Category Archives: Water

May 9, 2012 · 2:50 pm

More on Soda

My post “Getting Down to Basics” covered a lot of info in one place. One of my readers asked for me to elaborate on why soda is bad for you. I want to emphasize here that I will absolutely go into more depth on any topic in a separate post. All you have to do is ask!

Soda. Whether diet or regular, soda is a beverage of chemicals. There is no nutritional value to drinking soda.

We know regular soda contains chemicals and sugar. And we know sugar is bad for us (see my post on sugar). But what about diet soda?

Diet sodas contain the following: aspartame, artificial colors and preservatives, and phosphoric acid.

Aspartame is one nasty artificial sweetener, folks. The easy explanation here is that “artificial” just isn’t food. But beyond that, why is it so bad? In short, aspartame is linked to approximately 92 different health problems. I won’t go into it all here, but you might be interested to know that in addition to nearly any problem you can think of – anxiety, depression, insomnia, eye damage…the list goes on – aspartame is linked to weight gain.

Say what?!

That’s right. Diet food is causing weight gain because the body doesn’t know how to process all of the fake ingredients, like aspartame and other artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives. As a result, your body stores the unknown ingredients as toxins in fat cells to protect you. Fat, as much as we hate it, is there to protect us. So lose the toxins, lose the weight. Eat real food that your body knows how to digest. Aspartame is also known to cause unstable blood sugar and sweet cravings, which also lead to weight gain. You can read more about aspartame from Dr. Mercola, Dr. Hull, and The Health Ranger.

Phosphoric acid is a chemical that is added to keep your soda bubbly but is linked to lower bone density. When we consume phosphoric acid, calcium is released from your bones and teeth to balance the levels of phosphorus. When the body excretes phosphoric acid, the calcium goes right along with it. This contributes to our risk for osteoporosis.

Did you know that most of the world does not consume dairy products and their rates of osteoporosis are much lower than ours? This means that despite our high consumption of dairy, which is a great source of calcium, we’re still not protected. The Health Ranger has some good info on this one, too.

So, in summary, soda, whether diet or regular, is best avoided as much as possible. Water should be your drink of choice. Look for a post about water coming soon!

Always feel free to send me questions. Health Coach Jillian is here to help!

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Filed under Artificial, Artificial Flavors, Dairy, Diet, Sugar, Water

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April 28, 2012 · 10:33 pm

Getting Down to Basics

While many of you have likely heard some, if not all, of this before, I think it’s important to cover this info with you here. Here are 5 things you should do right now to get healthier.

1. Drink More Water
Soda, which is loaded with chemicals and sugar if it’s not diet, is just plain bad for you. Instead, drink water and add in natural flavor, if necessary. Sparkling water is also good, especially if you need that fizzy mouthfeel. Try adding in lemon or fresh fruit – raspberries, strawberries, and oranges make water taste great. Mint leaves and cucumbers are refreshing. If you find yourself reaching for yet another caffeinated drink, it’s possible you’re dehydrated and a glass of water will make you feel a whole lot better.

2. Sit Less, Move More.
Since you’re now drinking more water, take frequent breaks to get it – fill up a mug or glass instead of a large bottle, which requires fewer breaks. And when that water brings on a bathroom break, do 20 squats in the bathroom (or bathroom stall). When you wash your hands, suck in your stomach, stand up tall, and go on one leg like a flamingo. Stand on the opposite leg on your next bathroom break.

3. Eat More Organic
It’s great to buy only organic if you can afford it. But if you can’t, it’s important to know which foods really should be organic. Find the list of the Dirty Dozen (most pesticide residue) and the Clean 15 (least pesticide residue) here. Follow these lists as much as you can. Also, choose organic meats and dairy, as well as wild-caught fish whenever possible. Pesticides, antibiotics, and hormones in our food cause a whole host of problems.

4. Cut Down on Processed Foods.
Who wants all those chemicals in their body gunking up the pipes? A clean machine works better. And you wouldn’t drink from dirty pipes, so don’t dirty up your own set. If you see an ingredient and you don’t know what it is or how to pronounce it, it’s probably not real food. And if it’s not real food, it’s not the best choice. Furthermore, thousands of chemicals aren’t even regulated or approved by the FDA. Instead of a pre-packaged snack, have some nuts, baby carrots, or a homemade baked good instead.

5. Eat More Vegetables.
If you haven’t had a vegetable in awhile, go grab one. Right now! Any vegetable will do. People don’t seem to have a problem eating fluorescent colors when it comes to candy. Why not eat a bright orange carrot instead? Add one more serving of veggies to your day and see how you do.

Question of the Day:
What was the last thing you did for your health? Write your responses below. I’d love to hear!

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Filed under Organic, Tips and Tricks, Vegetables, Water