Say Sayonara to Soda

During the Spring Challenge, we asked you to forgo drinking soda during lunch. Lunch is the meal when most of us are tempted to grab a soda, whether that is because we are eating out or because we are looking for a mid day pick-me-up. However, before you reach for a soda at your next lunch, consider some of the negative effects it has on your health.

Soda is a concentrated source of calories and sugar. We can quickly guzzle down 150 calories in a matter of minutes, without even noticing it. Just one 12-ounce soda contains about 8 tsp. of sugar. The recommended daily limit of sugar for women is 6 tsp. and men is 9 tsp. Added sugar in the diet can lead to unwanted weight gain. Let’s look at the math: a 12 ounce can of soda contains about 150 calories. Over the course of a year, an extra 150 calories each day adds up to a weight gain of 15 pounds!

In addition, drinking soda can lead to other health problems.  According to a Harvard study, tossing back just one soft drink per day, whether regular or artificially sweetened, can elevate your risk of type 2 diabetes by 15 percent. Also, the caffeine content in soda can lead to side effects such as irritability, restlessness, insomnia, high blood pressure, and irregular heartbeats, just to name a few.

So instead of reaching for the soda in the mid afternoon, opt for a healthier option such as water, 100% fruit juice, or herbal tea.

Enjoy the Sunshine

Now that the sun is finally showing and your favorite TV shows are all coming to an end, spend your extra time outside.

While we are all aware of the relationship between sun exposure and skin cancer risk, there are also some benefits to spending time outside each day. When your skin is exposed to the sun’s rays, your body produces vitamin D. While vitamin D has been well-documented as playing a role in bone health, now links have been made to everything from multiple sclerosis to prostate cancer. Just a few minutes outside each day can give you the vitamin D boost your body needs.

Getting some sun may also shake off the wintertime blues. Research suggests that light hitting your skin, not just your eyes, helps reverse seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Moreover, being outside gets us golfing, gardening, and engaging in other types of physical activity, which gives us mood-boosting endorphins as well has helps work off that winter weight.

Burning a few extra calories each day is easy to do when you spend time outside. Simple activities such as walking after dinner or gardening for 30 minutes will burn over 100 calories. By just burning an extra 100 calories each day, you can lose over 10 pounds in a year! Take it up a notch on the weekends by spending an afternoon outside hiking, play at the park with your kids, or walking around the local farmers market and you may be burning an extra 500 calories or more!