Man Cannot Live On Coke Alone
The order was officially handed down to me three weeks ago from the doctor, STOP DRINKING COKE, NO WAIT, STOP DRINKING ALL SODA, really carbonated beverages in general. No more Coke for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. No more sleep walking to the refrigerator to drink some Coke (okay, an exageration, but it is not like it would have been impossible).
I have long had a history of bad dieting, but over recent years, was flat out abysmal. As I entered my first political race, I found very little time to eat. Combine this with a serious health issue of a decreasing ability to swallow food or beverages. I needed to get my caloric intake in, and the only way to do that, was to drink tons of Coke and eat lots of Snickers. No, this isn’t meant to be an endorsement of these products, simply what I did to get in 1500 calories a day.
So my doctor, actually all of them, has told me this concept of the Coke diet is wrong from every angle. It is no good as I am not getting any nutrients, not reducing the work load, and doing nothing but injesting pounds of sugar. My stress level was really high, and drinking so much soda would have grave consequences if I kept drinking it.
We have all been told about the unwanted pounds that drinking a can of soda (or pop if you are from Western Pennsylvania). And of course there is the acid from the drink as well. Clearly it would not be good for an already compromised GI system let alone a healthy one. But now, the doctor has decided to throw another angle at me, bone issues.
Because of the chemo and radiation, my skeletal system has already been compromised so much. But the carbonation would actually cause a quicker deterioration. I’ve already been diagnosed with osteopenia in my lower spine, as well as facet joint arthritis.
I have tried to be a good parent too. My children do not drink soda, well, at least they did not used to. But after watching Daddy drink it for so long, it had to be good right? So a couple of months ago, they started drinking soda, and then it was with their meals.
Of course, the promise is once you quit drinking it, you’ll lose the weight right? Wrong, the first two weeks came an additional 3 pounds, along with a lot of withdrawal. After all, I had been drinking close to 3 liters a day. My work load continues its ridiculous pace, allowing time to eat still not being accomplished, and my energy level is at an all time low.
To quote Kirk Douglas from “Airplane”, l00ks like I picked the wrong time to stop drinking Coke. Remind me again why I quit?
Paul's Heart 