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What's so bad about soft drinks fizzy coke paleo not healthy-min

What’s So Bad About Soft Drinks?

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I think most people realise fizzy Soft Drinks like Coke, Pepsi and Sprite are bad.  But I see so many people going for the diet versions of these drinks.  The word “diet” on the can, seems to make people think it’s not an unhealthy choice.  If something has zero calories – well that’s healthy isn’t it?

When I first found got interested in nutrition (on my way to Paleo), I did a lot of research.  As soon as I found out more about soft drinks, I stopped my occasional consumption immediately.  I certainly understand the appeal.  They taste sweet, they are cold on hot days, they are available everywhere; in fact most employers I’ve worked for have supplied them for free.  I think a lot of people who perhaps aren’t so keen on water may even feel that they are getting hydrated.  The caffeine and sugar content may also help consumers to feel more energised – at least initially.

What's so bad about soft drinks fizzy coke paleo not healthy-min

The “non diet” versions contain significant amounts of some form of sugar; be it cane sugar, or even the nasty high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).  Drinking this much sugar will cause your blood sugar to rapidly rise.  The pancreas will respond by releasing insulin, to decrease blood sugar levels.  When levels drop, hunger will result – often resulting in a craving for more sugary food or drink.  But even more worrying are the “diet” versions of these drinks.  Instead of sugar they use artificial sweeteners such as aspartame to make the drink taste sweet. Taking a Paleo viewpoint, aspartame is a relatively new chemical, though we know it is an excitotoxin, capable of passing the blood-brain barrier, possibly causing cellular damage, scary stuff.

There is also evidence suggesting artificial sweeteners may cause a psychological insulin response.  So when you drink a diet soda, the brain recognises the sweet taste and prepares the body to launch an insulin response, to the expected increased blood sugar levels.  This leaves an excess amount of un-utilised insulin in the blood stream, which may contribute to insulin resistance.  This could result in decreases to the blood sugar level, increasing hunger, not to mention the effects of the insulin on the bodies fat storage mechanisms.  Aspartame has also been linked with all sorts of issues, such as memory problems, birth defects, brain tumours and convulsions.  Some fizzy drinks use other sweeteners, but I think the best advice is to completely avoid them; it’s just not worth it.

Another component of these fizzy drinks are Phosphates.  Phosphoric acid is believed to interfere with Calcium absorption and may cause a loss of calcium from the body.  The acidity of soft drinks also results in calcium leaching to buffer the PH levels.  Osteoporosis anybody?

Caffeine is another big issue with soft drinks, but I think that it is worthy of its own future post.

Can’t break the diet coke habit?

Personalised-Coke soft drinks-minTry sparkling water 1:1 with apple cider vinegar then keep reducing the ratio.  I often drink sparkling water with a slice of lemon or lime.  But ultimately, drink water (and perhaps the occasional cup of tea)!

What do you think about soft drinks?  Do you still drink them?

Why you should swap oatmeal for noatmeal porridge granola paleo network-min

Why You Should Swap Your Oatmeal for NoOatmeal

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Before I knew anything about Paleo, I’d often make up Oatmeal for breakfast. Especially in the winter, I felt it was the epitome of healthy breakfasts. Now however, I’ve gained a much better understanding about nutrition, so I thought I’d share my reasons for complete avoidance of Oatmeal.

Why you should swap oatmeal for noatmeal porridge granola paleo network-min

There is something comforting about Oatmeal, particularly on a cold morning. However, NoOatmeal is a far better alternative. NoOatmeal is made using raw nuts & pepitas which you grind in your blender. You then lightly toast the nuts in a saucepan, with some cinnamon. Then you add coconut milk and an egg and stir until ready. How easy is that? Like Oatmeal, it is warm, but unlike Oatmeal I find it far more filling – and I know the ingredients are far better for me. The smell when the nuts are toasting is fantastic! I also like the fact that alone and unprepared I could eat & enjoy the individual ingredients in Noatmeal. Have you ever tried eating raw, unprepared Oats? Not so nice.

So, what’s not great about Oats?

When you eat Oats, they breakdown to glucose which causes an insulin spike in your blood – if you test your blood glucose an hour after eating Oatmeal, you’ll see a big increase (perhaps as high as 140). Regularly allowing your blood sugar levels to increase like is very damaging to your body (and can also lead to conditions like diabetes). Also soon after the spike in blood sugars, there will be a crash – which is the reason you’ll be hungry soon after eating Oatmeal. Nuts and eggs will keep your blood sugar levels constant, which is a far healthier state.

As well as the sugar issues, Oats contain high levels of lectins and phytic acid which are components that can cause intestinal imbalances and block nutrient absorption. Oats also have a high Omega 6 ratio, which in itself is very damaging. Some brands of Oatmeal also contain traces of gluten grains, which are very intolerable to a lot of people.

Whilst you can reduce the lectin and phytic acid content of oats by fermenting them – why not just make yourself some NoOatmeal instead? I tend to have NoOatmeal perhaps once a week, having saved myself time by preparing the ingredients the night before. Other typical breakfasts are scrambled eggs, omelettes, bacon and eggs – and often just last night’s dinner leftovers! Who said breakfast has to be traditional?

Have you tried NoOatmeal? Do you still eat Oatmeal? Add your comment below