I have a
problem in the form of a little green can. It's called Diet Mt. Dew and I
am so hooked on it it's ridiculous.
I never
used to drink soda. But then I got married and dear husband asked me buy a
fridge pack of diet coke while at the grocery store, so I did. One
morning while getting ready for work I was feeling extremely sluggish so I
decided to one of those little devils to help pick me up. Instantly I was
hooked. I eventually got sick of the heavy caramel flavor of colas and
discovered a new love, the Dew. I have made numerous attempts to cut my
dependance on it, but never with much luck.
After
doing some serious researching, I have finally found the motivation to cut it
out once and for all.
The
biggest motivator for me (at the moment) is the knowledge that this stuff is
bad for the bones. Not bad-to-the-bone, but bad for the bones!
There is
a little room for debate on this, but here's the thing: I get stress fractures
in my feet all.the.time. Seriously. And I haven't done anything to
cause a break except run at a moderate pace.
According
to livestrong.com:
"A
main ingredient in soda is phosphoric acid. Whether calorie and caffeine filled
or not, it is used as a flavoring agent. It causes increased acidity in
the blood, which your body then attempts to regulate by drawing out
calcium... as three diet sodas a week can lead to significant bone
loss in women."
I am
going to quit drinking soda to save my bones!
Excessive
consumption of soda (especially Mt. Dew) is dehydration due to the
caffeine content. Dehydration can lead to muscle cramps... and I get the
gnarliest foot cramps on a regular basis. They knock me out for a good 10
minutes and reduce me to tears. I would really love to not have this
problem any more.
An
article I found on the Utah Running Blog states:
"Another
chemical found in soda is caffeine. Although caffeine can be a performance
enhancer when used properly, it is also a well-know diuretic and leads to water
loss. If you are trying to lean up you need water. Have you seen a steak dry
out to be a piece of beef jerky? Simply muscle is made up of water and if you
aren’t getting enough water you will not build muscle. People that drink soda in
place of water are missing out on the benefits of a well hydrated body.
Hydrated body tissues perform and function better. Soda pop gives you very
little water and often requires more water to process the chemicals in it.
Another thing to consider with soda consumption is the dehydration. Soda
drinkers often consume pop in lou of water, combined this fact with a soda
containing a diuretic (caffeine) then the individual is in a constant state of
dehydration. One of the many symptoms of dehydration is impaired ability to
think clearly. I don’t know about you, but I want to think clearly during my
training and in a running race or triathlon. Soda pop simply does not help
you."
I am
going to quit drinking soda to stay hydrated!
Another
reason to quit drinking this devilish juice is, well... baby making endeavors.
I want to have a baby and after 4 years of trying, some serious
steps need to be taken to achieve that dream. According to Baby Center,
caffeine up your risk of miscarriage and makes it harder to become pregnant. An
article from ScienceDaily explains that:
"caffeine
stops the actions of specialised pacemaker cells in the wall of the tubes.
These cells coordinate tube contractions so that when they are inhibited, eggs
can't move down the tubes. In fact these muscle contractions play a bigger role
than the beating cilia in moving the egg towards the womb."
Another
article on BabyZone had this to say:
"What
we found is that women who consume high amounts of caffeine daily take longer,
on average, to get pregnant than women with low or no consumption... They had
nearly three times the risk of not being able to conceive after one year of
trying."
I am
going to quit drinking soda so I can make babies!
Bottom
line is this: It's time.
I am
slowly but surely cutting down. I was drinking up to 8 cans of Mt.Dew a
day, I am now down to only 2! In fact, today I have only had 1, and I
think that I may be able to forego numero dos.
My goal
is to be done completely by October 1st.
Do you
drink soda? Trying to quit? Don't care? Let me know!
Quotes pulled from:
http://blog.utahrunning.com/sodapop-carbonation-affect-performance/
http://www.livestrong.com/article/201638-why-not-drink-diet-soda/
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110523121142.htm
http://www.babyzone.com/getting-pregnant/how-to-get-pregnant/caffeine-and-fertility_67115
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