Answer to Question 1
Sugar-sweetened beverages add an estimated 300 calories a day to Americans' daily intake-and do nothing to lighten your stress load. Researchers have linked soft drink consumption with higher body weight, lower consumption of essential vitamins and minerals, and greater risk of serious medical problems, such as diabetes. Soft drinks, whether diet or regular, also have been linked to greater risk of metabolic syndrome and heart disease, damaged tooth enamel, and thinning of the bones in women.
Answer to Question 2
Poor sleep impacts metabolism and weight. The less you sleep, the more weight you may put on. Chronic sleep deprivation alters your metabolism (changing the way you process and store calories) and stimulates excess stress hormones, such as cortisol, that contribute to weight gain. Loss of sleep also reduces levels of the hormones that regulate appetite, which may encourage stress-eating. In general, stress dampens immunity and too little sleep may have a similar effect. If you get less than seven hours of sleep a night, you may be three times more likely to catch a cold, for example.
