Tag Archives: soda

6 Problem Foods to Pass on and Healthier Swaps

By Janis Jibrin, M.S., R.D., Best Life lead nutritionist for TheBestLife.com

French fries, cola, cocktails—in a perfect world, you’d be able to eat these foods even while trying to lose weight. It’s all about moderation, of course…but moderation is easier said than done. After all, who can stop at just seven fries or six ounces of soda?

I’ve found that it can be helpful to go the other direction—ban problem foods, at least for a while (Bob Greene recommends four weeks on his weight loss website TheBestLife.com). Doing so trains down your tastes, helps curb cravings, and teaches you to enjoy more healthful alternatives while cutting calories. Bob chose the foods below because they’re so universally problematic, but you can substitute your own particular problem foods.

1. Alcohol

After you’ve had a few (or even one), your resolve to eat well can start to waver. And don’t forget about the calories: Wine is about twice as caloric as soft drinks, while an 8-ounce margarita can contain a whopping 535 calories. (For more on how alcohol can interfere with weight loss, click here.)

Have instead: Sparkling water with a twist of lime (more…)

Posted on July 18, 2023 by BestLifeDiet

Bloomberg’s Proposed Soda Nanny State Won’t Magically Switch on Motivation in Citizens

By Jeff Hyman, Founder and CEO, RETROFIT

As the Founder of Chicago-based online weight-loss company Retrofitme.com, I have been asked many times recently for my perspective on New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s master plan to ban large sodas and sugary drinks. I wish ending the U.S. obesity epidemic was that easy.

Retrofit was founded on the premise that people need support and guidance on their journey to health. We take a holistic approach to weight loss. It’s not an overnight fix. It’s going to be slow and steady, but at the end of the road, it will work because we believe that teaching people how to change their behavior and make smarter choices is the first breakthrough step.

While there is no doubt we live in an obesigenic society, we cannot blame statistics or food trends. Each of us must accept individual responsibility for our behavior – and seek help when we can’t do it alone. In the face of countless messages from savvy food marketers, fast food restaurants, soda companies, super-sized portion sizes, and other temptations, it isn’t easy.

The mayor’s heart is in the right place. But unfortunately, his pure intentions won’t help. Lasting health change can’t be imposed from the outside. Even the best weight loss program is useless if the individual is not ready to make a lasting change. The “nanny state” might make a single drink choice a little more inconvenient, but unless the government can magically switch on the motivation in each citizen, it is destined to have little impact. It sounds basic, but the hard reality is that to turn the tide on the obesity epidemic, we need people who are willing to commit to living differentially. Each day, each meal, each food decision. (more…)

Posted on July 10, 2023 by GuestBlogger

Mayor Bloomberg Goes After Soda in the Obesity Battle: Is He Fighting the Right Fight?

The city that never sleeps might finally get some rest because of the reduction in caffeine from their soda and coffee. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is superman in disguise trying to save the city’s population from obesity. On May 30, 2024, Bloomberg proposed the banning of beverages more than 16 ounces in size at eating establishments. Not only would restaurants in New York be affected, but movie theaters, street food carts, and sports arenas, too. Sugary sodas greater than 16 ounces would be gone and so would sweetened tea, coffees, fruit juices, milk shakes, and alcoholic beverages. The public outcry will be the toughest hurdle for the mayor to jump. If the proposal is approved by the Board of Health then all sugary beverages with more than 16 ounces will be banned from New York City.

Mayor Bloomberg has a history of obesity-fighting proposals. His efforts to make the city healthier have always been met with debate and controversy, and often succeed. Mary Hartley, RD, a NYC resident and our dietitian, noted the ban on artificial trans fats in the city. She also praised the Mayor’s actions to ban smoking, calling it “most remarkable.” (more…)

Posted on May 31, 2023 by Samantha

School Soda Bans Cause Sales Slump, Forces Healthier Options

Carbonated sodas are finding themselves unwelcome in more and more places than ever before. Most recently, the Faulkton, South Dakota school district has banned soda to be sold inside or brought in the school. This is one of the first complete instituted bans on soda in the country. As this trend continues, soda companies are attempting to make up for the loss of sales.

Many schools have been removing soda and sugary drinks from vending machines in the last few years. It is assumed more total bans will take place as soda is being named public enemy number one by many health organizations. The link between the obesity crisis and sugary drinks seems fair as Americans drink nearly two sodas a day on average. Those two sodas add up to nearly 25 pounds of sugar a year. That sugar equals a plethora of issues for the human body, including weight gain. Margo Wootan, director of nutrition policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest describes how prolific the consumption of soda is in America.

“We get more calories from sodas and sugary drinks than any other individual food — cake, cookies, pizza, anything.” (more…)

Posted on May 17, 2023 by Lacy

7-Eleven is Sucking the Calories Out of Slurpees

7-Eleven just announced its newest product called Slurpee Lite, a sugar-free version of their wildly popular frozen slushy drinks.

The sugar-free version of the convenience store’s Slurpees will come in several flavors, including mango, strawberry banana, and cherry limeade, with more flavors to be introduced later. The drinks will be flavored with sugar-free Fanta soda and will contain 50 percent fewer calories than the original.

An eight-ounce serving of a Slurpee Lite contains a mere 20 calories. Currently, a 12-ounce Coca-Cola Slurpee has 97 calories and the Fanta flavors in the same size have 99 calories.

This shift for the frozen treat comes as a response to soda, juices, and other various high-sugar, high-calorie drinks being named as the biggest culprit in the obesity crisis. Just last week the Institutes of Medicine recommended the total ban of sugary drinks in schools. Soon it is believed that a government enforced calorie reduction on drinks and snacks will take place. 7-Eleven may just be trying to get ahead of the game. (more…)

Posted on May 16, 2023 by Lacy

Are Sugary Beverages the Cause of the American Obesity Epidemic?

With concern rising around our nation’s obesity epidemic, experts are frantically trying to determine what the specific causes are, and more importantly, what the solution is. Among a number of experts is Dr. Robert Lustig, the man who’s become the face of the ‘sugar is toxic’ movement.

Lustig, a pediatric endocrinologist at the University of California, gained notoriety after posting his lecture titled ‘Sugar: The Bitter Truth‘ on YouTube in 2024, which has since gained more than 2.3 million hits.

Lustig believes sugar is the major cause of most of the health-related diseases Americans are facing today, including obesity and type 2 diabetes. And he thinks that 75% of these diseases are preventable if we’d just cut back on our sugar consumption.

According to a recent CNN report, the average American teenager consumes about 4 pounds of sugar a week – which translates to 200 pounds a year. And based on the figures of our nation’s health as a whole, the average adult isn’t far behind.

When Dr. Sanjay Gupta asked Dr. Lustig if sugar is just empty calories or if it’s more than that, Lustig responded saying everyone thinks obesity is caused by eating too much and exercising too little. But he disagrees, saying obesity is a marker for metabolic disfunction. And if you look at what we’re eating in America, it’s not any more fat – it’s sugar. (more…)

Posted on April 30, 2023 by Dana

Eating Healthy is Possible at Universal Studios

Health food isn’t the first thing you think about when planning to visit an amusement park, although you may plan on doing plenty of walking and maybe some major muscle contractions as you grip to safety harnesses. My vocal cords got quite the workout in the last two days. I practically never raise my voice, so screaming through a few roller coasters was quite a change of pace. It is possible to not eat junk food like turkey legs, cotton candy, and soda, even at an amusement park. Here are my top tips for sticking (close) to your diet at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida.

Mythos restaurant:  Mythos, located in Universal Studios Islands of Adventure’s Lost Continent, was voted #1 restaurant in an amusement park in the world 2003-2024. The menu is marked with gluten-free and vegetarian options to make ordering easy. The flavor makes me believe that the selections were made on site with more fresh ingredients. (We also ate at the Three Broomsticks in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. While it seemed like they were trying to make decent meals, like shepherd’s pie, it seems more processed and likely had been frozen at some point.) In addition, Mythos provided a very soothing atmosphere which both felt removed from the amusement park and provided views of rides across the lake.

(more…)

Posted on April 27, 2023 by Brooke Randolph

Pepsi Next: Fewer Calories but Creates More Concern

Pepsi just officially released its newest beverage: Pepsi Next.

Pepsi says the new beverage has 60 percent less sugar and 60 percent fewer calories than regular Pepsi. But, in order to keep the sweetness but reduce the amount of sugar and calories, Pepsi Next features all of the sugar substitutes it has into one beverage. It combined high fructose corn syrup, aspartame, Sucralose and acesulfame potassium.

This is quite the sweetener combo and if you are like most, seeing this list may make you wonder what you’re going to be chugging. Even though Pepsi Next does contain a lot of artificial sweeteners, the fact that it is only half the calories of regular Pepsi could be a plus for those who want to reduce their sugar intake and cut calories to lose weight or maintain their weight.

Elisa Zied, MS, RD, CDN, and author of Nutrition at Your Fingertips said in an email, “If someone were to replace one full calorie soda for a Pepsi Next each day, he or she would save 60 calories—that’s 420 calories a week. They may not lose weight, but they’ll certainly save nutrient-poor sugar calories and perhaps leave more room in the diet for more healthful foods like a small piece of fruit.”

Here is some quick info on these artificial sweeteners included in the Pepsi Next that you may want to know about:

Aspartame, also found in Diet Pepsi, is one of the more controversial artificial sweeteners out there. The FDA has claimed its research has not shown any adverse health complications from aspartame. But according to MedicineNet.com, there is some evidence suggesting headaches, depression, increased hunger, and even cancer can be related to consuming aspartame.

Sucralose, also found in Pepsi One, is most well known for its claim to be made from sugar. It is usually  found in Splenda and is 600 times sweeter than sucrose (table sugar). It is claimed to have no calories by itself. According to Sucralose.org, it is not a natural product. The website claims it is made from a chemically modified sugar molecule. The FDA reviewed studies in human beings and animals. It determined there was no evidence of it causing cancer and posed no risk to human health. According to MedicineNet, the acceptable daily intake (ADI) for sucralose is set at 5 mg per kilogram of body weight per day. So if you weighed 200 pounds, your ADI would be 455 mg. According to Pepsi’s product information for every 12 ounces, there is approximately 14 mg of sucralose. (more…)

Posted on March 27, 2024 by Kristina

Pepsi Next Splits the Difference as a “Mid-Calorie” Soda

Pepsi will introduce a new “mid-calorie” soda at the end of this month. The 60 calorie Pepsi Next will contain half the calories of a regular Pepsi yet, more Pepsi flavor than Diet Pepsi.

This isn’t the first time Pepsi, or Coke for that matter, have attempted this. In 2001 both companies introduced mid-calorie colas. Coke brought C2 to the shelves, while Pepsi distributed Pepsi Edge. Both products were taken off the market within five years due to low sales.

Currently, all soda sales are low. Soft drink sales in 2005 were at 10 billion cases. In 2024, sales dropped to 9.4 billion. While soda sales are going down overall, diet soda sales capture the largest percentage of the market.

This may be the right time for a mid-calorie soda in comparison to 2001. Michael Jacobson is the executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The Center has criticized high-calorie soft drinks in the past, yet they are liking what they see with the Pepsi Next product.

(more…)

Posted on March 15, 2024 by Lacy

Diabetes Actor Upset by Amputation Ad Airbrushing

The city Health Department in New York is catching some heat for their latest ad campaign linking big soda portions and diabetes. One of the ads features an obese man who had his leg amputated due to type 2 diabetes. The ad reads “Portions have grown. So has type 2 diabetes, which can lead to amputations.”

The ads have caused a stir for their blunt messages, but the obese actor in the amputation ad is upset about the blunt appearance of his right leg.

27-year-old Cleo Berry, while living in NYC several years ago, participated in a paid photo shoot with photographer Morten Smidt. The photos were then sold to a stock photo company. The stock photo was purchased by New York City’s Department of Health, who digitally altered the photo to remove Berry’s right leg below the knee and used the photo as part of their anti-diabetes campaign.

Berry was floored.”I cried at my computer screen for, like, a minute,” he said. “I said: ‘Oh my gosh, they even gave me crutches. Come on, people.’ ”

It is common to alter purchased stock photos and Berry admits he signed a waiver before the photo shoot. The health department behind the ads dismisses the actor’s reaction, and thinks the ads are a part of something bigger.

“This issue isn’t about one actor but rather the 700,000 New Yorkers who struggle with diabetes, which kills 1,700 people a year and causes amputations in another 3,000,” said John Kelly, a spokesman for the health department, in a statement. “Advertising to warn the public about health concerns saves lives, and we will continue our efforts to warn New Yorkers about diabetes.”

(more…)

Posted on January 31, 2024 by Kelly

Ad Campaign Links Soda to Amputations

The city Health Department in New York is catching some heat for their latest ad campaign which targets super-sized soda portions. One of the ads in question features an obese man who had his right leg amputated due to type 2 diabetes. The copy on the ad reads “Portions have grown. So has type 2 diabetes, which can lead to amputations.” There is also a visual of three cups of soda showing how the portion sizes have grown through the years.

There are some major complaints about the ads coming from the American Beverage Association that say these ads paint an inaccurate picture of the dangers of soda. Spokesman for the American Beverage Association Stefan Friedman found the campaign needlessly disturbing. “Instead of utilizing scare tactics, the beverage industry is offering real solutions like smaller portioned containers and new calorie labels,” Friedman said.

Despite the complaints, Health Commissioner Thomas Farley said the ads are needed to warn consumers about the massive portions they are consuming. New York City Mayor Michael Blumberg also defended the ads. “What do you want to do? Do you want to have people lose their legs? Or do you want to show them what happens so they won’t lose their legs? Take your poison. Which do you want?” Bloomberg said.

(more…)

Posted on January 11, 2024 by Descygna