Cutting Soda

[ggardnerply]

Hello,

Girlfriend and I just started getting into trying to be a bit more healthy. First thing she does is try to cut Soda as she used to drink it frequently. I currently never had a problem as I mostly like diet soda anyways and I don't drink it often. Anyways, since she has cut it she has been feeling very weak and not well. I assume this is normal and I'm guessing it has to do with the lack of sugar that her body is used to.

Any suggestions on healthier ways for her too substitute the sugar so she doesn't feel so weak? I suggested fruits such as apples and grapes but I don't know a whole lot when it comes to nutrition other than the basics. Any help is greatly appreciated!

[ypease]

Let's cut to the chase for your friend. She should see her doctor. I see lots of good advice here, however, do not see an MD behind any of the names.  You should urge her to see a doctor as it maybe nothing and just a "withdrawal".  However, what if it's not? She may have a real medical  issue that has been exacerbated by the removal of the soda.  I know I certainly would not want to possibly endanger a good friend's health because of third party advice from a blog!

[jenlaw71]

I used to drink Dr Pepper like crazy.......4-5 a day!!!!!

Last year at a routine dr appt, she tells me I am pre-diabetic and if I didn't make some changes I would have to start insulin............the Dr Pepper I had been drinking on the way to that appointment was basically the last one ever!  I went cold turkey right then and there.

First month was hard going through withdrawal - and yes....caffiene addiction is real!  Now, I drink mostly water, except for 1 pod of Keurig iced sweet tea in the morning.  I have had a couple of sodas since then but I don't have the desire to chug them like I used to.

And the good news?  All my labs have been in the normal range since I quit the soda!!!

[podcastcoach]

It took me numerous tries, but I eventually kicked my 6 pack of mountain dew a day habi (that I had for about 6+ years) The caffine headaches were torture, but the minute I switched to Water, the pounds just fell off (which inspired me to stay off soda). it's still not easy, but (I mean no disrespect) I treat it like I'm an Alcoholic. I know one will lead to two. I don't expect that I will be prefect, but that is one activity where I need to know my limits. 

It's hard, but its worth it. Funny how those two things often go together. 

[Myfatbgone]

Congrats for you!! Since I posted my comments I officially cut soda. As of
June 1 I am soda free. I too treat it like an addiction. It really was for
me but I'm so much happier with my decision to kick the habit. I feel
hydrated and my thirst is quenched. My body craves water. One healthy
decision leads to the next. Keep up the good work everyone

[USAF-Larry]

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@podcastcoach wrote:

It took me numerous tries, but I eventually kicked my 6 pack of mountain dew a day habit

It's hard, but its worth it. Funny how those two things often go together. 

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Congratulations!  That is one of the best things you can do for your body!  Each 12oz can of Mountain Dew has approximately a dozen packets of sugar in it, and a 20oz bottle has approximately 20 packets of sugar in it. Your body does not need all that sugar. And, that isn't even considering all the cafeine you were consuming every day.

Keep up the good work!

[josephz2va]

Soda isn't my issue. Beer is. But it is mostly under control. 1 or 2 cans a night.

[DavideFitbit]

Awesome guys, it's so great to know that you've feel better and healthier, congratulations for your effort and determination. Keep it up!  

[Purplepower]

Ok today is the day!! My husband and I are officially saying we are kicking the habit. June 26.
We have tried several times over the years and failed. I too feel like it's very hard and liken it to being an alcoholic. We quit smoking many years ago and it was easier for us.

[SunsetRunner]

Congrats to you.  My Diet Coke is the last habit I am kicking.  I'm on Day 8 of no diet coke.  I too have been drinking lots of water (on average 100 fl oz) a day.  I feel that "craving", "urge" for a cola, I reach for my water bottle.  I'm convinced the cola is what is hampering my weight loss efforts!  With all the exercise I do, 6 days of week of 1 hour cardio then all the other "free" time I do strength and yoga exercising,  you'd think the weight would be coming off.  But no.  I've lost inches, and quite a few.  Am I on the right track???   Any suggestions, anyone.  

[SunsetRunner]

I agree to all posts on this subject.  I am on day #8 of no diet coke in my diet.  Kuddos to all you have done this and have been successful.  I have drank cola every since I was a young girl.  Here we are several decades later going cold turkey.  I have to keep with is, it's soon.  I think the only reason I have been successfull with the cold turkey is because I've been doing the daily exercise and healthier eating including superfruits and super veggie for a good 2.5 years and have not seen much weight off.  It's because of the Diet Cola, I'm convinced. 

Cola sure has all that "crap" (sweetners and chemicals) in it that provide us with that addiction to it.  If you need it for the "sweet", substitute if for some superfruit; bananas, acai berries, blueberries, cherries, cantaloupe, strawberries, cranberries, raspberries.  Drink a fruit smoothie.  Super veggies:  asparagus, broccoli, spinach, peppers (all colors), kale, spinach.  Drink a veggie smoothie.  Mix some nuts in with your fruit, almonds, walnuts, pistachios.  If you need the caffeine, drink the black coffee like one person said.  Drink Green Tea.  

Good luck to all of you.  We're in this together. 🙂

[Sassygirl18]

Hi - When I am craving sugar, or a soda, I make a homemade healthy soda.  I fill a glass about 2/3 of the way with seltzer, add about 1/4 cup of 100% juice (I love pomegranate), squeeze in 1 lemon or lime and then I make the whole thing extra sweet (like a soda) by adding a few drops of liquid Stevia, which is a natural sweetener.  Toss in some ice cubes and it really tastes so refreshing - very sweet, tart and sparkly.

Now, there's no caffeine so it's not going to give that big energy boost, but it does take the edge off the sugar cravings and it's a pretty healthy substitute for soda.

[robwilkens]

Stevia may be natural, but from what i recall, it interacts with some common medications, including one i take... it could be deadly.

[SunsetRunner]

One of the main culprits in soda is it sweetener. Most soft drinks now use High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) as a sweetener. Some reports also try and convince you that it is a 'natural' product as it is the result of using 'natural' processes to create it such as yeast, temperature, etc. Don't be fooled. It is not extracted from plants. It is made in a factory, usually from corn. The corn you eat is only a very small fraction of the corn that is grown. Most of it is used for animal feed, gasoline additives, and HFCS. Food companies love HFCS. It is cheap, sweeter than sugar, is a liquid (great for transportation and food equipment), and tastes similar to sugar. In fact it is very similar to certain kinds of sugar. But it is not sugar. It is a processed type of corn syrup. It also has a nasty side effect. Much of the research on it and anecdotal evidence indicates that it is metabolized differently than regular sugar. What that means to us humans is that it tends to put on weight faster than regular sugar. That is the real issue with 'sugar' sweetened soft drinks. It is something the producers tend to keep quiet in order to maintain the increased profits they get over having to use real sugar. 

Unfortunately artificially sweetened sodas have issues too. Some people get sick from the sweeteners used. They also have been accused, with some decent research behind it, of creating cravings for more sweet things and so it is questionable whether or not they contribute to weight loss or weight gain. Let me repeat that one more time: Some research indicates that diet sodas may actually contribute to weight gain. 

So what is one to do? Here are some suggestions:

- Drink water

- Drink flavored water without sweeteners, artificial or real.

- Drink plain coffee or tea, hot or iced, without sugar or dairy. Coffee is not supposed to be good for you. Go Figure!

- Add a small squeeze of flavor enhancers to water. FYI: the food coloring they use is not the greatest thing for you and they do use artificial sweeteners, but not as much as diet sodas.

- Get brand of sodas that us sugar, such as Hansen's or Virgil to name a few, but drink less of them.

- Purchase name brands of beverages you like that are bottled in Mexico where they use real sugar, and again drink less of them. They are more expensive but are healthier and think about all the money you will be saving by drinking less, and spending less on diet fads that don't work.

Speaking of diets, just ask yourself these questions:

- If any of the diets actually worked as advertised why are there so many new ones coming out that claim to work better?

- If any of the diet pills worked, why do they keep coming out with new ones that claim the same benefits?

- If any of the diet foods worked why do the older ones seem to disappear and newer ones are constantly coming out to replace them?

-If any of the diet books worked why are so many on the market and why do some writers keep coming out with new diet book when the old one was supposed to be the one that replaced all the others? (Dr. Phil, are you reading this?)

Losing weight is really simple in theory; unless you have health issue, or taking medication that contribute to weight gain. All you need to do is to metabolize less calories than you burn. Sounds simple but often difficult, as eating is generally an enjoyable process that is not easily controlled. It takes patience, thought, and willpower to accomplish. Old habits tend to be difficult to break and making new habits to replace them that are less enjoyable can be extremely difficult. To put it another way: Who really enjoys eating Lima beans, chia seed, and kale plus considers them a special treat when they get eat them? Wouldn't they rather have a chocolate milk shake, Coke, Pepsi, 7-UP, or Root Beer instead?

[Sassygirl18]

I never heard of Stevia being unsafe or interacting with medications, but it is always worth researching any herb, supplement or sweetener before using.  Most people can use Stevia safely with no side effects or issues.

I've been using it for years with no issues and it's really helped me cut down on my sugar consumption.  And no chemicals or blood sugar spikes from it.

[Stinkyfish97]

@SunsetRunner Here is a link to a news article talking about that study on artificial sweeteners you are talking about http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/311605.php

While fruit flys are not really related to humans, therefore we should not jump to conclusions from any 1 study. I do find the results interesting. 

For me, I was a chronic diet cokehead. At my peak I was drinking an avg of 12-18 cans a day, pretty much everyday.

I drink soda every now and again, even diet soda. I drink 1-2 cans a week, if that. I pretty much drink just water now. I also drink La Croix and Mineral waters during the week. I treat them kind of like soda though. I found I was not craving the sweetness of soda so much as I liked the carbonation. So switching to an ice cold mineral water was fairly easy for me. Still though you can overdo it with these kind of waters as well. I know I have in the past. But as a stepping stone to getting off soda, I found it helpful in my case. I may drink 2-3 La Croix's a week and maybe the same with mineral waters. 

[SunsetRunner]

Thank you for the information. I was not aware of this study. However with careful research you may find other studies as well. One interesting note is that the Saccharine Cancer scare my not be based on good evidence at all. In fact recent studies have indicated that Saccharine does not cause Cancer in humans when used in the quantities typically used in food products. But then eggs, coffee, and chocolate used to be harmful and now Tea can Cause cancer if drunk too hot. Go Figure.
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Regards,
Jim Weil

[Sassygirl18]

It's very distressing how we are told that something is healthy, only to find out it's unhealthy, and vice versa.

One thing I feel confident of....chemical artificial sweeteners like aspartame are poison.  I avoid them like the plague.

[SunsetRunner]

Unfortunately many people have had a reaction to aspartame. I find it interesting that aspartame was created as a replacement for saccharine, a product charged with causing Cancer but not revised as safe after the evidence has indicated that the science behind the Cancer study was flawed.

I completely agree with your Stevia comments as current science has indicated it to be safe. However please be aware that ’Natural’ is not always safe or good for you. Rhubarb leaves can make you sick or kill you, but the stems are safe.There are similar issues with Tapioca. Eating the leaves of Tomato plants can make you sick. We never see Cashews in this country with shells as they contain a substance that the Amazon Natives used to tip their blow-darts with as it is a strong poison. Cherry and Apricots pits contain Cyanide. If you leave potatoes out in the sun till they turn green and eat them, they can make you sick. Sugar and Salt are Natural products. So is a water injected Ham or Turkey. Many powerful drugs were originally derived from garden plants, such as Foxglove, and can kill you if used incorrectly. Being ’Natural’ means nothing other than the product was not created in a manufacturing plant by artificial means. This brings me to question how HFCS ever got to be called ’Natural’ but that is probably a whole other story. So calling Beef, ’Natural’ on a label only means that a cow grew it! Food producers have used the term ’Natural’ to imply that a product is safe and free of any harmful products, but that is not true since the word ’Natural’ on food products means nothing as the FDA has not really defined this term. From the FDA website:

"From a food science perspective, it is difficult to define a food product that is 'natural' because the food has probably been processed and is no longer the product of the earth. That said, FDA has not developed a definition for use of the term natural or its derivatives. However, the agency has not objected to the use of the term if the food does not contain added color, artificial flavors, or synthetic substances.”

It is a marketing term best ignored. That said it is interesting to note that Atlantic Salmon (Farm Raised & dyed red) does not qualify as a ’natural’ product based on this FDA statement. Think about that one the next time you browse the seafood counter.

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Regards,
Jim Weil

[robwilkens]

Lots of substances found in plants are deadly and not to be consumed. For
me, stevie acts as a diuretic which with lithium or blood pressure meds is
deadly,

[SunsetRunner]

I agree but the point I was trying to make was that being ’Natural’ or Organic, etc., does not make or imply that a product is safe or better for you, which is what the marketing of food producers try to infer. One of the largest hypocrisies is ‘organic bananas’. Due to deadly spider infestations from where they are grown, all bananas imported into the US (almost all are except those grown in hothouses in the US if such even exist) are required to be sprayed or fumigated with gas to kill the spiders. So if it was organically grown, it is no longer organic, ( i.e., free of pesticides) when it gets on the groceries shelf. If they said it was organically grown, and if it were true, I would have no issue. But all I have seen in the supermarkets is ‘ Organic Bananas’.
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Kind & Sincere Regards,
Jim Weil
jweil@mac.com