cells, however, they still cause the pancreas to release insulin equivalent to that of a regular soda. If there is a meal eaten or if there are any calories whether macronutrients in the blood are protein, carbs or fat they're all going to be stored as bodyfat due to the fact that the artificial sweetener does nothing on insulin release and is not recommended for diabetics either. Sorry folks!! Nothing out there bypasses the pancreas re: insulin release except maybe stevia in it's concentrated form in very very very minute doses.
Stay Away From Diet Drinks, they're coal tar derivatives and cancer causing agents. You'd be better off just having a half of your regular soda if you cannot give it up though I do not recommend soda at all. My advice would be to buy yourself some organic carbonated water and put a splash of cranberry juice w/ a squeeze of lemon in it!! It's hydrating, antioxidant rich, stimulating to the liver, cleanses the palate, and is Yummy!!
Holly St.Lawrence BSc, NASM CPT, NTP
Being In Balance Eugene Oregon
beingNbalance@yahoo.com
Artificial Sweeteners are 200% sweeter to the human taste buds than sugar. Diet sodas while they may not have calories and therefore do not contribute excess calories to fat cells, however, they still cause the pancreas to release insulin equivalent to that of a regular soda. If there is a meal eaten or if there are any calories whether macronutrients in the blood are protein, carbs or fat they're all going to be stored as bodyfat due to the fact that the artificial sweetener does nothing on insulin release and is not recommended for diabetics either. Sorry folks!! Nothing out there bypasses the pancreas re: insulin release except maybe stevia in it's concentrated form in very very very minute doses.
Stay Away From Diet Drinks, they're coal tar derivatives and cancer causing agents. You'd be better off just having a half of your regular soda if you cannot give it up though I do not recommend soda at all. My advice would be to buy yourself some organic carbonated water and put a splash of cranberry juice w/ a squeeze of lemon in it!! It's hydrating, antioxidant rich, stimulating to the liver, cleanses the palate, and is Yummy!!
Holly St.Lawrence BSc, NASM CPT, NTP
Being In Balance Eugene Oregon
beingNbalance@yahoo.com
1
Kristal,
It's important to say that I am not certified or licensed to offer advice on nutrition. I will address this question from a theoretical standpoint as far as caloric balance and sodium intake are concerned.
Having gotten that out of the way, I think that people who switch to diet soda have probably made a better choice, comparably, than drinking an equal amount of regular soda. I only say that because of the lack of calories and sugar in most diet sodas. We could get into the evils of artificial sweeteners here, but from a weight loss standpoint, it stands to reason that if an individual, (THEORETICALLY), ate the same amount of calories every day, but ended up running a calorie deficit by switching to diet soda, weight loss would be increased. This is simply because weight loss is all about caloric balance (calories vs calories out and calories expended maintaining homeostasis).
I think that people who still drink a lot of diet soda aren't doing themselves any justice, however. Sure you're drinking less sugar and less calories, but think about how much sodium you're getting! One 8 ounce bottle of a popular, dark, diet soda has 40mg of sodium. Drink 5 of those a day and you've already had 10% of the recommended daily allowance of sodium (RDA=2,000mg sodium).
Sodium can contribute to, among other things, water retention--which might potentially negate any weight loss achieved as far as being able to see the effects of the switch from regular to diet soda.
Again, this information should not be taken as a recommendation one way or another. It's important to discuss these matters with a registered dietitian or your physician.
This was a good question. Plenty of people drink a lot of soda, and I'm sure many of them have considered switching to diet soda.
It's important to say that I am not certified or licensed to offer advice on nutrition. I will address this question from a theoretical standpoint as far as caloric balance and sodium intake are concerned.
Having gotten that out of the way, I think that people who switch to diet soda have probably made a better choice, comparably, than drinking an equal amount of regular soda. I only say that because of the lack of calories and sugar in most diet sodas. We could get into the evils of artificial sweeteners here, but from a weight loss standpoint, it stands to reason that if an individual, (THEORETICALLY), ate the same amount of calories every day, but ended up running a calorie deficit by switching to diet soda, weight loss would be increased. This is simply because weight loss is all about caloric balance (calories vs calories out and calories expended maintaining homeostasis).
I think that people who still drink a lot of diet soda aren't doing themselves any justice, however. Sure you're drinking less sugar and less calories, but think about how much sodium you're getting! One 8 ounce bottle of a popular, dark, diet soda has 40mg of sodium. Drink 5 of those a day and you've already had 10% of the recommended daily allowance of sodium (RDA=2,000mg sodium).
Sodium can contribute to, among other things, water retention--which might potentially negate any weight loss achieved as far as being able to see the effects of the switch from regular to diet soda.
Again, this information should not be taken as a recommendation one way or another. It's important to discuss these matters with a registered dietitian or your physician.
This was a good question. Plenty of people drink a lot of soda, and I'm sure many of them have considered switching to diet soda.
1
Sodas are simply not very condusive to weight loss. I understand that the switch to diet saves some unwanted calorie consumption but, most are filled with artificial sweeteners that cause the body to react in very negative ways (severe insulin imbalances and such.) I totally agree with Marlan, that this is a matter for one to discuss with their dietitian and/or physician, but GREAT question that many, many people are asking these days.
1
Easy answer: diet soda is loaded with excess sodium- what you don't want to consume in an effective weight loss program. I tell my clients it's like driving with one foot on the gas pedal and the other on the brakes.
0
Diet sodas hinder weight loss more than help. Maintaining a taste for sugar is detrimental to long term weight loss. Drink water and enjoy the weight loss. I hesitate to add that there are studies done on this that state something along the lines to what I have said...don't know where I saved them though.
0
Hi Kristal,
I believe that this may be a choice between the lesser of two evils, but the scale may be tipping a little in favor of diet sodas.
There has been some recent information that links diet sodas to weight gain, and here is a link to an article published by Duke Health http://www.dukehealth.org/health_library/health_articles/diet_soda. As you can see in the article, the data is not conclusive.
I try to promote drinking just water. But people have been getting back at me saying that they simply do not like water. In that case I suggest carbonated mineral water with lemon or lime.
I believe that this may be a choice between the lesser of two evils, but the scale may be tipping a little in favor of diet sodas.
There has been some recent information that links diet sodas to weight gain, and here is a link to an article published by Duke Health http://www.dukehealth.org/health_library/health_articles/diet_soda. As you can see in the article, the data is not conclusive.
I try to promote drinking just water. But people have been getting back at me saying that they simply do not like water. In that case I suggest carbonated mineral water with lemon or lime.
0
When you eat or drink it is to supply your body with nutrients for energy. I always recommend eating nutrient dense foods. Water is very important to the body and I always recommend drinking plenty of water throughout the day. But if someone is looking for something different I suggest a drink with nutrients and have them be aware of the added calories that they are consuming.
0
Hi Kristal,
I'm an advocate in drinking plain old water. Soda, whether it be diet or regular is not offering you any nutritional benefits. In case of regular soda, it offers sugar, and empty calories, which you don't want. So, yes, with diet soda you're actually saving calories, but you're giving your body artificial substances...
I'm not a dietician or nutritionist by any means, but I believe in eating a "clean" diet, with as little processed and artificial food as possible.
Try putting some lemon juice or cucumber slices into your water to make it easier to drink more of it, instead of soda.
I'm an advocate in drinking plain old water. Soda, whether it be diet or regular is not offering you any nutritional benefits. In case of regular soda, it offers sugar, and empty calories, which you don't want. So, yes, with diet soda you're actually saving calories, but you're giving your body artificial substances...
I'm not a dietician or nutritionist by any means, but I believe in eating a "clean" diet, with as little processed and artificial food as possible.
Try putting some lemon juice or cucumber slices into your water to make it easier to drink more of it, instead of soda.
0
As much as I don't want people to drink soda, and I do every once in a while, here's my take on the diet soda issue.
I think it's a hefty thing to ask someone who consumes regular soda to quit "cold turkey." Sometimes it's more beneficial to have them take baby steps and have them go from regular to diet, then to non-carbonated drinks, then cut out the caffeine, and increase water.
Another way of looking at it is to encourage consumption of more of the good stuff and the not so beneficial stuff will naturally be crowded out.
I think it's a hefty thing to ask someone who consumes regular soda to quit "cold turkey." Sometimes it's more beneficial to have them take baby steps and have them go from regular to diet, then to non-carbonated drinks, then cut out the caffeine, and increase water.
Another way of looking at it is to encourage consumption of more of the good stuff and the not so beneficial stuff will naturally be crowded out.
0
There is no such thing as a healthy soda, in fact diet or regular it doesn' t matter, sodas are chemicals and they are unknown to the human body which then stores the chemicals as fat
There are alot of new studies showing this:
The best soda is no soda
There are alot of new studies showing this:
The best soda is no soda
