Are You a "Sugar-Lover?"

[TornadoWoman]

Sugar-sweetened beverages are the single biggest source of calories in the American diet and are directly linked with obesity and diabetes.  Here's an animated short with music by Jason Mraz that shows the adverse health consequences suffered by a polar bear family of four from drinking sugar-sweetened beverages.

http://www.therealbears.org/#video

[mercerquietman]

It's rare to watch something humorous, sad, gruesome and educational all at once. Watching this reminded me of a friend of mine who was a huge (in more ways than one) soda drinker for years and years. I learned last year he was diagnosed with diabetes. He has switched to diet soda. I must have had at least a soda a day in my teens. Now, outside of maybe two root beers a year, I don't drink it at all, nor do I drink diet sodas with chemicals that may even be worse for you. I struggle to maintain a decent weight. I have wondered from time to time how big I'd be if I would have consumed that stuff my whole life like I did in my teens.

[TornadoWoman]

I drank one diet soda a day up until a few years ago.  The evening is when I want to eat, so a diet soda helped me to keep from eating.  Then I started reading all of the negative things about diet sodas, so I switched to decaf tea!  I sometimes miss those diet sodas, but I just make my cup of tea, and that's that!!

Negative health impact of diet soda......  http://www.abc2news.com/dpp/news/health/negative-health-effects-of-...

The Negative Effects of Drinking Diet Soda.....  http://www.livestrong.com/article/424666-the-negative-effects-of-dr...

[Eaglewoman]

My kidney dr. says soda is soda, if you must have it, might as well drink the real stuff as all the junk in diet is even worse than the sugar!

[Zochitl]

My weakness is sugar but not the soda kind. I loved cookies and cake and puddings and all those hidden things that contain sugar until I began to get reactions from eating them. Every time I would eat something with sugar I would feel horrible the next day. Everything would be hurting me and I just didn't feel like doing anything. No pep at all! So now I try not to eat anything that has sugar except fruit and hope I will "detox" myself and maybe in the process lose some weight too. then I don't want to develop diabetes either.

 

[Zochitl]

Yes you're so right. I am stopping it believe me. :-)

[Grandma Helen]

My weakness in life is sugar.  I'm a diabetic, so I pretty much stay away from it completely.  I allow myself the occasional treat.  I over did it over the holidays and it's sitting on my hips.  Time to go back to sanity.  Steve is right.  Diabetes is a curse.  I never had a weight problem until about 18-20 years ago.  I was diagnosed diabetic in 1997. 

[Woody Woods]

For years I've been drinking green tea, chamomile tea, peppermint tea, to help curb my appetite at night. A on some night I'll drink a Detox tea. The Chamomile not only keeps me from eating it also helps in relaxing me for a good nights sleep. I also found that if I eat too late, I don't sleep well. This could be the cause of some folks not getting a good nights sleep. And a good tea for soothing your digestive system is a combination of Cinnamon and Ginger root. The Cinnamon is sweet and no sugar is required....just boil a couple of cinnamon sticks with a few slices of ginger root and you got yourself some good tasting tea that's good for your digestive system.

[TornadoWoman]

I just read an article by Dr. Weil that said that there are 5 good reasons to drink Green Tea.

I was aware of a few of these, but not all 5 of them:

 

Lower cholesterol levels and risk of heart disease

Help protect against bacterial infections

Promote joint health and stronger bones

Reduce inflammation

Enhance the effects of antibiotics, even against drug-resistant bacteria and "superbugs"

[Leftygrl]

Fortunately i'm not into sugary food items and rarely eat deserts.  My bigest "downfall" is salty things especially potato chips, so I just don't buy them.

Tea is very healthy and I drink many kinds of herbal teas.  Soothing and on these cold evenings keeps me warm! 

[Serenity]

I stopped all diet soda after my gastric bypass.  I use MIO or other flavorings in water.  Sometimes I eat things that are not good for me, but generally not

[Grandma Helen]

My key to not eating what I shouldn't is to not buy them, unless it's in an individual portion.  One little portion of bad food isn't going to hurt me, but if I buy a box of donuts I'll eat a box of donuts.  If I buy one occasionally it doesn't hurt me.  I know I lack willpower, so I do what works.  I'm just grateful that I'm not into alcohol that way.  I can certainly understand how folks struggle to overcome those type problems.  I've joked that I need a 12 step program for food.