# Drinking coca-cola!



## mamaMAMAma (Nov 20, 2001)

Okay, I'm talking about DH drinking coke at home not our 19month old DD. DH and I had a long conversation at 2 in the morning. He wants to drink coke at dinner again because he is falling asleep when we lie down with dd at 8pm (we had an agreement before that he would only drink coke outside the house). I believe in only having healthy foods at home, for our own health and dd as well. DH is arguing that he lives in the house too and should have a say in what he eats. And yes, I know I'm a food nazi.







I argue that dd always wants what we eat/drink and the sugar and caffeine is inappropriate for a small child(or a big one). Anyways, I can go on and on about this. DH is a very logical, factual person, and I'm wondering if anyone out there has any statistics or facts that explain why drinking coke or other sodas is bad for you. (DH says caffeine is actually healthy for you... which I know in small amounts stimulate your brain).


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## saige (Dec 16, 2001)

i love diet coke


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## jasnjakesmama (Nov 19, 2001)

I love regular coke
















But seriously, I am not sure this is a battle worth fighting. I know you want him to be healthy. I want the same thing for my husband (we have these types of battles allll the time) but sometimes you have to let him do what he needs (wants) to do.
How about thinking of ways that he could have a coke with dinner on the sly? Maybe put it in a dark colored bottle. Not sure exactly what you could do but there should be a compromise.


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## Parthenia (Dec 12, 2001)

I try to keep healthy foods only in our house, but it's true, dh lives here, too. If he wants to bring a bag of Doritos into the house, dd and I don't have to eat them.
Here's something not so great about carbonated drinks (which no one likes at our house). And this isn't going to sound very eloquent, but it's late and I'm not feeling very scientific. I read somewhere, maybe a pregnancy herbal book?, that phosphoric acid interferes with the body's absoprtion of Calcium. Caffiene can decrease bone density.


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## saige (Dec 16, 2001)

And aspartame sucks,and ect ect.But you know what? I DONT CARE.I try to eat 90% healthy,and that's good.But sometimes I just want to have something that I WANT to have with no regard for whether it's good for me.It is the one thing I allow myself.I battled eating disorders and crap like that for way to long and always deprived my self of everything,and I'm sick of it frankly.If I really want something,I'm gonna have it.I think it becomes way to easy to get almost to the point of obsession with healthy eating.I think everything in moderation.(Oh,and sometimes a good unhealthy binge)


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## leafylady (Nov 19, 2001)

Can't he have caffeinated tea or coffee after dinner? This could turn into a nice after dinner ritual, with you drinking a decaf herbal and he drinking something with some caffeine. Your kids could join in.

Regular soda pops have tons of sugar in them, and not much else. They rot teeth. Coffee or tea drinkers usually don't add more than a tsp of sugar, only 4g carbohydrates, not bad at all.

I let my dh keep his diet Coke in our workshop fridge because he just likes it. That's ok too. But we don't make it a regular sight in our home.

Soda pops are highly overmarketed and have contributed greatly to the poor nutritional habits and rotten dental health of our kids, especially when the pop is so accessible at their schools.


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## member (Apr 15, 2002)

My problem with Coca Cola is the company - advertising in public schools, slave wages, etc. Therefore, I would advise buying from a smaller soda complany like Dr. Hansen's.

But if you just don't want all the sugar in your house, I would recommend the coffee/tea idea.


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## dotcommama (Dec 30, 2001)

Coke and soda in general are not good for you - I think we'd all agree on that, at least for the most part.

However, my feeling is that your dh is an adult and he should be able to drink whatever he chooses. My dh does not have great eating/drinking habits. He drinks coke/pepsi with every meal. My kids (4 and 2) know that it's not for them to drink and they don't ask for it.

Same with the cookies and junk food my dh keeps in the house for himself - the kids know it's Daddy's food and they don't ask for it. I hope that my dh will, overtime, become a more healthy eater - but I feel that he is an adult and has a right to make decisions about the foods and beverages that go into his body. I don't mean that as an insult to you mamaMAMAma - I understand that you don't want him setting a bad example for the kids - but I think your kids will understand that some things are for Daddy's and not kids.

Just my .02.


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## leafylady (Nov 19, 2001)

You might point out that he could have a cup of coffee or tea and a small piece of homemade cake, or brownie, for about the same amount of sugar as is in a regular soda pop. If he drinks diet pop, then that strategy won't work.


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## mamaMAMAma (Nov 20, 2001)

Thanks for all the great advice. I suggested coffee as a substitute too - figuring it has caffeine, no sugar(he drinks it black) and even if dd wants to try it, it tastes awful. Offering a healthy dessert to go with the coffee is a great idea. DH loves chocolate, so maybe I can make some carob chip cookies.


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## Irishmommy (Nov 19, 2001)

I think I remember hearing about when a tooth is left in a glass of coke overnight it totally dissolves? I'm also sure there was a thread on the old boards about all the disgusting things coke can do, like paramedics using it to clean blood off the road, etc.

Having said that, I like caffeine free diet coke. I know, what's the point!!! Dd1 sometimes will ask for pop, will take one mouthful and go back to her milk, so basically we never refuse her when she asks (which is only when we are drinking it too!). Dd2 will drink it in preference to milk or water, so we don't drink it around her!


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## chocobotkid (Mar 3, 2002)

my dad (who we live with) drinks up to 2 litres of coke a day. my mom, dh and i only drink it out of the house...my dad also drinks alot of carnation instant breakfast (nestle) which we also avoid. it's a tough one, probably not worth fighting, unless you kid is trying to get some too, wants to drink what dad has. yuck.


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## daylily (Dec 1, 2001)

I agree with those who say you may be fighting a losing battle. The more you try to force your dh to give up the Coke, the more tenaciously he'll cling to it. You could remind him of all the ways that soda is bad for him and let him choose to give it up on his own. Like Irishmommy, I've heard of the experiment where you leave a baby tooth in a glass of coke and it dissolves. Parthenia's mention of soda being bad for bone density sounds familiar.

My dh drinks beer every single night. Obviously, it's not appropriate for kids. My kids don't have a problem with the concept that some things are for adults only.


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## oceanbaby (Nov 19, 2001)

I read somewhere that the amount of sugar in one can of soda causes a measurable weakening of the immune system.

I agree with you about setting a healthy example for your kids. I'm trying to do the same. We got sodas out of our house for the most part. I just don't buy them, and dh never goes to the store, so they just aren't here. I thought it would be really hard since we used to drink them with dinner, but after the first week I really didn't miss it. Now when I have a soda I can rarely even finish a whole one, it's so sweet. Maybe dh would agree to a trial run? I agree that you can't really tell your dh what to eat or not, even though I would love to do that around here! Dh sneezes every time he eats chocolate, but refuses to acknowledge that maybe that's his body's way of telling him he shouldn't eat it!

When I was a kid we had a one soda a day rule, whether it was at the house or out and about.

Oh, and here's something else we do. I buy a lot of sparkling water, since sometimes we just want something with carbonation. And then every now and then I buy those flavored syrups that cafes usually have for coffees. I add a teaspoon or two of the syrup to sparkling water, and voila, soda. You end up using much less sugar than if you bought the canned stuff. I like the orange flavor, yum!

Edited to add: Despite all that, sometimes I love a cup of ice cold coke, especially when my stomach is upset.


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## lilyka (Nov 20, 2001)

OK this is coming from someone who is addicted to Coke. I love it and I don't want to give it up (although now that I am pg I limit myself to one a week).

Howabout if he is discreet about it. Maybe putting it in an opaque cop so dd can't see what is in it. My children were mostly attracted to the bubbles and can. There were sparkeling juices at the co-op that pleased them for a specail treat. You can also make sparkeliing juice by mixing concentrate with spakeling water.

If your husband just needs caffien (although I am pretty sure this isn't his only reason for drinking coke) green tea is a good source of caffien with lots of added benifits.


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## daylily (Dec 1, 2001)

DOH! I just read an article about what refined sugar does to the body. Sugar abuse suppresses the immune system, upsets the balance of minerals, can lead to malnutrition, yeast problems, hypoglycemia, diabetes and some cancers. The more you eat, the more you crave. The article recommended vitamin B supplements for people trying to kick the sugar habit.

Also, I read in the Tightwad Gazette that the average American family spends an obscene ammount of money on soft drinks.


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## robynberkley (Nov 27, 2001)

I'm with Saige... I love diet coke







That being said...I agree it has ZERO nutritional value but I have my bad habits and that is definitely one of them!!!

Just as I would restrain my child from alcoholic beverages (of course there are a lot of reasons to do that, legal and ethical not withstanding), my DH and I tell her that soda is a drink she may have when she is older (she's 5 now) and more grownup. She complains on occasion but generally is OK with it.

Now...Perhaps you can compromise with your DH and he will ONLY drink soda after your daughter is in bed. I like the camouflage idea a few people had too...disguise it in an opaque cup...maybe one of those hot/cold drink cups with the lid on it so he can pretend it is something else. I respect your desire to keep healthy food in the house, but to echo others...he is a grownup...these sorts of things are always hard!


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## Clarity (Nov 19, 2001)

how about a "daddy fridge" in the bedroom/garage/workshop/basement? So they're cold and available in a kidfree zone. A daddy travel mug or squeeze bottel might be good...they never have to know what's IN it. I mean adults drink coffee all the time and children rarely get it...maybe you could get them to assume it's coffee?

The phosphoric acid depletes the calcium in your bones...a big problem for girls especially, but a bad idea for anyone... There is also discussiont hat the huge amounts of sugar we eat contribute to the massive increase in adult-onset diabetes we've seen in the last few decades.


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## snailmama (Apr 13, 2002)

Whole Foods Store make a natural cola soda, no caffeine, but it sure gets me jacked, all that sugar.
Anyway why would you drink something "diet" that is known to cause cancer in lab animals? There are natural diet soda sweetened with stevia.
Also,
Coca Cola is used to clean blood off the road after accidents.
That stuff also weakens your immune system, my friend Faye was a big Coke drinker and ended up with BOILS all over body, LOTS OF THEM.

What about some green tea?

Please don't let anyone you love drink Coca COla or Pepsi.


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## joesmom (Nov 19, 2001)

Thank goodnes-- I drink Dr. Pepper!









Love, Jenny


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## lilyka (Nov 20, 2001)

Tree reasons I drink Coke instead of the natural stuff.

1) Coke $.50 available from machines every block or so, natural stuff $1.50 available at the co-op down town (mess) or the health food store across town near the worst intersection in 100 mile radius.

2) Coke - all those memories and good times. It all comes back when I hear that tiissssh, those little bubbles hit my nose, and I smell that familiar aroma. If I am going to die, I will do it happy. (And I can use that excuse bnecause it isn't hurting anyone else)
Safer than prozac moire legal than pot .

3) Taste better than the natural stuff plain and simple.

Sorry but I totally understand your husbands need. Look at the bright side. It could be worse. Mine drinks Mt. Dew which ruins his white shirt (yellower sweat), costs us nearly $100 a month (although we own the machine now and it is often a business expense, but we own the business so it is still money out of our pockets) and replaces water.

Good luck coming up with a comprimise. My hubby gives the kids bologna and velbeeta sandwhiches and there is nothing I can do to stop him. At least it doesn't sound like your dh is sharing.


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## saige (Dec 16, 2001)

Lilyka and Jenny- you guys are a riot!!!!:LOL


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## cobluegirl (Nov 20, 2001)

Pepsi addict here....but we dont buy it for the house often. We just drink it when we eat out.


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## Dovesong (Nov 30, 2001)

What exactly is phosphoric acid and is it in all carbonated drinks including selzer or just some sodas. Is it a listed ingredient?


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## snailmama (Apr 13, 2002)

Whole Foods Brand Cola is very good!
It is only $2 for a six pack.
It has natural cane sugar,no caffeine , and is Non Gmo.
I just think Coca Cola and Pepsi are POISON.
Why would you fill your bodies with that?
Because it is convenient to get it out of a machine?, because it is cheaper?
I don't mean to be rude, sorry if I sound that way.
There are alternatives for those who care about their bodies and the planet.


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## cobluegirl (Nov 20, 2001)

snailmama

Because I like the way it tastes, pure and simple.







Good thing we all have differences....if we all thought the same the world would be boring.


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## sarenka (Mar 29, 2002)

I symaphise with the coke battle, Coke is seen by my inlaws as practically the Messiah after communism!!!
My dd drinks it there, at home she is into "fizzy water" and I drink it whenever I feel unhealthy, on the quiet like some kind of homeopathic medicine!!


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## OceanMomma (Nov 28, 2001)

Some days I feel like such a freak. I've always hated coke. I had some at a party once when I was about 6 & spewed all night. I've not been able to look a glass in the face since. I'm now 37







My loathing of the stuff runs so deep that I truly have no idea how people can drink the stuff, let alone enjoy it. Maybe force feeding a small child too much coke so they're sick is a good strategy to put them off for life!

When I used to get free bottles with pizza, in the good ol days, I used to use it to clean the toilet. On the odd occasion I used to have to have coke in my bourbon ( also back in the good ol days ), I always used to break out in zits the next day. The only advantage I found is it was a cheap way to go out since it took me all night to drink one drink coz it tasted so gross!

My vote is for coffee & a healthy desert. Real plunger coffee can be really buzzy if you're not overly used to it.


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## Happy Mom (Jan 6, 2002)

My name is Happy Mom, and I am addicted to Pepsi....

I refuse to buy it in cans though because I swear I can taste the metallic taste of the can......

And

I refuse to buy it in plastic bottles because I swear I can taste the plastic leaching into the soda...

So.....

That leaves only fountain drinks. I am without a doubt the most addicted fountain drinker standing on this earth. 9 months without it was torture......







And until I stop nursing I restrict myself to just a little bit here & there......

Why can't I be addicted to water??????????


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## lilyka (Nov 20, 2001)

I prefer fountain to all others also. If I have a can or bottle it has to poured over ice.

Did I mention how I love the stinging sensation of the first swig. mmmm

As for why I love it, Why does anyone love stuff that is bad for them??? Why do people smoke? Use drugs? drive fast expensive cars? WHo knows, they just like it.


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## Cranberry (Mar 18, 2002)

I had given up pepsi years ago, but now I find that some afternoons I need the caffeine (I blame everything on sleep deprivation).

Mmm...off to the fridge.

p.s. Keep pepsi away from computer. Spills are very sticky. Learned this the hard way. DH was not happy.


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## Clarity (Nov 19, 2001)

prompt use of rubbing alcohol as a cleaning solvent helps. must be while it's wet. nak.


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## Cranberry (Mar 18, 2002)

Well, I guess I didn't clean up very well. There were sticky spots here and there. Yuck. Now I don't even put drinks on the desk.


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## Clarity (Nov 19, 2001)

ah, I thought you meant IN the computer/keyboard...

and Dovesong...phosphoric acid is phosphorous. It adds the "tart" in cola drinks (not all carbonated sodas). type phosphoric acid carbonated soft drinks in yahoo and you get a lot of info (some from the soda industry.) It has been somewhat linked to bone density decreases in teen girls... they theorize it's the phosphoric acid but the link is uncertain, could be something else about the soft drink, or that it replaces calcium foods.


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## MOM2-2 (Jan 13, 2002)

Well gals............my husband works for Pepsi......not only do we like the soda before he worked for the company.........but now he gets paid for something he likes.......and sure helps pay the mortgage, food bills, college funds, retirement, etc. LOL!

Believe it or not............Pepsi started out being sold as a drug........some 100 years ago........the syrup was bottled in glass jars.........and was said to cure upset stomaches! Quite amazing how far it made it in every household and widely used!

I am proud to say my dh works for Pepsi.....who donates a lot to charities.........yet it disturbs me that they pay Britney Spears to promote their product........

As much as we enjoy the product........my 2 children drink juices and milk with their meals..........and only on special occasions.......do they to "indulge" as well!









I work for a diagnostic/imaging company where we perform bone density. I will find out if there is some truth to the statement that caffeine affects our bone density!







:


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## truly_sarah (Dec 5, 2001)

Personally, I think it's probably the packaging that makes the little guy want to drink it too! Can you just rip the label off the bottle and put a fake label on that says something like "Daddy's Caffeine"? We drink beer and wine but our kids don't ask for it because we tell them it's for adults. Even my eldest, who is 11, won't drink soda unless he knows it's specifically for him (and we rarely have it in the house!) This evening, he spied a Mountain Dew (!!!!) bottle in the fridge and smirked a bit at my DP, aware that my DP had been caught doing something naughty! Oh my!

There are lots of things adults do that kids don't. Drinking caffeine is probably one of them. But I do think removing the darned red silver white glittery eye-catching psychologically appealing label wouldn't hurt any.

Sarah


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## apri4 (Apr 8, 2004)

it contains so much sugar, even though I love it !


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## momto l&a (Jul 31, 2002)

Our children know they cant have drinks with caffine in them so the girls have their own soda to drink. Usually Hansen natural soda.

My girls love coffee with real cream in it, youd think the taste would scare them off but every time I make myself a couple of cups I have to make them some also. I only drink decaf and very rarely.

I love Pepsi, and it come in decaf


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## Towerkel (Apr 20, 2003)

Yes, soda is bad and soda is evil. But soda keeps my children alive. No, they don't drink it. See, coffee can only go so far (I can drink more of it during the day than my wife) and without the caffeine boost, well, let's not think about it.

We did stop drinking Mountain Dew because it has Brominated Vegetable oil in it. For years I wondered why they wuld have vegetable oil in soda, but it was one of those "everytime I read the can I wondered, but soon after I forget" thoughts. One day, I decded to look it up. Here's a one example, BVO.

We mostly drink Dr Pepper now. Loved their "Red Fusion", but no one around here sells it anymore









neither DS (8 yr old & 15 mos.) drink soda, although on occasion we let out 8yo have some (like last night, had a root beer float). He recently went for an examination to get his teeth sealed. The four children in front of him each had cavities on the sealable teeth, DS had none. Now I don't know the histories of these children, but I'd wager that the reason DS's teeth were cavity free is due in large part to the fact that he doesn't drink soda (not to mention his brushing twice a day.)


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## *Erin* (Mar 18, 2002)

T
using the term "nazi" to describe yourself is offensive. the nazis were genocidal bastards, i'm sure you're not a genocidal bastard.








back to the discussion...
we drink diet soda in our home, and dd has never touched it, nor does she want to. soda is absolute crap. poison. it's horrible for you. especially the diet brown sodas. but we drink it anyway. we treat it like coffee, that's it's not something that is healthy for little ones to drink, and that water is what's healthiest and best for little ones. (that's what we tell her) we also drink plenty of water in front of her, and tell her that's the healthiest thing for big people too.







T again..we went thru the wendy's drive thru the other day, and maya yells "NUMBA ONE DIET TOKE PEASE! BIGGIE PIES TOO PEASE!!"

lmffaaaaaaaaaaoooo....you'd think i ate fast food alot. (i dont) funny the things they recall.

anyway, she seems to be ok with the soda thing for now. if she acts like she really wants it, we'll make the switch to organic fruit fizzy drinks, b/c i hate being a hypocrite







for now, i'm keeping my diet toke.

if it really is very important to you, which i gather it is, i would go with asking him to drink some coffee or tea, or stash the soda in the crisper drawer and sneak it into another room to chug it down.


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## yeah yeah yeah (Aug 8, 2003)

The "coke used to remove blood on the highway" thing is urban legend.

It will, however, remove the build up on car batteries.

Which doesn't really sound much better.


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## Aura_Kitten (Aug 13, 2002)

this may come as a shock but...

your husband is an adult.










let him drink what he wants. if you daughter asks for it, just tell her "no" and explain why you don't want her having it. a little communication goes a long way, and a little comprimise can keep a relationship wonderful.

this
is
not
a
battle
worth
fighting.


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## *Erin* (Mar 18, 2002)

: ahhh, klothos...
that's what i really wanted to say but im just a weenie...


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## xenabyte (Jul 16, 2004)

Yes, we must all individually make choices for what we eat and drink. I do feel we should try to make the best ones possible for our children, though. No child should EVER consume diet soda. Aspartame is the number one reported food suppliment for causing some pretty horrific health problems.

If formaldehyde and methol alcohol in your blood stream don't worry you, read some of the most recent findings:

http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame/recent.html#4

(I've had a friend that could not remember the most simple of things (like loaning us a computer monitor the DAY before!!! IT was getting really bad. I found out he was drinking 2-3 diet Coke a day. I suggested he stop. He did and about a month later, he noticed his 'memory' was returning and he could function again!)

In animal studies, it has been known to cause spontaneous abortions and abnormalities. Some of the chemicals in it can cross into the brain and get 'stuck there'...to form little pockets that rot and cause 'swiss cheese' type holes. Just hope they aren't 'wiping out' a memory or area you might need later....

Among other things, it's about 10% methanol (wood alcohol,) famous for
causing blindness in alcoholics. In the body, methanol metabolizes into
formaldehyde, (YES *FORMALDEHYDE*, that stuff you used in biology class in high school to preserve dead animals) a neurotoxin; formic acid, a venom in ant stings; and diketopiperazine, which causes brain tumors in animals!

It's so bad that in July of 1983, the National Soft Drink Association presented official objections to putting aspartame in beverages.

I'll read you one of their objections: "It is well established under Section 402(a)(3) that a food which contains a decomposed substance...is subject to seizure by FDA." It's thoroughly established that after a number of weeks and at temperatures over 85 degrees F, there's no aspartame left in a soft drink, only breakdown products!

Many of the people that would get this stuff banned, are now in key level, highly paid positions to keep this toxic money maker in your fav diet sodas and almost every other diet food! Do you know that aspartame is in many of the INFANT and child medicines (pain/fever reducers, like Tylenol!)???!!! Why would we want our babies to consume this!

Read this link for more details:

http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame/wright.txt

As for 'regular soda' like Cokes and Pepsi. Yes it's highly addictive. I was a 'Coke' drinker for a long time. I am tempted by the stuff if it's in the house. I have to just NOT buy it, not even for 'friends' that come over. I tell them to BYOS (Bring Your Own Sodas) and take them home after get-togethers. I offer, tea, caffeine free tea and lemonaid, coffee and 'filtered' water ONLY.

It's the *Phosphoric Acid* in Soda that's the problem. It is chemically similar to calcium and it will leech out the calcium and replace it, forming a weaker bond in your bones/teeth, etc. This is what leads to weak bones and potentials for being a major contributor to an increased risk for osteoporosis.

Sugar is a known 'immunio' suppressant. Just one serving of sugar can depress your immune system for over 6 hours. It is also nutritionally devoid of anything your body or a child's body needs. We have enough problems with depleted food sources. I guess if you are making a 'one bad thing' choice, then at least try to compensate with some really super healthy foods while you are drinking it. I would still avoid ALL DIET SODA like the plague. I shiver when I see teenagers drinking it! Plus, aspartame increases your appetite and makes you crave more sugar, defeating it's purpose as a 'dietary' aid.

In the long run, it is your body, do as you wish. Just please try to make good, healthy decisions for your children, until they are old enough to figure it out for themselves! There is a TON of more bad stuff about it all, but then this would be a 'book' and not reply.

*Dr. Mercola has a great summary for both substances:*

*http://www.mercola.com/2003/jul/9/soda_dangers.htm*


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## lynsage (Jul 13, 2004)

in the three years we've been together, my boyfriend and i have come to a lot, a LOT of compromises about food, cleaning products, personal care products... basically anything that can be split into "healthy" and "unhealthy/bad for the environment" categories.

our agreement about his cokes is that starting in november (when the baby gets here) he will keep them in a locked minifridge in his recording studio room and not drink them in front of the kidlet. he is addicted to coke and has been his whole life- his parents thought it was _cute_ how much he loved coke and gave him as much as he could drink from a very early age. he recognizes his addiction and promises not to do the same to our kids, so i don't pressure him about his choice to continue drinking it.

i figure if he's 29 years old and he already knows it's bad for him, me telling him it's bad for him isn't going to make him stop anyway.


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## darkstar (Sep 8, 2003)

my DH is a coke head...coca cola that is. I cannot believe that he can still drink that crap. We are vegetarian and eat almost all organic etc...but he still drinls coke. I took one drink the other day and it tasted awful.







: DD tells me that she doesnt like soda, I have to admit we do drink an ocasional san pelligrino orange soda.


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