Healthy Hollywood: Ask Keri Glassman — Kick The Soda Habit!

Nutritionist Keri Glassman is back with Access’ Healthy Hollywood team. Keri, who regularly shares her expertise on Access Hollywood and Access Hollywood Live, is now answering your nutrition, diet, and health questions.

Want to know which foods to curb sugar cravings? Or, what you should eat before a workout? Ask Keri anything!
Keri will chose one great question a week to be answered Thursday in our Healthy Hollywood column.

To submit questions for Keri, click HERE!

This week, Tami asks: “I want to stop drinking pop. I stopped drinking pop for a period of time in the past, but didn’t lose a pound and got discouraged and went back to drinking pop. What are some healthier alternatives to drink? “

Thanks for your question! First off, congrats on taking a huge positive step towards a more nutritious life! Your efforts in giving up soda are commendable! NO giving up!

It’s no secret that Americans are replacing healthful calories with sodas, sweetened beverages and foods with added sugars. By the way, diet soda is no better, it is loaded with artificial ingredients and diet soda drinkers are more likely to be overweight than regular soda drinkers! It is well founded that diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and obesity are linked to nutrient poor diets including diets high in sugar. It is recommended that based on a healthful 2000 calorie diet, there should be no more than 10 teaspoons of added sugar per day (I say, we do NOT need ANY added sugar per day!). The average American is actually consuming 20 teaspoons per day. One can of soda has 7.8 teaspoons of sugar and contains about 140 calories.

If you drank just one can a day, which translates to 51,100 calories a year, equivalent to a whopping 14.6 pounds. So, why did you not see results after 34 days of diligence? This could be for several reasons. One, patience and consistency are KEY to weight loss success. Perhaps, you just needed a little more time for all that hard work to “show up” on the scale. Two, are you adding calories in other places inadvertently making up for the soda calories? Keeping track of your diet with a food journal will help you figure this out. Three, are you replacing soda with adequate fluids? If you are not properly hydrated, you may be mistaking thirst for hunger and increasing calories from food. (This is similar to the second point!) Other lifestyle factors to consider that may be making the weight “stick” are lack of sleep and stress.

Sugar can be “addicting.”(Although it has not been proven that it is addictive, it has addictive-like qualities such as intense cravings.) This makes it difficult to give up and why you should be so proud that you cut back by taking out soda for 34 days. I say, GO FOR IT again and be patient. Here are a few good replacements to help you along the way:

– Water with sliced fruit like oranges or strawberries

– Water with fresh mint and squeezed lemon or fresh grated ginger

– Flavored seltzer (no artificial sweetener or added sugar of course!)

– Herbal teas (that taste sweet!) such as apple spice, chai or vanilla

You’re on the right track to a healthier lifestyle—stay focused and just say NO to POP!

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