Want More Energy - Give Up Soda

When we’re looking for a jolt to get us going in the morning, many of us grab a soda.  All that sugar and caffeine gives us just the energy boost we need to get through the day, right?  Well if you want to feel more energetic through your whole day, you’ll probably see a bigger difference if you give up the soda.

Most sodas are chocked full of sugar and caffeine.  While they give you a boost when you first drink them, you also trigger your body’s insulin response, which counteracts all that sugar that’s entering your body.  This counteracts the effects of the sugar and usually leaves you feeling even more tired than you started.  The only way to get yourself going again is to drink more soda, which continues in a vicious cycle.

When you eat sugar with other foods, there are other materials that help to slow the absorption of the sugar.  This decreases the insulin response and leaves you less tired after a meal than if you just had the sugar alone.  When you drink soda, there is just sugar and nothing else to slow the absorption.  If you drink soda with your meal it can help counteract this response, but it will still happen somewhat.  

So, if sugar is so bad, why not just drink diet soda for energy?  Well, recent studies have shown that your body reacts in a similar way to sugar substitutes as it does to real sugar.  This leaves you craving not only more soda, but other sugary foods as well.

Once you get rid of all that sugar, there’s a good chance you’ll start losing weight, which will give you an additional energy boost.  Plus, that energy will help you exercise more and lose even more weight!

In addition to giving you a jot of energy, the caffeine in soda also affects the hormones in your body, particularly the ones that cause stress.  If you regularly drink soda or other caffeinated beverages, you will increase your regular levels of stress, which can take a toll on your body.  If you give up soda, your hormone levels will be able to return to normal, leaving you less stressed out with more energy to take on your day.

Caffeine can also alter the hormones that affect your sleep cycle.  Not only can it keep you from falling asleep due to excess energy, but it can also change what kind of sleep you get.  So, even if you do get a full eight hours, you may be left feeling drained.  Giving up soda will allow you not only to sleep more, but also get a more restful sleep.

Many people are sceptical that giving up soda will give them an energy boost, and why not?  If you are drinking soda every day and suddenly stop, you’re likely going to feel tired, sluggish and unable to get through the day.  The good news is that if you get over that initial withdrawal from caffeine and sugar, you’ll start to get more energy without it.  You can’t just give it up a day or two, however.  It may take weeks to get over your addiction and notice a real effect; you just need to stick with it.