Have you seen this story from New Zealand?  It discusses a trial that was brought on by the family of a woman that died in 2010. Her cause of death was determined to be from a cardiac arrhythmia and low potassium levels. The family claims that they should receive benefits from the Coca-Cola company to help care for her eight children.  The main claim is that Coke should have warning labels on it like those found on alcohol.  While I am not here to defend Coke, it does speak to the problems of doing things in excess.  What is interesting, is the fact that not much credence is given to the fact that she not only drank at least 7 liters of Coke a day, which alone would provide about 2800 calories, but she also smoked about 30 cigarettes a day. 

She was noted as vomiting 6 times a day, had lost all of her teeth and ate only a small amount of food.  She drank little else other than the soda. Her partner was asked during the trial if he suspected that her overall diet was not healthy.  When asked about the amount of soda she drank and if that played a part in her health, he replied, "I never thought about it. It’s just a soft-drink, just like drinking water."

Drinking 7 liters of water a day could cause some major health problems as well.

Let’s use this story as a motivator to ourselves to ensure that we are eating a variety of foods, especially fruits and vegetables and reducing or eliminating intake of sweetened beverages, whether that be sodas, teas, energy drinks or alcohol.  In other words, let’s be mindful of what we eat and drink.  And, remember to always read beyond the headlines!  There’s more to the story than just the soda.

It’s Your Health. It’s Your Life. Make That Change!

~John