A bad habit (a can of diet coke a day) that I can't kick off

[bejuce]

Hi everyone,

When I was pregnant with my 2nd child and very sleepy during the day, I started a bad diet coke habit to help me get some caffeine so I could get through my day. I've never drank coffee and have to force myself to drink tea, which I don't tend to like very much. I've always associated drinking with helping conquer thrist and heat and tend to only like cold drinks.

So, now that I'm in cancer world, I really think I should not be drinking this can of diet coke that I drink mid-afternoon at work. I always have water at hand (which I love, especially cold with ice), but still gravitate towards the diet coke.

Any ideas on how I can eliminate it from my diet completely? I've tried doing so, but for some reason I seem addicted to it by now. I only do a can at most a day, but it's almost every day and I don't think it does me any good besides giving me the caffeine jolt. How bad is this for me anyways? I'm trying to be really good with my diet for the most part, and don't want to blame my diet coke habit in the future if I were to recur.

Thanks for your tips!

Marcia

[KDR]

Hey, Bejuce! How are you feeling?
I too love an iced Pepsi, regular not diet. Also, the black bag of dark Lindt. These two things blow me up fast. I heard that one can of soda has 27 packets of sugar (causes hot flashes) and the chocolate is 100 fat. Cancer loves sugar, but when you're on chemo, I'm not sure that rules apply (according to Dr. Graf, my dermatologist and author, "Stop Aging, Start Living"). I'm all for giving yourself the little things you want in life. So how about cutting it in half? Or, using seltzer with your favorite flavoring?

[Christine Mary]

I actually don't think 5 cans of pop in a week is too bad if you keep all the other vices to a minimum. We all have our weaknesses and it is hard to eliminate everything from our diets! I do have one suggestion if you really want to decrease, try the little minincans of pop. Often a whole pop is too much for me. The mini cans are a bit more expensive, but might do the trick of fulfilling the craving while cutting the volume in half .

Good luck,
Christine

[Jackie07]

The information provided by National Institute of Medicine does not indicate there's a correlation:

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/f...ial-sweeteners

[NanaJoni]

Bejuce - I am a Diet Rite fan (no caffeine, no sugar, no sodium-) and since I get no sugar or caffeine rush from it, I've decided I'm craving that carbonation. Regardless, when I did chemo last year, I couldn't stand the carbonated burn and just completely gave it up. I was pretty much a de-caf tea and water person for several months. Prior to bc dx I probably drank a 2 liter bottle every couple of days. Have now recovered my taste and desire for that Diet Rite but still only have maybe one 12 oz glass at dinner or in the evening when watching tv. I find using the 2 liter bottles lets me control the amt a little better and I'll usually use a small glass- 8oz or less. If we stopped everything that we're told could be cancer-causing (wine, chocolate, fats, sugars, sodas, coffee, etc, etc, etc) we'd be living on water and rice. Excesses are harmful - moderation on things we enjoy is comforting.

[krisvell]

Hi Marcia,
I drank lots of Diet Coke in my day. I got into this habit of buying a 32 oz fountain soda at the Citco station after picking up my son from Football practice. I don't have scientific evidence to back it up but I really don't think it's that good for you. How could a bunch of chemicals be good for you? I don't recall what Dr. Servan-Schreiber - Anti cancer A new way of life said. Anyway, I weened myself off Diet Coke by switching to Seltzer. I found the carbonation is what I really craved. You might want to try that.
Kris....

[Barbara H.]

My father-in-law studied medicine and chemistry. He was a bio-chemist and was convinced that fake sugar was unhealthy. I feel that real sugar in moderation is not harmful. If you crave caffeine I suggest that you drink ice coffee. Find a gourmet coffee you like and a healthy mug for carrying it with you. You can make it a ahead to last for a few days and then drop some ice in it. In addition, eat organic or at least locally grown food. I hope that helps.
Barbara H.

[StephN]

The carbonation can also be harmful to a person in a number of ways. This may be a good question for Tanya on the Nutrition forum.

Carbonation weakens the enamel on your teeth, can either help cause or aggravate digestive problems.

I tend to drink still juices and herbal teas. Even water down the juices if they seem too sweet.

[Sheila]

Marcia...I had a friend who drank lots of diet Pepsi...more than a can a day...she ended up with some serious kidney issues...how bout switching to a glass of red wine....just dont take it in the car!

[Becky]

When I first got cancer I got the book by Dr. Quillan (of Cancer Center of America) called "Beat Cancer with Nutrition". One of our members is into the book (an American living in Italy). I just remember one of his discussions in the book (I think it was a quote from him that was to a patient - the woman who wrote "There's No Place like Hope) - he said "the human body is 64% water, not 64% diet coke". That really struck me (I was a big diet cola fan) and I stopped right then. Every now and then I might have one (at a restaurant) and it is oh so goood. But it is a rare treat and I normally, when out, drink plain iced tea (no sugar or artificial sweetners added - just alot of lemon). Or water or hot tea or coffee. When soda hit the market (or soda fountain) so many, many years ago - it was meant as a treat and not a daily (or many times a day) thing. And it isn't really.

[caya]

Marcia, I was the queen of diet Coke - I mean I would easily drink 3 -4 cans of it/day. Whe caffeine free came out, I switched to that. After I got my C diagnosis, I cut it out cold turkey, and like Becky, I have it once in a while at a restaurant.

What I do at home now is make my own iced tea and iced coffee. There are so many delicious herbal teas now - I put 6 -8 tea bags in a pitcher, pour in the boiling water, let it steep for about 20 minutes, then I add some stevia - which is a natural sweetener. Depending on the flavour, I also will add a lot of lemon. For iced coffee, just brew up your coffee, pour it in the pitcher, add ice and stevia. You can use regular or decaf teas/coffee. I only use decaf now because I have major insomnia issues.

I also try to drink a lot of ice water with lemon and or lime squeezed in.

all the best
caya

[CourtneyL]

Sweet Marcia - Don't be too hard on yourself, doll. If a diet coke is your biggest vice, you are doing pretty good! Still, if you want to break yourself of the habit but still feel the need for a little caffeine from a cold beverage, how about iced tea? I'd also suggest sweetening it with something natural like real sugar or agave syrup. I think the worst thing about diet soda is not the caffeine but the toxic aspartame that they put in it. Have you ever heard the history of how aspartame got to be FDA approved? It is truly frightening. Google "FDA" and "aspartame" and you will find all kinds of information about the outrageous story.

[Lani]

fyi:

Can Diet Soda Boost Your Stroke Risk?
Researchers find a 61% increased risk among those who drink daily


WEDNESDAY, Feb. 9 -- Diet soda fans who drink the beverages every day may be cutting down on calories, but they also might be boosting their risk of stroke, new research suggests.

"In our study, we saw a significant increased risk among those who drank diet soda daily and not regular soda," said Hannah Gardener, an epidemiologist at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, who was slated to present her research Wednesday at the International Stroke Conference 2011 in Los Angeles.

Why the link? "It's unknown at this point," she said.

Stroke is the third leading cause of death, behind heart disease and cancer, in the United States. More than 137,000 people a year die from stroke, according to the American Stroke Association.

Previous research by others has found that those who drank more than one soft drink a day, whether regular or diet, were more likely than non-drinkers to have metabolic syndrome, a cluster of risk factors including high blood pressure, elevated triglycerides (blood fats), low levels of good cholesterol, high fasting blood sugar and large waists. Metabolic syndrome, in turn, raises the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, experts agree.

Gardener and her colleagues evaluated the soda habits of 2,564 people enrolled in the large Northern Manhattan Study (NOMAS) to see if there was an association, if any, with stroke. The participants were 69 years of age, on average, and completed food questionnaires about the type of soda they drank and how often.

During the average nine-year follow-up, 559 vascular events occurred, including strokes caused by hemorrhage and those caused by clots, known as ischemic strokes.

The researchers controlled for such factors as age, gender, ethnicity, physical activity, calorie intake, smoking and alcohol drinking habits and still found that those who drank diet soda daily -- compared to those who drank no soda -- were 61 percent more likely to have a vascular event.

The researchers then controlled for the presence of metabolic syndrome, vascular disease in the limbs and heart disease history; the link still held, albeit at 48 percent.

While the study found a possible association between diet soda and stroke risk, it did not demonstrate a cause and effect. And experts note that research presented at meetings has not been subjected to the same type of rigorous scrutiny given to research published in peer-reviewed medical journals.

"If our study is replicated," Gardener said, "it would suggest diet soda is not optimal."

Dr. Patrick Lyden, chief of neurology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, reviewed the findings but was not involved in the research. "My first thought was, 'The correlation has to be accidental,'" he said.

But he said the science in the study looks sound. "There still could be some sort of accidental correlation," he said. What to do? "Wait for repeated studies to show a risk and in the meantime, all things in moderation."

He tells his patients to avoid soda, whether diet or regular, on a daily basis. "An occasional soda never hurt anybody," he said. "Once or twice a week to me seems to be rational."

In a separate study, Gardener also found high salt intake was linked to a higher risk of stroke. Using the same data, she looked at 2,657 participants of NOMAS, evaluating their salt intake and following them for nearly 10 years.

During that time, 187 ischemic strokes occurred. Those who consumed more than 4,000 milligrams a day of sodium had more than double the risk of ischemic stroke than those who consumed less than 1,500 milligrams a day.

How much salt is ideal? The American Heart Association recommends less than 1,500 milligrams a day. The current U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends eating less than 2,300 milligrams a day and even less -- 1,500 milligrams a day -- for those who are 51 and older and certain other people. Among those who should stop at 1,500 milligrams of salt a day are blacks and people with hypertension, diabetes or chronic kidney disease.

More information

To learn more about strokes, visit the American Heart Association.

SOURCES: Hannah Gardener, Sc.D., epidemiologist, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine; Patrick Lyden, M.D., chief, neurology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles; Feb. 9, 2011, presentation, International Stroke Conference 2011, Los Angeles

[LoisLane]

Hi Marcia. I never drank a lot of pop but I have to admit when I went to the movies I loved to have a coke and a butter popcorn yum. However now when I go to the movies I still have to have my buttered popcorn but now I have water. We certainly all try to make healthy choices now and I guess I do on the most part however we still need to have our treats once and awhile. I remember when I was first diagnosed I was so unsure of what to eat. I didn't want to eat red meat, worried about hormones in chicken, scared of too much sugar etc. As time went on I "chilled" as the kids would say. I relaxed a little and I certainly do eat what I want in moderation. Occasionally I have cake, chocolate, one glass of red wine perhaps once a week "ahh nector of the gods" ha ha So I guess treating ourselves once in a while to our guilty pleasure is fine. By the way Caya what is Stevia made from. I have seen it but I thought it was something like sweet and lo or something. Happy Valentines everyone. I am going to West Palm Beach for a holiday for two weeks on Feb 20th yahoo!
Lois

[Jackie07]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevia

Don't know anything about coke but wish you good luck... can you tell about your aspirin personal trial?

[NanaJoni]

I checked with my dietician on the "diet soda" issue. She said of all the diet products she was most comfortable with the Diet Rite products or any other diet products that use Splenda as the sweetener. It is much less harmful than the aspartame products. I use it for my decaf tea and even for some baking.

[Lauriesh]

Hi Marcia,

I don't know if you saw the news last night, but there was a story of how the caramel coloring used in cola products has been linked to cancer in mice.

I gave up soda when I was diagnosed stage 4 about 7 months ago. At first it was so hard, but now I don't miss it. Why not switch to some dark chocolate to get a little kick in the afternoon?

Laurie

Hi, I'm another one who used to drink diet coke most days and gave it up at diagnoses... While I don't think it caused my breast cancer I do feel it could have been one of many factors in the "tick box"!

[Margerie]

I switched to drinking LaCroix (carbonated water with no sugar or sweeteners, no salt, no colorings) Very good! I also take a green tea extract capsule in the morning.