Diet Soda

I think most of us understand that a can of soda is nothing but empty calories. There are about 140 calories in a 12-ounce of soda, but if you're out and about, good luck finding a 12-ounce serving of soda. In convenience stores, it's usually a 20-ounce bottle and at fast-food places, the serving sizes are huge. I've shared how it's not just the calories that are a problem, but the possible link to lung issues, too.

If you're thinking you can avoid all these issues by switching to diet soda, you may want to hold off on that conclusion. There was a study done that links consumption of diet soda to heart issues. Just like the lung issue study, there is no proof of causation, just correlation, but it's still discouraging. The study found that just one can of diet soda a day is the link to a 43% increase in vascular events like heart attack or stroke.

Again, it's only correlation, but I'm not taking any chances. I'm glad that I gave up artificial sweeteners for Lent. I am still trying to get a cup of coffee that I really enjoy, but it's worth it if I'm avoiding heart health issues. I'm also hoping that it helps avoid the before and after effect.