Soft Drinks And The Dreaded Calorie Count

Often, the tropical heat forces us to the freezer where we grab the first soft drink we see to quench a thirst that even water refuses to quench. Whether it’s international brands like Coca Cola or Pepsi, or quirkier local names like Necto or Orange Barley, some of us drink with little thought of what we are ingesting.

It should be noted, however, that this stuff is detrimental to people with diabetes. For that matter, a few states in the US and certain other countries are considering banning soft drinks for their high sugar content. Additionally, some artificial sweeteners like aspartame have been linked to cancer. Soft drinks also jam-pack a good few calories in. That’s perfectly fine for those who are not calorie conscious, but for those of you who are, here’s a breakdown of how many calories per 100ml you’re introducing to your body when it comes to both local and international soft drinks.

The figures are dreadful – and that’s just for 100mls. What’s more, a closer look reveals that, for the most part, our local soft drinks have a higher calorie count. Does this mean we’ll have to forego Necto? – cue horror movie music–  Before you announce the apocalypse, however, a few things need to be kept in mind, apart from those conspiracy(?!) theories about what Coca Cola does to our insides/rivers. Let’s keep it real – it’s honestly just a few calories. (Just a few calories? Some might ask, voicing scandal.)  You might, instead, want to focus on burning those 50ish calories, regardless of whether the preferred poison is Pepsi or Bitter Lemon.

So what does it takes to burn 50 calories?

Turns out, you can burn 50 calories easily. Sometimes, a little bit of housework (what most of us in an uninformed state of prejudice don’t really consider ‘work’ or a ‘workout’) can go a long way. To burn 50 calories you could:

This sounds crazy, it’s just 50 calories! Who knew it would take actual effort to burn it off? We’re not saying it’s time for something drastic either – like a total ban on soft drinks or anything equally morbid. It would, instead, help to make a few changes in your lifestyle here and there. But one thing is for sure: we’ll never look at 50 calories, or a bottle of soft drink, the same way again.