(02-12-2015, 08:49 PM)dreamliner Wrote:(02-12-2015, 05:43 PM)Diana Wrote: Why Carla drinks this stuff when in such bad health, I don't know. But she has her own personal reasons (or foibles). This is NOT something to emulate, if you must emulate.
Just speculating; she may have issues with sucrose (table sugar; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sucrose ) and/or fructose (fruit sugar; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fructose), and as a result may be preferring artificially sweetened coke.
Nowadays, some health professionals highly recommend people to stop consuming any kind of sugar (especially sucrose, fructose etc.), because of their high glycemic index/load ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycemic_index https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycemic_load). Some even label sugars as "poison".
All cells in the body, and especially the brain, need blood sugar (i.e. glucose; which is different than table sugar or fruit sugar, table sugar is converted to glucose after digestion) to function. Blood sugar should neither be low, nor be high. When it's "dangerously" low, which is called hypoglychemia ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypoglycemia ), symptoms and effects like anxiety, blurred vision and seizure arises. It can cause even death. When it's "dangerously" high, which is called hyperglychemia ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperglycemia ) some other health problems occur in the long run.
Blood sugar (i.e. glucose) is regulated by a very delicate mechanism/metabolism, main players of which are pancreas -secreting insulin and glucagon ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insulin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glucagon )- and liver. Liver overcomes sudden high blood sugar (caused by high glycemic index/load) by converting to fat and storing around the belly. That's why, "some health professionals highly recommend people to stop consuming any kind of sugar". Instead of high glycemic index/load foods, they recommend proteins (any kind of meat, egg, etc.), butter, dairy products, yoghurt, beans etc., which are converted to blood sugar slowly.
People having problems with their "blood glucose regulating metabolism" (such as diabetic people, people who have insulinoma/hypoglycemia, etc.) usually enjoys "zero sugar" beverage like diet-coke. Although artificial sweeteners are generally considered "harmful", the benefit-cost ratio is high compared to ordinary/normal sugar for those kind of people.
Nevertheless, I would recommend "stevia-coke" ( http://www.coca-cola.co.uk/health/stevia/ ) instead of diet-coke, if it is available.
Stevia is a natural sweetener and superior to any other artificial sweetener: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevia
It is so superior that, the whole "artificial sweetener industry" have been carrying out black propaganda against it.
The aspartame in diet sodas is worse than sugar. But the worst thing about sodas is the acidifying aspect.
That would be a good topic for its own thread. Getting back on topic, this is an example of emulating an unhealthy action, because of who the person is, rather than emulating their admirable qualities, not because of who did xyz action, but because xyz action is worthy of emulating.
Whether it's Carla, or a priest, the pope, or even Gandhi or Yogananda, they are/were all human. Putting any of them on a pedestal is characteristic of religious fundamentalism.
Mega-church pastors, priests, and other religious leaders set themselves up for that. Those are established religions and it's part of their belief system that their leaders are more 'spiritual' than their flocks, and the flocks are expected to look up to their leaders.