How to Quit Drinking Soda Pop

Chances are you're like I used to be with soda. One with breakfast (sometimes one before breakfast..), one with lunch, maybe another in the afternoon, one more with dinner and possibly one at night. Mt. Dew was my drink of choice, so best case (three 12oz servings) I would be drinking about 500 calories a day - but most of the time I would have bottles at 20oz each - or 833 calories. If I actually had five 12oz pops that day - 820 calories, or 1367 calories with 20oz'ers. I would be drinking more than half my daily recommended calories!

Fortunately I have a pretty high metabolism, so even though I'm pretty sedentary I've only gained 10 pounds since highschool (which was almost 8 years ago). Unfortunately, most people don't have a metabolism as high as mine and will start to pack on the pounds. Besides the fat gain there are other issues to worry about, namely Type 2 Diabetes. Yes, with a poor diet and exercise you could "catch" a life changing disease...but I'm not here to scare you into changing your diet (but you should read about Diabetes). I'm here to show you what other options are available besides pop and encourage you to moderate your soda drinking.

The Replacements

If you're going to quit drinking soda, you will need something to replace it. Chances are you don't drink enough plain water through out your day, but get it through your pop instead. A good replacement is any one of the thousands of varieties and flavors of tea. It can be drank hot, cold or any temperature in between. Tea is way healthier than soda, you still get caffeine, and can be as sweet or unsweet as you like. Yerba Mate is also another good option. Like tea, it's loaded with nutrients and anti-oxidants, but it has it's own taste and even technique for brewing and drinking (but it can still be brewed and drank like regular tea).

My favorite is Peach Green Tea with honey that I brew at home. Every couple days I make a big pot of it, put it in a pitcher with some honey, and leave it on the counter to cool. Then it goes into the fridge to be ready to drink whenever. I usually take I big jug to work me in the morning and drink that throughout the day.

If you don't know what teas you already like you should stop by your local coffee shop and try them there. Most will have a wide variety of teas to choose from so you can get an idea. Most people seem to enjoy green tea or just plain brown tea so you could probably buy a whole box of one of those at the store for the same price as a single cup at the coffee shop.

And speaking of coffee shops, coffee is another good replacement for soda. Black coffee has no calories, fat, sodium, or cholesterol, but it's loaded with anti-oxidants. Sadly, orange mocha frappachinos are way worse than sodas are, so you'll have to stick with straight coffee.

If you're going to sweeten your tea or coffee try and stay away from sugar. If it's available use Honey, Agave Nectar or Unrefined Sugar (as a last resort) instead. Each has a better taste and aren't just straight calories. Honey has a lot of different vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants in it. Try and get raw honey or raw agave nextar if you can since that keeps more of the good stuff in there. One other benefit of Honey and Agave Nectar is that they convert into energy easier than Sugar because of their composition. Sugar and High Fructose Corn Syrup are more likely to be converted into fat if an easier energy source is available.

You'll find being pop-free is the toughest when you go to a restuarant. Many times you're stuck with soda or fake juices made with high fructose corn syrup. Check and see if they have milk or orange juice available. If it's a nicer restuarant, ask for a glass of red wine. Red wine, in moderation, is heart-healthy and has plenty of anti-oxidants. If you don't like red, a white or a blush would still be better than soda. Sometimes you might just have to suck it up and have water with your meal. (It won't kill you, I promise)

The Quitting Process

It's best to start by replacing one drinking a day with your new preferred drink. Every week or two replace another drink, and so on. If you frequent restuarants start planning ahead and checking out their menus so you know what your options are.