No matter who you are, there’s something comforting about a ritual, whatever your unique ritual may be. Whether it’s a favorite TV show or a midday snack, little daily comforts often give us something to look forward to throughout the day and we find it helpful to add a little bit of routine to an otherwise hectic day or workweek. There is nothing wrong with that. But often these small indulgences start to occur more and more frequently and what was once a single soda with lunch everyday turns into a 10:00am, 12:00pm, 3:00pm, and 10:00pm gotta-have-it habit. We all know soda is bad, but how bad really? And how can you kick the delicious fizziness for good? Read on for a few tips.
First, let’s go over why soda is so bad in the first place
Now, before we start bashing the soft drink industry, we must preface this with a quick reminder. Soda can certainly be a part of a healthy, balanced diet when consumed in moderation. The issue is, many times we forget or simply don’t realize how much sugar and how many calories are in these suckers. If you don’t adjust your diet accordingly, it could lead to weight gain or even obesity.
So why not just switch to diet soda? Although lower in calories, diet soda more often than not contains artificial sweeteners. These alternative sweeteners like aspartame and saccharin have had very little research done on how the human body receives them and could cause adverse health effects in the long run.
The 4 steps to quitting
According to experts, these are the four steps you’ll need to follow to help you put an end to your soda intake:
- Commit to making it happen. You’ll really need to make the firm decision that cutting back is what you really want to do, and then you must make that commitment a priority. This will help form strong discipline!
- Don’t go cold turkey. Although some people believe that this is the best option, it can lead to binges. Instead, try making a small decrease each day.
- It’s a package deal. Soda usually contains caffeine and caffeine is known to be mildly addictive. If you’re trying to quit soda, you’re also trying to quit your body’s dependency on caffeine. Along with your soda intake, also try to decrease any other caffeine that you may be consuming throughout the day. This should help with those cravings!
- Lastly, keep some non-soda alternatives on hand to make it easier on yourself. Give milk, tea, vitamin water, water enhancers or even freshly squeezed juice a try. These are all healthy, low-calorie, delicious alternatives that will make your transition away from soda easier.
You must also remember that you aren't going it alone! In fact, a recent report from Beverage Marketing shows that bottled water consumption has risen by 120% between 2000 and 2015 while carbonated beverages have fallen by 16% in the same time period. Hundreds of thousands of people are trying to drink more water.
Yes, we too at Eldorado Springs enjoy an occasional sugary indulgence, but what’s even more enjoyable for us is knowing that we’re leading a happy and balanced lifestyle and helping our customers lead one too. We hope these tips will help you on your journey towards finally kicking soda.
Are you wanting to stay away from sugary soft drinks but feel bored with water? Try our super-charged vitamin waters for a fruity kick with loads of nutrients.
