Soda - More Harm than Good

February 3rd, 2009 | No Comments | Posted in Family Health

Every morning thousands of people go to their local gas station and fill a giant cup with soda to start their day. They think that drinking more than a cupful of caffeine will help get them through the day and give them some extra energy. If you’re in the habit of drinking soda every day, know that soda can actually cause you to feel more tired!

The caffeine and sugar in sodas makes you feel a little more alert and awake with the first few drinks. What happens then, though, is the insulin in your body decreases and when the sugar from the soda wears off you actually feel worse than before. Drinking a soda without any food to go with it just gives your body a big sugar rush but you don’t absorb the sugar.

Eating some food with the soda helps this a little bit. When you do accompany drinking soda with eating other foods, your body becomes slow in absorbing the sugar. The insulin your pancreas produces can’t keep up with all the sugar coming in so much of the sugar remain in your blood stream, which explains why you will feel a little energized. This is short lived, though, and sooner you’ll soon feel tired because the sugar rush is over.

Some people think that drinking diet soda is better since it doesn’t have real sugar. However, diet sodas have a sugar substitute that acts like sugar in our body and can make you want to eat and drink more sugary things.

Avoiding diet sodas and regular sodas will decrease your sugar intake, which will make you feel better naturally. You’ll have more energy to work out and it will be easier to lose weight.

One side effect of drinking soda may be increased stress hormones in your body. What happens is the caffeine reacts with your hormones, especially your stress hormones. The more soda you drink, the more stress you will be putting on your body. Skipping that soda will decrease the level of stress hormones in your body and you will feel better and have more energy.

Another side effect of soda can be sleep problems. Caffeine is a stimulant so it can interact with your brain and keep you awake at night. You may have trouble falling asleep and also not get as good quality of sleep as you should. You will not wake up feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day. Skip that soda and you’ll be sleeping like a baby and waking up with enough true energy than you can possible handle.

It may be hard to believe that soda actually decreases your energy levels but it’s true. The first few weeks after you stop drinking soda might be tough and you might have less energy and feel tired all the time. That is just your body’s way of weaning itself off the caffeine and sugar. Once your body gets used to functioning with that extra sugar and caffeine, you’ll feel better, sleep better and have more energy.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Colon Cleansing, Weight Loss & You!

January 7th, 2009 | No Comments | Posted in Health Research

Many people swear by colon cleansing to feel better, lose weight and stay healthy. It is becoming more and more accepted as a health treatment. Here is some information about colon cleansing and how it can help you lose weight.

The colon’s purpose is to remove waste from the food that we eat. Most people’s diets these days include a lot of processed foods. These foods make it much more difficult for the colon to do its job. Much of the toxins and waste products accumulate in the colon; they petrify and eventually cause health problems. What colon cleansing does is get rid of the leftover waste and toxins from the colon so it can work more efficiently, encouraging the body to process food in a more efficient manner.

Most people notice an immediate weight loss when they start with colon cleansing. This is because colon cleansing is able to flush out most of the waste matter that as accumulated in the colon.  After you have been on a colon cleansing routine for a while, you will continue to lose weight because you will be absorbing more nutrients and less waste will be left in the colon. A colon that is working well helps with weight loss.

Most people don’t think about their digestive system as it relates to weight control; we often associate weight control with exercise and diet.  A typical diet where you eat less and exercise more doesn’t take into consideration that your metabolism will usually decrease to make up the difference. Treating your digestive system so it is at its healthiest is a good way to lose weight.

One of the benefits of colon cleansing is increased stamina and energy. If you want to work on shedding off those unwanted pounds, you can take that extra energy and turn it into exercise. You will wake up feeling better every day and have a better outlook on life when you are not feeling tired and sluggish. Also, some of the added energy comes from your body being able to get more nutrients out of the food you eat.

Colon cleansing is a great tool for improving your health and even losing weight. It is just one tool in the toolbox, though! You need to have a well balanced diet and exercise in order to feel your best. You also need to make sure you cut back on processed foods and eat more fresh vegetables and fruits.

Like any medical treatment, you need to do some research about colon cleansing and make sure you know what you are doing and that you use a safe product or program. Also, talk to your doctor about your plans and get his or her advice.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,