America’s Taste For Soda

Soda has been an American treat, present in restaurants, our own homes, and many other places for years and years. But what is it about these bubbly drinks that make them so hard to resist? Why does America have such a taste for soda?

Americans spend upwards of $60 million a year on carbonated drinks. While this may seem like too large of an amount, if you take into account how many sodas people drink in a day, it isn’t such an unrealistic number.

One of the reasons that we drink soda seems to be caused by an addiction, much like cigarettes. While cigarettes contain nicotine, a very addictive chemical, soda also contains an addictive chemical: caffeine. Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system. This makes you feel as if you’re awake and alert, even when you were previously exhausted. The problem with this is that once the feeling begins to wear off, many people feel the need to jump-start it again, so they grab another soda and drink it.

While caffeine itself is addictive, the effects of caffeine-withdrawal can be quite overwhelming and cause people to drink soda. People that have had soda everyday have a lot of trouble weaning themselves off of the bubbly drink. Some symptoms include irritability, nausea, headaches, anddizziness. Because of this, people just continue to drink soda instead of risk the feelings of withdrawal.

Another reason that Americans drink soda is because it is so readily available. Everywhere you go there is some kind of soda distributor. Soda machines are strewn throughout businesses, restaurants offer free refills, and many chain stores offer deals on cans of soda in bulk. When you look at drink dispensing machines, the sodas out-number juices and water by a lot. Soda companies use aggressive marketing techniques, and there is constant advertising for different brands of soda. Because of this, it is always present in our minds.

The sweet taste of soda is a big lure for Americans. Most Americans don’t like “bland” things. Because water has no flavor, it is considered bland, while soda is exciting. Many soda companies make their drinks very colorful, so that they can be eye-catching. Because of the variety of colors and flavors, soda is preferred to most other drinks.

So, there really are four reasons that Americans drink soda:

• Caffeine Addiction
• Fear of Caffeine Withdrawal
• Aggressive Marketing
• Sweet, Sugary Taste and Eye-Catching Colors

While you can still enjoy soda, make sure to enjoy it in moderation. Too much soda can be damaging to your health in the long-term.

Sports Drinks or Water for Proper Hydration?

Keeping yourself properly hydrated during exercise is important for good health and maximizing the benefits of your exercise regime. Everyone knows that water is an essential ingredient to a healthy life but is it the best choice for hydration during exercise? Before the introduction of sports drinks water was undoubtedly the best choice for athletes to prevent dehydration during exercise. Is there a difference between the two? Does one work better than the other? In order to decide which drink provides maximum benefits you must first understand why preventing dehydration is so important.

Why is it important to stay hydrated during exercise?
In order to get the maximum benefit from exercise you must provide your body adequate fluid for comfort and safety. Research has shown that that weight lost due to sweating (while exercising) is linked to a drop in blood volume which in turn makes the heart work harder to keep your blood moving through the bloodstream. If you fail to replace lost fluid you may also experience muscle cramps, dizziness, heat illness and fatigue. While this article targets hydration during exercise, keep in mind that any activity that causes one to sweat- such as playing sports or being overly active in hot weather can lead to dehydration.

Read more