Soft Drinks page 3

[Blackcatbone]

I was actually able to just stop, years ago. I do occasionally get an urge for a soda every so often and I usually keep some Virgil's zero (stevia sweetened) cola and/or root beer in the house. The thing about most commercial soda is that they have a high salt content which makes you thirstier (and is then masked by the amount of sugar added), thus you drink more. Virgil's doesn't have this affect on me. Usually half a bottle is all I want. I'll then stick the other half in the fridge and drink it later or the next day, sometimes forgetting altogether.

[Beets]

The only thing I've ever quit cold turkey in my life was sugar in tea and coffee. Maybe a rip the band aid off approach?

My husband really likes his sodas. He's been gradually cutting back. He went to some of those lightly sweetened teas, and now the totally unsweetened kind--which he doesn't really like. He does like Pellegrino and the flavored Perrier waters as a soda substitute. If you can find Gerolsteiner it has a pleasant almost salty mineral taste.

[Maureen M]

I have been primal for a long time, and sometimes it is still difficult for me to refuse soda. What I do is I buy a brand of sparkling water that comes in cans called La Croix. It has no sugar no artificial sweetners, no calories just sparkling water and essential oils to make them taste fruity. I buy the lemon flavor and whenever I get the urge to go out and buy a Dr. Pepper, I just glup down one of these. Works everytime. Somedays I have about three to battle the craving but its better than having one soda.

[Sandra in BC]

I stopped buying it and having it in the house. And I never pay the ridiculous price of beverages in a restaurant.

So if I really, really want a diet coke, I'll go buy one. It's rare that the craving is strong enough to go to that effort though.

[Unicorn]

Switch to seltzer. It helps for that bubbly sensation. Also Kombucha is a great alternative, but be careful with having too much. I start bruising easy when I drink kombucha.

1-2 x per year, I will buy some mexican coke. It tastes much better than the other stuff.

[bloodorchid]

I stopped buying it and having it in the house. And I never pay the ridiculous price of beverages in a restaurant.

So if I really, really want a diet coke, I'll go buy one. It's rare that the craving is strong enough to go to that effort though.

this works best for me too

[JoanieL]

Just think about rat poop. Up to a certain level is "acceptable" to the FDA in all processed foods. How much is acceptable to you?

[bloodorchid]

rat poop is most delicious

[Bane]

Another vote for keeping it out of the house. If I'm dying for something other than water, I like having a club soda with a big lime wedge. If you want a treat once in a while go and buy a can of it and enjoy it. I bet if you had to drive to a store for every single can you'd drop your intake a ton.

This is the reason I won't be bringing back 48 cans of beer with me when I drive home from the US. My plans of "oh this will last forever and I'll have it for camping in the summer" go out the window in no time. They call to me.