Soda Posts

[VIDEO]: 3 Questions For… Jeromy

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By Bobby DeMuro

Last week at the Carolinas CARE Partnership Home Run 5K, we ambushed one of their super-volunteers, Jeromy Dunn, and quizzed him about water consumption, soda studies, and more.

We asked him three questions:

1) What is the number one source of calories in the American diet?
2) According to Virginia Tech, in a 2009 study, people eat 75 fewer calories per meal on average if they _____?
3) According to the Mayo Clinic, in 2010, what is the recommended amount of water consumed daily by an adult?

You can play too!

Don’t want to hear the answers? Don’t watch the video yet, and don’t scroll down below the video (answers below!). Quiz yourself, or share your answers with us via Twitter and Facebook.

Answers:
1) Soda.
2) Drink a glass of water.
3) Trick question! Depending on age, body weight, activity level, and more, try to drink between 60 and 120 ounces of water every day. More info here.

I Choose Water: Jennifer’s Story

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By Jennifer Bullock

Being the mom to two beautiful little girls – one of whom is an infant – certainly keeps me busy throughout the day. Often times, like any other mother, I put myself on the back burner. I don’t get enough sleep, I eat semi-meals, and I forget to do simple things like drink water. In the past, I have had to think about if I even had a single drop of water earlier in the day. Not good!

I found myself drinking at least one (if not more) Diet Coke a day just to keep me awake and “thriving” as a mom who didn’t get enough sleep, but I didn’t fully realize the true impact of Diet Coke until I decided to participate in the NoFizzUSA 60-Day Challenge back in October.

I have to admit I was a little nervous about drinking the water because there are often times throughout the day that water just sounds disgusting to me (anyone else have that problem?). Anyway, I knew it would be doing something good for myself and setting a good example for my girl at the same time. So, I jumped in with both feet and started a 60-day challenge with no soda and 60 ounces of water per day.

Every day, I filled my Nalgene bottle up to the 32 ounce top, and started my day off right. I took the bottle with me everywhere I went, and of course I had my oldest daughter’s sippy cup filled too! Some days I didn’t quite get my 60 ounces in, unfortunately because quite honestly I was too busy and forgot to finish it out.

Even so, on most days I hit my 60 pretty easily, and went above and beyond well past 64 ounces, or in my terms, the two Nalgenes. And there were days when I had my mini-withdrawls causing headaches and a general uncomfortable feeling. Those were the days I knew I made the right decision to “kick” the diet Coke habit.

After a few weeks of better hydration, I noticed that my skin wasn’t as dry, I wasn’t as hungry, and even my breath was fresher. Things that all moms would love to tout, right?! Not to mention the biggest positive to drinking more water; getting rid of overconsumption of all the horrible chemicals that soft-drinks contain.

A better me means a better mommy and a better wife, and doing something as simple as opting for water makes me better, and healthier, for my family. It’s important for me to be healthy for my children and to set a good example for the way I want them to take care of themselves. I want them to drink their water and stay away from soft-drinks, (we call them “adult drinks”).

And if I don’t want them drinking it, I probably shouldn’t be doing so either. So I took the challenge and am always working towards improving my water to soft-drink ratio, which in turn helps me make better choices when it comes to food, fitness, and general life decisions. I’ve found that I care more, and I’ve started putting myself on the front-burner once and a while – something that almost every mom/parent doesn’t do often enough.

So here’s to a continued effort towards putting the “good stuff” to work, and becoming a healthier, better parent because of it!

About the Author: Jennifer Bullock is a wife, mother, and blogger based in Charlotte, NC. You can follow both of her websites, MommyB Knows Best and The Charlotte Moms, as well as following Jennifer on Twitter.

[RADIO]: ‘Giving Up High Fructose Corn Syrup’ with Jason Yarborough

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By Bobby DeMuro

This week on Radio Exiles, we brought back Jason Yarborough on the show as a repeat guest to talk about high fructose corn syrup, processed foods, and some simple ways that they can be avoided. We challenged our listeners to avoid all products containing high fructose corn syrup for the next seven days.

Furthermore, we touched on some of the health problems associated with overconsumption of high fructose corn syrup and other processed ingredients in foods.

Jason discussed different things, including various studies that have linked high fructose corn syrup consumption to different diseases, cancers, mercury contamination, and more. We also spoke about solutions to avoiding HFCS, including how to pick out fruit and vegetables at a grocery store, what to look for when you read an ingredient label, tips to buying foods at supermarkets and in restaurants, and much more!

You can connect with Jason on Twitter here.

You can listen to our show this week (and all of our previous Radio Exiles podcasts) by clicking here.

For those of you in the Charlotte area, you can listen by either downloading the show, or listening via streaming over the internet. As a bonus, all Radio Exiles shows will soon be available on iTunes!

Soda Used As Pesticide in India?

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By Bobby DeMuro

Check out the video below, embedded from YouTube, of a news story on farmers in India using Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and other sodas as pesticides on their crops. According to the translation of the farmer interviewed in the video, the soda was a cost-effective solution for use as a pesticide, and it achieved its desired effect – killing bugs, due to the multiple parts-per-million of pesticides in Coca-Cola and Pepsi.

Click here for an article from the Organic Consumer’s Association corroborating the story of Indian farmers using Coke for pesticides.

Update: Two Important Newly Published Soda-Related Studies

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By Bobby DeMuro

In the past seven days, two new soda-related studies have been published, both detailing some significant problems associated with overconsumption of sugars, high fructose corn syrup, and caffeine in beverages ranging from Coca-Cola and Pepsi products, to energy drinks from various companies including Red Bull and Monster.


In the first study, performed at the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine and published online in Pediatrics on Valentine’s Day, found through surveys that 30% to 50% of teens and young adults consume energy drinks, although “we didn’t see evidence that drinks have beneficial effects in improving energy, weight loss, stamina, athletic performance and concentration,” said the study director, noting that most companies who sell energy drinks make claims of improved stamina, energy, and concentration in athletic performance, among other activities.

And the research shows that children and teens — especially those with cardiovascular, renal or liver disease, seizures, diabetes, mood and behavior disorders and hyperthyroidism — are at a higher risk for health complications from these drinks.

In countries that track adverse events from energy drinks (the United States, unfortunately, does not), cases of agitation, liver damage, kidney failure, psychosis and a heart attack in a 23-year-old have been consistently reported. Nearly half of the 5,448 caffeine overdoses reported in the United States in 2007 occurred in people under the age of 19, the study noted although these were not all directly tied to energy drinks.

Caffeine can affect young people more than adults, because they may not have developed tolerance for it and their bodies may be smaller, said Bruce Goldberger, director of toxicology at the University of Florida College of Medicine, who has studied energy drinks.

Currently, the FDA limits caffeine drinks to 71 mg per 12-ounce serving, but energy drink makers get around the rule by labeling their products “natural,” and as a dietary supplement rather than as a food or drink.


In the second study, Washington, D.C.-based Center for Science in the Public Interest filed a petition Wednesday asking that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ban two types of carcinogenic chemicals often labeled as “caramel coloring,” most often on products like Coca-Cola, Pepsi and other dark-colored colas.

According to CSPI, from a study by the University of California, Davis, the artificial brown/caramel coloring is made by reacting sugars with ammonia and sulfites under high pressure and temperatures.

Those reactions, in the words of the letter to the FDA, “result in the formation of 2-methylimidazole and 4 methylimidazole, which in government-conducted studies caused lung, liver, or thyroid cancer or leukemia in laboratory mice or rats.”

Read the January article in Lake Norman Magazine about NoFizzCLT!

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By Bobby DeMuro

We were fortunate enough to be featured in the January 2011 issue of Lake Norman Magazine, where writer Rosie Molinary profiled our work throughout the Lake Norman community, and specifically at the Ada Jenkins Center in Davidson.

The article has some great pictures of the students in action, too – you can read the article here.

Students at the Ada Jenkins Center warm up for one of our outreach programs!

[RADIO]: Soda, Sugar, and Dental Hygiene with Sarah Young, RDH

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By Bobby DeMuro

On this week’s Radio Exiles health podcast, we spoke to Sarah Young, a registered dental hygienist with the Charlotte dental practice Hockaday and Baucom, DDS.

She spoke to us about sugar, soda, and how sugar-sweetened beverages contribute to dental hygiene problems. Sarah also gave us the rundown of how you can avoid gum disease, simple tips for brushing your teeth, and easy ways to maintain dental hygiene through nutrition.

It’s a very informative show! Sarah shared plenty of great tips this week, and highlighted the problems with overconsumption of soda as it relates to dental hygiene.

Please click here to listen to the podcast.

Remember, too, that beginning in November, Hockaday & Baucom will donate $20.00 to NoFizz America from every new patient when the patient mentions this partnership. Simply mention NoFizz America when you choose Hockaday & Baucom for the donation to take effect.

Hockaday & Baucom DDS, PA, is a dental practice in Charlotte that seeks to provide the highest quality dental care to their patients while stressing the importance of proper health, hygiene, and nutrition education to complement their dental work.

“We are fortunate to benefit from the vision and generosity of a forward-thinking practice like Hockaday & Baucom,” said Kate Kincaid, NoFizz America’s Director of Development. “The need for proper dental education, as it relates to soda and nutrition, made this partnership a natural fit.”

Their experienced, long-term and friendly staff take great pride in keeping patients’ smiles beautiful. Their first priority is to a patient’s health, recognizing the correlation between health of the mouth and the rest of the body. The phenomenal support staff works diligently to educate patients on the need for proper dental hygiene – and how it relates to overall health.

For more information on Hockaday and Baucom, DDS, please click here.

[VIDEO]: Soda, High Fructose Corn Syrup, and Cancer

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By Bobby DeMuro

Yesterday, we sat down with Dr. John Hoctor, of Hoctor Chiropractic and Family Wellness, to talk about soda and its relation to the proliferation of various cancers over the past several decades.

Dr. Hoctor had some very interesting stuff to say about soda, cancer, and valuing your life enough to choose water over dangerous drinks like soda and other sugar-added concoctions.

Listen to the end of the interview to hear Dr. Hoctor’s thoughts on putting a warning label on soda bottles (like the warning labels on cigarettes), and what that would mean for consumption in America.

For more information on Hoctor Chiropractic and Family Wellness, please click here.

Now through the end of November, you can help the Angels & Sparrows Food Bank in the Lake Norman area and get a chiropractic adjustment from Dr. Hoctor at the same time! Simply come into the office and buy a $25 consultation, adjustment, and x-ray reading – every dollar of the proceeds are donated to the Angels & Sparrows Food Bank.

Seven Reasons To Do NoFizzCLT

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Americans are drinking more soda than ever; in the last two decades, soda consumption in the United States has doubled. Americans drink, on average, 1.6 cans of soda daily – that’s about 597 cans of soda a year!

Additionally, 7% of Americans’ calories come from high fructose corn syrup (a major and problematic component to soda), making HFCS the largest single source of calories in the average Amercan diet. As part of our NoFizzUSA campaign, check out a few compelling reasons to give up soda, once and for all…

Reason 1: Dehydration
Drinking soda with caffeine and sugar causes your body to become dehydrated. Caffeine is a diuretic, which means it causes an increase in urine volume. When you drink a caffeinated soda to quench your thirst, you actually become thirstier, because you lose water through more frequent urination.

Reason 2: Empty Calories
Regular soda pop is high in calories. A can of Coke contains 10 teaspoons of sugar, which is 100% of the daily recommended value for adults. An 8 ounce can of soda has around 100-200 calories. Not only are the calories from soda pop empty of any nutritional value, they also deplete your body of vital minerals.

Reason 3: Caffeine Addiction
Caffeine addiction and withdrawal has been recognized as a medical disorder. A study at Johns Hopkins University revealed a few interesting facts about caffeine.

“Caffeine is the world’s most commonly used stimulant, and it’s cheap and readily available so people can maintain their use of caffeine quite easily,” says Roland Griffiths, Ph.D., professor of neuroscience at Johns Hopkins. “The latest research demonstrates, however, that when people don’t get their usual dose they can suffer a range of withdrawal symptoms, including headache, fatigue, difficulty concentrating. They may even feel like they have the flu with nausea and muscle pain.”

Reason 4: Acidity Levels
Whether you drink diet or regular soda, the amount of acid is enough to wear away at the enamel of your teeth over time. Teeth with weakened enamel are more sensitive and more susceptible to decay. In tests done on the acidity levels of soda, soda was found to have a pH of 2.5 — consider that battery acid has a pH of 1 and pure water has a pH level of 7.

Reason 5: Less Chance for Diabetes
While no research has definitively shown that soda pop causes diabetes, the daily consumption of soda pop does create other problems that could lead to diabetes: specifically weight gain.

However, according to the Children’s Hospital in Boston, the fact remains “when sugar enters the bloodstream quickly, the pancreas has to secrete large amounts of insulin for the body to process it. Some scientists believe that the unceasing demands that a soda habit places on the pancreas may ultimately leave it unable to keep up with the body’s need for insulin. Also, insulin itself becomes less effective at processing sugar; both conditions contribute to the risk of developing diabetes.”

Reason 6: Soda Replaces Healthier Drinks
In the 1950′s, children drank 3 cups of milk for every cup of carbonated drink. Today that statistic is flipped: children drink 3 cups of carbonated drink for every cup of milk. One of the biggest problems with soda is it acts as a replacement drink for healthier options. Less amounts of milk in the average diet could account for the lower bone density and higher occurrence of osteoporosis, among other issues.

Reason 7: Save Money
Soda may be pretty inexpensive when compared with fruit juice and milk. You can purchase twelve 8-oz cans for around $4.00. A person who drinks just 2 cans of soda a day will pay around $206 over the course of a year to maintain the soda habit. If there is more than one soda drinker in the house, or you drink more than 2 cans each day, that yearly total could quickly double or triple!

Athletes and Soda Consumption

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If you are trying to lose weight through exercise, or if you are preparing to compete in an athletic endeavor, drinking soft drinks can be a major impediment. Regular soft drinks contain empty calories that will work against your weight loss goals and your competitive advantage. Soft drinks also cause several effects on the body that can increase your risk of illness and injury while competing in a sport.

Old school: Ted Williams used to endorse old Moxie Soda, too!

Impediment To Losing Weight
Many people exercise to lose weight or to keep from gaining weight. To lose weight, you must burn more calories than you take in, and the only ways to do that are to eat less or exercise more. However, you can easily offset the calories burned through exercise by drinking regular soda. A 12-ounce can of sugared soda has approximately 150 calories, depending on the brand. If you drink two a day, you would need to ride a bicycle for 30 minutes at about a 14-mile-an-hour pace to burn off just the calories from soda.

Dehydration Issues
Most soft drinks, even sugar-free ones, have caffeine. Caffeine is a diuretic, meaning it causes your kidneys to excrete fluids more rapidly than normal. During vigorous exercise, you sweat profusely, which is also a way your body excretes water. Although caffeine does not appear to significantly alter water balance during exercise, the possibility of adverse dehydration due to its use is a concern. Soft drinks can also irritate the stomach, leading to diarrhea, which could further exacerbate dehydration.

Think these guys drink soda? Think again.

Injuries
Soft drinks contain large amounts of phosphoic acid, which can leach calcium from the system and lead to weakened bones. Two separate studies, one conducted in 1994 and reported the Journal of Adolescent Health, and a 2000 study reported in Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, found links between soft-drink consumption and an increased risk of bone fractures in adolescent girls.

Another study, in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research found that the more carbonated soft drinks girls (aged 12-15) drank, the lower their bone mineral density. There was no consistent relationship, however, between BMD and soft drink consumption in boys.

The Bottom Line
So what’s the bottom line? Athletes don’t drink soda. They just don’t. Regardless of what you see on television, which brands Olympic athletes endorse, and what drink your favorite quarterback plugs in a television commercial, athletes avoid soda. Whether you, or your kids, are interested in any kind of athletic pursuits – stay away from soda! Nothing about it is worthwhile when you’re competing on any sort of playing field (physical or mental)!