That depends on what kind of pop.
Regular sodas are nothing but flavored sugar water with caffeine added. Did you know there is more sugar AND calories in a can of cola than in an entire cone of cotton candy? I saw this on a show about amusement park foods yesterday. One can of regular soda has about 10 tsp of sugar.
The other thing is sodas are high in phosphoric acid which has been shown to inhibit the body's ability to use calcium and other nutrients. Then there is caffeine, a stimulant - which we all know is addictive, can cause high blood pressure, anxiety and lots of other side effects.
Then there are diet sodas... did you know many of them have MORE caffeine than the sugared ones? There are also the sugar substitutes they use that can cause all sorts of problems.
Oh yeah, if you are one of those people that doesnt like to drink tap water.... sodas are all made with tap water from the various plants where they are manufactured. Hmm. Yummy.
Now, I'm not all against soda. I myself love regular Coke, but I don't drink it anymore. I realized something one day. I never let my kids have Coke. Why is that? Because the bad effects of caffeine, the amount of sugar and because it has absolutely no nutritional value whatsoever. So.. why am *I* drinking it? I do this for my kids because it is in their best interest to drink milk, water, etc. So isnt it in MY best interest too? YES!
So I let them have a little bit of non-caffeinated sodas now and then and I let myself have a diet cherry coke now and then, but again, this is like anything else... in moderation. I've broken my addiction to caffeine and now see it as it should be seen - a treat. Back in the day you had to go out to get a coke at the local store. You didnt have a fridge full of them... it was a special treat. That's how I see it now for myself and for my kids and they don't feel deprived. I discuss good nutrition with them so they know good versus bad choices and they do it on their own.
Soda
