Despite its popularity, it’s well known that soda isn’t good for your health, as it’s linked to obesity, poor dental health, and various chronic diseases.
When it comes to drinking too much soda, stopping involves more than just willpower.
The human brain has an area called the reward system. It’s designed to reward people when they perform actions that promote survival, such as eating. When you eat food, the brain releases a feel-good chemical called dopamine, which your brain interprets as pleasure.
When people consume soda and other high sugar foods, the brain releases more dopamine than when you consume whole foods. This can lead to the brain seeking more high sugar foods to get a similar pleasure response, which, in turn, can result in cravings.
If you’re trying to stop drinking soda, the follow tips may help.
In some cases, soda cravings could be confused with thirst.
If you feel the urge to drink soda, try drinking a large glass of water first and wait for a few minutes. It’s possible you could notice the craving fade away after you quench your thirst.
Water is not only great for quenching your thirst but also helps you stay hydrated.
If you feel a soda craving coming on, try to distance yourself from the thought.
Acts such as going for a walk or taking a shower may help shift your thought process and environment from the craving and stop it completely.
Another thing you can do is ensure that there’s no soda in your household or easy-to-access areas to help reduce temptation and minimize cravings.
Sugar cravings are incredibly common.
In some cases, the strong urge to drink soda can be curbed by replacing the soda with a healthier sweet alternative.
Some healthy sweet treats you could choose in place of soda include:
- fruits like apples, berries, pineapple, mangoes, and grapes
- sugar-free chewing gum
- yogurt with a few small pieces of fruit
However, avoid replacing soda with fruit juices. Though fruit juices contain more nutrients than soda, they’re very high in sugar.
Studies have shown that people under stress tend to consume more calories and have more cravings than non-stressed individuals.
There are many ways to help relieve stress, including regular exercise, meditating, practicing yoga, deep breathing, and mindfulness.
Mocktails can also be a great way to reduce your soda intake. Try our low-calorie mocktails.
Sometimes, the easiest way to curb a craving is to replace it with something similar.
Although opting for a diet soda can help you cut back on calories, there are plenty of healthier options that can provide you with a refreshing kick, including:
- Infused sparkling water. Add slices of your favorite fruits into sparkling water for a delicious soda substitute.
- Sparkling green tea. Several companies produce sparkling green tea that contains much less sugar than soda and provides the benefits of green tea.
- Water with mint and cucumber. This refreshing beverage may not only quench your thirst but also help curb your craving for soda.
- Herbal or fruit teas. These drinks aren’t only calorie-free but may even provide health benefits.
- Coconut water. Though not free of calories, this natural beverage is still a much healthier choice than sugary soda. It does contain natural sugar, so be sure to check the ingredient label for additional added sugars.
Many people consume soda frequently in social situations.
If you’re trying to quit drinking soda, it’s a good idea to let the people closest to you know. This way they can help you stay accountable and on track.
When you cut back on drinking soda, you may experience side effects.
If you’re used to drinking several cans of soda per day, you may experience symptoms of caffeine withdrawal, as most popular soda brands contain caffeine.
Symptoms of
Plus, there are ways to reduce the likelihood of these symptoms, including:
- cutting back slowly rather than going cold turkey
- drinking plenty of water to avoid dehydration
- getting plenty of sleep to combat fatigue
Other than caffeine withdrawal, you may experience strong urges for soda or sugar cravings, which you can combat by choosing a soda alternative, opting for a healthier sweet treat, and following other strategies mentioned above.
Cutting soda from your diet requires more than just willpower.
While diet sodas might seem like a healthier choice, they offer little to no nutritional benefit and research suggests they could have harmful effects on health.
Instead, swap soda for better options like sparkling water infused with fruit, sparkling green tea, herbal teas, kombucha, or coconut water.
You can also explore other lifestyle changes mentioned earlier to help you permanently say goodbye to soda.
