Dr. Rupali Panse, an Ayurveda doctor and the author of ‘Food Guru – Your Guide to Eating Right’ explains concepts from Ayurveda Food Wisdom, which is our heritage, and shares 130+ recipes that are healthy yet modern and tasty. And she believes that by focusing on good eating, we can bring up healthy kids.
Below is the excerpt from her book that explains how the excessive consumption of soda and soft drinks leads to ill health.
I was under the false belief that everybody knew about the ill effects of soda/aerated drinks/soft drinks and there was no need to write about it until I saw something very disturbing at a traffic signal one day. A sweet girl around 3 years old was holding a can in her hand, sitting comfortably in her luxurious car. My car was adjacent to hers and she was looking at me with a cute little expression while blissfully sipping on her Coke. Her mother looked at me and gave a sheepish smile as if to say, “I am sorry for my daughter’s expressions’. Meanwhile, I was showing a thumbs down to the little girl, pointing at the can, but she failed to understand my message. Hopefully her mother may have understood my thumbs down stance. The traffic light turned green and the car zoomed away.
This incident made me wonder, why does such a small girl need Soda? In Fact, why should children drink soft drinks? As an adult, we often lose our sense of maturity and fail to understand what is good and bad for our health. But nobody has the right to be casual or uncaring when it comes to our children’s health!
Various research studies and data have already proved that excessive consumption of soda and soft drinks will lead to ill health. An occasional drink of this fizzy liquid is probably fine but if this has already become a part of your life, then you must read further…….
‘Food Guru – Your Guide to Eating Right’
I read a quote on Soda terming it as ‘Tobacco of the 21st century’. It’s a scary fact indeed. Thankfully, there is an age restriction for tobacco consumption. But, what about aerated drinks and soda? It’s not just a tasty drink but a toxic content of caffeine, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavours & colours, phosphoric acid and Carbon Dioxide and at times pesticides too! Needless to say, all these ingredients are highly dangerous to our health. The cancer causing 4-MEI (though banned) may still be present in some soft drinks. The metal or plastic can in which these drinks come in is also a serious health threat.
Why Should You Stay Away from Soda?
l Zero Nutritional Value: You are adding useless calories and zero nutrition. Soda on the other hand suppresses the digestion and appetite of the child. Regular soda guzzlers tend to eat less and often suffer from Vitamin A, B, Magnesium, Zinc and Calcium deficiency.
l Possibility of Addiction to Soda: Caffeine in the soda or soft drinks is supposed to be the most used addictive substance in the soda industry. Caffeine dependency is faster and more serious in children. Mood changes or altered moods or aggressive behaviour are the result of caffeine addiction in soft drinks. l Soda can cause Behavioural Problems in Children: Caffeine, sugar, artificial flavours, blood sugar spikes in the body are some of the reasons for it. Lack of attention, concentration, aggressiveness and erratic behaviour are observed in children who have soft drinks/Soda frequently.
l Bone Health: Lack of Calcium causes weak bone health and excess content of Phosphorus in soda is known to damage bones. Soda literally eats away the teeth as it causes tooth decay due to over sweetness. Other oral hygiene issues may also arise due to excessive consumption of soda.
l Obesity, Diabetes and Heart Diseases: Soda directly leads to obesity, diabetes and heart diseases.
l Poor Digestion and Hyperacidity: These are very common hazards in all age groups due to Soda consumption. Drinking juice, soda or any other beverages along with meals can disturb the metabolism. A high sugar drink with meals is illogical. You need just water along with food.
Are these reasons good enough to stop drinking and offering Soda?
But then, if we stop cold drinks or soda or aerated drinks, what are the alternatives?
To understand the healthy yet tasty alternatives, please read Food Guru book which is a must have in every household so we can raise healthy children by focusing on healthy eating.
The book explains concepts from Ayurveda Food Wisdom which is our heritage and shares 130+ recipes which are healthy yet modern and tasty.
To buy the book do visit – https://www.amazon.in/Food-Guru-Guide-Eating-Right/dp/8195777805
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