Food

11 Doctors Reveal the Foods They'd Never Touch

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by Jenn Sinrich | COMMENT

PHOTO 4/13

Soda (Especially Diet) You've heard that regular soda is full of empty calories (not to mention sugar). It also provides zero nutrition whatsoever, and doctors will be the first ones to give you the 411 on this information. "The sugar in regular soda, high fructose corn syrup, is an artificial sugar which is not found in nature and is linked to obesity and weight gain," says Chris Thiagarajah M.D. oculoplastic surgeon at Park Avenue Oculoplastics in Denver, Colorado. Chugging a can of soda gives you a quick insulin rush, but soon after your blood sugar levels are low, and you're often left hungry.

Diet soda is even worse. "Because of the sweet taste, there is an insulin surge in your bloodstream, but, in reality, you have not consumed any sugar at all," explains Dr. Thiagarajah. Instead, that sweetness comes from an artificial sweetener known as aspartame, which is linked to a slew of health concerns including headaches, dizziness, lack of focus and fatigue. Additionally, aspartame has been linked to overeating, therefore increasing the risk of weight gain and obesity, two factors that are linked to heart disease and cancer.

Instead, make water or sparkling water your beverage of choice. And, if you're really craving a sweet drink, Dr. Thiagarajah recommends reaching for something with a natural sugar, such as agave, which doesn't raise the blood sugar as much as soda.

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