Journeyman said:
Well I don't want to replace the Cokes with something just a sugary..It's not so much about added calories for me personally..I don't have that problem, I just feel like it would be better to make a change.
BTW, already craving a Coca Cola...this will be tough.
I drink a lot of Gatorade and flavored water, nothing is as tasty to me as the Cokes though.
old habits die hard and this is my problem in many ways...I'm just trying to make some changes to be better overall.
I don't believe fruit juices are as sugary. Fruit juices have the sugar bound up in the cells of the fruit so the sugar doesn't get released into the body as quickly as sugar in soda. Don't get me wrong, fruit juices contain more calories than diet drinks but sugar is not necessarily bad for you. Fruit is a vital part of our diet. Drinking fruit juice is a good way of getting the benefits of fruit.
http://www.mypyramid.gov/pyramid/fruits_why.html
Eating fruit provides health benefits — people who eat more fruits and vegetables as part of an overall healthy diet are likely to have a reduced risk of some chronic diseases. Fruits provide nutrients vital for health and maintenance of your body.
Health benefits
Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables as part of an overall healthy diet may reduce risk for stroke and perhaps other cardiovascular diseases.
Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables as part of an overall healthy diet may reduce risk for type 2 diabetes.
Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables as part of an overall healthy diet may protect against certain cancers, such as mouth, stomach, and colon-rectum cancer.
Diets rich in foods containing fiber, such as fruits and vegetables, may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.
Eating fruits and vegetables rich in potassium as part of an overall healthy diet may reduce the risk of developing kidney stones and may help to decrease bone loss.
Eating foods such as fruits that are low in calories per cup instead of some other higher-calorie food may be useful in helping to lower calorie intake.
Click here for more information about preventing cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and cancer.
Nutrients
Food sources of the nutrients in bold can be found in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Click on the nutrient name to link to the food sources table.
Most fruits are naturally low in fat, sodium, and calories. None have cholesterol.
Fruits are important sources of many nutrients, including potassium, dietary fiber, vitamin C, and folate (folic acid).
Diets rich in potassium may help to maintain healthy blood pressure. Fruit sources of potassium include bananas, prunes and prune juice, dried peaches and apricots, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, and orange juice.
Dietary fiber from fruits, as part of an overall healthy diet, helps reduce blood cholesterol levels and may lower risk of heart disease. Fiber is important for proper bowel function. It helps reduce constipation and diverticulosis. Fiber-containing foods such as fruits help provide a feeling of fullness with fewer calories. Whole or cut-up fruits are sources of dietary fiber; fruit juices contain little or no fiber.
Vitamin C is important for growth and repair of all body tissues, helps heal cuts and wounds, and keeps teeth and gums healthy.
Folate (folic acid) helps the body form red blood cells. Women of childbearing age who may become pregnant and those in the first trimester of pregnancy should consume adequate folate, including folic acid from fortified foods or supplements. This reduces the risk of neural tube defects, spina bifida, and anencephaly during fetal development.
hno:
