How to Stop Drinking Soda - Three Simple Steps
Carbonated soft drinks (soda); once considered one of the most popular consumer products of all time, have turned out to be one of the most dangerous and physically damaging food inventions of the twentieth century. At least four generations of Americans have been impacted in ways that we will never fully know. Hundreds of millions of people. And I’m one of them. My parents, like so many others raising Generation X children through the 1970’s and 80’s were not experts in health and nutrition. They trusted that the big consumer companies “a.k.a Big Food” and the government agencies would do the right thing. After all, how bad could a little carbonated sugar water be?
The fact that this stuff is garbage is no secret, but if you grew up drinking it like I did, the challenge is….how do you stop? Below are three specific tricks I used to help me get through it. Spoiler alert – Kombucha ended up being my saving grace but there are certain brands that may offer you more benefit.
To be clear, it doesn’t matter if we’re talking about the regular or diet soda, they each have negative impacts that are too vast to cover in this blog post. In fact, you can throw many of the big sports drink brands in their as well because most have equal amounts of sugar and/or chemicals.
Quit Soda, Lose Weight, and Feel Better
By the time I was old enough to understand the negative impact of soda, I was consuming about 4 liters per week - that’s over a gallon! And when I tried to stop, I felt firsthand the powerful effect that sugar has on the brain. Here’s in interesting article that explains how high fructose corn syrup has effects on the brain similar to heroin (link). I had been a heavy drinker of this stuff throughout my childhood when my brain was still developing. This stuff was ruining my body. I was determined to kick the soda habit. Here’s how I did it.
Quit Soda Step #1: DIY Simple HomemadeCola Recipe
Weeks 1-3
This first phase focuses on getting chemicals out of your diet……..like high fructose corn syrup, sucralose, and aspartame. You’re not going to take the sugar out completely yet, but you will be able to reduce it by about two-thirds.This is the biggest step because you are going from high sugar to low sugar and no chemicals. This is when people often feel what they describe as “withdrawl” symptoms – headaches, tiredness, etc. Hang in there, this will only last for a few days.
By using this homemade cola recipe, you can cut out the chemicals completely and slowly ween down the sugar (or replace it with other friendlier sweeteners). Granted, this approach is not the simplest but for those people who still want to get their cola on, it’s a pretty good option. Here’s a simple recipe,
- 12oz of plain soda water/seltzer
- 1 tbsp of pure maple syrup – preferably organic. Definitely NOT the processed mass market type
- A pinch of ginger
- A pinch of cinnamon
- If you want to sweeten it more, recommend adding a light pinch of monk fruit (also known as lo han fruit)
OK, I know there are diehards like me that are flipping out about the maple syrup, which will contain about 10g of natural sugar. Remember, this is just a stepping stone to get you off of the really bad stuff, which contains more than 30g of high fructose corn syrup in a 12oz serving.
Quit Soda Step #2: Flavored Sparkling Water
Weeks 4-5
Step #1 is meant to break you free from the chemical clutch of high fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners in traditional soda. At this point, you may be ready to transition to a simple flavored sparkling water. Sparkling water has gone through somewhat of a renaissance in recent years with countless options in the stores. The trick is to find something that does not have artificial flavors, colors, sweeteners or loads of sugar. A few popular brands (I’m not paid for this) are Spindrift and Bai Bubbles.
If you want a less expensive option, I recommend taking a plain seltzer and add some flavor to it. Some people can get away with just adding a little bit of fruit juice (no more than 10:1…….or 1oz for every 10oz of seltzer). If you’re like me and you crave the taste of cola, here is a quick little recipe you can throw together that is actually pretty good for you.
- 12oz plain seltzer
- .5oz lemon juice
- .5oz lime juice
- Pinch of monk fruit extract or lucuma fruit powder
Some people end up staying in this phase because it’s a lot healthier and keeps them happy. I recommend pushing on to Phase 3 for some important health benefits.
Quit Soda Step #3: Kombucha
This was the game-changer for me. Complete turnaround. I probably consume a gallon of Kombucha per week. It’s a fermented tea that improves gut health – which translates into a whole host of benefits throughout the body from immunity, digestion and more. It’s refreshing, delicious, and it has become so popular that many brands are now creating “cola” flavors. The downsides are that there is generally some level of sugar in it. Usually between 2-6g. But make sure it’s an organic cane sugar and you should be fine. Remember, your old cola drinks had 30-40g per serving! My favorite brands (not paid for this) are GT’s, Health-Ade, and Revive. The Revive brand has a cola flavor that is amazing (link).
Long-term Benefits When You Stop Drinking Soda
Some of you be thinking…………”come on, really? You think a couple glasses of soda per week is going to make that much of a difference when there are so many more serious things out there to be worried about?”.
I know. Trust me. Try it for one month and tell me if you don’t experience a difference. As your insulin levels begins to regulate more normally, you will start to look and feel different. It’s not uncommon to see reductions in bodyfat and specifically belly fat. You’re also likely to experience more energy. And if you do end up replacing soda with Kombucha, there’s a good chance you’ll see benefits in digestion and immunity as well. All for something as small as a glass of soda. You can do this!
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