Cutting back on fruit fructose natural sugar health paleo diet-min

Cutting Back on Fruit

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I've definitely started to notice there are a lot more Paleo friendly stories in the media recently.  Perhaps the tide is finally turning?

I used to eat a lot of fruit and was always under the impression that you could never have too much.  It’s good for you, right?  Since I've got more and more into Paleo I've drastically cut back my fruit consumption from several pieces a day – down to maybe one or two pieces a week.  Fruit contains a lot of fructose, which means it elevates blood sugar.  I limit my carbohydrate intake in my Paleo diet, so fruit doesn't feature very often.  I've been feeling great since I've been limiting carbohydrates, so I'm definitely on the right track.

When I do have fruit, I make sure I go for something in season.  I also choose a fruit with a good nutritional profile, and a lower fructose content.  Berries are a really good choice as they contain antioxidants and relatively lower sugar than many other fruits.  Now we’re almost coming into summer fresh berries are becoming more and more abundant, so it’s definitely time to enjoy them.  I eat a wide variety of good quality grass-fed organic meat and vegetables, so I am certain I am not missing out any nutrients by omitting regular fruit from my diet.

The Sydney Morning Herald posted an article this weekend on the role of sugar in obesity, in which Dr Taylor talks about how he believes sugar, not fat is behind the rise in obesity.  Dr Taylor is running the Epworth Sweet Study in Melbourne where 100 participants are restricting carbohydrate (and fruit) intake, with positive results.

Hopefully articles like this will become more and more common place.

Have you limited your fruit intake?  Which types of fruit do you value the most?

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Dairy and Paleo

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Dairy is one Paleo area I've been thinking about a lot recently.  A lot of people follow a strict Paleo diet, and include dairy, known as a lacto-Paleo diet.  Dairy is also the main difference between a Primal and a Paleo diet (Primal includes modest amounts of high quality dairy).

Prior to my trip to the AHS in August, my diet was a lot closer to Primal than it was Paleo.  Pedro Bastos gave an excellent lecture at the AHS on Dairy, Hormones & Human Health, which was quite an eye opener for me.

When I got back, I started the Whole30 which meant excluding dairy for 30 days.  I used to drink lots of tea everyday, with milk (I am English after all) – but luckily I got over this in America, as tea just didn't seem to be as common place over there.  I also used to have a fair amount of yoghurt and cheese, which I also gave up.  I expected to be counting down the days when I could resume my dairy habit, but it just didn't happen.

Since August I haven’t had any milk, but I have had cheese a couple of times and yoghurt once.  And the strangest thing?  I just don’t miss it at all.  I now enjoy drinking lots of different types of tea without milk, or hot water with a slice of lime.  I'm not really sure how I’d include milk again now!  I do like the taste of cheese and yoghurt, but I just don’t feel the need to include them in my diet.  Since I've gone stricter Paleo, I've been feeling fantastic.  My skin, sleep, mood, focus and general well being– everything has improved.  I should probably reintroduce dairy to identify exactly the effect it has on me – but given that I don’t miss it, I’d rather just continue to avoid it.

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I'm often asked how I can possibly get enough calcium without dairy.  I eat a good amount of dark green leafy vegetables, which are a great source of calcium.  From what I have read calcium balance is far more important than calcium intake.  When eating a diet high in acid-producing foods, such as the standard western diet, the kidney balances the acid load using the alkaline calcium salts from the bones.  As I don’t eat any processed food or grains and have a good balance of alkaline and acid foods in my diet, I have a good calcium balance – and therefore a lower calcium intake is not a problem.

Taking an evolutionary standpoint, obviously milk would not have been drunk until relatively recently, as ruminants weren't domesticated, so certainly wouldn't have been milked.  The purpose of milk is to nourish the offspring of the mother and enable it to grow – when you consider we are the only animal to eat another animals milk, it does seem a little odd?

One of the main arguments against dairy is IGF-1 (insulin like growth factor 1).  IGF-1 is increased by the cow’s growth hormones, which cause the cow to produce more milk.  IGF-1 is believed to promote cancer by increasing cell division and multiplying of cancer cells.  Commercial dairy cows are kept in gestation (by being artificially inseminated) almost constantly to ensure they produce milk.  They are milked ten out of 12 months – whereas a more natural milking pattern would involve only milking during early pregnancy.  It’s obviously in the interests of the dairy producers to do this, as they want to produce as much milk as possible.  The further into the pregnancy the more growth hormones are contained in the milk (as clearly the purpose of the milk is to support a growing calf).

For me, the jury is still out.  However, if I do decide to consume dairy again, I’ll go out of my way to find raw milk – I don’t think I could ever be happy with any commercial, pasteurised milk as I feel far to removed from the process and will never really know what is in it – and the condition of the cow(s) it came from.

What do you think about dairy?  Do you feel better of worse including dairy in your diet, or leaving it out?  I'd love to hear your views!

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Buying Coconut Oil in Australia & New Zealand

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Coconut Oil is a huge staple in my house.  I generally order a large tin in from my local health food shop, but having realised I’m getting through 700ml in under three weeks, I've started researching and comparing costs of coconut oil.  I've been spending $36 on a 700ml tin of Melrose Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil every three weeks – which is about $900 a year – If I could make savings on this it would make a big difference!  I've got no intentions of using less to save money, as Coconut Oil is such a great source of fat.  I've never seen Coconut Oil sold in any of the major supermarket chains in Australia, like Coles or Woolworths, but perhaps this will change as it gains popularity.

Having looked at various online sources, buying from health food stores isn't as expensive as I expected.  It’s convenient in that I can buy some the same day I realise I've run out – but it is a lot to carry home from work.  I think I'm going to try ordering online next time.

I often visit Healthy Life which has stores across Australia.  They mainly stock Aclara Health Coconut Oil which is all Organic.  The Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Oil is between $10 and $24.95 for 250 to 700ml.    Their other variety is refined, which I used to buy as I didn't like the coconut taste.  Now however, I don’t used refined, as I’ve got used to, and quite enjoy the Coconut taste.  Mainly though, I think refined is too processed and many of the benefits of the oil are lost in the processing.  Aclara Health Refined Coconut Oil is $17.95 for 700ml, or $65.52 for 4 Litres, which is actually one of the lowest prices I've found, at under two cents per ml.  The other brand Healthy Life stock is Fijian Gold, who make an organic Coconut Oil at $12.50 for 500ml.  I’ve still got a bottle of this at home, which I like taste wise, but to be honest it comes in a bottle and I find it really hard to get the solid oil out!  I realise I can warm it to make it liquid, but I’d much rather just buy a better packaged oil that I can spoon out!

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I've recently found the “Pure Health” store in Sydney, which stocks Melrose, Spiral & Wild Harvest Coconut Oils.  This is where I order the Melrose Oil from.  Their smaller sizes work out really expensive on a cost per ml basis, but perhaps this is good for the very occasional user as 300ml starts at $7.95

You need to make sure you do your research before buying online.  I found one store, Chemist Direct charging between 6 and 16 cents a ml for Nui Wild Harvest Virgin Coconut Oil, including $7.95 shipping to Australia (shipping to New Zealand is an extra $19.91!)

I was expecting the online store Kokonut Pacific to be really expensive, but it actually works out at under two cents a ml, including shipping to Australia.  The draw-back however, is that to get the better deals you need to buy their large packs – up to 20 litres at a time!  Perhaps if you have a large family and an enormous amount of kitchen storage this might be an option for you?  Their shipping costs to Australia are reasonable (up to about $20), but for New Zealand the shipping is about double.

I'm going to order my next supply of Coconut Oil through iherb, as they seem reasonable, including shipping and have the best range I've seen.  Most of their Coconut Oil is shipped to both Australia and New Zealand for $4 or $6, which seems fairly reasonable (it’s calculated on weight).  They carry a lot of brands I’ve never seen in the shops in Australia, such as Artisana, Garden of Life, Harvest Bay, Jarrow Formulas, Jungle Products, Natures Way, Now Foods, Nutiva, Organic Fuji, Quantum Nutrition, Source Naturals & Spectrum Essentials.  When I finish the Melrose, I'm going to try the 858ml Nutiva Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, which should work out at about $23 shipped to Australia.  I’ll let you know what it’s like!  Iherb also offer $5 off your first order using the code DUV741 , which just about equates to free shipping.

I would love to hear which brand you use and where you get it from?  I'm sure there must be lots of other sources of Coconut Oil that can be shipped to Australia or New Zealand for under two cents per ml – let me know if you've found one! Or perhaps you've found such a good brand that it is worth the extra cost?  Let me know your thoughts and I’ll update this post.

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Trolley Spying

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When I go food shopping, I'm always really interested the see what other people have in their trolleys.  Likewise, I get some funny looks, especially when I buy lots of red meat, eggs and coconut milk.  I can just see the people wondering what I'm going to do with it all.  Surely she can’t be going to eat all those foods we’re constantly told are bad, by herself?

People are generally quick to say how healthily they eat, but when you see their trolley, surely you are seeing what they actually eat, rather than what they’d like you to think they eat.

Trolleys full of processed junk food bother me far less; at least the people pushing those trolleys, on some level, know they have a bad diet.  What bothers me more is the trolleys I see full of “healthy” foods.  The type of “healthy foods” I wouldn't go near.

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A very sad, un-Primal grocery trolley

I see so many trolleys full of low fat, highly processed products (I can’t bring myself to call them food).  Trolleys full of whole grains, as they are good for us, right?  Diet drinks with ingredients I can’t pronounce.  Spray on “vegetable” oils, to make sure as little fat as possible contributes to dinner.  Processed low fat sauces to smother wholegrain pasta with.  “Healthy” reduced fat chips, presumably to deal with the blood sugar crash that comes after eating the pasta.  Huge bottles of orange juice.  Skim milk to pour over the healthy low fat breakfast cereal.  Margarine instead of butter, Weight Watchers low fat processed sweets to ensure there is never any need to go over three hours without eating.

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Pasta Sauce and Processed Sauce, yum yum.

I wonder, do people really think these “healthy” low fat processed products taste nice?  I strongly suspect they are eaten for the perceived health benefits, not because they taste nice.  My Paleo diet not only tastes amazing, but it is super healthy too.

This is my recent trolley.  I generally buy all of my meat from my wonderful local organic butcher, so I usually just buy some veggies, fruit for my house-mate to take to work (I'm only eating fruit once or twice a week at the moment), coconut milk, almond butter (for use in an occasional NoOatmeal) and I sometimes buy nuts depending on which recipes are on my menu plan that week.

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My recent paleo groceries

Are you guilty of trolley spying too?  Are you frequently shocked by what some other shoppers fill their trolleys with?  Do you get disapproving looks at your Paleo trolley too?

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Pink Boxing Gloves

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My first ever pair of boxing gloves arrived at the gym last night (er, a Birthday present to myself?)!  They’re pink and quite possibly the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.  I’ve even got matching pink gloves to wear inside (though on reflection, perhaps that’s a bit silly as I won’t be able to see them?)  I can’t wait to wear them with my pink VFF’s!

In the five weeks since I moved from a big commercial gym to a small, independent gym (my PT moved – and I followed), my fitness and strength have increased significantly.  I notice it every day, whether I feel the need to run up a flight of stairs two at a time (which I’d previously have walked up) – or even just lifting previously heavy things at home.

Since the move, my gym sessions have got harder and much more challenging.  My two weekly sessions are based on High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and typically involve a lot of strength work and short bursts of cardio.  Every session is completely different; the only constant is that it’s never easy!  I used to hate exercise, but now I love it and am always looking forward to my next session.  I think it takes a while for people new to exercising (as I was two years ago) to go from hating it – to loving it; but trust me, if I love exercise – anyone can grow to love it!

Last night’s session involved the bike and the rower, kettle bell swings, kettle bell cleans, medicine ball, sprints, squats, core work, and stretching.  I moved up to a 16kg kettle bell last night for the first time, which I’m very excited about.  Hopefully that will start feeling less heavy soon!  I recently started doing a circuits class once a week – and adding more sprints into my commute.  I’m sure these factors alongside my fairly strict Paleo nutrition plan have all had a part to play in this sudden increase in fitness!

Future sessions will feature my new boxing gloves – and some heavy ropes which will be arriving at the gym very soon – I’m intrigued to see exactly what we’ll be doing with those?!

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I'm excited to see how much fitter and stronger I'm capable of becoming!

Is your style of exercise completely different to mine?  Are you the fittest you’ve ever been?

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Kangaroo Jerky

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I hadn't had jerky much before I went to the AHS in August.  I’d tried it, but wasn't that impressed.  At the AHS the US Wellness Meats company supplied lots of jerky – so I had to try it!  It tasted fantastic; completely different to any jerky I’d tried before.  The beef jerky I tried contain grass-fed beef and salt.  No nasty ingredients whatsoever. But I'm in Australia. What about Kangaroo Jerky?

Dried meat like this is full of protein and such a great snack, being so portable and easy to store.  When I got back I was really keen to take advantage of living in the land of kangaroos – by trying Kangaroo Jerky!  I think Kangaroo is such a good meat, as it isn’t farmed and is a great protein source.

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Unfortunately all of the commercial Roo Jerky’s I've found so far are heavily processed with lots of undesirable ingredients such as sugar, soy sauce, canola oil and lots of artificial ingredients and flavours.

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I don’t have a dehydrator yet, but have found a few recipes for home-made jerky, which I’ll be trying soon (I'll keep you updated!).  In the meantime I'm going to check out a few local farmers markets here in Sydney at the weekend – hopefully I’ll be able to source some Paleo approved, local, organic, grass fed jerky!

I think Jerky will be a great snack to keep at work and to take to the gym.

Have you found some good Paleo Jerky?  Have you tried Kangaroo Jerky?  If you have a recipe for making your own I’d love to try it!

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Does Drinking Alcohol Fit With Paleo?

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So, yesterday was my Birthday and I had a fabulous time. I hadn't drunk for a long time, but as it was my Birthday, it seemed only right to have a few drinks at my Halloween party last night! Alcohol and Paleo? Do they mix?

I think there are two main problems with drinking whilst adhering to a Paleo lifestyle. Clearly the ingredients in alcohol are often far from Primal. Alcohol can contain a lot of sugar and gluten in grain based drinks, such as beer. I think the other big issue with drinking is that you may start off with good intentions, but after a few drinks you may become less cautious with drink choice, and more prone to eat un-Paleo food when you inevitably get hungry later on.

Alcohol clearly is not Paleo, and I think it’s a best kept as an occasional treat. There, of course, are times that you want to enjoy a few drinks. At these times, by making good choices along with a degree of planning, you can minimise the damage from a night out.

Before Going Out

  • Think about where you’re going and what you’ll be drinking before you go. This way it will be a lot easier to stick to your plans, instead of trying to work it out at the bar and ending up with a beer in your hand.
  • Are you going to be eating at a Paleo friendly restaurant during the evening? If not, I think it’s very wise to eat just before you go out. Make sure you don’t shy away from fat and protein in your pre-drink meal.
  • Also, I think it’s very wise to prepare some delicious Paleo food for when you get home! If you come in hungry with nothing ready, you might find non-Paleo food a more attractive proposition than you would usually!

At the bar

So, what are the least-bad drink options? And which drinks should you avoid at all costs?

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BETTER CHOICES

  • Many Paleo people swear by Robb Wolf’s NorCal Margarita. This is made with 100% agave tequila, juice and pulp of a fresh lime, ice and soda water. The tequila is made from fermented agave juice, so it is gluten and starch free. The lime is said to dull the insulin response to the alcohol sugars and provide a net alkaline load in the blood stream. The CO2 from the soda water is said to help the alcohol reach the blood stream sooner, meaning you need to drink less.
  • Other than Tequila, vodka can be a reasonable choice. Look for vodkas distilled from grapes or potatoes.
  • Gin can be an option too, but avoid those distilled from sugar and other grains (look for juniper berries)
  • Red wine has the benefit of containing anti-oxidants; another fair choice. • Cider, especially if you can find a good, organic brand, is a far better choice than beer, though still high in sugar.
  • Generally dry wines and spirits are the best choices in terms of low-carb content, but be careful with those ingredients!

AVOID

  • Beers are generally going to be heavily grain based. Some barley based beers (such as Belgium beers) may be rendered gluten free by secondary fermentation. You can also get gluten free beers, however they are likely to still contain grains, and other undesirable ingredients. Gluten aside, beer is also very carb heavy; another reason to make a different choice.
  • Many drinks are extremely high in sugars. Avoid drinks with fruit juices (these are almost never made with real, fresh fruit juice anyway.
  • Premixed drinks often have very un-Paleo ingredients as well as lots of sugars; avoid!
  • Mixers such as fizzy soft drinks should be avoided as they are full of sugar and all sorts of artificial ingredients. Have your spirits with soda water, or on ice.

Afterwards

When you get home eat some good Paleo food containing good fat and protein and drink water.  Even if it was a late night, try to get up at your usual time the next morning to avoid disrupting your routine for the next few days.

I stuck to vodka, fresh lime and soda water and had a great night. However, I probably won’t drink again for a long time as it doesn't fit in too well with my Paleo lifestyle!

What are your drinking strategies? Am I missing some good tips? What is your favourite drink? Or perhaps you don’t drink at all?

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Paleo Birthday Resolutions

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It’s my birthday today, which is the perfect time to evaluate my achievements this past year – and to focus on what I want to achieve in this brand new, unchartered year.

This past year can be summarised by one word for me: Paleo!  I’ve travelled to America twice for PrimalCon and the Ancestral Health Symposium and met so many amazing, lifelong, Paleo friends along the way.  I’ve refined my Paleo nutrition and found what works for me.  My housemate and a few friends have adopted a Paleo lifestyle, which I am thrilled about.  I’ve spent a lot of time this year researching and reading in the Paleosphere – and of course, I started this blog.  My biggest personal achievement this year has been my fitness.  I have never been as fit as I am now and it enhances almost every aspect of my life.  Linked into all of these factors, my sleep has been another huge transformation this past 12 months.  I used to really struggle to fall asleep, sleep very poorly, then struggle to wake up in the morning.  The last few months however, I’ve been tired at bedtime, sleeping soundly and waking up before my alarm almost every morning!

It seems like a timely point to work out what I want to achieve between now and my next Birthday, with the help of some “New Years” resolutions.  So, from tomorrow: –

1.       I’m going to see the sunrise and sunset every day.

This is going to be quite a challenge, but it seems a really important link, to the body’s natural circadian rhythm.  After all, we should live alongside the natural day; staying up until 4am isn’t good for us.  Here in Sydney Sunrise is between about 5:15am (this month) and 7am in the winter months.  This should be fairly easy.  I’ll get up just before sunrise, so I should see the sunrise on my walk into work.  The time of year will then determine how long I spend in the gym/ swimming pool before I go to work – or perhaps I’ll even start work early?  Sunset will be a lot more of a challenge, as in Sydney it varies from around 4:50pm in June to about 8:10pm in the summer months (I do miss those long summer evenings in the UK!).  I’m not sure how I’ll tackle this one in the winter, but the summer should be quite achievable.

2.       I’m going to get rid of five things every day.

One Primal area I really struggle with is minimalism!  I have a lot of “stuff”.  My friend Lars over at Primal Minimalist has recently started a new daily habit of de-cluttering his house by five things every day.  I could honest do this every day for the next year – and probably still have quite a lot left by my next birthday.  So this is what I’m going to do!

3.       I’m only going to eat local food.

I think I’m probably fairly compliant on this one already, when I eat at home.  When I eat out however (which is all too frequently), I often have no idea where the food is sourced from.  I need to know this.  I think it’s really important to eat local food (and ideally, organic).  This should also mean I am only eating seasonally, which is also important.  I can hopefully achieve this by bringing in my lunch to work, and eating out less.  When I do eat out, I’ll be very careful to select somewhere that uses local food – and I won’t be afraid to ask!  One area that might not be possible is coconut oil; I’ll investigate further, but may need to make an exception here.

4.       I’m going to up the ante on my chin-up & fitness mission.

By my next birthday I want to be able to do ten unassisted pull-ups and be working towards hand-stand push-ups!  I also want to be considerably fitter and stronger than I am today.  As I have never been as fit and strong as I am today, this is all very exciting new territory.

Are you still sticking to your New Years or birthday resolutions?  Which new Paleo habits would you like to adopt?  What do you think of my resolutions?

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Nightshades and Paleo

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Perhaps you avoid nightshades yourself, or have noticed a lot of people do?  Is there any reason for avoiding them?

Nightshades are in the Solanaceae family, which comprises 2,800 types of plant.  The common nightshades include potatoes (which aren't consumed on a Paleo regime, so I won’t be talking about them), tomatoes, all types of peppers/ capsicum, eggplant, tomatillos, tamarios, paprika and cayenne.   Sweet potatoes are related, but belong to the Convolvulaceae family, so aren't classed as a nightshade.  Similarly black pepper is not classed as a nightshade as it belongs to the Piperaceae family.

Nightshades contain alkaloids, which the plant produces as a defence mechanism.  Some alkaloids have been shown to interact with nerve activity and inflammation, which may impact conditions such as arthritis and gout, as well as gut irritation.  Many people have no sensitivities to Nightshades, but those that do may find avoidance very beneficial.  Cooking decreases the alkaloid content by up to 50%, so for those with border line sensitivity, this can be a good option.

If you think you may have a sensitivity, eliminating nightshades for 30 days before reintroducing should give a clear indication as to the effect these plant have on you.  If you find you do have a sensitivity, you might chose to avoid them on a more permanent basis.

Do you eat Nightshades?  Do you have a sensitivity to them?

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Soft Drinks and Violence?

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I was interested to hear about a study linking consumption of non-diet soft drinks with violence in teenagers.  The study found teenagers who drank soft drinks frequently were 9 – 15% more likely to engage in violent activities, than those who were not frequent drinkers.  Almost one in three pupils in the study group of 1,878 drank over five cans of soft drink a week. And if that's one in three, presumably many of the people in the study group must get the majority of their hydration from soft drinks.

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This was an observational study, so perhaps the ingredients in the soft drink caused the anti-social behaviour in those who consumed it;  or perhaps the anti-social behaviour lead to those teenagers drinking more soft drinks?

But surely with such a high correlation, it has to be beneficial to prevent soft drinks being so accessible to teens? Even more of a problem seems to be the prevalence of energy drinks that seem especially popular with young people. I'd love to see some studies into the effects of these chemically laden drinks.

Limit Soft Drinks?

Do you think teenagers should be given a free rein, or should soft drinks consumption be limited somehow?