There is a lot of debate on whether artificial sweeteners are that much better than sugar, or even worse. I have seen studies done by doctors that are on exact opposite side of the argument. The fact is we don’t know for a fact the long term affects of artificial sweeteners. However, most fitness professionals will agree that drinking a few diet soft drinks a day is not ideal for a person weight loss diet plan. This article tries to get to what is known about diet drinks and why they should not be included in your weight loss diet.
Fact #1: Carbonation Is Not Helpful In Fitness Exercises.
Carbonation has been proven to affect a person’s ability to breath during an exercise routine limiting overall production. I remember a coach of mine used to suggest drinking a soda before a race because the caffeine would give me energy. That has now been proven to not be the case. Also, soda drinks make it harder to digest food and even rot a person’s stomach if too much is consumed. If a diet soft drink is consumed I’d suggest drinking it at dinner after a workout.
Fact #2: Most Diet Sodas Are Not Naturally Made.
It is a good rule of thumb that if a product has to be processed or developed it is no longer full of nutrients or vitamins. There is no real nutrient value other than it no longer has sugar in it. It is not flavored water like some want to describe it as. Try and read the ingredients some time and tell me that those items sound healthy and natural. I’d treat a diet soda like I would a regular soda by either eliminating it from your diet or making a rare treat.
Fact #3: We Just Do Not Know Enough About Artificial Sweeteners Yet.
We know sugar is bad and getting rid of sugar in a diet drink sounds good in theory, but what happens if aspartame (artificial sweetener) is just as or more harmful than sugar. This may be looked at as a doomsday type of thought, but I’d rather stick with what I am know more about than take a chance with some unknown.
Fact #4: Should a Diet Drink Lead To Weight Gain?
In 2009 the ADA did a study on Diet Coke that not only does it not have any specific traits to help a person lose weight but in tests it was shown that at times a person actually gained weight. I know it sounds good about replacing sugar and eliminating calories, but if you are going to change the way you consume food and beverages let’s make the commitment to use food that at least have some nutrient value. Just drinking a cold glass of water is shown to speed up your metabolism. There are 100% juice products and diet drinks that are much safer and healthier than drinking a Diet Coke or a Pepsi.
I know it is hard for people to give up their Coke or Pepsi but if you are going to do it you might as well go all the way and make a true commitment. If you are interested other weight loss tips or diet recipe ideas visit my site at BellyDownSizing.com and good luck Downsizing Your Belly!
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