Iced Tea, Alternative to Soda

If you are like me, you really like soda. The fizz just makes your taste buds dance, the sugar makes your mouth happy, but you give up a TON of calories in just one can of soda. Very few of us really like to drink just water. We like our fluids that we drink to have a little bit of taste. I have often had a belly that I can't quite shake, just because I drink soda instead of water or iced tea. I checked on the calories in iced tea as opposed to soda, and there is no comparison on which one is better. If you drink a glass of iced tea with a little bit of sugar, it is normally under 30 calories. A can of soda averages about 140 calories. This is just one of many good effects of iced tea.

1. Iced Tea Keeps You Feeling Full
Iced tea is really good for weight loss because it is a fraction of the calories of a soda. Iced tea also keeps you feeling full without all of the calories. If you drink a glass of iced tea in between meals or before a big meal it will help to curb those hunger pangs.

2. Stabilizes You Blood Glucose Levels
Unsweetened Iced tea is also good for stabilizing your blood glucose levels. Iced tea helps regulate the fluctuation of glucose levels. If you are a diabetic that is trying to lose weight then unsweetened iced tea is great for you.

3. Natural Caffeine
Black and green iced teas have natural caffeine that helps boost body energy levels. This caffeine is not artificial, but it is good to drink in moderation and keep the caffeine to a low. Caffeine is used in sports to give you muscle endurance. Caffeine in soda is added, artificial, and is consumed in dangerously high amounts.

4. Half Iced Tea, Half Lemonade
The half iced tea and half lemonade is one of my favorite options, especially when losing weight. It seems easier to cut your gut when you just switch from soda to iced tea. Iced tea is a great supplement to transition to water from soda.

5. Iced Tea Not Like Water
Iced tea is not like water and will not hydrate you like water. The misconception that many people have is that iced tea will hydrate their body like water does. This is simply not true! You need to drink as much water as you do iced tea. There are little crystals that will turn into kidney stones if you don't moderate the iced and the water.

6. Drink Tea, Consume More Water
Drinking iced tea makes your body make saliva and makes your body create ammino acids. This, in turn, makes your body want to drink water. Drinking water will make your body feel more full while eating less. Drinking water will flush your urinary tract and kidneys to get rid of the mineral residue that is natural.

These effects of iced tea make it a considerably better option instead of soda. Drink iced tea to get a little bit of taste while staying full. Drink it in moderation with water to begin feeling better and work your way into drinking all water. Iced tea is famously starred in the Duck Dynasty show with Uncle Si Robertson. Take a swig, kick back, and relax.

~Obesity Overload  

Energy Drinks, A Tasty Dose of Death?

Okay, okay, so your concerned about energy drinks with all this talk of people dying from them. I too would want to know what in the world was happening with them. In this blog post I am going to go over some aspects to energy drinks including how much it takes for toxicity.
So, let's get started as we explore energy drinks.

1. Caffeine
Energy drinks contain huge amounts of caffeine within the walls of that can or bottle.
Caffeine was originally used in sports to enhance endurance when running hard short distances.
One cup of coffee has 18-48mg of caffeine, and energy drinks sometimes have the caffeine of three or four cups of coffee.
While it would take an astronomical amount of caffeine to die, it has been suggested that caffeine contributes to toxicity as well as other factors we will discuss.

2. Ginseng and Taurine
Ginseng is used in energy drinks to decrease stress levels and increase energy levels.
This is one of those contributing factors that helps with toxicity with caffeine.
Taurine is a naturally occurring amino acid that occurs in the body.
It is used to regulate heartbeats and muscle contractions.
It too has been suggested that taurine coupled with caffeine can make for a high that can be toxic at high dosages.

3. Guarana Seed Extract
Guarana seed extract is also a stimulant that is present in energy drinks.
It contains high levels of caffeine that boost caffeine levels to even higher rates!
It is also an appetite suppressant.

4. Alcohol
Alcohol is mixed in energy drinks by some people.
Alcohol is very toxic when consumed at huge amounts.
Mixing alcohol and energy drinks can and is deadly.

5. Dose of Death?
Some energy drinks have deadly amounts of minerals in them, but you would have to drink so much of it that it would take so many to kill you. Nonetheless, there are too many people with high blood pressure, heart problems and other body malfunctions that drink energy drinks when they should not be drinking them. I mean, would you rather be groggy from not drinking the drink, or would your rather drink it and be subconsciously killing yourself.

So, we can see that energy drinks have had a bad rap. I would suggest in my opinion to stay away from energy drinks. Energy drinks are deadly, especially for smaller body types and children. This is just my opinion. These amounts of caffeine and taurine put together with ginseng and guarana seed extract make for a deadly combination. Energy drinks were not made for children, they were made for consenting adults. If you are an adult, drink responsibly and be wise!

*DISCLAIMER* I am not saying that people should drink them to overdose and die. Furthermore, I do not take any responsibility for anyone dying or getting hurt.

~Obesity Overload

The Secret of Diet Soda!

For years you drank diet soda thinking that you were doing yourself a favor, when in fact, it is thought that diet soda is just as bad as regular soda.
We are going to go through some facts about diet soda and we will see if diet soda will remain the better of the two.
The controversy stops here!

1. Bad For Diabetics
The natural sweetener aspartame worsens the effects that diabetes has on the body.
It causes insulin control problems and therefore causes the diabetic to want to eat more and gain weight.
2. Both Diet and Regular Sodas Deprive Bone Density
Both diet and regular sodas deprive the body of it's bone density because of the acid in each of the sodas. So, no matter if you drink diet or non-diet soda, it doesn't matter.
3. Caffeine The Same
Caffeine is the same in both diet and regular soda the majority of the time.
Again, it doesn't matter whether you drink diet or not, the side effects are still the same.
4. Diet, Less Sugar Less Calories
Diet soda has less sugar and less calories overall. This is a good thing, but doesn't do much in the way of it being better for you. Sure, you do consume less calories allowing you to drink more and eat more calories, but is it worth it?
5. Diet Soda = Dehydration
Diet soda in a diuretic. Which means that the sweeteners cause the person consuming it to have to go to the restroom more frequently. That, along with the caffeine deprive your body from the water it needs.
6. Diet Causes Cell Damage
The consumer opens themselves up to having an increase in chances for disease. The sodium benzoate, a preservative, works together with vitamin c to produce a carcinogenic called benzene. Studies have shown that the sodium benzoate may damage the mitochondria found in your DNA cells causing your cells to sometimes malfunction, giving you risk for Parkinson's, cirrhosis of the liver, or neuro-degenerative diseases.

Now that we have looked at the effects of diet soda on the body, we can come to the conclusion that it, along with regular soda is bad for the body!
So, what do I drink then?
There are natural fruit juices that are tasty, or if you want that fizzy bubbly taste, you can drink sparkling water.
Steer clear from both types of soda!
You and your diet will be better for it.
~Obesity Overload

Is Coffee Good for You? How the Beans Stack Up!

In this blog post, we are going to go over some facts about coffee, give you our honest opinion on if it's good or not, and give you some evidence to support our final opinion.
Let's get started!
Fact #1: New Yorkers drink 7 times more coffee than other cities in the United States.
Fact #2: Coffee beans, as you may not know, are in fact the pits in berries and are a fruit!
Fact #3: Coffee is psychoactive and can make you see things that aren't there if consume in higher quantities. I can also kill you.
Fact #4: Contrary to popular opinion, you can not sober up from drinking alcohol with caffeine.
Fact #5: The most expensive drink at Starbucks is $23.50 for 16 shots of espresso (1400 mg of caffeine)!

Coffee is said to help ward off depression, helps to lose weight, can reduce the risk of skin cancer, and can in fact get you through your day.
In our honest opinion of coffee, we came to the conclusion that a little bit of coffee in moderation with a daily diet isn't bad, but it can be addictive due to the caffeine content.
So, in other words, keep coffee to a low roar. Drink a cup once every two days.

While the above facts are great things, there are a few detrimental things to coffee that we need to discuss.
1. Coffee Stains Teeth.
Coffee can and will stain your teeth if you consume large amounts of it.
2. Sugar High
Coffee is a sugar high waiting to happen.
Most people put a ton of sugar in their coffee to sweeten it up.
3. Caffeine Addiction
Caffeine is as dangerous a chemical to get addicted to than any other drug on the black market.
Caffeine has properties to make people irritable, their kidneys not to function properly, and can cause heart attacks in older people or people with high blood pressure.

I think that in the long run, it would be good if you kept the coffee drinking to a low.
If you look at the detrimental effects that it has on your body, you can agree that there are better beverages out there than coffee.
Grab that cup of tea instead of coffee, you will be glad that you did!

~Obesity Overload