Kicking Your Soda Habit
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A number of recent studies conducted in the last year alone have shown that all soda, including diet soda products, are linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and many other health problems.
Just like when it comes to smoking cigarettes, many Americans are aware of the negative effects of soda on their health; however, many continue to drink soda as a habit, especially when they feel as if they need a boost of energy or caffeine.
If you’re trying to lose weight or thinking about having weight-loss surgery, cutting soda out of your diet is necessary — since quitting soda will help drive and accelerate weight loss and make you feel less sluggish. In fact, most bariatric surgeons recommend that weight-loss patients eliminate soda completely to lower their risk for any complications and discomfort caused by carbonation, which can often cause gas and stomach expansion in post-op patients.
Are you an individual trying to quit soda for good? Follow some of these tips to eliminate soda from your diet and become healthier than ever before!
- Choose healthier caffeinated beverages. If one of your main reasons for drinking soda is to get a caffeine boost, swap out soda for healthier alternatives, such as tea. Most teas, especially green tea, contain a number of antioxidants that will actually help accelerate weight loss.
- Add natural sweeteners to regular water. If you’re used to the flavor of soda, then switching to water might seem incredibly boring to your taste buds at first. Add natural sweeteners to your water to improve the flavor, such as juices from citrus fruits or stevia.
- Start drinking fruit or vegetable juice. Not only are real fruit and vegetable juices healthy for you due to containing a number of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, but fruit and vegetable juice can give you that extra energy boost you need if you’re used to excessive caffeine intake. Just make sure you buy 100 percent real juice, and not the types of fruit juices made with sugar and additives.
- Keep yourself busy throughout the day. Just like with food, you might find yourself reaching for soda at times of boredom. Pack your daily schedule with activities that will keep you distracted, such as exercise, spending time with friends, shopping, and any other activities you genuinely enjoy.
- Ask your friends and family for their support. Sometimes it can be difficult to quit a habit that everyone around you is also doing. If you’re a parent, make the executive decision to remove all soda from the house and explain that you want your family to become healthier. If your partner and friends are also soda-drinkers, let them know about your decision to quit so they can provide you with the support you need. You might even inspire those around you to also kick their soda habits.