Happy T-Day, Skip the Soda

Thanksgiving is back!   And we all know what that means: turkey, stuffing, potatoes, gravy, cranberries with sugar, sides with cheese.   Nothing is better than bringing friends and family together at the holidays.   And traditionally, across cultures, that means getting together over food. 

Enjoy it, but skip the soda. On Thanksgiving Day, and on other days, it's best to find an alternative to pop. Drinking Coke, Pepsi, other colas has been linked to obesity, diabetes, heart disease and stroke.   And as we know, children are often the biggest consumers of soft drinks.   Some children drink sodas not just at dinner time, but all day long. According to a recent CDC study, about half of the US population drinks at least one "sugared beverage" daily; and boys 12-19 are the worst offenders, averaging almost two cans of pop a day.

Parents should try to put a stop to that.   There are so many great alternatives: water, milk, fruit juice, lemon and limeade, even herbal tea and iced tea.   At our house, we love a little splash of fruit or citrus in a glass of plain, carbonated water.   It tastes fresher, and it's almost calorie free.  Try it.

And, in any case, thanks – for being our patients, clients, neighbors and friends.   Happy holidays from all of us at T&T.

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/sodas-and-your-health-risks-debated

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/11/21/soda-linked-to-health-problems.aspx