SSM Weight-Loss Institute

Diet vs. Regular Soda: Is Diet Really Any Better for You?

If you enjoy drinking a can of soda occasionally, you may opt for diet soda to help reduce the amount of excess sugar in your diet. However, you may be curious if diet soda is actually any better for you than standard soda. Take a look at the information below to learn how diet and regular sodas affect your weight loss goals.

• Standard Soda
  Most sodas are sweetened with refined sugars. If you drink several cans of regular soda each week, you will consume hundreds of excess calories. While you can incorporate regular soda into a healthy diet, you will most likely not receive any nutritional benefits from these sodas. Some sodas do include vitamins and antioxidants in their recipes, but these nutrients can be better obtained by consuming a variety of fruits and vegetables.
• Diet Soda
  You can find diet sodas that contain very few or no calories. This may seem like an ideal solution if you are sticking to a low-calorie diet to lose weight. However, many individuals who drink diet soda on a regular basis still have trouble losing weight. It is easy to think of drinking diet soda as saving calories, allowing you to reward yourself with excess calories from another source. In addition, the artificial sweeteners contained in diet sodas can stimulate cravings for actual sugar, leading those who drink diet soda to consume more calories.
• Other Soda Options
  There are sodas available that contain natural sweeteners other than sugar, such as stevia. These sodas are sweet and do not have the large amount of calories that regular sodas do. However, it is important to remember that these sodas are not diet drinks which can help you lose weight, but simply lower calorie substitutes for an occasional treat.

No matter which kind of soda you choose, it is important to remember that these should only been consumed in moderation. If you would like to learn more about healthy weight loss solutions, SSM Weight-Loss Institute can help.  To find out more, call SSM Weight-Loss Institute today at (314) 403-1216.

Diabetes and Excess Weight: What You Need to Know to Keep Both at Bay

There are a number of health complications that are associated with excess weight. One of the most common complications is diabetes. If you are considering weight loss surgery to help address your excess weight and your risk for diabetes, it is essential that you are prepared to maintain a healthy lifestyle to control your weight and your risk for diabetes.

• Connection Between Diabetes and Weight
  Diabetes mellitus is a disease that affects millions of Americans. Most cases of diabetes fall into two groups. The first, type-I diabetes, often appears early in life and is not caused by excess weight. Type-II diabetes, on the other hand, most often appears in individuals who are overweight or obese. While the development of type-II diabetes has a strong genetic component, having a high body weight can make it more difficult for the tissues in your body to respond to insulin.
• Keys to Weight Loss
  There are a number of tools that you can use to reach a healthy weight and prevent or control diabetes. Weight loss surgery offers an opportunity for you get your life back on track through healthy weight loss. However, you must maintain a healthy lifestyle both before and after bariatric surgery if you are to reach and remain at a healthy weight.
• Components of a Healthy Lifestyle
  It is essential for you to maintain a balanced diet that is rich in nutrients and low in sugar, fats, and starches if you are to lose excess weight and reduce your risk for diabetes. In addition, a fitness routine that incorporates a variety of exercises is required if you want to lose weight and stay healthy. Be sure to incorporate both aerobic and resistance exercises into your fitness routine.

At SSM Weight-Loss Institute, we can help you prevent or control type-II diabetes through healthy weight loss. To learn about the surgical and non-surgical solutions that we provide, call SSM Weight-Loss Institute today at (314) 403-1216.

Find More Information to Help You Through the Weight- Loss Process at These Great Sites

Whether you choose a surgical or non-surgical plan to help you achieve your weight- loss goals, it is important to remember that a lifelong commitment to a healthy lifestyle is necessary for maintaining the results. Get the long-term support you need for this transition with SSM Weight- Loss Institute in St. Louis. Contact us online or call (314) 403-1216 for more about our unique programs.

• Understand why obesity is harmful to your health with this article from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
• Take this test from the American Diabetes Association to assess your risk for type-II diabetes.
• Learn all about bariatric surgery with this handout from the American Medical Association.
• Get active with fun ways to exercise presented by Health.gov.

Why It's Important to Stay Hydrated

No matter what diet you are following, hydration is one of the most important components that you should think about every day. The body needs proper hydration so that it can carry out the necessary processes needed for survival. All cells in the human body contain water, and they need a steady supply of fluids to continue functioning.

How to get enough water
Hydration comes from the water you drink, along with other beverages you consume and foods that are high in water content. Typically, you can stay hydrated by including eight glasses of water (or non-caffeinated liquids) throughout the course of the day. However, you do need to compensate with extra liquids when you are participating in physical activity, the weather outside is warm, or you are sick. Water is the healthiest beverage that you can drink, and it should account for at least half the beverages you consume. If you drink alcohol, be aware that it can dehydrate you, so you should supplement each alcoholic beverage with a glass of water.

Keeping hydrated after bariatric surgery
If you have chosen bariatric surgery to help you lose weight, you will need to be especially aware of your water intake. While you are healing from surgery, hydration is essential to help your body rebuild the cells needed for recovery. After your body adjusts to the changes of surgery, you will need to continue drinking plenty of water in between meals. It is not recommended that you drink with meals, as you will get full too quickly. Drink water throughout the day so that you can stay healthy in your post-surgical life.

Get more information on the value of hydration and healthy living with SSM Weight -Loss Institute in St. Louis. We can customize a weight loss solution that works for you with our surgical services and non-surgical programs. Contact us at (314) 403-1216 or visit our website to get started on your weight- loss journey with us.

A Patient's Weight-Loss Story

By the time people choose weight -loss surgery, they have often tried a variety of diets and other solutions to take off unwanted pounds. Since weight- loss is affected by so many different factors, these methods may not provide long-term weight- loss that can benefit your health.

This video discusses the story of one SSM Weight- Loss Institute patient named Elizabeth and her experience with the gastric band. She struggled for years trying to lose weight, and gastric banding is the only solution that has provided her with the dramatic weight loss needed for good health. The decision to get the surgery was not a simple one, and Elizabeth benefited from the extensive patient education provided by SSM Weight-Loss Institute.

If you are considering gastric banding or other bariatric surgeries to help in your weight- loss, contact SSM Weight-Loss Institute at (314) 403-1216. We will help you evaluate the benefits of surgery on a personal basis so that you can decide what is best for your health.