Here's yet another reason soft drinks have become the leading source of calories for Americans and a major contributor to the obesity epidemic. The trends and the numbers are so striking, some business experts wonder why soft drinks giants like Coca-Cola even bother trying to compete with coffeehouse chains like Starbucks by adding a coffee-flavored line of beverages.

And if you think diet sodas are the answer, you should know that the artificial sugary chemicals they contain aren't doing your health any favors, either.

Just consider all the nasty things soft drinks do to harm your health in addition to obesity:

• Damage your liver
• Create mental health problems
• Expose your body to toxic levels of benzene
• Increase the risk of nearly every chronic disease known to man by raising your insulin levels
• Increase your rate of aging

Fortunately, one of the best ways to optimize your health -- making the switch to clean fresh water -- is also one of the easiest. If you have trouble breaking this health-harming habit, consider learning Turbo Tapping, a variation of the effective Emotional Freedom Technique.

Folks, there just simply isn't any excuse for drinking soda, ever. If you are drinking soda this is one of the easiest steps you can IMMEDIATELY take toward moving yourself in the direction of health and wellness. This one simple measure will really accelerate your path toward healing.

After all if you are going to have sugar there are simply so many better ways to consume it than drinking it.

And if you are drinking diet soda you probably haven't watched my videos on them, or are among the millions who sincerely desire to break their diet soda addiction, but have been unsuccessful after repeated attempts. It is vital that you watch these videos and consider the free resource Turbo Tapping.

On Vital Votes, reader Marianne from Belleville, Michigan adds: