Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I mostly drink water now but when I crave something different I make iced coffee, which you can doctor up to suit your tastes. I've used flavored coffee, decaf, almond milk , etc. to make it different and fit my needs. Occasionally I'll have a Coke when I'm out but only keep ginger ale in the house. I like it, but for some reason I don't crave it like I used to crave Coke. I probably average 2 sodas a month now so I don't feel bad about it.
Why not try flavored seltzer??? I though my habit of drinking soda would be hard to quit bit it wasn't, so in December 2012 I quit cold turkey. 2 months later I took a sip of diet soda and spit it out. I drink seltzer or water now.
Carbonation doesn't damage your esophagus. Chronic acid reflux can, so if plain carbonated water gives you acid reflux, onviously don't drink it. But typically, acid reflux is triggered by other things in soda, not the carbonation itself, and plain carbonated water isn't an acid trigger.
Sugar is an addictive substance so cutting it out or cutting it back is going to cause withdrawal symptoms and a period of "detoxing." There is also the psychological aspect that you can thank the geniuses in the food industry for. Brilliant marketing and countless dollars spent on developing just the right taste with just the right balance of sugar to keep you wanting to go back for more.
It takes will power and lots of it. Please don't start drinking sports drinks or energy drinks, or Vitamin Water despite its name. There is nothing good in them for you. Low/no calorie anything isn't going to really serve you well in the end either unless it is naturally that way without added sweetening agents.
Ultimately, you need to give time for your palate to adjust (and it will) and keep up the will power not to buy or drink soda. There have been some good suggestions on alternatives and honestly some things will taste meh after that sugary sweet hit of goodness that you're used to, but stick with it. Your tastes will change given time.
I make naturally caffeine free fruit teas like blueberry or raspberry for the whole family to drink and sweeten it with a tiny drizzle of honey, hot or cold. We don't really have juice very often but make smoothies with fresh and frozen fruit and coconut milk &/or kefir (and usually some greens and avocado and ground flax seeds that you can't taste over the rest). You obviously wouldn't drink something like that all day, but once a day or every other day is something on the sweet side but nourishing.
We do drink a lot of water, but break it up with the other things as well, along with just tea and a cup of coffee here and there.
Also consider whether you're drinking because you're thirsty or whether it's for something to do. If it's the latter, open the door and step outside for some fresh air, then busy yourself doing something else!
I too have a SodaStream and love it. I had/have a strong addiction to Diet Dr. Pepper .. always planning/thinking about where/when I could have the next one. I was drinking at least three liters per day, and wound up with a severe attack of vertigo from dehydration (yes, the sodium in sodas will dehydrate you!) I also had chronic sinus infections. Now that my diet soda intake has been cut drastically, I'm much healthier, and weigh less.
I use the SodaStream a few times a week, and drink it either plain or with a squeeze of lemon or lime. We also have a number of Torani syrups (turned our wet bar area in to a snack bar) and I may use one or more of those.
I trade in the canisters at Bed Bath and Beyond, using my 20% off coupon. I did it yesterday, and the total cost with tax was about $13 .. at $1.50 a 20 oz drink, that's fewer than 9 sodas.
I also drop tea bags into my glass at work .. various flavors without sweetner. I use a Tervis cup for insulation. It's working well!
go with water....ad some seltzer and juice and keep cutting those back until you are just drinking water. Soda is terrible for you. Diet soda is ever worse.
Once you get through detoxing yourself, you'll probably lose weight (whether you want to or not) and you'll feel so much better. You didn't ask, but I'm guessing you're still eating processed carbs.....those are full of corn syrup and GMO's too.
The food in this country is disgusting. (and yes, I'm a USA citizen, born and raised, 4th generation) Unless you eat fresh fruit, vegetables, low-fat protein (ideally organic) you are putting garbage into your body.
When I stopped drinking soda on a regular basis, I would cut up a fresh orange into a big tumbler of water. I liked the natural fruit sugar and flavoring from the fruit to flavor my water. Now I just keep a 1.5 liter stainless steel canister of water with me so I can keep track of how much water I drink in a day.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
