When it comes to calories, the liquid ones can really add up. Take Coke for example. A 20 oz. bottle of regular Coke adds an extra 250 calories to your daily tally. Drink one every day and you can easily pack on a 1/2 a pound of weight each week. That's 26 lbs in one year. Ouch!So many dieters make the switch to diet soft drinks, figuring, they won't 'spend' as many calories on liquids. But, there's something better to drink that's also calorie free. Iced tea! Here are 5 reasons to choose iced tea over diet soda.
- Antioxidants. Antioxidants are natural chemicals found in plant based foods that have been linked with disease prevention. If you drink brewed iced tea, you get the full benefit of the antioxidants normally found in hot tea. You won't find any antioxidants in soft drinks (regular or diet). Add some sliced lemon to boost the vitamin C and antioxidant content further.
- Bone Health. Tea drinkers have been found to have higher bone mass in their hips and less bone loss than non-tea drinkers. Soft drink consumption has been found to increase bone loss in women.
- Metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a medical condition that is linked with heart disease. Individuals that consumer regular and diet soft drinks had a 31% greater risk of becoming obese, a 30 % increased risk of adding on belly fat, 25 % higher risk of developing high blood sugar and 32 % higher risk of having low HDL levels. OUCH.
- No artificial sweeteners. New evidence suggests that Aspartame (NutraSweet) may not be as safe as consumers once thought. A recent Italian study has linked NutraSweet consumption with higher rates of cancer. Most diet sodas contain some form of sweetener. Aspartame is one of the most commonly used.
- Tea has heart benefits. Tea has a vasodilating properties, which means it may help reduce blood pressure. You won't find that in diet soda. If you choose to drink hot tea, leave the milk out. Apparently, the casein in milk counteracts the heart-healthy benefits of tea. Bottoms up!
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