I didn't drink soda until high school; my mother simply didn't allow it.  However, when I started to gain a little more freedom, I decided to give it a whirl.  What could be so bad about soda, right? (My dentist friends are cringing with that last statement-Sorry.) A little less than a decade later, I have been able to not make sodas a daily habit.  That's not to say I don't enjoy a Dr. Pepper now and then, but at least it's not an every day or multiple times a day habit.

For those of you who know me, you know that I have a firm stance about diet sodas-I am morally opposed to them.  Mostly I feel that if I'm going to drink a soda, I'm going big or going home.  Why spend your life drinking something that doesn't taste very good? I'm also a little jeebed out by diet drinks and the chemicals that are in them (Not that regular sodas are much better).   Quick chemistry lesson for you, when ingested aspartame breaks down into formaldehyde.  Yes, you are actually preserving your innards when you consume diet beverages.  Yummy.

To further my diatribe, the Today Show reported that daily diet sodas are tied to higher stroke and heart attack risks.  It's important to note that the further research needs to be done to come to anything conclusive, but the initial findings from this study only further builds my case for why I am morally opposed to Diet Sodas.

Truthfully, sodas, in general, are terrible for you.  I wouldn't encourage anyone drink large quantities of either soda or diet soda.  I think it's also worthwhile to mention that I am also NOT a doctor; I'm just a girl with a background in nutrition who is worried about what America is consuming these days. Consider this your public service announcement for the month. :)

Check out the full article here.