Soda Addiction - How to Stop Drinking Soda

Getting Soda Out of Your Diet

It’s common knowledge among today’s health conscious that soda has no nutritional value. Many people understand that the extra sugar, high fructose corn syrup, salt and carbonation are a horrible combination that can give you a host of health problems both daily and on a long term basis.

The extra sugar and high fructose corn syrup are addictive and has been possibly linked to an increase of Type II Diabetes, obesity, bone density loss, tooth decay and liver disease. The high levels of sodium in soda acts as a preservative but it can also keep your body in a constant state of thirst, create hypertension and water retention.

All in all, drinking a soda every once in a while won’t do much damage but if you are one of the millions of Americans who find themselves drinking soda consistently throughout the day, the odds are high that it’s become an addiction. Being addicted to soda is not really looked at as a major concern due to soda being seen as “just a drink” but rest assured that long term soda consumption will cause withdrawal symptoms in the body when you decrease the amount in your diet. Some people have the ability to just stop drinking it and switch to water, which is great, but other people will find a need to wean themselves off over a certain time period. Either way you choose to go, it is still a healthy and self-sustaining goal to get that soda habit out of your diet.

For more information on the possible effects of soda on the body, check out Diet Soda and Calcium Absorption Facts and Health Effects of Soft Drinks.

Anti-Soda Tips

The following are simple things that you can do to get soda off the radar and treat your body to healthier hydration:

• Begin by cutting your soda consumption down day by day. For example, if you drink a six pack or more a day, keep track of how much you actually drink and cut back by one. This will give your body a gradual step down from a dependence on soda.
• Add in a glass of water for every soda you drink. So, say you just downed a one liter bottle of soda next just equal that out by having one liter of water. Repeat the process throughout the day to give your body more hydration.
• Switch to green tea in the mornings for that caffeine fix. The tea is much better for you and it will help you regulate the headaches from cutting back on the soda.
• Keep track of your soda intake. Create a log and mark down each soda you have, when you feel like having a soda and don’t. Keeping a log of your addiction and progress can better help you realize where you are on the soda addiction level.

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