Diet drinks cause cravings, weight gain, and pH imbalance
By My Fit Foods’ Meg McCall who knows how to be happy because she has a B.S., M.S. Candidate in Human Nutrition, Corporate Nutritionist
Growing up in the era of Tab, I developed a fondness for the taste of artificial sweeteners. I recall my mother drinking gallons of Tab and then later Diet Coke. The preferred drink anytime was a diet soda—even if we went to McDonald’s and got a Big Mac with a Large Fry—it was accompanied by a Diet Coke.
Many of us who have dieted like diet sodas because they taste sweet, have zero calories, and contain caffeine. If we are cutting calories, then we can drink as much Diet Coke as we want and it fuels us for the day. Anyone up for a 64-ounce Diet Coke from your nearest 7-Eleven? Those were the good old days.
In 2010, nearly 927 million cases of Diet Coke were sold and 892 million cases of Diet Pepsi! Holy Aspartame Fest!!
Now we know better Here is what research and even a little My Fit Foods research tells us now:
- Diet sodas with aspartame actually increase your CRAVINGS for food and sweets. Containing the amino phenylalanine—it actually causes an imbalance in your serotonin which causes the cravings for sugar and carbohydrates. This happens especially at night when you get that serious hankering for some ice cream or chips. Your serotonin has dipped abnormally low and your body will do whatever it needs to for the quick fix. Cut the diet sodas and watch your cravings lessen.
- Diet sodas have been proven to cause WEIGHT GAIN even without obvious cravings. One study showed that people that drank two or more diet sodas a day experienced a waist size increases that were six times greater than people who did not drink diet soda.
- Diet sodas cause brittle BONES and deplete your body of much-needed minerals. Study after study show that because these beverages are acidic, they are leaching your bones of much needed calcium. With the abundance of phosphates and imbalance of body pH, osteoporosis is a common result of diet soda consumption.
- We conducted an experiment here at My Fit Foods to show just how ACIDIC Diet Sprite was. We put one 16-ounce Diet Sprite in a large container and tested its pH. It was so acidic it took 40 containers of 16 ounce My Fit Foods water (pH 7.8) to neutralize ONE DIET SPRITE. Wow, that is how acidic diet sodas are for the body. pH of your blood and body fluids is imperative to how your body operates. Your body will work hard to maintain your blood pH to be in between 7.35 to 7.45, but keep in mind that those with a higher pH of 7.45 will carry 60% more oxygen than those with a lower pH. Oxygen is life after all. Watch your body change when you switch to nourishing your body with oxygen-giving alkaline water like My Fit H20.
- From the observations of our Nutrition Coaches, when our 21 Day Challengers give up their diet soda crutch, they experience greater FAT LOSS and more ENERGY. Everything just starts clicking and they lose those sweet cravings. That is why we recommend water and herbal teas for 21 Days.
So now that you have the evidence you need to show you that diet sodas really are the enemy with brain balance, bone health, and body pH, let’s talk about healthy alternatives. Create your own healthy beverages:
- Mountain Valley sparkling water with a splash of lemon or orange juice. Add a stevia sweetener for added sweetness. Only buy brands that are pure stevia. Many brands such as Truvia contain sugar and stevia.
- Herbal teas and one to two cups of green tea a day are a great way to have something “special” besides water.
- Coconut water is a great alkaline recovery beverage after working out.
- Juicing your own green drinks is a great way to alkalize the body and provide the body with antioxidants and nutrients.
- Drink the My Fit Cocktail daily. You can drink your Cocktail as a “Shooter”, shooting all the concentrated juices or you can be a “Sipper”, mixing the Cocktail with water and drinking. Some even dilute their Cocktail and drink in a liter water bottle, sipping all day. This is a great way to boost pH and support all detox organs: intestines, lymphatic system, liver, and kidneys.
Ditch the diet sodas and let us know how you feel! Email us or catch us on Facebook with your Diet Coke recovery stories.
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