We're often told what to eat, but not what to drink. The average American drinks nearly 54 gallons of soft drinks each year, accounting for 21% of their caloric intake. Many experts believe that soft drinks are a major contributor to the obesity epidemic. Most of us overlook beverages when adding up the day’s calories, yet over the course of a year, one can of regular soda a day, at 150 calories, adds up to more than 50,000 calories or 15 pounds!

When you indulge in a high-calorie food you are more likely to cut back on dinner, but this does not hold true for drinks. High calorie beverages actually give us a double-whammy, since they add calories but have little effect on hunger.

Imagine dumping teaspoon upon teaspoon of sugar into your mouth. Ridiculous, you say! But one can of Coke contains nearly 10 teaspoons of sugar – that’s the most sugar you should have in an entire day.

Why are soda and other sugar-heavy drinks so bad for us? Sugar surges in the blood stimulate the pancreas to secrete insulin. Excessive sugar stresses the pancreas and together with a sedentary lifestyle, may lead to insulin resistance, which can cause diabetes and other problems.

On top of that, soda promotes tooth decay and erosion, and phosphoric acid, the active ingredient in most soda, depletes bones of calcium.