weight management

Diet Soda: Good or Bad for Your Heart Health

diet-sodaResearch is shedding light on the impact drinking diet soda can have on your health. A study with 2,500 participants was presented at the American Stroke Association International Stroke Conference. Study results found those who drank diet soda daily had a 61 percent increased risk of cardiovascular events versus those who did not consume soda. These results remained even when factors such as smoking, physical activity levels, alcohol consumption, and dietary intake were taken into account.

Researchers did go a step further and took into account these 3 situations:

  1. Metabolic Syndrome
  2. Peripheral Vascular Disease
  3. Cardiac Disease History

When these were factored in, the cardiovascular risk associated with drinking diet soda did decrease to 48%… 48% is still significant.

The connection between diet soda and cardiovascular risk appears to be related to metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is the name given to a group of risk factors that raise your risk for heart disease. These risk factors include: Continue reading

Are you dieting?

Believe it or not, most people are not on a diet these days. Instead the focus has switched to healthy eating. A new market study shows most people are turning away from “extreme” diets and focusing on long-term weight management. Here are the percents:

Today 10 years ago
29% of women are on a diet 35%
19% of men are on a diet 23%

I am also surprised to see how the definition of a “healthy weight” has shifted. Sixty-two percent say a healthy weight is when you physically feel good, while 27% say a healthy weight means staying within a small ideal weight range.

This is a great opportunity for me to plug my weight loss programs which focusing on healthy eating for the long term, not a short term diet for results. If this is your type of thinking, I welcome you to check out the Balance Program and Mini Diet Makeover I offer to help you lose weight the healthy way. Also, subscribers to The Heart of Health ezine will be receiving a discount coupon code to start the new year off right.

So, where do you fall? Are you sticking with the “diet” mentality? If so, why? Or, have you moved into healthy eating for the long-term?

All the best,

Lisa Nelson, RD, LN
eNutritionServices