I have a shameful drinking problem. I am badly addicted to Dr. Pepper. More broadly, I’m addicted to all sodas. At my worst I drink about 20 cans a day and get nervous when I don’t have quick access to it. I have been known to wake up in the middle of the night and walk long distances to get it or ask strangers for change like a homeless bum. Even though I have been told how horrible soda is since I ran cross-country in high school I still drink it in large amounts. And even though I’ve given it up before I stumble back to it after several months of resistance. My latest fight with the demon has given me some insights into successfully kicking the habit.
Why Give Up Soda:
3 things make soda bad… 1. Sugar, 2. Caffeine, 3. Carbonaton. I’m not a big fan of the low carb, Atkins, Southbeach fad diets these days. But, soda has tons of calories and the simplest, high fructose sugar. Dumping soda is a good way to cut tons of sugar and calories from your diet and drop some pounds quickly. My own experience has shown me that when I drink Soda regularly my stomach is often bloated and pudgy but when I stop drinking it and do a lot of water instead my stomach gets pretty flat and feels better. Caffeine is good for losing weight but it messes with your metabolism and makes your body less efficient in the long run. Whenever I’m on a caffeine kick I’m always so tired and need to take naps. Carbonation impedes respiration. Long distance runners need to pull as much oxygen into their cells as possible with every breath and carbonated beverages cause your body to process oxygen less efficiently. So, even if you’re not a long distance runner, your body still has to process oxygen efficiently to maintain energy throughout the day.
Runner’s World magazine does at least one article a year about soda being the worst thing an athlete can do. It’s pretty much the same article every time but whenever I read the current version I always feel ashamed of my addiction. The shame comes from knowing better and still doing poorly.
Diet Soda’s Aren’t Better:
Last year at a trial one of the clients was a nutritionist. I asked him what was the absolute worst food. He said the worst thing we eat isn’t a food but aspartame – the artificial sweetener also called NutraSweet. He said it breaks down your whole nervous system accelerating aging and senility and has been linked to brain tumors. It also reduces short-term memory. A lot of people are allergic to it and it causes migraines. Diet Soda has only 1 calorie usually but the substitute sweetener is worse than the original evil.
So Hard To Quit:
Despite being told for years how bad it is, being frustrated with the need for it, the bloated feeling from drinking too much, and the headaches and tiredness from constant caffeine consumption, I still have a hard time not drinking it heavily. But, I have succeeded in giving it up for long periods of time and each time I slip and go back on it gets shorter and shorter. The first days of cold turkey are always a living hell but my most recent transition was the quickest and easiest ever. The following are the 3 main things that make quitting soda successful.
Tips For Quitting:
1. Substitution
You have to substitute soda with something. Juices are good but a lot have just as much or more sugar. Water is boring and can make quitting torturous. Seltzer is still carbonated and dehydrates you. Gatorade is loaded with sugar, so is Kool-Aid, Naked brand drinks, Tazo teas, Mystics, and almost everything else. Milk doesn’t quench thirst well and has a lot of calories. However, I have found the secret weapon in kicking a soda habit. Chrystal Lite! I never thought of this before because I always thought it was a pink beverage for bored housewives but it’s really great. It tastes so good, has lots of flavors, and no sugar. And, it’s sweetened with Splenda, which supposedly has no ill effects. It hydrates you as well as plain water but is better because it tastes so good you end up drinking more than if you drank just water. Since drinking Chrystal Lite I have not missed soda at all. (Well, maybe a little.) My favorite flavor is raspberry ice.
2. Accountability
Since I made such a big deal last year about my difficulties giving up soda I had people point it out to me when I fell into bad habits. My friend Kenji commented about it being in my fridge when he visited and my friend Justin told me I was off the wagon when he saw me order it with lunch. It’s easy to lie to yourself and say, “Oh, I’m just having some now because I’m so busy. I’ll go off again when things slow down.” It’s harder to answer for yourself when people call you out.
3. Cardio
If you’re doing regular cardio exercise soda becomes grosser and grosser. It may be because you need more water and soda doesn’t quench thirst or the heavy syrupiness of it is not appetizing after a long bike ride. I don’t know why but a lot of cardio helps.
So, it’s not as bad as losing your job because of too many bloody maries in the morning or having your chest explode from snorting cocaine off toilet seats. But giving up soda is a worthwhile thing to do to improve your health. Drinking a lot of water, or Crystal Lite, is likely to make you look and feel a lot better. For me, it makes my waist noticeably smaller, my skin clearer, my hair less dry, and my energy level more easily sustained. All those are reason enough for me.
