Liquid calories present one of the biggest problems to dieters and have been shown to be one of the primary factors in the prevalence in obesity and diabetes we face today. I’m not talking about lifters trying to bulk up who drink several 300 -calorie protein shakes per day, I’m talking about your sodas, juices, Gatorade, etc.
One problem is that people usually don’t account for the calories they are drinking in their daily calorie calculations. On top of the “invisible” calories, people also fail to account for how their body is going to process the ingredients in these drinks. High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in particular poses a problem since it accounts for the majority of the calories in these drinks. HFCS, comprised of 55% fructose and 45% glucose, is metabolized in the liver differently than glucose, being chosen preferentially for storage as fat. Leptin levels (which help control satiety), and insulin levels (which help regulate blood sugars), are not affected by HFCS, but your body still has to deal with the rush of sugar. The ensuing blood sugar rollercoaster causes a decrease in insulin sensitivity over time, which leads to the development of Type II Diabetes.
Here are some interesting facts about sodas that might open your eyes a little:
• Each soda contains at least 10 teaspoons of sugar and over 200 calories. The nutrition facts may say 100 cal per serving, but people fail to notice that there are 2+ servings per bottle. Sodas also contain ingredients such as phosphoric acid, benzoate (a preservative), artificial coloring, sulphites, and a ridiculous amount of caffeine. Yummy!
• The average American consumes around 56 gallons/600 cans of soda each year.
• Sugar consumption is up to 150 lbs per year on average, compared to only two pounds 100 years ago.
• Sugar accounts for ~800 of the calories we consume each day.
• Each soda per day increases the risk of diabetes by 85%, can result in a gain of 15 lbs per year and increase your risk for osteoporosis. EACH soda! So if you are drinking more than one per day, go ahead and multiply those numbers.
Is diet okay?
Diet sodas replace sugar and HFCS with artificial sweeteners, and are labeled as containing zero calories. Does this fix the problem with drinking traditional sodas? Not really - drinking diet will reduce the calories, however it will maintain the sweet palette that causes you to crave sugar and overindulge on sweets. There has also been some recent research showing that your body reacts differently to artificial sweeteners. It thinks it is getting the sweet stuff, but when it doesn’t find the fuel in your system to digest, it increases your appetite to get those glucose molecules. You end up eating more with your meal and get your calories through food instead of drink.
Testing on possible health effects caused by artificial sweeteners has been published showing the majority of them to be safe, however the testing is mostly on animals and you can’t know with certainty how that will translate over to humans. These tests are also funded by the food industry and the results and statistics gleaned from a study can often be manipulated to convey whatever you want. To really know the long-term effects, you need a large longitudinal (long term) study with several test groups from a non-biased organization, and a study like that simply hasn’t been done. The closest thing we have is analyzing the human population, and if we use statistics for the US population, in general you see a drastic rise in obesity and degenerative disease since soda became mainstream, and diet soda hasn’t changed that.
What about juice?
It’s a huge misconception that because juice comes from fruit, that it is healthier than soda. Granted you get more nutrients from juices, however after removing the fiber from the fruit, you just turned that juice into a glass of tasty sugar water. Juice drinks and smoothies may be considered staples by some, but they these sometimes turn out to be 400 calorie, fiber-less cups of sugar.
So what can I drink?
Stick with these:
1. Water
2. Coffee (great source of antioxidants) - not Starbucks coffee loaded with milk and 6 packets of sugar
3. Tea - hot or cold, green is the best but any unsweetened tea is ideal because of the antioxidant content and thermogenic (fat burning) properties
4. Milk – essentially the only liquid calorie I would truly endorse, milk is a great source of protein, fat and calcium. IF you can stand the raw, organic, unpasteurized and un-homogenized kind, even better!
5. Protein shakes – if used properly as part of a meal plan and for pre/peri/post-workout nutrition, these are great. Otherwise you aren’t doing yourself a favor in the battle against those saddlebags and flabby arms.
Nuwanee Kirihennedige – Is a nutritionist and dietician that works with athletes and health minded individuals on sports performance and weight loss. Nuwanee currently is the nutritionist for the California Strength Academy in San Ramon California. Nuwanee can be reached at nuwanee@californiastrength.com.