Drinking too much soda

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Make sure you don’t buy any soda from the grocery store so it’s not in your house. Eliminates that temptation.
 
Actually, only having them at home is much easier on the pocketbook!!
 
This might be drastic, but look at the sugar content of the amount of soda you are drinking per day.

One can of Coke for example has 9 teaspoons of sugar. (Or three tablespoons of sugar)

Those are empty calories. There isn’t any nutritional value in it. No vitamins no fiber.
 
It is true that sodas have an addictive component due to sugar. A lot of things like alcohol, porn, shopping, gambling have addictive components making it hard to stop. You could use a substitute, like hot green tea, but the taste may not be to your liking if you’re not used to it. I find it’s an acquired taste. Not sweetened, just good old green/jasmine tea. It has catechins which are goos for you.
 
I used to drink soda pretty regularly, but I switched to unsweetened tea. It’s kinda bland tasting at first but it’s grown on me and I like it now. Maybe try cutting down by getting those little 8 oz cans. My wife gets those and I’ll have 1 every so often if I have an urge.
 
When I was stressed out the doc asked me what is my energy drink. At that time it was the coke. She said “replace it with coffee! it’s healthier.” So I don’t think it’s just the caffeine that makes the coke such a big no-no.
Anyway I gave it up slowly during time and I don’t miss it anymore. Now if I drink only one small coke I get all agitated.
So yeah, the sugar, the artificial flavors, all that added up is just not good.
 
la_petit_fleur said:
Well, I think it’s terrible for everyone. At the very least it has zero nutritional value
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???

Are you talking about alcohol, or soda?

Alcohol definitely has some nutritional value, as do some of the things it comes in. Unfiltered beer, for example, has massive proteins as well as a good dose of vitamins (B, iirc) from the yeast.
 
Wine has many good nutrients.

Even plain ole sugar is an excellent source of carbohydrates. Our brains NEED carbs. Simple carbs provide energy.
 
la_petit_fleur said:
I think I might be “addicted” to soda. I like to have a couple everyday, and the days I don’t have any, I miss it. I don’t think it’s really an issue with my health, my teeth are good, and I don’t have diabetes or any other health issues, but I feel like it might be an idol in my life, and let’s face it, it’s terrible for me.

So should I not worry about it and just keep drinking it everyday? Should I give it up altogether? Should I drink it in moderation? If I moderate, how often should I drink it? I have no idea what moderation would be in this situation. Thanks for your help!
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I used to drink somewhere between two and several diet pepsis a day. Any time you change a routine or a habit, you’re likely to miss it. It is easier to substitute than to give up. Try substituting water for some of your sodas or just let your soda run out and when it runs out, don’t replace it for awhile.

The thing that did it for me was putting off redeeming the deposits on the cans. It was a lot of money, when I finally took them back. That was just the deposit; didn’t count what I was spending on the soda itself. That was a lot of money for something I could substitute for water (and our tap water is very drinkable).

I’d say it is a good habit to practice doing without for a day or two at least. You never know when the demands of charity will require you to do without and not give it a thought.
 
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TheLittleLady said:
Wine has many good nutrients.

Even plain ole sugar is an excellent source of carbohydrates. Our brains NEED carbs. Simple carbs provide energy.
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Nature doesn’t provide a lot of opportunities for loading up on simple sugars with no fiber. Our bodies aren’t that well-prepared for big hits of sugar without fiber or other nutrients such as fat or protein.
 
Cruciferi said:
Switch to La Croix Sparkling Water and let not your heart be troubled 🙂
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Yeah, La Croix was a life saver for me when I started trying to seriously cut back on sugary beverages. I still do tend to have a handful of energy drinks throughout the week, but compared to having 1 - 2 energy drinks and 2 - 3 sodas a day, I call that progress. (Tea also helps, but I like it a bit less.)

With that said, I think Hint Water is the best flavored water. It isn’t carbonated (at least the ones I drink), but I like their Cherry, Apple, and Strawberry Kiwi flavors more than anything La Croix has.
maryjk said:
Blech. Sorry but that stuff is disgusting.
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I was initially taken aback by the lack of sweetness. That quickly went away once I stopped expecting it to be a sugary alternative to other sugary beverages, which is basically what Sparkling Ice,* which I was more familiar with at the time, tries to do.

* Yes, I get that Sparkling Ice has no sugar, but it does use sucralose like Diet Pepsi and Sprite Zero do, so I still consider it kind of in the same category as soda.
fin said:
You could use a substitute, like hot green tea, but the taste may not be to your liking if you’re not used to it. I find it’s an acquired taste. Not sweetened, just good old green/jasmine tea
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I personally prefer oolong tea, but I did have to develop a taste for tea in general.
 
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One can of Coke is around 75% of your suggested daily sugar intake…yikes!
 
ZMystiCat said:
I was initially taken aback by the lack of sweetness. That quickly went away once I stopped expecting it to be a sugary alternative to other sugary beverages, which is basically what Sparkling Ice,* which I was more familiar with at the time, tries to do.
  • Yes, I get that Sparkling Ice has no sugar, but it does use sucralose like Diet Pepsi and Sprite Zero do, so I still consider it kind of in the same category as soda.
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I don’t like water to have bubbles. Sorry, water is flat. And in my opinion, should stay that way.

(Yes, I know there are some sparkling water springs. But they are few and far between. Most water is flat.)
 
Don’t drink any soda on Fridays. If that seems to work for you, then start only having it every other day and continue abstaining from it on Fridays. If you find success with that, then consider sticking to that plan, and don’t worry about it too much if it isn’t damaging your health.

Also (and I didn’t read every response here) but I don’t think anyone has addressed another issue that I see. You may be concentrating on something which is somewhat inconsequential (if the soda isn’t affecting your health terribly) and you may be experiencing scrupulosity.
 
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good luck OP - I have the same issue and can’t remember if I’ve replied upthread. The key is moderation and if you feel like something is taking the place of God in your life but the brakes on and address it
 
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