Monday, February 04, 2008

To My Diet Coke...Goodbye Dear Friend!


No one’s ever said Diet Coke’s good for me. But it’s the one vice I have, and I hate to give it up. I have been drinking it for too long and unfortunately, I’m really starting to think it’s bad for me. Over the last year and ahalf I have been struggling with regulating my thyroid and my Doctor informed me that I am "pre-diabetic". What ever that means. So since I am now pretty much fully recovered from this go around with pregnancy, I am really focused on my health in general and how I can FINALLY reach the goals that I set for myself before I ever even got married. So I figure baby steps is the way to go. My first mission... QUIT DIET COKE. Cold Turkey! (Like my picture? Couldn't find a DC pic so this will have to do to illustrate my vision)
FYI:
Here are the ingredients in Diet Coke, per McDonalds’ website:

Carbonated water, caramel color, phosphoric acid, sodium saccharin, potassium benzoate (to protect taste), natural flavors (vegetable source), citric acid, caffeine, potassium citrate, aspartame, dimethylpolysiloxane.

Scary stuff. Definitely not what I would call natural. I have heard about the danger of sodium benzoate, so I thought I’d check out the similar Diet Coke ingredient, potassium benzoate. Here’s what Wikipedia says about it:
In combination with ascorbic acid (vitamin C), sodium and potassium benzoate may form benzene, a known carcinogen. Heat, light and shelf life can affect the rate at which benzene is formed. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is currently (as of March 2006) performing tests, but the Environmental Working Group is calling for the FDA to publicly release all tests and use their authority to force companies to reformulate to avoid the potential benzene forming combination.[3]
Potassium Benzoate (or E212) was recently described by the Food Commission, who campaign for ’safer, healthier food in the UK’, as “mildly irritant to the skin, eyes and mucous membranes”. [4]

Wow. Does that mean adding a lemon slice to Diet Coke makes it even worse? So I have officially not had a sip of the evil juice for a whole 8 days now. I will soon post a ticker to track my success with staying off it.
So, it looks like I need a new vice. Of course, it can’t be dangerous, cancerous, fattening, or evil. So, maybe there’s nothing that will qualify. Maybe my time spent blogging will have to count as my vice.



8 comments:

Brenda said...

So...I can't use Diet Coke Plus as an alternative. It does have minerals and vitamins in it...

Unknown said...

Amy, Amy, Amy, I don't know you that well, but let me just say that we must be kindred spirits because I just gave up my all time favorite drink e.v.e.r. Dr. Pepper. It has been a struggle, but for the very same reasons you listed- I knew it was time for me to say goodbye to my vice. I joined a gym this month too- our planets must be aligned- lol.

Tiffany said...

oh how sad... I gave it up the whole time I was pregnant and didn't think I would go back on it. But it never got an easier and I said "to heck with it" sometimes it's the only thing that gets me through the day. So I'm back on the sauce (devil juice as my hubby calls it) but I applaud your conviction! My mom went off of it last week and it's been so hard for her. Good for you!

christina said...

soda has aspertame in it... aspetame cuases nerve damage and brian cancer..

christina said...

oh by the way aspertame is a additing drug

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