Top 10 Reasons to Give Up Soda

By Steve Edwards

If you're looking for a scapegoat in the obesity epidemic, look no further than soda. It's the single greatest caloric source in the world, accounting for somewhere between 11 and 19 percent of all the calories consumed worldwide. It's cheap, addictive, and readily available, which generally means that it will take some willpower to avoid. But don't despair, as we at Pellau Magazine are here to help. We present: our top 10 reasons to give up soda. Drumroll please . . .

10. Soda may cause cancer. According to a report in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, consuming two or more soft drinks per week increased the risk of developing pancreatic cancer by nearly twofold compared to individuals who did not consume soft drinks. As reported, the study "followed 60,524 men and women in the Singapore Chinese Health Study for 14 years. During that time, there were 140 pancreatic cancer cases. Those who consumed two or more soft drinks per week (averaging five per week) had an 87 percent increased risk compared with individuals who did not."
    Then why, you're probably asking yourself, is this number ten on our list and why is soda even still on the shelf? Not that I'd challenge the ability of such large corporate power to hide such a thing but, in this case, the study slit its own throat. As one of the researchers noted, "soft drink consumption in Singapore was associated with several other adverse health behaviors such as smoking and red meat intake, which we can't accurately control for," meaning that we have no way of knowing, for sure, if soda was the culprit. Still, it doesn't hurt to know that when you drink soda it lumps you into a fairly unhealthy user group.¹
9. It's not just about calories. Calories grab headlines, but recent science is showing that diet soda users are still in the crosshairs. A 2005 study by the University of Texas Health Science Center showed that there's a 41 percent increased risk of being obese—and a 65 percent increased risk of becoming overweight during the next 7 or 8 years—for every can of diet soda a person consumes in a day. Admittedly, this one should be higher on the list, but I wanted to make sure the article-skimming crowd knew the score up front: that diet sodas are very much a part of the problem.
8. It's the water . . . and a lot more. Okay, so that was a beer slogan, but soda is also made up mainly of water, and when you're slinging as much of it as they are, and you need to sling it cheap, sometimes you can't help but run into problems with your supply chain. In India, Coca-Cola^® has found itself in hot water, and not the kind they thought they were purchasing rights to. Two of their factories have been closed, but one continues to run amok. According to a report inThe Ecologist, "They accuse the company of over-extracting groundwater, lowering the water tables and leaving farmers and the local community unable to dig deep enough to get to vital water supplies."
   "Since the bottling plant was opened in 2000, water levels in the area have dropped six metres, and when a severe drought hit the region earlier this year the crops failed and livelihoods were destroyed."²
7. BPA: not just for water bottles anymore. Nalgene^® and other water bottle companies took the heat when the dangers of bisphenol A (BPA) were made public a couple years back. While these companies went to great lengths to save their businesses, the soda companies somehow flew under the radar and continue to use it in their products. A recent Canadian study has found that BPA exists "in the vast majority" of the soft drinks tested. Most of these were under the national limits set for toxicity, but some were not. And remember how much soda the average person consumes, meaning odds are most soda consumers are at some risk.
   "Out of 72 drinks tested, 69 were found to contain BPA at levels below what Health Canada says is the safe upper limit. However, studies in peer-reviewed science journals have indicated that even at very low doses, BPA can increase breast and ovarian cancer cell growth and the growth of some prostate cancer cells in animals."³
6. Can convenience. As in the 1950s colloquial: can it. Speaking of the 1950s, those were the happy days when most of our soda was consumed at soda fountains, obesity was a term hardly anyone had heard of, and the most feared epidemic was one of atomically mutated insects taking over the world. Now instead of hoofing it down to the corner confectionery for one soda, we fill out trucks with pallets of shrink-wrapped cans or bottles and quaff the stuff by the six-pack. Not to mention how out of balance this ensures our diets will become, it wreaks havoc on the world around us. The bottled-water industry (which is mostly owned by the soda industry) famously uses 17 million barrels of oil a year, and the aluminum industry uses as much electricity as the entire continent of Africa. Not only that, aluminum mining accounts for a ton of toxic chemicals that is left behind for every ton of the metal produced.⁴
5. The Frankenfood factor. Whether you consume diet or regular soda, you're getting all of the genetically modified food you need and more, via high fructose corn syrup or aspartame. Both of these are under plenty of scientific as well as anecdotal scrutiny. Findings aren't pretty but, so far, this multibillion-dollar industry has kept these sweeteners on the shelves while alternative sweeteners meeting cost requirements are explored. Since it's almost impossible to read health headlines without finding one of these ingredients in some type of controversy, I'll just use one example:
   "The Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nutrition and food safety advocacy group, called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to review the claims, which stem from research conducted by the European Ramazzini Foundation in Italy.
   The foundation reported that rats who consumed aspartame in exceedingly large quantities were more likely to develop cancer. CSPI executive director Michael Jacobson considers this an important finding that should not be overlooked." ⁵
   I know, there I go again with the cancer. But some people need to be shocked in order to take action. For me, seeing the Diet Coke^® and Mentos^® experiment was all I needed to swear off the stuff.
4. Foreign news cares how much soda we sell in our schools. How bad is your country's problem when the whole world is watching its daily actions? "Nearly one in three children and teenagers in the U.S. are overweight or obese and health experts say sugary drinks are part of the problem." Yep, bad. The world is well aware of the problems soda is causing and is looking to us to lead. And we certainly are trying. Are you with the program?
   "Under the voluntary guidelines, in place since 2006, full-calorie soft drinks were removed from school canteens and vending machines. Lighter drinks, including low-fat milk, diet sodas, juices, flavoured waters and teas, were promoted in their place."⁶
   And, while great and all, it appears that no one got the memo about diet sodas.
3. Diet? Um, that's just like your opinion, man. When it comes to soda, treat the word "diet" as a slogan. A study at Boston University's School of Medicine linked diet soda with increased risk factors for heart disease and diabetes. To be more specific, the study "found adults who drink one or more sodas a day had about a 50 percent higher risk of metabolic syndrome," which is a cluster of risk factors such as excessive fat around the waist, low levels of "good" cholesterol, high blood pressure, and other symptoms that lead to heart disease and/or diabetes. And, for those of you only concerned about how you look in the mirror, "Those who drank one or more soft drinks a day had a 31 percent greater risk of becoming obese."
2. Soda outkills terrorists. A study out of the University of California, San Francisco, shows that soda has killed at least 6,000 Americans in the last decade.
   From ABC News: "The new analysis, presented Friday at the American Heart Association's 50th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention, offers a picture of just how horrifying the damage done by excess consumption of sugary drinks can be.
   Using a computer model and data from the Framingham Heart Study, the Nurses Health Study and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, researchers estimated that the escalating consumption between 1990 and 2000 of soda and sugar-sweetened beverages, which they abbreviated as 'SSBs,' led to 75,000 new cases of diabetes and 14,000 new cases of coronary heart disease.
   What's more, the burden of the diseases translated into a $300 million to $550 million increase in health care costs between 2000 and 2010."⁷
1. It's the "real thing" . . . not exactly. Should having the number one caloric source in the world come from something that's entirely manmade be a metaphor for a dying world? It doesn't have to be this way. After all, there's nothing in soda that we need. In fact, there's nothing in soda that even comes from the earth except caffeine, and that's optional. It's a mixture of altered water (injected with carbon dioxide gas), artificial flavors (yes, "natural flavor" is artificial), artificial color, and phosphoric acid, along with its sole caloric source that is a by-product of genetically modified corn production and offers virtually no nutritional value. It's about as real as The Thing.

Top 10 Reasons to Give Up Soda

By Steve Edwards

If you're looking for a scapegoat in the obesity epidemic, look no further than soda. It's the single greatest caloric source in the world, accounting for somewhere between 11 and 19 percent of all the calories consumed worldwide. It's cheap, addictive, and readily available, which generally means that it will take some willpower to avoid. But don't despair, as we at Pellau Magazine are here to help. We present: our top 10 reasons to give up soda. Drumroll please . . .

10. Soda may cause cancer. According to a report in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, consuming two or more soft drinks per week increased the risk of developing pancreatic cancer by nearly twofold compared to individuals who did not consume soft drinks. As reported, the study "followed 60,524 men and women in the Singapore Chinese Health Study for 14 years. During that time, there were 140 pancreatic cancer cases. Those who consumed two or more soft drinks per week (averaging five per week) had an 87 percent increased risk compared with individuals who did not."
    Then why, you're probably asking yourself, is this number ten on our list and why is soda even still on the shelf? Not that I'd challenge the ability of such large corporate power to hide such a thing but, in this case, the study slit its own throat. As one of the researchers noted, "soft drink consumption in Singapore was associated with several other adverse health behaviors such as smoking and red meat intake, which we can't accurately control for," meaning that we have no way of knowing, for sure, if soda was the culprit. Still, it doesn't hurt to know that when you drink soda it lumps you into a fairly unhealthy user group.¹
9. It's not just about calories. Calories grab headlines, but recent science is showing that diet soda users are still in the crosshairs. A 2005 study by the University of Texas Health Science Center showed that there's a 41 percent increased risk of being obese—and a 65 percent increased risk of becoming overweight during the next 7 or 8 years—for every can of diet soda a person consumes in a day. Admittedly, this one should be higher on the list, but I wanted to make sure the article-skimming crowd knew the score up front: that diet sodas are very much a part of the problem.
8. It's the water . . . and a lot more. Okay, so that was a beer slogan, but soda is also made up mainly of water, and when you're slinging as much of it as they are, and you need to sling it cheap, sometimes you can't help but run into problems with your supply chain. In India, Coca-Cola^® has found itself in hot water, and not the kind they thought they were purchasing rights to. Two of their factories have been closed, but one continues to run amok. According to a report inThe Ecologist, "They accuse the company of over-extracting groundwater, lowering the water tables and leaving farmers and the local community unable to dig deep enough to get to vital water supplies."
   "Since the bottling plant was opened in 2000, water levels in the area have dropped six metres, and when a severe drought hit the region earlier this year the crops failed and livelihoods were destroyed."²
7. BPA: not just for water bottles anymore. Nalgene^® and other water bottle companies took the heat when the dangers of bisphenol A (BPA) were made public a couple years back. While these companies went to great lengths to save their businesses, the soda companies somehow flew under the radar and continue to use it in their products. A recent Canadian study has found that BPA exists "in the vast majority" of the soft drinks tested. Most of these were under the national limits set for toxicity, but some were not. And remember how much soda the average person consumes, meaning odds are most soda consumers are at some risk.
   "Out of 72 drinks tested, 69 were found to contain BPA at levels below what Health Canada says is the safe upper limit. However, studies in peer-reviewed science journals have indicated that even at very low doses, BPA can increase breast and ovarian cancer cell growth and the growth of some prostate cancer cells in animals."³
6. Can convenience. As in the 1950s colloquial: can it. Speaking of the 1950s, those were the happy days when most of our soda was consumed at soda fountains, obesity was a term hardly anyone had heard of, and the most feared epidemic was one of atomically mutated insects taking over the world. Now instead of hoofing it down to the corner confectionery for one soda, we fill out trucks with pallets of shrink-wrapped cans or bottles and quaff the stuff by the six-pack. Not to mention how out of balance this ensures our diets will become, it wreaks havoc on the world around us. The bottled-water industry (which is mostly owned by the soda industry) famously uses 17 million barrels of oil a year, and the aluminum industry uses as much electricity as the entire continent of Africa. Not only that, aluminum mining accounts for a ton of toxic chemicals that is left behind for every ton of the metal produced.⁴
5. The Frankenfood factor. Whether you consume diet or regular soda, you're getting all of the genetically modified food you need and more, via high fructose corn syrup or aspartame. Both of these are under plenty of scientific as well as anecdotal scrutiny. Findings aren't pretty but, so far, this multibillion-dollar industry has kept these sweeteners on the shelves while alternative sweeteners meeting cost requirements are explored. Since it's almost impossible to read health headlines without finding one of these ingredients in some type of controversy, I'll just use one example:
   "The Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nutrition and food safety advocacy group, called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to review the claims, which stem from research conducted by the European Ramazzini Foundation in Italy.
   The foundation reported that rats who consumed aspartame in exceedingly large quantities were more likely to develop cancer. CSPI executive director Michael Jacobson considers this an important finding that should not be overlooked." ⁵
   I know, there I go again with the cancer. But some people need to be shocked in order to take action. For me, seeing the Diet Coke^® and Mentos^® experiment was all I needed to swear off the stuff.
4. Foreign news cares how much soda we sell in our schools. How bad is your country's problem when the whole world is watching its daily actions? "Nearly one in three children and teenagers in the U.S. are overweight or obese and health experts say sugary drinks are part of the problem." Yep, bad. The world is well aware of the problems soda is causing and is looking to us to lead. And we certainly are trying. Are you with the program?
   "Under the voluntary guidelines, in place since 2006, full-calorie soft drinks were removed from school canteens and vending machines. Lighter drinks, including low-fat milk, diet sodas, juices, flavoured waters and teas, were promoted in their place."⁶
   And, while great and all, it appears that no one got the memo about diet sodas.
3. Diet? Um, that's just like your opinion, man. When it comes to soda, treat the word "diet" as a slogan. A study at Boston University's School of Medicine linked diet soda with increased risk factors for heart disease and diabetes. To be more specific, the study "found adults who drink one or more sodas a day had about a 50 percent higher risk of metabolic syndrome," which is a cluster of risk factors such as excessive fat around the waist, low levels of "good" cholesterol, high blood pressure, and other symptoms that lead to heart disease and/or diabetes. And, for those of you only concerned about how you look in the mirror, "Those who drank one or more soft drinks a day had a 31 percent greater risk of becoming obese."
2. Soda outkills terrorists. A study out of the University of California, San Francisco, shows that soda has killed at least 6,000 Americans in the last decade.
   From ABC News: "The new analysis, presented Friday at the American Heart Association's 50th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention, offers a picture of just how horrifying the damage done by excess consumption of sugary drinks can be.
   Using a computer model and data from the Framingham Heart Study, the Nurses Health Study and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, researchers estimated that the escalating consumption between 1990 and 2000 of soda and sugar-sweetened beverages, which they abbreviated as 'SSBs,' led to 75,000 new cases of diabetes and 14,000 new cases of coronary heart disease.
   What's more, the burden of the diseases translated into a $300 million to $550 million increase in health care costs between 2000 and 2010."⁷
1. It's the "real thing" . . . not exactly. Should having the number one caloric source in the world come from something that's entirely manmade be a metaphor for a dying world? It doesn't have to be this way. After all, there's nothing in soda that we need. In fact, there's nothing in soda that even comes from the earth except caffeine, and that's optional. It's a mixture of altered water (injected with carbon dioxide gas), artificial flavors (yes, "natural flavor" is artificial), artificial color, and phosphoric acid, along with its sole caloric source that is a by-product of genetically modified corn production and offers virtually no nutritional value. It's about as real as The Thing.

P90X Reviews: Does P90X Work?

Looking for P90x reviews? Does P90x Work? First I will take you through an outline of the workout itself, then I will provide you with an aggregate view of the many P90X reviews scattered across the web for you to ask and answer for yourself, does p90x work?

But what is the truth about this P90X? Will eager customers really find it worth the price tag? Does P90X work? The first thing that struck me about the P90X is this: you need some discipline if it's going to do you any good.

Let's say you're blessed with such a noble trait as discipline; will the P90X program schedule do more for you than another routine? My suspicion from my research is that yes, it will: the P90X does work. There is something better about Beachbody's P90X that isn't present in all the other products we see advertised alongside it on late-night and early morning TV. Hopefully that comes through in these P90X reviews.

Does P90X Work? Review the Routine for Yourself

No quality P90X review could be complete without some details on what actually happens during the P90X workout routine. So to help you answer the common question, "Does P90X Work?" I have included an outline of the first few weeks of two different included P90X routines. The first one is the classic, core version of the P90X fitness routine, while the second one is called the lean version of the workout, which deliberately emphasizes fat reduction over muscle building.


Here is the schedule for the first three weeks of the classic P90X workout:

• Day 1: Chest and Back, Ab Ripper P90X Workout
• Day 2: Plyometrics
• Day 3: Shoulders and Arms, Ab Ripper P90X Workout
• Day 4: Yoga P90X Style
• Day 5: Legs and Back, Ab Ripper P90X Workout
• Day 6: Kenpo P90X Workout
• Day 7: Rest or P90X Stretch Routine

Here is the schedule for the first three weeks of the lean P90P90X Workout workout, which emphasizes weight loss over muscle building:

• Day 1: Core Synergistics
• Day 2: Cardio P90X Workout Workout
• Day 3: Shoulders and Arms, Ab Ripper P90X Style
• Day 4: Yoga P90X Style
• Day 5: Legs and Back, Ab Ripper P90X Workout
• Day 6: Kenpo P90X Workout
• Day 7: Rest or P90X Stretch Routine

I hope this helps you with some context as you peruse various P90X reviews and consider whether P90X will work for you.

What People Say: P90X Reviews

I've collected all the outstanding comments from P90X reviews across the web to try to get an idea if maybe, just maybe, we all should try the P90X. I know everyone is asking, "does p90x work?" And no single person can answer that; we need to see what multiple people are saying.

The first thing I noticed right off the bat when reading each p90x review is that there are a TON of passionate fans of the P90X. They don't just write a paragraph or two of their feelings. They write full-on books. I have never seen anything like it. Over on Amazon the top reviews are each a good one to two pages long. It's pretty insane.

The workouts, I learned, last a good half-hour to 45 minutes. They are serious. A lot of reviewers say that if you are not already in decent shape you should not attempt the P90X workout. I know that won't stop some people. Good for them. Maybe you should start with the Power 90, which is a tamer workout from Tony Horton, then move up to the real workout favored by these p 90 x reviews.

Also, this is not a one-sided or lopsided routine. It goes into flexibility as much as strength. It is a full-body complete program. I like this element of things because I think it's so important to have some element of a holistic notion in there.

I'm not saying it's fruity yoga, just that the creator is obviously a guy who values the body and its collective health versus just isolated muscle-building. I'm afraid the P90X program may have inadvertently attracted some dumb-dumb pure muscle worshippers by virtue of its commercials and its genuine effectiveness, but don't let their meat-headed p90x reviews put you off!

Does P90X Work?

After sifting through all these P90X reviews, I was able to get an idea of the answer to the big question: does p90x work? Everything points to the fact that yes, the p90x does work and in fact the P90X does work quite well.

As I noted elsewhere in this summary of p90x reviews, if you are extremely out of shape you probably aren't going to be able to make it through the P90X's rigorous schedule. Also, I would add that this is for disciplined men and women, not wussies who can't stick to anything like goals that they set for themselves. I'm sorry if that's you but you've either got to get out of the kitchen or stay awhile. You can't do both so make up your mind. This isn't miracle solution to all your problems.

So does P90X work? Yes, the P90X works like a charm. It will sculpt you, as is evidenced by the many people who have flooded the web with pictures of themselves before during and after the training. I don't remember asking for half-naked pictures of all of you and your flab or you and your muscles, but hey, whatever works for you.

Want to see what I mean? Just peruse all the YouTube reviews of P90x. The number of P90x reviews YouTube currently features is overwhelming.

Even on YouTube guys everywhere seem to be obsessed with documenting their journey from unremarkable body to ripped. These aren't scams. They are real. And so is the P90X. Hundreds of different P90X reviews corroborate that the P90X does work.

So get off the couch and get out of the kitchen. Stop reading endless reviews of P90X and asking over and over, does P90X work? Ask yourself, do you work? If so, get ready to make the P90X work for you.

Video P90X Reviews

  

What Is The Acai Palm?

The Acai palm has gained in popularity for its health benefits that come from eating the palm fruit. This tree grows predominantly in swamps and flood plains and is a member of the palm tree family. There are many native species of this tree in regions of South America and some have been cultivated for commercial uses as demand for its fruit has grown.

Acai berries have been used as a nutritional supplement and food staple in regions where it grows locally. The berries can be eaten as food or made into a juice that is then consumed. This juice is often combined with other superfruits to make a potent health drink that can provide a number of health benefits for the entire body.

Health benefits for Acai berries include weight loss and immune and metabolism boosts. Acai berries help create weight loss by helping those who use it feel less hungry and curbing appetite. This can lead to weight loss as it is easier to adhere to a reduced calorie diet. The antioxidants and nutrients in Acai berries from the Acai palm can also help to fight off illness when taken regularly. This can be very beneficial during flu seasons or for those who work in areas where they might be regularly exposed to germs or other contaminants.

The berries are typically sold frozen or in juice form though other methods of preserving them have been used. This is due to the rapid spoiling nature of the berries, which must be used very shortly after harvesting to preserve the nutrients. Palm hearts are considered a delicacy for many and eaten like a vegetable.

In addition to the benefits provided by the Acai palm fruit, the leaves of this palm may be used to create a number of products such as wearable goods, baskets and roof thatching. The trunk of this tree features wood that is naturally resistant to pests and may be used in home or other forms of construction. The oil from the tree is also to treat a number of conditions such as stomach ailments or ulcers within the body.

  

P90X