thoma@reed.UUCP (Ann Muir Thomas) (08/08/85)
I have been following the discussion about sweeteners, milk, etc for a long time... Milk first: I drink 1% milk, because it has more taste than skim milk, and only 10-15 more calories per glass. The cholesterol in milk (if I'm not mistaken--flame at will if I am!) is in its fat, so drinking skim or very low fat milk reduces cholesterol intake. Of course this does not help if your source of milk is cheese or ice cream, both of which are high in butterfat. I agree that one of the real dangers of diet sodas is that they are being promoted as a "good" drink. I still drink 1-2 diet sodas per day, but I also drink 3 cups of milk, and/ or eat yogurt and cheese. As far as nutrition in general goes, _money_ has to be a factor. I spend 125-150 dollars a month on food, which is 1/3 my income, and consequently eat fresh fruit and vegetables and drink milk *every* day. My friends and housemates spend 75-100 dollars and live on rice, peanut butter sandwiches, etc. But they also have plenty of money to go out, buy cigarettes (one of my housemates would actually rather go hungry for a few days than not smoke-- bleah (I don't smoke, and don't like smokers)), etc. Not that I have much of a choice-- I am diabetic, and I'd like to live for a few more years! But what my friends eat (or don't eat) is appalling! Ann ...tektronix!reed!thoma