Does water really make wrinkles look better? Must stop Cokes
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Wed Feb 01, 2012 3:44 am

I only drink Cokes trying to get energy. Someone said if stopped and started drinking water (hate water and have stopped Cokes but dread headache and start back for energy-any tips?) it makes skin look better? thanks Kim

free skin care · Wed Feb 01, 2012 4:54 am

Sugar is one of the skins biggest enemies (not to mention your teeth as well)! I haven't blatantly drank soda out of a can/bottle in years! (besides a wee bit o' sour in my occasional whiskey old fashioned Wink

) and try to stay away from anything with sugar. I cannot avoid it completely, but I do my best to limit it drastically.
http://beauty.doctissimo.com/facial-care/skin-chemistry/glycation-a-chemical-reaction-that-contributes-to-skin-ageing.html

Eating things loaded with sugar promotes a process called glycation within our bodies which is not only bad for skin, but ages us in other ways too. I think cutting out the soda and switching to water, green/white tea and improving your diet would definitely improve your skin. If you don't like water, try some of those flavored sugar free concentrates that you can add to water to make it more tolerable.

free skin care · Wed Feb 01, 2012 5:03 am

And I know it's difficult to cut out that soda. I had a friend that used to drink like a 6 to 12 pack of Mountain Dew daily and decided to cut it out. He literally went through severe shaking withdrawls, headaches and everything!!! It was horrible! But he eventually got through it and stopped the Mt Dew completely. It was a really rough time for him, definitely....I've taken care of patients with alcohol withdrawls and his reactions were very similar...amazing Confused

free skin care · Wed Feb 01, 2012 6:26 am

Studies have been done on drinking alot of water and the skin. Bottom line is that unless you are dehydrated it doesn't make a difference. But as mentioned all the sugar in Coke isn't great for your skin or you.

I will add lemon or orange slices to my water sometimes. It adds a nice subtle flavor. Also how about green tea? or even black tea for some caffeine?

free skin care · Wed Feb 01, 2012 7:44 am

GirlieGirl wrote:

Studies have been done on drinking alot of water and the skin. Bottom line is that unless you are dehydrated it doesn't make a difference.

What? Can you clarify what you mean? What studies?

free skin care · Wed Feb 01, 2012 8:38 am

I used to drink about 6-10 cokes a day for about 10 years. I started gaining weight as I was getting older and was motivated to cut out those empty calories.

I am so glad I did. I can't drink it now... it is so sweet it makes me sick to my stomach. I can't even swallow it! I replaced coke with unsweetened ice tea.

free skin care · Wed Feb 01, 2012 8:46 am

The caffeine and sugar in soda cause the release of adrenaline, your blood sugar to peak and trough and low grade systemic inflammation which is harmful to every cell in the body not just the skin. It also messes with your sleep quality which will make you feel more lethargic .... Plus all that acidity will give you dental cavities AND cause minerals to be leached from your bones to make the blood more alkaline. You don't have to drink water: very dilute fruit squash, green tea, low sugar flavoured water, fruit and veggies all help the body stay hydrated.

For energy start eating a balanced, nutrient rich, low glycaemic index diet; DO NOT skip meals! If you are getting withdrawal symptoms from the caffeine, just cut back slowly or switch your cokes to caffeine tablets or green tea and withdraw from there. Take a couple of ibuprofen or paracetamol (tylenol?) for headaches, and eat little and often to keep your blood sugar stable.

free skin care · Wed Feb 01, 2012 9:14 am

A person dear to me used to drink soda by the boat load. Of course, claiming he didn't drink "that much"

He quit for one week and drank ice tea instead, no sugar. (you can still get the caffeine fix), and he lost 25 pounds. IN ONE WEEK! Let's just say that was motivation enough to quit all together.

Obviously, this wasn't all fat. This was WATER! Your body retains water when it's trying to protect itself. This is an inflammation response. Inflammation will contribute to virtually every disease out there. It becomes a vicious cycle.

So, not only will you likely improve your APPEARANCE which is really an indicator of all that's wrong going on inside, but you're bound to do your body a HUGE favor in the way of good heath.

If your only excuse to drink soda is "energy", then get your caffeine elsewhere. And I'd also recommend that you avoid fake sugar, so don't go for "diet". As that stuff is some SCARY chemical nasty stuff!

free skin care · Wed Feb 01, 2012 9:43 am

I agree with Claudia on the fake sugars...stay away. I opt to sweeten my things with Stevia or if I really want a "sugar" type fix, I use locally harvested honey in raw form....I never purchase store brand honey.

free skin care · Wed Feb 01, 2012 2:17 pm

bren21 wrote:

I agree with Claudia on the fake sugars...stay away. I opt to sweeten my things with Stevia or if I really want a "sugar" type fix, I use locally harvested honey in raw form....I never purchase store brand honey.

I hear this is especially good for you. We moved to an agg. area about 4 years ago, and I've suddenly developed allergies. OMG! My nose, and just my nose was stopped up for 3 months Sept through Nov. (The crush nearly killed me)... I plan on hunting down some raw honey.

Do you take this by the spoonful? Add it to tea?

free skin care · Wed Feb 01, 2012 4:31 pm

I love raw honey and I will eat it by the spoonfulls, I also add it to my tea. I've tried sweetening my tea with Stevia and the like and it's just not the same as my dear honey Very Happy

I feel fortunate to have a local honey farmer I can go to. The honey on the shelves of the supermarket is so dark and old looking and forget even finding it raw around here in the stores. I have heard there are many health benefits of raw honey, and something with allergies is apparently one of them. If I remember correctly, they say when you expose yourself to honey local to your area you are exposed to small amounts of the local pollens that are giving you grief found within the honey, kind of like getting allergy immunology injections, building up your resistance over time. Not sure if this is true or not, but seems logical and it sure is a yummy way to do it versus the needle! Laughing

free skin care · Fri Feb 03, 2012 10:33 am

If you really hate water, have you tried using a filter? That made all the difference in the world to me. I used to hate water because ours was hard and tasted bad. Once we got a filter it actually tasted *good*. I got to the point where I want only water and tea, and aside from the rare cane sugar soda (maybe a half-dozen in a year) that's all I drink now.

Even the non-diet sodas have weird chemicals in them now. Most corn is genetically engineered, so the corn syrup sweeteners are a whole can of worms unto themselves. If you really want to make sodas look disgusting to you, watch Food, Inc. or King Corn.

free skin care · Fri Feb 03, 2012 10:57 am

King Corn... Had not heard of it! thanks!

free skin care · Fri Feb 03, 2012 12:48 pm

Wow, I never thought about pop having new chemicals in it. About a half dozen times over the last year I've become ill at shows, where I've felt like passing out, and had to leave in a hurry. The only thing I drink there are 1 or 2 at the very most, jack & cokes, single, but big ones with no ice. I rarely drink, or drink pop, otherwise, usually just tea & water. I thought it may be 2nd hand smoke, or just being more active/excited than normal, and my doctor said it may be not enough salt in my diet!! He's running some tests.
Do you think it might be the pop?

About the honey - yes raw or at the very least unpasteurized, and it MUST be as local as possible in order to handle pollen allergies specific to your area. It cured mine like magic. I don't think adding it to tea will be helpful though, as heat may kill it. I just have a teaspoon a day on toast, or straight up. Now is the time to start for Spring!

free skin care · Fri Feb 03, 2012 2:09 pm

LoriA wrote:

Wow, I never thought about pop having new chemicals in it. About a half dozen times over the last year I've become ill at shows, where I've felt like passing out, and had to leave in a hurry. The only thing I drink there are 1 or 2 at the very most, jack & cokes, single, but big ones with no ice. I rarely drink, or drink pop, otherwise, usually just tea & water. I thought it may be 2nd hand smoke, or just being more active/excited than normal, and my doctor said it may be not enough salt in my diet!! He's running some tests.
Do you think it might be the pop?

Sorry to read you have had health worries, LoriA. Sad

Doesn't even have to be a new chemical, you can become sensitised to something at any time - it's surprisingly common. Plus if you are at an event you don't always know if you are being sold the brand they claim ... Alternatively if it was 'full fat' cola, the issue could be blood sugar peaks and troughs? IIRC the body only has around a teaspoon of sugar in the body at one time, and there is way more sugar in a tall soda. The adrenaline and a little alcohol could easily add to that. But I guess your doctor discounted that possibility already?

Fri Feb 03, 2012 6:51 pm

By the time your ingested Coke gets to your skin, it is water. The water that forms 99.9999% of it is just as good as water from other sources. The real issue is ... what about that other stuff? What about sugar? What about phosphates? Other chemicals? The truth is, that we are all different. Some people are very sensitive to sugar (tight cycles of insulin regulation). For other people it makes not a whit of difference (our bodies make sugar all the time and dump it into the blood stream when we are between meals). The best approach for each individual is to "know yourself". Keep a log of symptoms (or skin variables) and what you eat & drink. Try to find what works or doesn't work for you. For the most part, these things are not diseases. Rather they reflect metabolic differences between humans as individuals. Be your own physician, be a good observer, be vigilant, and be willing to experiment. And don't fret about it too much because fretting is worse for you than sugar and those other things in coke.

free skin care · Fri Feb 03, 2012 7:14 pm

Here're 3 reasons to give up soda:

http://health.yahoo.net/experts/eatthis/3-shocking-soda-facts#.Tyb52qeDMXo.email

Shocking Soda Fact #1: Soda fattens up your organs

A recent Danish study revealed that drinking non-diet soda leads to dramatic increases in dangerous hard-to-detect fats. Researchers asked participants to drink either regular soda, milk containing the same amount of calories as regular soda, diet cola, or water every day for six months. The results? Total fat mass remained the same across all beverage-consuming groups, but regular-soda drinkers experienced dramatic increases in harmful hidden fats, including liver fat and skeletal fat. The regular-soda group also experienced an 11 percent increase in cholesterol compared to the other groups! And don’t think switching to diet varieties will save you from harm: Artificial sweeteners and food dyes have been linked to brain cell damage and hyperactivity, and research has shown that people who drink diet soda have a higher risk of developing diabetes.

Read out about the 7 biggest food label lies.

FIX IT WITH FOOD: The average American drinks 450 calories a day. By switching to water as your go-to beverage, you'll make room in your diet for these 40 Foods with Superpowers—foods that, even in moderation, can strengthen your heart, fortify your bones, and boost your metabolism so you can lose weight more quickly.

Shocking Soda Fact #2: Soda contains flame retardants

Some popular soda brands, including Mountain Dew, use brominated vegetable oil—a toxic flame retardant—to keep the artificial flavoring from separating from the rest of the liquid. This hazardous ingredient—sometimes listed as BVO on soda and sports drinks—can cause bromide poisoning symptoms like skin lesions and memory loss, as well as nerve disorders. If that’s not a good enough reason not to “Do the Dew,” I don’t know what is. (We reveal more insidious ingredients hiding onsupermarket shelves in the 15 Scariest Food Additives).

Are you addicted to diet soda? Find out now!

DRINK DISASTERS: Soda isn’t the only dubious drink you have to watch out for. Many bottled beverages pack enough sugar and calories to foil your get-fit plans in one fell sip. Protect yourself by avoiding the 11 Worst Beverages in the Supermarket!

Shocking Soda Fact #3: Drinking soda makes you a lab rat

Many American soda brands are sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup, a heart-harming man-made compound derived mainly from genetically engineered corn. The problem? Genetically engineered ingredients have only been in our food chain since the 1990s, and we don't know their long-term health impacts because the corporations that developed the crops never had to test them for long-term safety. Case in point: Some recent findings suggest that genetically engineered crops are linked to digestive tract damage, accelerated aging, and even infertility!

free skin care · Sat Feb 04, 2012 9:22 am

softcare wrote:

By the time your ingested Coke gets to your skin, it is water. The water that forms 99.9999% of it is just as good as water from other sources. The real issue is ... what about that other stuff? What about sugar? What about phosphates? Other chemicals? The truth is, that we are all different. Some people are very sensitive to sugar (tight cycles of insulin regulation). For other people it makes not a whit of difference (our bodies make sugar all the time and dump it into the blood stream when we are between meals). The best approach for each individual is to "know yourself". Keep a log of symptoms (or skin variables) and what you eat & drink. Try to find what works or doesn't work for you. For the most part, these things are not diseases. Rather they reflect metabolic differences between humans as individuals. Be your own physician, be a good observer, be vigilant, and be willing to experiment. And don't fret about it too much because fretting is worse for you than sugar and those other things in coke.

Sorry but I don't agree. Firstly regular cola is not 99.9999% water, it contains a huge amount of sugar. Secondly you are assuming the water will actually be transported to the skin: many people find soda a diuretic or causes water retention. Skin is not a priority, homeostasis is.

It is too simplistic to claim the body "makes sugar all the time", it releases glycogen from hepatic stores IF our blood sugar drops below a set point. If we eat low GI and little and often as medical/ nutrition experts advise, we will be slowly digesting and releasing energy from food continuously, so there will be little need for adrenaline to release stored glycogen. Yes there are metabolic differences from person to person, which should be within a relatively small range of 'normal'. Excess sugar or white/ refined carbs are harmful to all: research proves glycation, suppression of immune function, promotion of inflammation, insulin resistance etc. This contributes to an enormous range of lifestyle conditions, from cancers to cardiovascular disease to dermatitis to asthma to the ageing process.

Can you please supply scientific evidence that very mild stress is more harmful than ingestion of cola above and beyond the 10% maximum recommended calorie intake from junk foods PLUS caffeine above and beyond the recommended equivalent to two cups of coffee per day.

free skin care · Sat Feb 04, 2012 9:52 am

GirlieGirl wrote:

Studies have been done on drinking alot of water and the skin. Bottom line is that unless you are dehydrated it doesn't make a difference. But as mentioned all the sugar in Coke isn't great for your skin or you.

I will add lemon or orange slices to my water sometimes. It adds a nice subtle flavor. Also how about green tea? or even black tea for some caffeine?

Hey GirlieGirl,

Can you post links to those studies? I'm very curious and would love to read them. Thanks Smile

Sat Feb 04, 2012 12:41 pm

Hello my name is miss_taken and I'm addicted to Coke. hehe. Well, Coke Zero but it's all the same! I'm trying desperately to cut back, but I miss the carbonation something fierce. I used to go through 4-6 cans a day. Now I'm trying to cut it down to one.
I'm not a fan of water or tea and although I know it's frowned upon in the fitness/health world I use Crystal Light to make my water bearable.
I was starting to notice a plateau in my weight loss which I attributed to my soda habit and now that I've cut down I can see the needle slowly going the right way. As for my skin, it's looking better too Smile

I guess giving it up is the way to go!

free skin care · Sat Feb 04, 2012 1:13 pm

cm5597 wrote:

GirlieGirl wrote:

Studies have been done on drinking alot of water and the skin. Bottom line is that unless you are dehydrated it doesn't make a difference. But as mentioned all the sugar in Coke isn't great for your skin or you.

I will add lemon or orange slices to my water sometimes. It adds a nice subtle flavor. Also how about green tea? or even black tea for some caffeine?

Hey GirlieGirl,

Can you post links to those studies? I'm very curious and would love to read them. Thanks Smile

Not the actual studies, but I did find this for you:

Skin Care Myths: Drinking More Water Will Hydrate Your Skin
Jeffrey Benabio, MD, FAAD

This is a popular one, perpetuated by fitness and fashion magazines.

Only one study ever linked drinking water with skin hydration. That study used expensive mineral water, not plain bottled or tap water, and the study didn’t have a control group.

No study has ever shown regular water has any impact on your skin and no controlled study has ever shown that any type of drinking water has an effect on your skin.

From a physiologic perspective, drinking water could only have a negligible impact on your skin’s hydration. In fact, patients who have too much water in their tissues (edema) do not have healthy skin. For example, patients with venus insufficiency who have swollen, fluid filled legs have skin that is often dry, itchy, and scaly.

The amount of water in your skin after a 5 minute shower is magnitudes higher than you could achieve by trying to hydrate it from the inside out. The key is to apply a cream or ointment when your skin is still wet to seal in the moisture.

Then drink as little or as much water as you like.

http://thedermblog.com/2008/01/17/skin-care-myths-drinking-more-water-will-hydrate-your-skin/

I would expect that Dr. Benabio, as a dermatologist, is providing accurate medical information (even though he doesn't back up his statements with links to medical studies).

free skin care · Sat Feb 04, 2012 1:41 pm

... I don't think drinking MORE water than the recommended can help, but how many people actually do drink ENOUGH?
(^lol, how did that smiley get in there? - cute!)

miss_taken, congratulations! Good to hear you're noticing changes which can help keep you going. Can't you drink carbonated water & flavor it with juices and honey or a natural sweetener if necessary?

My mom raised me not to rely on pre-packaged foods or pop, so I guess I've made a habit of it. V. lucky.

Firefox - actually I'm really healthy - no health issues, no medications, & rarely even get colds or flus, so this has been odd. I may not be exercising or eating regularly enough though, and had been prone to passing out every few months when I used to get particularly bad period cramps, or a rare bout of food poisoning. Blood pressure normal/low (120 I think?). I do get excited at shows & sometimes thrash around a LOT which isn't me normally, but that shouldn't account for it.
I used to drink the large coke at shows for the caffeine in order to stay awake way past my bedtime! Now, just because I'm in a bar, not big on alcohol and want to drink something.

And I agree that stress can be more harmful than a lot of things. Maybe not "very mild stress" - and no, I can't supply scientific evidence for anything!

free skin care · Sat Feb 04, 2012 2:50 pm

Less coke! There was just an article in the Huffington Post saying that sugar should be regulated like alcohol and tobacco because it is so harmful to your health.

If you are looking for energy and want more than water, try coconut water. Its really hydrating. A friend of mine with eczema swears it helps with his skin.

free skin care · Sat Feb 04, 2012 4:54 pm

LoriA wrote:

And I agree that stress can be more harmful than a lot of things. Maybe not "very mild stress" - and no, I can't supply scientific evidence for anything!

I absolutely agree that clinical stress/ anxiety is harmful, there is a wealth of supportive evidence. But to claim that "... fretting [about your Coke habit] is worse for you than sugar and those other things in coke ..." I don't buy without stats. If the OP has clinical signs of stress just from thinking about her soda intake, we have a bigger problem than sugar and caffeine! Mild/ acute stress can actually be beneficial, it's what happens during a workout.

This is what lifestyle healthcare professionals fight on a regular basis, the idea that things you can freely purchase are not as harmful as medics claim. So people send their children to school with a 'balanced' packed lunch of sandwiches, fruit, crisps and chocolate = more than 10% of daily calories on junk. We don't generally see cancer or heart disease linked with sugar/ refined carb intake in national health promotion campaigns here in the UK, but the evidence is unequivocal.

Thankfully many EDSers are better informed about nutrition. Very Happy

free skin care · Sat Feb 04, 2012 10:07 pm

Firefox7275 wrote:

Can you please supply scientific evidence that very mild stress is more harmful than ingestion of cola above and beyond the 10% maximum recommended calorie intake from junk foods PLUS caffeine above and beyond the recommended equivalent to two cups of coffee per day.

I just wanted to remind everyone that one 12 ounce can of coca cola contains 35 mg of caffeine. Two regular cups of coffee contains 200-280 mg caffeine. Also remember that caffeine is an antioxidant; it does have some health benefits. However, it is the sugar in cola drinks that creates the real problem (from a health perspective).

Personally I would just switch to diet coke if I was the OP; also try drinking tea if you hate drinking plain water. Use Anacin for headaches if you eliminate all cola products (it has caffeine as an ingredient).

How much soda do you drink per day KimInTN?

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