Fish and diet coke. Diet Lime Coke to be specific, which I drink every day. Several glasses.
I've heard lots of reasons why diet soda is bad for you, but I've never really bought them. The rumors, for example, that aspartame causes brain tumors never seemed to be substantiated with real data, and the notion that drinking diet drinks causes one to eat more sugary food, even if it is generally true, I don't think applies to me. But today I found this report on a study that indicates that diet soda consumption may be related to decreased kidney function. After reading the actual abstract (available at npr.org) this may be the one I take seriously. At this point it's a correlation, and I know that it may not be causative, but do I want to run that risk? Nah. And I guess I shouldn't put Equal/aspartame in my coffee or tea either, if that is the suspected culprit. Maybe Splenda is still okay? Big sigh. Of course sugar always tastes better, but that is 'bad' too.
And the fish: I like fish, and ever since I gave up meat I've relied on eating fish once or twice a week; it's my protein of choice when I eat out. But according to this interview on Fresh Air yesterday, if I heard correctly, we have already depleted 90% of the world's fish. 90%. That is mind boggling. The expert interviewed talks about how fish that no one would or could have marketed before are being renamed, and processed so that they aren't so ugly so that we will eat them (Chilean seabass, for example, used to be known as Patagonian toothfish). And orange roughy (formally known as slimefish--doesn't t THAT sound appetizing!) matures so slowly (becomes 'adult' at 30 and may live to 150) that harvesting them is like cutting old growth forests. I had NO idea things were as bad as this sounds. So is it ethical to eat fish anymore? Farmed fish don't seem to be such a healthy alternative at this point either. I must catch the second half of this interview today and see with the fish expert recommends.
I suppose I am going to have to make myself drink plain old water (which for some reason I don't enjoy that much). And become a true vegetarian. Sigh. Giving up meat was easy; fish will be MUCH harder.
*and yes, I know this is a very "first world" kind of complaint...
6 comments:
I read the same report about the Diet Coke. Bah. I guess I will switch to Coke Zero, although there isn't a caffeine free version, double bah. I tried to increase my water consumption, not happy about it.
The fish thing doesn't surprise me much. Will be curious to hear what the expert recommended...
I also love diet soda (well, soda of all types, to be honest) and fish. Sometimes I wish that I were an ignorant consumer!
Is Coke Zero sweetened with Splenda? I had forgotten about that...I know I should just give soda up completely, but I don't want to!
I'm just not reading the part about the Diet Coke, but I'll go along on the fish ban.
The way I've dealt with the fish issue is to eat non-endangered species. The supermarkets in the UK have been pretty good at introducing alternatives (e.g. pollack for cod) and being clear about the location the fish was from.
I had no problem giving up meat or fish. I tried to eat fish from time to time if I made it for dinner but it just doesn't taste good.
I cannot give up Diet Coke. It is like crack. I need it but I do limit myself to one can a day.
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