"Diet" Carbonated drinks

jon40084
jon40084 Posts: 175 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi,
I guess my vice would be diet carbonated drinks ( Diet Coke / Dr Pepper Zero and Pepsi Max ) and in fact drink very little water. Just curious if anyone had any experience with diet drinks and in particular replacing them with fruit squash ( not sure I'm ready for plain water just yet ).
regards Jon
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Replies

  • Lozze
    Lozze Posts: 1,917 Member
    If you're talking about fruit juice they would actully be worse for the simple reason they are full of sugar and have just as many calories as full strength soft drink.

    I've lost 32kg (damn Easter, was higher!) drinking Pepsi Max. It won't slow you down, it won't 'spike' your insulin, it won't make you want to eat more.

    For the water aspect I would just start having one glass a day. Work your way up. I was in the exact same boat as you and can't NOT drink water now!
  • arsalak
    arsalak Posts: 40 Member
    Hi,
    I guess my vice would be diet carbonated drinks ( Diet Coke / Dr Pepper Zero and Pepsi Max ) and in fact drink very little water. Just curious if anyone had any experience with diet drinks and in particular replacing them with fruit squash ( not sure I'm ready for plain water just yet ).
    regards Jon

    Diet fizzy drinks do not give you any calories but they can cause indigestion and excessive acidity in your stomach. That will hinder your digestive abilities. I read somewhere that they are associated with increased risk of diabetes as well->cannot find the article at present. I will post a link for it.

    When I switched over to water, I used to drink flavored water before I went on to plain. It has very few calories, but no harmful chemicals which are present in fizzy drinks. An easy way to make one would be to squeeze one orange and add one liter of water in it. Drink it the whole day and enjoy.

    Take care
  • arsalak
    arsalak Posts: 40 Member
    Here is the link, Diet Soda causes diabetes.

    http://www.rodale.com/diet-soda-and-diabetes


    Here is a brief summary:

    "Downing calorie-free pop could have the unappetizing consequence of increasing your risk of developing diabetes, according to a new study published in the journal Diabetes Care. Researchers looked at people’s diet soda consumption between the years 2000 and 2002, and then screened them for type 2 diabetes between 2002 and 2007, as part of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, or MESA, an investigation involving more than 6,800 people between 45 and 84 years old. People who drank at least one diet soda a day at the beginning of the study had a 67 percent higher relative risk of type 2 diabetes compared with the people who drank none. Zero-calorie soda also increased the risk of metabolic syndrome—a group of risk factors linked to obesity that increase your chances of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke—by 36 percent."
  • snookumss
    snookumss Posts: 1,451 Member
    Since discovering diet dr pepper, I've had to limit my intake daily because of it :(
  • Lozze
    Lozze Posts: 1,917 Member
    Having just read the study that is mentioned in that article it doesn't mention other factors. So yes people who have diabetes drink diet soda. That doesn't mean that diet soda causes diabetes. Coreleation doesn't equal causation.

    I seriously would love to see a study done on diabeties and diet soda that takes into account the rest of the other person's diet.

    I know this is anecdotal but I went from pre-diabetic to not even being at risk while still drinking diet soda. All over diet needs to be taken into account.

    (edited because I'm a dope sometimes)
  • kjbristol
    kjbristol Posts: 22 Member
    While I do drink alot of water too, I have been successful dieting on Pepsi Max. It gives me the caffine without all the sugar! And it doesn't taste half bad. I had to start slow and for every pepsi max I drank, I drank one glass of water. You can do it! Baby steps.
  • Bentley2718
    Bentley2718 Posts: 1,689 Member
    Diet fizzy drinks do not give you any calories but they can cause indigestion and excessive acidity in your stomach. That will hinder your digestive abilities. I read somewhere that they are associated with increased risk of diabetes as well->cannot find the article at present. I will post a link for it.

    Your stomach is WAY more acidic than coke/diet coke/etc. are on their own. And I'd love to see a cite for the diabetes study.

    If you like carbonation, try flavored carbonated water, if you buy the unsweetened ones, they don't have any calories. The down side is, they don't have caffeine.
  • sexforjaffacakes
    sexforjaffacakes Posts: 1,001 Member
    Having just read the study that is mentioned in that article it doesn't mention other factors. So yes people who have diabetes drink diet soda. That doesn't mean that diet soda causes diabetes. Coreleation doesn't equal correlation.

    I seriously would love to see a study done on diabeties and diet soda that takes into account the rest of the other person's diet.

    I know this is anecdotal but I went from pre-diabetic to not even being at risk while still drinking diet soda. All over diet needs to be taken into account.

    This. As far as I can tell, diet drinks don't affect weight loss - perhaps for some people they can make you crave other seet things, but it's never happened to me (I hate eating sweet stuff with my diet coke)

    So go ahead and have your diet drinks - if it's your vice it certainly isn't the worst one, and hey it's calorie free!
  • SouthernCountryGirl
    SouthernCountryGirl Posts: 195 Member
    I am a diet coke alcoholic in the worst way, drink it 24/7. The sodium in it (at the amounts i drink are insane). Making the decision a couple of weeks ago to get fit and in shape, the hardest thing I had to get my head wrapped around was drinking water and lots of it. I hate water (except for when I'm working out in the gym) weird I know. Sooo...I found the packs of flavor at walmart, grape, tea, fruit punch, lemonade, all different kinds. There's no carbonation, but they taste really good. This is workable, I really like them. The water has a taste, instead of plain, and I'm getting the water intake I need. It has made a huge dent in my diet coke habit. Thank God. I didn't think I'd ever break the habit. I'm also losing weight. Between the water and the gym it's made a difference. I also take a high potency B complex. It gives you energy and helps jump start your metabolism. I still suck down 4/5 (total) diet cokes a day, but that's a LOT less than what I was doing. I lived with a glass in my hand. In my truck. At work. At home. Everywhere. Take it a day at a time and include water where you can. Gets easier. If I can do it anyone can lol. Good luck.
  • missjojo31
    missjojo31 Posts: 150
    i drink diet drinks occassionally tend to be seen with a bottle of sugar free juice now
  • Toddrific
    Toddrific Posts: 1,114 Member
    I quit drinking soda a year ago. I drink Crystal Light which probably isn't much better as it has many of the same ingredients.
    I'd say maybe try to add an extra glass of water in a day, weekly.

    also, the phrase is "Correlation does not equal Causation"

    and this

    image_preview
  • samntha14
    samntha14 Posts: 2,084 Member
    We switched to flavored water, mio and crystal light (Pure), and fresh brewed ice tea. I GAINED weight while drinking diet soda, and we were all having huge problems with our teeth. I'd rather put a little real sugar in water than drink tons of the fake stuff. I'm exercising enough now where a little sugar isn't a bad thing.
  • Lozze
    Lozze Posts: 1,917 Member
    also, the phrase is "Correlation does not equal Causation"

    LOOOOL. I'm such a dope sometimes! Thanks!
  • jon40084
    jon40084 Posts: 175 Member
    Wow thanks everyone
  • arsalak
    arsalak Posts: 40 Member
    Having just read the study that is mentioned in that article it doesn't mention other factors. So yes people who have diabetes drink diet soda. That doesn't mean that diet soda causes diabetes. Coreleation doesn't equal causation.

    I seriously would love to see a study done on diabeties and diet soda that takes into account the rest of the other person's diet.

    I know this is anecdotal but I went from pre-diabetic to not even being at risk while still drinking diet soda. All over diet needs to be taken into account.

    (edited because I'm a dope sometimes)

    You are right that it is a risk factor for diabetes not the causing factor. Having said that diabetes occurs because of accumulation of these risk factors. There is no virus or bacteria that causes it. Overall diet has to be good as well. Eating too much and not exercising at all is also a risk factor for it. Then you have to contend with genes as well. People who have a first degree relative with diabetes have higher chance of becoming diabetic. People of south Asian origin have 1.5 times higher chance of becoming diabetic than others. If you reduce your risk factors, your chances of getting diabetes are reduced.
  • flanchick
    flanchick Posts: 30 Member
    I'm a proud soda addict! I have started to drink water with meals only. That was about the only way I could start to suck the stuff down. I admit, I can drink water with meals but I miss soda. On the flip side, it have saved me $ eating out.
  • sarahharmintx
    sarahharmintx Posts: 868 Member
    I refuse to give up my morning Diet Coke and occasional Monster Rehab. However, I have limited them to 1 a day. Im also not a fan of straight water but I drink a TON of Crystal Light Peach Tea. I really believe the addition of fluid (tea or water) has helped me lose. Plus the constant going to the bathroom keeps me awake on drowsy work days.
  • arsalak
    arsalak Posts: 40 Member
    Diet fizzy drinks do not give you any calories but they can cause indigestion and excessive acidity in your stomach. That will hinder your digestive abilities. I read somewhere that they are associated with increased risk of diabetes as well->cannot find the article at present. I will post a link for it.

    Your stomach is WAY more acidic than coke/diet coke/etc. are on their own. And I'd love to see a cite for the diabetes study.

    If you like carbonation, try flavored carbonated water, if you buy the unsweetened ones, they don't have any calories. The down side is, they don't have caffeine.

    Here is the link for that article.

    http://www.rodale.com/diet-soda-and-diabetes

    Fizzy drinks, alcohol, spicy food, citrus fruits, peppermint, tomatoes, smoking and stress, all are factors which increase acid production in the stomach.
  • 9jenn9
    9jenn9 Posts: 309 Member
    The reason I love diet cola so much is that it gives my throat "the burn" which plain water does not. I do drink plain water throughout the day, but have been using a Soda Stream (carbonates water)to replace diet soda. I started my adding a little squeeze of fresh lemon, lime, etc to add some flavor to the carbonated water. I found that in a short amount of time, I didn't need the flavoring and just drank the cold carbonated water. Now I crave it whenever I need "the burn" of soda.
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    Since discovering diet dr pepper, I've had to limit my intake daily because of it :(
    Because of what?
  • calliope_music
    calliope_music Posts: 1,242 Member
    i don't think one will hurt you every now and then. my aunt tried this trick and she ended up losing weight (never mind the fact that she drank regular coke and probably had a glass of water per day lol): for every can of diet coke or whatever you have, have 2-3 cups of water before your next one.

    i personally don't even buy diet soda. i only get it when i go out, normally.
  • Toddrific
    Toddrific Posts: 1,114 Member

    You are right that it is a risk factor for diabetes not the causing factor. Having said that diabetes occurs because of accumulation of these risk factors. There is no virus or bacteria that causes it. Overall diet has to be good as well. Eating too much and not exercising at all is also a risk factor for it. Then you have to contend with genes as well. People who have a first degree relative with diabetes have higher chance of becoming diabetic. People of south Asian origin have 1.5 times higher chance of becoming diabetic than others. If you reduce your risk factors, your chances of getting diabetes are reduced.
    Rodale sensationalizes things to sell books and magazines.

    There is actually new evidence that there is bacteria that is linked to metabolic disorders and can lead to diabetes. This actually meshes with having a relative with diabetes as you get much of your bacteria from your family.

    There is also evidence that spicy foods help people lose weight.

    So leave the fear mongering elsewhere please.
  • br2012
    br2012 Posts: 52 Member
    I kicked the habit thanks to Sonic Ice. LOL. sounds odd but no other drink was cold enough. I found that the small ice cubes in that styrofoan cup makes for evenly distributed really cold water. ( may be in my head but it worked for a 3-6 diet cokes a day habit). unsweet tea with true lemon stevia sweetener has become a treat like soda used to be. www.truelemon.com. raspberry lemon is awesome too.
  • litatura
    litatura Posts: 569 Member
    I'm a reformed pop addict, but instead of giving it up completely, I drink water all day and allow myself one mini can of Diet Coke a day (with supper) and it's worked very well for me.
  • hesgro2
    hesgro2 Posts: 88 Member
    Here is the link, Diet Soda causes diabetes.

    http://www.rodale.com/diet-soda-and-diabetes


    Here is a brief summary:

    "Downing calorie-free pop could have the unappetizing consequence of increasing your risk of developing diabetes, according to a new study published in the journal Diabetes Care. Researchers looked at people’s diet soda consumption between the years 2000 and 2002, and then screened them for type 2 diabetes between 2002 and 2007, as part of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, or MESA, an investigation involving more than 6,800 people between 45 and 84 years old. People who drank at least one diet soda a day at the beginning of the study had a 67 percent higher relative risk of type 2 diabetes compared with the people who drank none. Zero-calorie soda also increased the risk of metabolic syndrome—a group of risk factors linked to obesity that increase your chances of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke—by 36 percent."

    If you look at the article closely and at other articles, you will see that diet soda does not in itself present that much risk. The problem in individuals with metabolic disorders such as diabetes is usually associated with overall diet. In a study, they found that individuals who did not drink diet soda and had a "prudent diet" and those that did drink diet soda and had a "prudent diet" had very little difference in future metabolic disorders (article linked below). Also, please always keep in mind that associations, links, or correlations do not indicate causality.

    http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_123495.html
  • arsalak
    arsalak Posts: 40 Member

    You are right that it is a risk factor for diabetes not the causing factor. Having said that diabetes occurs because of accumulation of these risk factors. There is no virus or bacteria that causes it. Overall diet has to be good as well. Eating too much and not exercising at all is also a risk factor for it. Then you have to contend with genes as well. People who have a first degree relative with diabetes have higher chance of becoming diabetic. People of south Asian origin have 1.5 times higher chance of becoming diabetic than others. If you reduce your risk factors, your chances of getting diabetes are reduced.
    Rodale sensationalizes things to sell books and magazines.

    There is actually new evidence that there is bacteria that is linked to metabolic disorders and can lead to diabetes. This actually meshes with having a relative with diabetes as you get much of your bacteria from your family.

    There is also evidence that spicy foods help people lose weight.

    So leave the fear mongering elsewhere please.

    Well we are all free to do what we want with our bodies. I am just regurgitating what I have learnt about diet and health in the last few months that I am trying to be healthy.

    Take a look at this as well:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3wUYhJmdbA&sns=em

    This video is about dangers of diet soda especially the artificial chemical sweetener aspartame that it contains. After seeing this video anyone would be afraid of touching diet soda with a pole.

    Cheers.
  • Toddrific
    Toddrific Posts: 1,114 Member

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3wUYhJmdbA&sns=em

    This video is about dangers of diet soda especially the artificial chemical sweetener aspartame that it contains. After seeing this video anyone would be afraid of touching diet soda with a pole.

    Cheers.

    I hate to do ad hominem attacks, but, Dr. Axe is a bloody chiropractor. Judging from his website he is quite the capitalist too.
  • arsalak
    arsalak Posts: 40 Member
    Here is the link, Diet Soda causes diabetes.

    http://www.rodale.com/diet-soda-and-diabetes


    Here is a brief summary:

    "Downing calorie-free pop could have the unappetizing consequence of increasing your risk of developing diabetes, according to a new study published in the journal Diabetes Care.

    If you look at the article closely and at other articles, you will see that diet soda does not in itself present that much risk. The problem in individuals with metabolic disorders such as diabetes is usually associated with overall diet. In a study, they found that individuals who did not drink diet soda and had a "prudent diet" and those that did drink diet soda and had a "prudent diet" had very little difference in future metabolic disorders (article linked below). Also, please always keep in mind that associations, links, or correlations do not indicate causality.

    http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_123495.html


    Thanks for raising a very important point. Diabetes and metabolic syndrome are idiopathic, which means that experts have not pinpointed the causative agent for these health problems. What they have unearthed by reaserch is associated risk factors. Why those risk factors predispose some one to have metabolic syndrome or diabetes is not known. Having a cluster of risk factors in one individual will definitely increase their risk for developing diabetes. Therefore reducing these associated risk factors will reduce the chance of being afflicted with diabetes. Hence if you have one person who eats healthy and exercises regularly but has an occasional diet soda will not have a high risk for becoming diabetic. But can you use this to justify consumption of diet soda? Well that would be hard.
  • farberry
    farberry Posts: 71 Member
    I love diet coke, but we don't drink it at home so there I live off sugar-free squash (summer fruits and tropical are my favourites). I've recently started buying 2litre bottles of fizzy water to dilute it with, add ice and it's super refreshing and delicious, and only like 5 calories max.
  • chocoholicdiva
    chocoholicdiva Posts: 345 Member
    If drinking water is a problem for you, here's something you can do. First, buy a bottle of vitamin water - 591 ml size - and drink up. One of these gives you roughly the equivalent of 2 1/2 glasses of water. Then, save the bottle, rinse it out, and fill it up with water, then empty the contents of a drink mix like Crystal Light into it. It won't taste as sugary, because there's more water than usual, and you have a great drink, and you still get your water. It's something I do every chance I get!!! :happy:

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