Weight Loss Success Journey NOT Paved with Diet Soda

Diet soda is not the fantastic beverage for weight loss success that many (especially the makers) would like you to believe. I've said it before. I'll say it again. For most* people it does no good, and for many it causes harm. Because it has zero, or close to zero, calories many people drink it without thinking about all the chemicals they are putting in their bodies. And again because it has few calories people seem to think it is actually good for them--or at least won't make them fat!

Study after study is showing that these thoughts are wrong. This is marketing at its worst. It is on a par with marketing cigarettes as cool while knowing they cause lung cancer.

Think diet soda will make you thin? Then why are so many people who drink it obese? And they didn't just start drinking it...many of them have been drinking it for YEARS...all the while packing on more pounds.

Diet soda is not the answer.

According to a new article posted on Yahoo, more and more people are coming forward to admit they are addicted to diet soda.

Whether diet soda is technically an "addiction" or really a habit is still under debate.

Addiction definition from Wikipedia:

Historically, addiction has been defined as physical and/or psychological dependence on psychoactive substances (for example alcohol, tobacco, heroin, caffeine and other drugs) which cross the blood-brain barrier once ingested, temporarily altering the chemical milieu of the brain. Broadly, addiction is defined as the continued use of a mood altering addictive substance or behaviours despite adverse consequences.

Drinking as little as one diet soda a day is linked to a variety of "adverse consequences" including Heart Attack and Stroke, Kidney Trouble, Preterm Deliver, and yes, Weight Gain

The article continues:

Wouldn’t it be ironic if instead of helping you lose weight, diet sodas had the opposite effect? A study at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio found that compared to those who drank no diet sodas, study participants who did had a 70 percent greater increase in waist circumference; worse, drinking two or more diet sodas daily led to ballooning waist circumference that was 500 percent greater than those who drank none.

For years I've been advising against diet sodas for people on a health journey and for those who want to have weight loss success, I am not the only one. The 'Eat This, Not That' guy David Zinczenko wrote an article "The Truth About Diet Soda" back in December 2008.

Don't think you have to be "perfect" to have weight loss success. Focus on being HEALTHY first and you will achieve the right weight without damaging your body and healthy in the long-run by following some low calorie diet plan that includes unhealthy choices.
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*I say "most" because I there are few rules that can be applied to literally every person on the planet, but in all honesty I have not seen a single report that diet soda is helpful to anyone. However, there may be a person who is diabetic for example who for whatever reason cannot give up soda 100% and therefore chooses a diet soda. I still do not buy into the soda being "good" for them, or not causing them harm, but the choice is certainly theirs to make.

For Weight Loss Success Ditch the Soda

I’ve written about this before, but a lot of people don’t believe me that a key to weight loss success is to stop drinking diet soda.

No, I’m not telling you to load up on the sugary stuff--it isn’t good for you either:

• Drinking soda is shown to increase the amount of fat on your organs, which is a bigger threat to your health than the fat on your hips.
• Sodas (and some sports drinks) contain lots of chemicals that can cause nerve disorders, memory loss and skin problems.
• Sodas contain GMO ingredients—high-fructose corn syrup is bad for our health for many reasons, but there are unknown risks that we face when we drink it (most sodas are sweetened with this man-made poison.) GMOs are a new addition to our diet, only appearing in the 1990s, and the long-term effects are still unknown, but recent studies are suggesting they may contribute to disease, premature aging, and infertility.

Read more: http://health.yahoo.net/experts/eatthis/3-shocking-soda-facts

Don’t switch to diet soda—there are plenty of studies that show the artificial sweeteners are even worse!

Of course, moderation is the best course. If the thought of going without a soda entirely is going to send you on a binge, then allow yourself a little now and then.

For your weight loss success (and overall health) stop drinking soda (or at least start weaning yourself off) and you can easily drop weight—or you can eat more, either way, you win!

Weight Loss Challenge: Sugar and How Sweet it Is

There are lots of different sweeteners on the market today. In fact, there are so many it can be quite confusing. What is natural? If it is organic is that the best? What type of sugar is better?

Sometimes it feels so overwhelming that we just throw up our hands and stick with plain old sugar even though we know it isn't the best for us.

It is important that we know some facts about our options so we can choose the best thing for us. If you are diabetic for example you will want sweeteners that don't raise your blood sugar level, but maybe you don't want to use the artificial stuff...so what's the best choice for you. What if you want to become more natural--going for less processed foods? Or maybe you were inspired by Oprah to go vegan...

I found a great article on various sweeteners that you should keep in your arsenal. Chef Heather Haxo Phillips tells it like it is--even explaining why you might not want to choose some of the more popular, theoretically "healthy" sweeteners like Agave Nectar.

Chef Heather is of the Bay Area phenomenon Cafe Gratitude and she explains what sugar is and gives lots of details about your options in this article.

What is Sugar? Sugar is a pure carbohydrate, a nutrient that supplies energy to the body. The chemical name for sugar is sucrose. Sucrose occurs naturally in every fruit and vegetable, as it is the major product of photosynthesis. For a long time, fruit and cane sugars were the most common sweeteners on our table. However, over the past 50 years dozens of sweeteners have been developed. Many of them are very useful for helping us to enjoy the sweet things in life without taking our blood sugar for a roller coaster ride.

Read the entire article here.

Reject Aspartame by Any Name for Weight Loss Success

Seems the manufacturers of Aspartame have gotten a new marketing company...one that has figured out that American consumers have realized that Aspartame is not a healthy substitute for sugar.

Have they reformulated the product to make it safer? No.

They've given it a new name!

Now on the shelves is "AminoSweet" but while it may have a new name, it is the same old Aspartame. NutraSweet is one of the old names...still found on many shelves.

Aspartame has been out for many years...and some people believe that it is safe...but the truth is that even back in 1991 reports showed at least 62 side effects from ingestion of Aspartame. These side effects include:

• Joint Pain
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Convulsions
• Seizures
• Cravings
• Weight Gain

Yes, you read that correctly...one of the side effects of this zero calorie "diet product" can be weight GAIN! This is mostly because Aspartame actually increases cravings for carbohydrates and it gets our taste buds used to super sweet foods. In other words, the more diet foods you eat/drink that contain Aspartame, the harder it will be to stop eating other high calorie foods with sugar and processed flours...the simple carbohydrates that provide our bodies with zero nutrition!

That is one of the reason I tell you if you are going to have something sweet, have the real deal!

Most of us know that Aspartame is in diet soda (which, again, do NOT help you lose weight...even Dr Oz and his partner Dr Roizen agree with me on this one!) Did you know that Aspartame is also in many diabetic products, diet foods, and even breakfast cereal???

Aspartame can also be found in OTC and prescription medications, vaccines and even vitamins!

You may not be able to control the intake of Aspartame in medicine, but you definitely can make sure you aren't getting it in the food and drink your purchase. Read the label and avoid Aspartame by any name!

Natinal Nutrition Month: Healthy Drink Choices for Weight Loss Success

In honor of National Nutrition Month, yesterday we talked about ways to drop 15 pounds in a year by cutting empty calories out of our diet pretty painlessly.

You may be wondering what you should drink instead that won't be filled with those empty calories.

I've said it before, but the absolute best thing to drink is good, clean, pure water. It is truly the only liquid the human body needs (as opposed to what we want!) We can live quite a long time without food...it turns out most of us could actually live for a couple of weeks without food--even though we sometimes feel like we are going to die without it after just a few hours. But water? Although there are reports of some people living through earthquakes and such and surviving for a week without water, most people will die after just 3 days without water.

I filter my water, which saves me money over buying bottled water and I don't use a lot of plastic bottles that way either. If you still can't drink enough water, add just a splash of 100% fruit juice to your glass of water. I start my day with lemon juice in water...I love the taste and find it refreshing and energizing. Keep in mind that all fruit juice (even 100% juice) contains sugars. Choosing 100% fruit juice ensures that there is no ADDED sugar, but fruit itself has natural sugar in the form of fructose. This is easier for your body to absorb, but if you want to lose weight successfully you want to be aware of all the sugars you are ingesting. Have most of the fruit you take in be in the form of food...so you also get all the fiber (which helps you feel full) and other good stuff that fruits have to offer!

Tea is another good choice because it is mostly water. Your risk of having a heart attack may be reduced by as much as 11% if you drink 3 or more cups of tea every day. Green tea may be better for us than black, but the most important thing about drinking tea is to take it without sugar or milk, especially without milk. The beneficial element found in tea is called "catechins" (pronounced cat-ih-kins) and these are made less active when combined with the proteins found in milk.

And coffee (black) is not the evil thing that we had heard about in the past for most of us. In fact, a cup or two may also have some health benefits including reducing your chances of developing colon cancer, Parkinson's disease and type 2 diabetes.

If you are used to drinking soda, you may want to wean yourself away from it...especially if your drink choice has been loaded with caffeine. Otherwise you may suffer from withdrawal, including headaches, fatigue or the jitters. Replace one serving at a time with water to help flush out your system. Don't rely on diet drinks--they may not have calories but they have their own set of problems and can actually hinder successful weight loss!

Eat for Optimum Brain Function and Weight Loss Success

When we are trying to lose weight we often count calories...not something that I do any more, and I don't suggest it as part of my Refuse To Diet program...but it is still a very common thing for folks to do.

One of the reasons I don't suggest you count calories is because losing weight is not simply a math equation! If it were, then we would definitely be able to count our calories and know we are going to lose weight.

Another reason to not focus on calories alone is because it is important that we have good food in order to function our best. If we only look at the calories, there is no guarantee we will be getting good nutrition for the calories. It can be really tempting to eat some of the pre-packaged "100 calorie" snacks...which are basically empty calories...or to eat "diet" foods which may actually be high in sugar or high in fat (depending on how they are defining "diet") or may have artificial sweeteners which can increase our carbohydrate cravings.

Not eating enough can create low energy, brain fog and actually hinder our weight loss success...not only because we don't feel good, but also because we will more than likely break our diet. In fact, it can lead to a big binge!

In order to lose weight and operate at peak efficiency it is important that we have eat enough calories. Eating enough calories keeps our bodies and brains fueled so we are less apt to go on binges, have big crashes later in the day, or suffer from the brain fog that dieters face.

Eating the CORRECT foods is also important...not just the calories.

Contrary to what a lot of dieters think, it is important to eat fat in order to lose fat. It seems illogical, but it is important to help us feel satisfied, full, get our brains and organs the fats they need...and to help our skin looking and feeling good.

Make sure you eat enough healthy fat...things like avocados, olive oil, walnuts and fish. Limit the saturated animal fats and avoid trans-fats--those hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils which are in so many packaged foods because they extend shelf life, but add absolutely no nutritional value for us. There is evidence that not only do they not provide nutritional value, they can actually be detrimental to our health.

So while I'm not big on putting foods on a "bad" list, trans fats are on the top of it!

Healthy Ice Cream...Fact or Fantasy

I love ice cream. It seems the higher the fat content, the more I like it. Based on the Spanish study I mentioned yesterday it might be at least in part because fat boosts my serotonin levels...I don't know if it is the fat, but ice cream has always been my #1 comfort food, my drug of choice when attempting to escape my emotions.

I also just like ice cream. I like the flavors, the texture...

But I don't like what eating ice cream does to my waistline!

My current solution is to eat really good ice cream in small quantities. These days rather than eating a half gallon (or two) in a day, I am satisfied with a small dish. That means a pint lasts for 3 servings.

Low-fat ice cream doesn't make it in my book...and don't even think about the ones filled with artificial sweeteners. I know that those fake "sugars" increase my carb cravings. I'm much better off with high-fat, "real" ice cream.

I just read about a new alternative--ice cream from goat's milk. Goat's milk is lower in fat and the fat it does have is more easily broken down by our bodies. This might be a really good option. The brand I read about is called Laloo's...not available in my town, but if you have a health food store nearby, give it a try--and then let me know what you think!

When you decide you want ice cream, the healthiest choice is to go with the "real deal" and savor smaller portions. That does a couple things for you--gives you the satisfaction that the low-cal versions just don't provide; retrains you mind that you CAN have "real" food and lose weight; helps you in achieving weight loss goals by reducing the unconscious eating behavior or sitting down with a huge bowl or carton of cream and chowing down.

Verdict? Healthy ice cream is in how you think about it...not the ingredients in the carton.

Diet Drinks Destroy Kidneys: Don't Drink Them to Achieve Health and Weight Loss Goals

I've said it before, "diet" drinks are not the best choice for us when we are trying to lose weight or achieve health goals.

New evidence is showing that consuming diet drinks can damage your kidneys!

Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston conducted a study over 11 years involving more than 3000 women. They analyzed what beverages these women drank over the time. Turns out women who drank2 or more (just 2!) diet sodas a day (that's 24+ oz) have twice the chance of their kidney function decline at a more rapid rate when compared to women who drank less than one can a month.

With age our kidney function naturally decreases. Speeding up the decrease in function can increase our risk of kidney failure. When you kidneys fail you end up on dialysis...I've known a couple people in that situation and it is no fun! 3 days each and every week they are hooked up to a machine that does what our healthy kidneys do. They are lucky there are such machines, without the machines they would die...

Besides all that, it has been shown that the fake sweeteners that are in the diet sodas actually increase our hunger levels and cravings for carbs!

So do yourself a favor, ditch the diet drinks! You don't need them to achieve your healthy, energetic, slender body!

Reducing Sugar is Part of the Answer to Weight Loss Success

Sugar is one ingredient that can sabotage our weight loss success efforts. Not the only one, of course, but definitely a contributing factor.

That doesn't mean that you have to eliminate all sugar...most of us can handle some sugar--and trying to eliminate it is tough because sugar is found in so many of our packaged foods--and it can feel like deprivation...and I firmly believe that no foods should be totally off limits. My slogan is "no forbidden foods" because I believe that by forbidding them they have a stronger psychological appeal. But where you can, reduce the simple sugars in your foods and go for natural sugar, in fruit, for example--not because you are on a diet...because it is better for your health.

By the way, artificial sweeteners are not better...in fact, can be worse. Studies indicate that artificial sweeteners like aspartame will actually INCREASE your hunger levels and cravings for sweets!

You will be amazed at how sweet fruit (and even some vegetables) taste when you reduce the amount of processed sugars and artificial sweeteners from your daily diet. Your taste buds and brain really do adjust.

You can help your kids out by weaning then from high-sugar foods like breakfast cereal now. Cereal manufacturers have been facing criticism from health advocates for quite a while and over the last couple years many have reduced the sugar content in their cereals aimed at kids.

The levels may be lower, but they are still really high. For example the General Mills cereal Cocoa Puffs currently has a whopping 11 grams or sugar per serving! General Mills has made a big announcement that it will again be reducing the sugar in their cereals...with a goal of the grams being single digits. To do that for Cocoa Puffs, they will have to reduce the sugar levels by 18 percent to reach 9 grams per serving. Read the labels of the foods you eat and you can make healthier choices. A single serving of Cheerios for example has only 1 gm of sugar...so you can add your own sugar (1 teaspoon of sugar is a little over 4 grams of sugar) and come out ahead. Better yet, add fruit!

This will sound like a great thing, and no doubt they marketers will spin it really well...but that is still a lot of "added sugar." Added sugar is basically the processed stuff, whether it is white sugar, corn syrup or other sweeteners...as opposed to naturally occurring sugar in fruits and veggies. Experts disagree on exactly how much added sugar should be set as a maximum, but most seem to set the range at 20-40 grams a day. So even at the high end of that, one bowl of the reduced sugar cereal is giving your child 1/4 of the maximum recommended amount a day!

Reducing sugar (real and artificial) intake helps reduce your sugar cravings, and helps keep your blood sugar levels more stable...which gives you better energy and more even moods throughout the day. Ironic since most of us grab sugar because we are feeling sluggish...but it is actually the sugar we ate earlier in the day that is largely responsible for our sluggishness!

Keep in mind that the body does not need processed sugar at all to function, survive or thrive. It is truly empty calories that your body converts to fat unless you use it all up...

So a great health and weight loss tip is to reduce your added sugar intake.